Dinner with Monthly Group at Valentino

Valentino, Turf City
Tasted Wednesday, October 17, 2012 by Paul S with 371 views

Introduction

D&S hosted this time round and we had some wonderful home-cooked style Italian at Valentino's new location. Some simple wines, good food and great company as always.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • NV Guerrieri Rizzardi Prosecco Extra Dry 87 Points

    Italy, Veneto, Prosecco di Treviso

    Very simple, with sweet lemons and a touch of apples both on the nose and the palate, which was laced with a nicely vigorous bead. A one-dimensional wine, but it was fresh, balanced and had a fleshy roundness that made it extremely quaffable. A fun way to start the evening, but beyond that, it also had the substance to go nicely with a plate of fried calamari.

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  • 2008 Château La Garde 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Unsurprisingly, rather too young to drink, but this was not unpleasant. It had a rather modern nose, with deep wafts of sweet oak scents floating around a core of cassis, plum powder and earth aromas. I liked the palate somewhat more. Here, we had interesting notes of truffles, salty mushroomy notes and earth that preceded otherwise simple flavours of cassis wrapped in pretty fine tannins. Finish had another lick of wood on a slightly drying tail-end. It should improve over the next 8-10 years, but all in all, while quite a decently drinkable wine, this is not something that I would go out and buy.

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  • 2010 Penfolds Private Release Shiraz-Cabernet 88 Points

    Australia, South Eastern

    I actually thought this was very enjoyable for an entry level Aussie wine. No great shakes of course, but a very pleasant drink, It started off with pleasant aromas of sweet plums and blackberries, some dried earth and Christmas spices, and a hint of woody, eucalyptus bark. The palate had plush, velvety feel, with simple but yummy flavours of sweet plums and black cherries supported by a nice layer of earth and savoury meatiness. While not exactly structured, this was perfectly balanced, well-proportioned. It finished just a bit short, with a bit of warm spice, some eucalyptus and another touch of wood. Enjoyable for what it is, especially with a nice osso bucco dish. Good for drinking right off the bat.

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