Dinner at Michaelangelo's

Michaelangelo's, Holland Village
Tasted Thursday, January 20, 2011 by Paul S with 391 views

Introduction

Elsa and I had a really fun dinner last night with HM, Alvin, Dave and Darren. Soundly cooked pasta was paired with decent wines and brilliant company. What more could one ask for on a Thursday night

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2007 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard 90 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu

    I did not read Bughound's note about decanting the wine 20 minutes before - we really should have. A good wine overall, but not quite as good as the last time I tried this. When first popped and poured, this was actually quite disjionted and not too pleasant. Thankfully, it started showing better with time in an open bottle and brought down to a correct temperature. By the last glass, the nose started showing some nuttiness, expensive toasty oak scents and nice gentle white fruit - a half-decent Puligny impression I thought. The palate had a rich attack, but thins out a little on midpalate to show an elegant bit of white fruit with some cream, a little touch of earthiness and a nutty finish with a nicely detailed flourish. I liked this, but think that it needs some time to come together. The next couple of bottles will be treated with more care.

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  • 1999 Balgownie Estate Shiraz 91 Points

    Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Bendigo

    This is a follow-up note for the remiander half of a bottle that was opened a day ago. The wine has certainly benefitted from being opened for a day, and having some proper food to pair with. The sweaty funk on the nose had more or less blown off. It was still rather tight on first pour, but a little time in the glass saw it open up into nice clear tones of roast meat, earth and eucalyptus. It was the palate that showed the most change though. Again, a little murky in terms of flavour when first poured, but a bit of time and it was singing with the clean, clear, uber-fresh dark cherry notes that I remembered from my very first bottle of this wine a few months back. Finish had a nice meatiness to it - very nice. My last bottle will be decanted for some time before serving.

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  • 1996 Château Coutet Barsac 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

    From a 375ml. I had quite forgotten that I tried this before, and my impressions are entirely in line with those of two years ago. A very nice, but unspectacular Barsac. This had the advantage of drinking very nicely at the moment. Nose showed typical botrytis scents of burnt suga, rubber, apricots, dried peach and some stewed tea. The palate had a soft, creamy textured buffered by nice acidity. The sweetness has started to come down a bit, but there were still plenty of honeyed tones, with golden peaches and apricots mingling amidst more raw sugar notes. Finish was a little diminished and had a little angular touch of iodine, a bit weaker here than from the full bottle in 2008. But that aside, the wine was delicious and drinking very nicely. Not sure that this is one for the ages, so no harm opening one now if you have any.

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