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Casual (Mostly) Italian Wine Dinner with Friends |  (416 page views) | | 5/10/2017 (Ballaro - Highwood IL) |
| | - 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne
Apple, pear, lemon, lemon peel, lemon curd, and just so much more. Superbly concentrated, wonderful power with finesse. Great already now with even greater upside. (96 pts.)
- 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
Lots of orchard fruit with good+ concentration and weight, very good+ balance. Very good right now. (92 pts.)
- 2012 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Ripe, forward, plump fruit. Very easy to enjoy now. More energy would be preferred. Best now through 2020 or so. (89 pts.)
- 2010 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Nicely floral start with apple and pear. Very well balanced and elegant, slightly less power and concentration than I recall from several times tasted the past few years. Perhaps shutting down for a while and/or needing more air. (93 pts.)
- 1999 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
Served double blind in flight with some white Burg. Clearly not chardonnay, clearly rich and charmingly mature. Also very good concentration. But there was nothing really nuanced or complex here. I like the minerality emerging mostly on finish, but it came with a slightly rugged bitterness as well. Is this really a cult wine? (88 pts.)
- 1995 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Very significant Volatile Acidity. In 95/996/97/98 vertical. (FLAWED)
- 1996 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
In 95/96/97/98 vertical. Still brooding afte two decades and plenty of decanter time. Backward black and red cherry with subtle rose and spice. Meaty. I can see the potential, but it's not in the near-term. (91 pts.)
- 1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
In 95/96/97/98 vertical. Also lots of black and red cherry. Seemed firm to start, but this certainly loosened up with time in glass. Very good length with emerging balance. Almost ready! My favorite of the flight, which was admittedly disappointing. (92 pts.)
- 1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Served in 95/96/97/98 vertical. Open and double decanted several hours earlier. Lots of red cherry, maturing nicely. Simple spice. Very enjoyable for the medium-term, not very powerful or complex. (89 pts.)
- 1990 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Vino da Tavola - Italy, Tuscany, Vino da Tavola
In 90/96/97/98 vertical. Ripe black fruit maturing nicely with anise, black pepper and green pepper. Very good concentration and even better length. Drinking well, and this should hold at this level at least five more years, probably ten. (94 pts.)
- 1996 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
In 90/96/97/98 vertical. Black cherry, dried herbs, licorice and plum. Very elegant structure, near perfect balance with good+ length and concentration. My favorite of this very good flight, slightly surprising given the vintages involved. (94 pts.)
- 1997 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
Heat damaged. In 90/96/97/98 vertical. (FLAWED)
- 1998 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
In 90/96/97/98 vertical. Ripe black cherry comes across as forward and tasty with hints of licorice, baking spice and cassis. Given 1998 being a great vintage I was surprised this did not come across as polished or nuanced as the 1990 or 1996 tonight. (92 pts.)
- 1963 J.W. Burmester Porto Colheita Reserva - Portugal, Douro, Porto
Popped-decanted-and-poured. Lots of fig and date aromas and flavors with smoked almonds. Lots of acidity and good textures contribute to long and elegant finish. This probably wasn't the ideal Port for me to choose to pair with the chocolate dessert. (93 pts.)
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