Farewell to a Friend...With Some Wines He Would Have Enjoyed

A Tavola - Chicago IL
Tasted Thursday, November 7, 2013 by Burgundy Al with 729 views

Introduction

Some friends got together to remember and honor our good friend, Bob Matasar. Over the years we shared many great bottles with Bob and Ann. So we all brought bottles we thought Bob would have liked and joined Ann for a dinner celebrating our departed friend.

Flight 1 - Welcome Champagne (2 Notes)

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    Charming as always, with a great combination of fresh and enticing orchard fruit along with earthy, nutty, toasty hints. Powerful and nicely elegant.

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  • 1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    From magnum. Very rich and powerful vintage for Krug. Lots of brioche elements, working well now with intense apple and Meyer lemon. Very good now.

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Flight 2 - Bob liked Alsatian Riesling (3 Notes)

  • 2001 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine 89 Points

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    Mature and ripe with some sense of fresh and dried apricot. Ripeness gives a hint of sweetness. At it speak now, don't see it getting more interesting with more time.

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  • 1998 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 94 Points

    France, Alsace

    Intense aromatics start with classic petrol along with summer flowers, stone fruit, roast nuts and licorice. Intense and rich fruit flavors with an unctuous character. Great concentration. Probably at its peak now, but this will hold beautifully for decades. I slightly preferred this tonight vs the 2001 in the next glass, but think the '01 may develop in 5+ years into a better wine.

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  • 2001 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 93 Points

    France, Alsace

    Alluring aromas of tropical fruit with floral notes. Starts elegantly, picks up power, ripeness and intensity into long finish that shows lots of energy and minerality. Fun to taste alongside its 1998 counterpart. Most people preferred this 2001, I lean slightly toward the 1998.

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Flight 3 - Bob' birth year (4 Notes)

  • 1937 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Yes this is from a full generation before Poderi Aldo Conterno even existed. But the brothers split the inventories when they split the vineyards, so this wine is labeled "Also" but is the exact same wine as "Giacomo." Rose petals and lingering red fruit with lots of spice support. Very good balance. Wine of the Flight (flight of 1937s).

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  • 1937 Fontanafredda Barolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Lots of earth, hints of anise, medium weight and length. Firm structure. Still very interesting.

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  • 1937 Dr. Barolet Vosne-Romanée

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée

    Very tart, slightly bitter. Drinkable for being interesting. My least favorite of the 4 bottles of 1937 in the flight.

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  • 1937 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Great earth aromas and flavors, with some tobacco, leather and lingering black cherry hints. Very persistent. My clear 2nd favorite in this flight of 4 bottles from 1937.

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Flight 4 - Bob liked many different wines from Italy (4 Notes)

  • 1997 Clos Apalta

    Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley, Apalta

    Not exactly my style of wine with more hints of liqueur than of a subtle, balanced, nuanced red wine. Others enjoyed this style far more than I did tonight.

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  • 2001 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 93 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

    Alluring aromas showcase floral and spice elements with red fruit. Elegant red cherry flavors with very fine tannins and lots of energy support . Very refined.

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  • 1977 Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva 90 Points

    Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG

    Lean and earthy with somewhat muted fruit and more substantive earth. I seemed to enjoy this more than other tasters did tonight.

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  • 1997 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

    Very good wine that just didn't fit in this flight or in context this course of pastas. This ripe and ultra concentrated Amarone detracted from the other wines in the flight, and they in turn made this seem too sweet and top heavy. This needs a hearty plate of braised meat, no other wines and a roaring fireplace.

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Flight 5 - Bob liked Piedmont (4 Notes)

  • 1990 Azienda Bricco Asili (Ceretto) Barbaresco Bricco Asili 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Magnum. Ripe red fruit with charming floral and spice support. Very elegantly and classically styled. At a very good place right now. Better than I expected.

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  • 1990 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Magnum. Others enjoyed this wine but I found in musty and slightly stripped of fruit for a 1990, thinking it was slightly flawed.

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  • 1993 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 89 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Nice red fruit that is fairly advanced on both nose and palate. Supported with good spice, but there was both a firm and shrill Character that detracted from the wine's overall pleasure. Perhaps unsuccessfully trying to overachieve in context of the vintage?

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  • 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Magnum. Certainly my red Wine of the Night, probably overall WOTN. Very floral start with red cherry and licorice. Very fresh on both nose and palate. Persistent and enticing all the way through to moderately long finish. Drinking great now, probably still getting better.

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Flight 6 - Somewhat sweet (3 Notes)

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