Tokyo Tasting Group Round #2 -- 90/97 Sangiovese, plus Champagne and Dessert

Nine of us gathered for round two of the new Tokyo Tasting Group. A couple of people tasted double blind and had some impressively insightful comments. Major kudos go to Oliver Mackie for a lot of hard work and very well organized evening. great value too!

• 1990 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne

  Minute bead explodes when poured then coalesces into a beautiful stream moving up the very center of the glass. Nose starts out very much closed for the first fifteen or twenty minutes, then opens up into pure apple fruit, oatmeal, lemon, and mineral. The palate shows a great dose of bright acidity keeping this young and fresh and balancing the lemon cream sweetness. Over time and in the finish, there are rich notes of rising bread dough. As Steve commented, this is not yet showing any of the honey one would expect from a maturing Salon. Exceptionally good but still so very young at fifteen years old. Finely etched but with a lot of body underneath. Thanks Steve.

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• 1997 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Nose initially shows as almost entirely oak. Only after twenty or more minutes does the oak really recede to reveal a little leather, a little earth, and some deep sour cherry fruit. On the palate, the wood also takes the lead, but there is bright acid and fruit underneath. Contrary to other notes I’ve seen on this wine, the strength of fruit really shows in the mid-palate, leaving me to think that when the oak further integrates, this will still have a lot of stuffing left. The fruit and some tobacco come out again on the finish. A little hard to evaluate tonight and a little too oaky for my taste for current drinking, but I think this is at an awkward stage right now and that there is a lot more to come. I voted for wine of the flight based on potential, but could easily be wrong.

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• 1997 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Nose begins with ripe dark berry and cherry fruit, but quickly the fruit fades and leaves that characteristic rubbery smell that one often sees in Brunelli. As a highlight, the rubber is nice. In monotone, it ain’t so nice. On the palate, the wine seems tired and lacks any of the acid brightness I would like. Fruit is faded and thin on the midpalate and the finish is abbreviated. Another bottle a month ago was much, much better. I have reason to suspect this may have suffered some heat damage before I got it and it certainly drinks like it has. Sorry folks.

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• 1997 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Nose is reserved and still a little hemmed in when poured, but shows nice small elements of an array of flavors – sweet black fruit, a whiff of classic sour cherry, some leather, some floral perfume, and little wood. With time, these become a little bigger and more pronounced, but never really explode. The palate is much more active, with largely smooth but still very evident tannins, a good core of ripe but elegant cherry and black raspberry fruit, and notes of spice and tar. A nice balance between elegance and sweet fruit, this is drinking well enough now that I see little reason to wait. This was the group’s wine of the flight. Based on tonight’s showing I might agree, but a slightly short finish and a little lack of acid brightness makes me wonder whether the Banfi won’t outpace it in time.

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• 1997 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Not noticeable lighter or softer in color, but the nose immediately gives off a bright cherry fruit and higher-toned floral element that says we’re drinking something different. All the leather and tar and a little darker fruit sweetness are there, but this just has a brightness and acid penetration that the last three wines didn’t. On the palate, there are tannins that need a little time, but the cherry core, wild berry highlights, and chiseled acid definition make it lovely to drink tonight. Don’t mistake me; this is not a light wine, but it remains deft on its feet while the midpalate fills up with a little darker fruit and the strong finish shows the slightest hints of leather, pine, tobacco, and wood. I love it now, but it will be much better with time for the tannins to smooth out and the secondary nuances to become more than just hints. I think I voted for this as wine of the flight. If I didn’t, I certainly would forty-eight hours later. Thanks Oliver.

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• 1997 Azienda Agricola due Portine (Gorelli) Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  What’s going on here? A tasting of ’97 Tuscans and I haven’t written “roasted” or “overmature” once and have only used “ripe” a few times! Here we go. Nose shows very ripe and very dark sweet fruit with some coffee hints. Palate still has some slightly scratchy tannin, but speaks mostly of dark, dark sweet cherry and partially dried plums. Very open and drinking very well right now in a forward modern style. Sure, there’s a little tar on the finish, but this is really about fruit, fruit and more fruit. Not something I’m likely to be buying, but it did a good job of representing its style and the ripe, drink-young side of the vintage. No need to wait on this.

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• 1997 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  At first whiff, this shows more than a bit of funk, with a dominating air of Brunello rubber and wet leather. After about five minutes of hopeful sniffing, the rubber recedes into the background and leaves very ripe dark fruits, lots of vanilla sweetness, and a shot of espresso. On the palate, the fruit is similarly dark and sweet. This is no wallflower, with the ripe fruit strongly present at entry, midpalate and on the finish. Yes, there are slightly raspy tannins, but I have to focus on them to remember they’re there. Some complexity comes out on the finish, with more dark notes – tar, coffee, chocolate – all wrapped in a little more oak than I’d prefer. Given how lovely the ’90 Riserva has become, I might hold out hope for this to grow into something a bit more Brunello-like, but right now it is all fruit and dark nuances. Looking back, I’m just not sure. It never had the cherry fruit or acid spine I look for in younger Brunelli. This was the group wine of the flight. (I can’t remember if I voted for it based on sheer current ripe pleasure, but I think the Rancia is the more balanced wine and certainly more true to type.) Thanks Oliver.

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• 1990 Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  In the glass, showing more evolution than any other wine with plenty of that dusty orange sunset that mature sangiovese takes on. Nose is wide open and immediately shows lovely light-toned sour cherry, dust, slightly aromatic dried wood and a bit of floral perfume. Palate has no hint of remaining tannins, but maintains some structure with a still bright beam of cherry acid. Every last ounce of baby fat is gone, but this hasn’t dried out yet. That cherry acid is still a little juicy and picks up some earth and baking spice on the finish. Completely integrated and holding well, but seems to be perched on the edge of a gentle downward slope. They’ve now purchased vineyards, but Carpineto was still just a negociant in 1990. Oliver and I threw this in just for completeness and didn’t necessarily expect a lot, but this was a helluva showing from a modest wine among much bigger company. I wish this hadn’t been my last bottle. If you’ve got it, drink now before the gentle beauty of this classic Chianti fades. Stunning QPR.

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• 1990 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Nose shows base note of broad dark cherry fruit, with secondary notes of dark berries and a little cassis. Oak shows via a slightly spicy vanilla note, but is not at all overpowering. Fruit is fine and the spice is nice, but this seems to lack the leathery, earthy sangiovese notes one would hope to see. Perhaps there is a touch of cedar, but that could also be power of suggestion because I know what the wine is. Palate shows some remaining traces of tannin, but they are mostly resolved. Broad cherry and berry fruit on entry and a midpalate that doesn’t drop away entirely but seems a bit subdued. These lead to a moderate finish with some tar and graphite. Drinking very pleasurably right now and the oak has integrated very well, but the sangiovese and cab seem not to have integrated quite as well. There’s a broad, low-acid cherry fruit from start to finish, with cabernet aromatics and highlights. They really only seem to come together on the finish when the tar and graphite appear together. Probably more an issue of preference than a flaw, but somehow this feels a little schizophrenic. Blind, I’m not sure I would have been so clear, might have guessed a restrained and well-made but slightly disjointed Cali cab. My difficulty figuring this one out is probably clear from my wandering note, so I hesitate to guess where this is going. This would be very, very nice if the cab and sangiovese came together a little more, but I’m not sure this has the structure to get there. Thanks Oliver.

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• 1990 Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  I’m not sure why I’m writing a note as Michael McKinney, who was tasting double blind, nailed it immediately with a comment that this tasted like sangiovese that had seen a lot of oak. And that’s really the story. Both the nose and palate – all the way up to and through the finish – are dominated by a very heavy oak character. That’s a shame, because there’s a lot hiding behind the oak. The nose shows leather, earth, smoke, tea, and cherry fruit. The palate suffers a bit from wood tannin, but shows nice sweet cherry and plum notes underneath. Has a full midpalate and a finish with (again, under the oak) a good dose of earthy spice and mocha. If the oak ever integrates this will be a beauty, but I don’t know if it will get there. Thanks Oliver.

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• 1990 Pertimali (Livio Sassetti) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Brightness. Depth. Purity. Complexity. What more does one want? This is lovely and complex on the nose, with a beautifully solid foundation of ripe cherry fruit supporting notes of orange peel, pine, perfumed exotic wood and warm earth. There’s a lot more there, but this is such a beautifully shifting kaleidoscope of aromas that it would be futile (and limiting to the wine) to try to name it all. If I didn’t before, I now understand the importance of apophatic descriptions to the Orthodox. Palate has maintained that acid brightness that supports all my favorite sangiovese, though in an appropriately deep Brunello base tone. Strong solid dark berry and cherry fruit provide a pleasant sweetness to the entry and full roundness to the middle. The finish picks up some of the aromatic notes from the nose and combines them with a bit of anise and a coffee and spice richness that goes on and on. My red of the night and the group’s red of the night (though I could be argued into picking the Rancia). Thanks Oliver.

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A surprise bottle pulled by Steve to clean up the palate for the sticky to come.

• 1990 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

  France, Champagne

  I enjoy the challenge of writing notes on Champagne, as I find it more difficult to capture their essence than I do with most still wines. Occasionally, though, the dominant impression is of a great wine that just happens to have bubbles. This has a bit of honeying to the yellow in the glass and a mousse that is much broader and much less pointal in texture than the Salon. On the nose, it has a central core of apple fruit, with strong notes of nuts and a pastry element that develops with time. On the palate, it is deep and pleasantly hefty, but with the acid to keep it all structured and composed. There’s more of the apple fruit, along with some white stone fruit and plum, all wrapped in a hint of honeyed sweetness. On the finish, there’s a touch of wildflower, maybe some truffle, and a little more pastry. Again, this is big and structured and presents like a still wine, but has a sexiness and opulence that says Champagne. A nice counterpoint to the Salon, but I might have enjoyed a bit more freshness and bite – then again, I’m certainly not complaining. Thanks Steve.

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This was ex-domaine and came through a very reliable merchant to my cellar, so storage is not an issue. Damn corks!

• 1947 Domaine Bourillon Dorléans Vouvray Moelleux

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The very darkest gold tending to brown when decanted. The nose leaps out of the decanter, but what leaps out is a nose of sweet apple cider and a little sherry. The nose shows additional notes of toffee and candied orange, but remains basically a sweet cider nose. No volatile acidity and no brown fruit elements, but this is clearly oxidized and doesn’t even suggest the Loire or chenin blanc. On the palate, there is no botrytis zing, no acidity, and none of the fresh honey or lanolin texture that one so loves in old chenin. Forgetting what it should have been, it is perfectly pleasant to drink. In fact, I had two glasses. Some of the best flat cider I’ve ever had, but not exactly what we were looking for. What a shame!

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A pleasure to see everyone and taste through some very nice wines. I was very disappointed by the Vouvray showing, but that was offset by the overall quality of the wines, two great Champagnes, and the awesome underdog showing by the Carpineto. Follow up task = find some of that '97 Rancia.