Lunch at Salumi's

Jon Staenberg organized a small group for the backroom, sit-down lunch at Salumi's. This is my second time doing one of these, and they are a ton of fun. Everyone was asked to bring a bottle of vino. Plus one of the attendees works for Merchant du Vin and brought a crazily cool selection of beers. I only wish I had another stomach and more time so I could have sampled all of the beers carefully.

• 2008 Eidos Albariño Rías Baixas Eidos de Padriñan

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  Lemon, lemon and more lemon. I was hoping for more minerality and depth to this, but it was mostly brisk and lean without much complexity. Served a bit cold but no real fireworks as it warmed either.

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• 1997 Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Colli Senesi

  I have really enjoyed this producer in the past, so I was hoping for a nice bottle here. Alas, the nose was green and pickled and the palate was lean, mean and tired. I circled back two more times to this bottle hoping it would blow off and strut but it just got more tired with time.

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• 2004 Di Majo Norante Biferno Ramitello

  Italy, Molise, Biferno

  Rustic. Simple. Chewy. Harmless but not especially inspiring.

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• 2000 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barbaresco Vürsù Vigneto Gallina

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Wowza, great showing for this. Explosive, floral nose. Surprisingly silky, feminine and approachable. Really supple. Nothing raw or oaky about this and plenty of structure in reserve. That said, this seems like an especially nice point to enjoy this if you still want some youthful firmness alongside the beginnings of really nice secondary notes. Sad to see this one go, as it is a true beauty.

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• 1998 Loredan Gasparini Capo di Stato Colli Trevigiani IGT

  Italy, Veneto, Colli Trevigiani IGT

  Fantastic wine. Lots of mineral, cranberry and earth but with nice depth and richness as well. This is at a very nice point of maturity.

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• 2003 Bergevin Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Relatively anonymous Washington Cab. Not much varietal character. Nothing green or untoward or over the top. Just sort of middling.

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• 2008 Todaloma Meritage Gilbert Vineyards

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope

  Shrill pickle. Oak, oak and a side of oak. Not enough fruit to stand up to it with a cool, green personality. On the plus side it does have nice acidity and bright aromatics. Really it just seems to need either riper fruit or less oak (to feel a bit more like a Chinon.)

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• 2005 Anwilka

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Big, smokey, oaky nose. A touch dry and raspy on the palate but at least with reasonable acidity. That said, for me, not liking so much.

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• 2003 Domaine Laffont Madiran Erigone

  France, Southwest France, Madiran

  I liked this. Chewy, dark, tannic but not savage. Certainly on the rustic and firm end of the spectrum.

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