Gentlemen's birthday weekend - wine tasting journey: Liguria & the Cote d'Azur

Wouldn't you all want to get your best friends together, do a gentlemen journey to Italy / Cote d'Azur, have some great self made Italian food and drink your favorite wines? Well, this is exactly what we did. With me and 3 best friends we were driving from Düsseldorf to Liguria with favorite wines in the trunk, (blind) taste, decide which one to stock up, accompanied by doing sightseeing in Nice and Monaco and self made Italian food.

It was a mixture of blind tasting and known wines, with the famous regions Tuscany, Bordeaux, Chateauneuf, Champagne & South Australia. Probably next time, we could include a 'Pirate' from a less known region to broaden our knowledge.

After starting the day at Bordighera beach with some decent Prosecco and side dishes, we enjoyed the first evening with the following meals:

- Tomatoes, mozarella & pesto a la genovese
- Tagliatelle pasta with salsiccia and white wine sauce

• 2019 Fattoria Petrolo Galatrona 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Val d'Arno di Sopra

  (5/18/2023)

  Round, lush, a bit on the easy side, not overly complex, recognized as a young wine with bordeaux based grapes.
  
  (Bought in May 2023 at Kölner Weinkeller (Schatzkammer) for 95 € which is the current value).
  
  Yeras ago we had the fantastic 2007 which blew us away. You will have to show patience for the 2019.

  Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Happy birthday to me! :-)

During the day we visited Monaco where preparations for the Formula 1 race were ongoing. We started the evening with a get together at the roof terrace of the house back on the Italian side. Again with a decent Prosecco.

Then we went to the kitchen and prepared dinner:

- Potato rösti with smoked salmon, crème fraiche and capers
- Porcini pasta with mushrooms and truffle sauce
- Swordfish with asparagus risotto and wild spinach
- Strawberry tiramisu

• 2012 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut La Grande Dame 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  (5/19/2023)

  It is always a special occasion which makes someone open a special bottle. Happy birthday to me. Clearly pinot noir dominated, nice biroche, limited perlage, almost no fruit.
  
  I still have to be convinced that spending this amount of money a sparkling wine is worth it. In the last yerasm we tasted fantastic German "Winzersekte" and I guess I will stick to that in the future (maybe trying a blanc de blanc vintage champagne before - never give up ;-) )
  
  Bouth at Metro Krefeld for 135 € in March '23. Current market value 170 €.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2019 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 92 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (5/19/2023)

  Limited nose, lush, round full bodied, however no (to young) tannins dominant. Most notably nose and taste. almonds.
  
  Pretty young. After having had the 2009 Chaupin and Vieilles Vignes who were ready to go, I might not be patient enough to see any potential here.
  
  Bought at Lobenberg Gute Weine for 80 € in April 2023, Market value is pretty much the same.
  
  I clearly prefer the Chaupin here.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  (5/19/2023)

  Clearly recognized as a high class middle age Bordeaux. Just the sub domain and dominant grape was not easy to find out. Aristocratic nose and taste.
  
  Was it worth, waiting 10 years to taste this wine - probably not. Was I happy to have tasted it at this occasion? Yes.
  
  Bought in November 2013 at Mövenpick Wein Düsseldorf for 97 €, Current market vaue: 120 €

  Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 94 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

  (5/19/2023)

  Clearly recognized as middle aged. However, quite some discussions whether this is a Bordeaux or just Bordeaux based grapes.
  
  This wine was in a very nice condition and clearly a highlight this evening. Sadly prices have exploded and I am not seeing myself buying more of these.
  
  Bought at Mövenpick Wein Düsseldorf November 2013 für 120 €. Current market value, a whopping 250 €. *sigh!*

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

The last day also had some highlights. Especially the food:

- Starter: fried zucchini flowers, ham and melon, mixed Italian bread
- Ravioli in sage butter and herbs
- Involtini with mashed potatoes and roasted green asparagus
- Desert: Colonel (Prosecco with lemon sorbet)

• 2019 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  (5/20/2023)

  I am a big fan of this wine - had fantastic memories with 2009 on the very top!
  
  However this was restrained. Clearly old world merlot dominated, the nose had either too much wood or even cork. My buddies said it was ok. Maybe it needed some more decanting.
  
  Bought at Koelner Weinkeller (Schatzkammer) in May 2023 for 90 €, which is also the current market value.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2019 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin 96 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  (5/20/2023)

  Up until now, I wasn't to convinced about this wine, compared to the 2019 tradition, which was a better value for me. But *wow*, this one evolved unbelievable to a lush hedonistic wine with a fruity, fresh, intoxicating nose and a fruit driven elegant taste. Now I can truly say that this again is may favorite wine of the last years. Only surpassed by the 2009.
  
  Bought this at Lobenbergs Gute Weine in October 2021 for 69 €, market value has increased slightly. Due to very high professional ratings, it is hard to get hands on these days.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love 97 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  (5/20/2023)

  The last wine of the weekend was clearly the winner. Everyone loved it. Expressive notes of vanilla and Coca-Cola, which filled the room immediately. We were sniffing all the time and smiling and promised that we will do that kind of tasting and travelling to Liguria / the Cote d'Azur again.
  
  Not to mention - some will love this winery, some will hate it. I simply adore it with the Boxer as the best qpr and Carnival of Love as the highlight. First tasted the 2012 after being #2 of Winespectator's wine of the year.
  
  Bought some in 2017 for 120 €, current market value a bit higher.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

What a fantastic weekend! All wines showed very nice, no corked ones - which is usually the case if you bring your wines across the Alps and not let them rest for a while. All bottles were enjoyed and emptied with some clear favorites.

Findings:

- We all agreed to do this again next year

- Expensive champagne is fine for the people who are willing to spend that amount of money, for us, we stick to our German 'Winzersekt' which provides less reputation and glamour, but more joy for the money

- Even if you think you are a wine expert, do a blind tasting and you will know. We were good in age, old world new world, but failed miserably in region and dominant grape

- Clear winner was the Mollydooker 2014 Carnival of Love, the only new world wine, second was the 2019 Chaupin and third the Ornellaia 2010 which sadyl becomes naffordable these days.