Italians at Broder's

This was our regular Luis organized tasting. We had a nice group of 8: LD, DS, JCG, JP, JG, BT, and me. The theme was Italian wines at Broder's Pasta Bar. We were treated like royalty with Luis's special long term relationship at Broder's. The food was truly outstanding and our service was nothing short of spectacular. What a great night out on the patio with some really consistently good wines.

• 2008 José Michel & Fils Champagne Special Club 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Light gold color. Drank a glass over 30 minutes plus. I like the nose more on this than the palate. The nose has an appealing bready quality with green apple and apple peel, chalk, and apple peel. On the palate I find this somewhat angular and more oxidative than I prefer. There's nice and distinct creaminess to the palate though along with the apple peel, oxidative style, bread dough, green apple, dry chalky minerality and sharper citrus pith.

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• 2012 Paolo Bea Arboreus

  Italy, Umbria

  Medium orange color. Drank a glass over an hour. Interesting as an intellectual curiosity....though I can't say I found it particularly enjoyable. Reminiscent of an older, tired and overly oxidative Lopez de Heredia, this has all of the bitter, lacquer qualities without the freshness need to balance it out. The nose offers some nice lemon and tangerine oil, lacquer, and beeswax in addition to the baked apple and oxidativeness. The palate is rather oily, lemon oil, tangerine oil, very oxidative, waxy, acidic and grippy with a dry tannin like extract. Score reserved, gut impression 86pts.

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• 2015 Bethel Heights Chardonnay Estate Justice Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills

  Light-medium golden color. Followed a small glass over an hour plus. I'm generally a big fan of Bethel Heights wines. This however, was not working for me. Very reductive on the nose and palate, pear, bitter, smoky, oaky and volatile.

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• 2009 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Medium dark red color. Double decanted for an hour. Drank a glass over an hour. Lovely nose with leather, baked cherry, dried spice, hints of anise. The palate is medium bodied plus, deep red fruits, dark cherry, black licorice, savory and well spiced.

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• 2001 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very dark red color with a 5mm transitional meniscus. Deep and meaty, black fruits, blackberry and black cherry, licorice, ripe, lovely minerality and tar notes, bacon fat becomes prominent later, ripe and caressing tannins. This was succulent, modern and well balanced. Group WOTN, my #4. 92 to 92+pts.

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• 2012 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Cannubi 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Medium red plus color. Drank a glass over an hour. Already rather approachable, dark red berries, bright with dried spices, licorice, medium bodied and nice round tannins. 91+(+)pts.

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• 1990 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva 93 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Very dark red color, 5mm bricked edge. PNP, drank a glass over an hour next to the '06 Fontalloro. This was really in good shape and quite beguiling at a cool 31 years old. Plenty of aged character, yet still so vivid and drinking more like half its age. Pretty dried red cherries and red berries, dried earth, leather, strawberry balsamic, gravel and dusty tannins, very long, hints of vanilla bean. My WOTN in a very tight band of wines.

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• 2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus next to the '90 CCR. Wish I'd have had the time to decant this. It was still introverted and slightly medicinal on opening, though it didn't take real long to start to open up and flesh out. This nose offers lots of dark fruits, black raspberry, baked cherry, cherry cough syrup, eucalyptus, and dried flowers. The palate is bigger with a full body, black raspberry, black cherry, deep mineral essence, savory and spiced with dusty medium tannins. Give this a little air to wake it up.

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• 2006 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 91 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Very dark red color. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. I always enjoy Altesino and I was hoping for even more from this bottle thinking it should be in a pretty sweet spot. Drinking well though with tobacco, dark fruits, full bodied, charcoal, and moderate tannins.

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• 2007 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Very dark red color, saturated. Drank a glass over an hour. Ripe and ready this offers plenty of pretty black fruits, cassis, blackberry, lush with nice spice and wood treatment, sweet brown sugar, modern, well balanced and not overly done. Very appealing right now. My and group #2 WOTN.

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• 2010 MastroJanni Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Very dark red plus color, fully saturated. Splash double decanted and then slow-O for 4+ hours. Drank a glass over an hour. Concentrated and powerful, the fruit and texture stands out here. This came at the end of the night and probably suffered as a result. I enjoyed this, but remember thinking it just needs some more time. Score reserved.

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WOTN voting:
#1 2001 Domenico Clerico Pajana (3+3+3+3+2=14pts)
#2 2007 Casanovo di Neri Tenuta Nuova (3+3+2+2+1=11pts)
tie #3 1990 Felsina CCR (3+2+1=6pts)
tie #3 2006 Altesino (2+2+1+1=6pt)