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Italian Night in Jax
La Cena
Tasted May 11, 2023 by MC2 Wines with 120 views
Introduction
Interesting comparison point as the night before we were at a big Italian themed dinner in NYC. This was actually on the calendar before that one (I think we organized it back in January - takes awhile to get folks together). Was absolutely fabulous. For the most part the wines showed great and the food was excellent and the company was the best part.
Mea culpa - I was having such fun I didn’t pull out the notebook so the notes are all from memory and probably a bit imprecise.
Flight 1 - Starting Sparkler (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2011 Parusso Metodo Classico Extra Brut
Out of magnum. When we bought this wine I had a feeling that we’d want it for an event just like this and so happy to get to pull it out. It pours a slightly pinkish color. Very different flavor profile than champagne and perhaps not quite the same elegance of the bubbles but it’s also reasonably priced for a sparkling. Very tasty. I had to stop myself from having too much here as there were many wines to try!
Flight 2 - Sicily + some appetizers (3 notes)
First time with the mussels which were just delicious. Also some caprese, shrimp, polenta.
White
2019 Feudo Disisa LU BANCU Catarratto Sicilia
In that style of Italian whites that I find that I quite like. Almost like you can taste the sea air. Very light and bright. Easy drinking. Not a wine for deep contemplation but pairs well with seafood appetizers. I’d order it again.
White
2020 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco
We couldn’t quite figure out what the grapes in this were. Drank next to a Catarratto. This was a bit of a heavier style of wine although still quite easy drinking. Again good with seafood.
Red
2020 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Dagala di Bocca d'Orzo
It’s obviously much too young to really be drinking at the moment but we aren’t deep on Sicilian wine and so we opted to do those off the wine list. Good acid, decent kindof dark and slightly damp styled fruit. It drinks a bit more basic. Would be interesting to see what happens with time.
Flight 3 - Pasta & Pork with Tuscany wines (4 notes)
Red
1997 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Ok then, quite the jump up from our previous flight to this one but why not jump in with a bang. Poured next to a 95 Sassicaia and it was of course a debate on which is better. Both though were quite wonderful. This is well aged, still quite bright and happy with plenty of life left to it. Darker style. Something that’s almost a touch unctuous and makes you want to keep drinking it. It was lovely.
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Comment
Red
1995 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
My slight favorite between this and a 97 Ornellaia but both are to me just excellent wines. This still always reminds me of our stop right before the visit where we drove the two mins it took to get to the sea. You can taste that in the wine. Just a touch of brine and seashell along with everything else. Lovely wine. Wish we had more of it.
Red
1998 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano
It’s been almost 10 years (!) since our Tuscany trip but I still remember this wine from a tasting we did then (it was the 2004) and how much it appealed to me and so when thinking about Brunello this is a go-to. It’s prob still a bit on the young side to be drinking if I’m honest but at this point the oak is pretty well integrated. A slightly stronger style of wine even than the Super Tuscans which I put down to the extra time in the oak. It’s got a certain finesse though to its style. Would be fun to revisit in another ten years but alas this was our only bottle.
Red
2001 Argiano Suolo Toscana IGT
Hello old friend. It’s been some time since we had a Suolo because we’re trying to get them to age a bit more but fun to check in on it. Still quite a good Sangiovese. Still young. There’s a structure and style to this wine that I always enjoy.
Flight 4 - Pasta and Steak/Fish with Piedmont (5 notes)
Red
1997 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco
Wine pulled from storage and I’m not entirely sure that this wasn’t the wrong bottle because it was meant to be an Asili but that was not on the label. The great thing is Giacosa wines from this time period are always awesome and so even if not the single vineyard this was still for some one of the WOTN contenders and certainly drinking very well. I think in the perfect window in age and just that lift that he manages to accomplish with the grape is special. Quite tasty.
Red
2010 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè
A favorite producer for me for some years now. I’m a fan of the wine which was served side by side with a 97 Giacosa. It’s obviously still too young (thankfully we do have another bottle) but you can see some similarities in the styling and the freshness of the wine and the just general brightness. I’d continue to hold on it but it was enjoyable.
Red
2008 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Cannubi
These wines have become almost impossible to find these days which is a bit crazy but so it goes. You can see why. There’s an elegance in the way Fabio approaches them. Still get the bright Cannubi fruit here. Very classic style and just lovely. I liked our idea of south to north but part of me wishes I could have hung out with this one for a bit longer. Got poured towards the end of the evening.
Red
2016 Giulia Negri Barolo Marassio
One of the up and coming producers in Piedmont and this wine just always speaks to me. It’s I think the highest vineyard in Barolo. Of course much too young and should really have been held but as the earliest vintage was 2015 and we wanted to introduce her wine to some good friends we cheated a bit. Lots of potential. It’s lovely as always.
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Comments (1)
Red
1958 Fontanafredda Barolo
Coming on the heels of some younger barolo/barbaresco and so it took a bit of palate resetting. The fruit is gone from this unfortunately but it’s still an enjoyable wine. Old school barolo. Not the best bottle we’ve had of it. I consider 58 to be one of the great vintages and if I’m honest this disappointed me a bit although still good.
Flight 5 - End of evening taste off plus checking in on some bottles (4 notes)
Red
1969 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino
Our last bottle from the lot and unfortunately this was probably the worst one. Just kindof old and tired. Pity.
Red
1970 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Alas also a bit tired which was mostly the theme of our Biondi Santi mini-vertical. Just not quite living up to what we’d have hoped.
Red
1971 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino
The winner of the mini-flight of Biondi Santi. It had more freshness and openness. Drinking nicely.
Red
2000 Fattoria Petrolo Terre di Galatrona Toscana IGT
Alas I did not realize this wine existed. Was trying to get the Merlot which is one of my favorite super Tuscans. This was old and tired.
Closing
As with any good Italian meal there was also a lovely moscato at the end but alas I failed to note which one it was. Drank quite well though after such wonderful food and wines beforehand.
The Piedmont flight was my favorite but I expected that to be the case. Honestly so many good ones there that it was like splitting hairs. The Sassicaia was great. The sparkling surprised me in how much I liked it. Overall a very successful evening of Italian wine from North to South and back again!