Blind tasting and dinner at Enoteca La Vecchia Bottega del Vino
Enoteca La Vecchia Bottega del Vino, Via S. Maria del Pianto 9a/11/12, Rome, in the Jewish Ghetto
Tasted October 12, 2007 by Barbara B with 575 views
Introduction
Antonio and Gino had prepared the table for 8 people, six glasses each, and custom/numbered glassmats and space for the notes. Nice touch, Ragazzi! There were two no-shows from eBob (!), so we decided not to open the Sassicaia and went with four of our bottles blind and two bottles, not blind, off the menu. The blind theme was simply red wine and all we knew in advance was that there were two Italians, one Australian and one New Zealand. Since I brought the Clearview and the Ornellaia, I had a slight advantage.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
Red
2002 Clearview Estate Enigma
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Deep ruby red. Sensations of sweet/ripe fruit complemented by rich earthiness as it evolved in the glass. Acidity was on the low side, tannins were rich and smooth, alcohol was warming. Great length and complexity; beautifully crafted. Clearly New World styling, but it was so good I thought for a moment it might be the Ornellaia.
Red
2002 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
Nice matte ruby colour. Some bottle stink that blew off in a few minutes revealing rich roasted/toasted earthiness (but clean earth). Dark/ripe fruits, which were not so evident on the nose, were evident on the palate. High level of smooth tannins; acidity was low; alcohol did not seem too high. All in all, it was beautifully balanced in its structural components. Full bodied, rich, long, complex. Could be nothing else but the Ornellaia.
Red
1996 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Ruby in colour. Fairly intense nose of sweet fruit and eucalyptus. Medium+ /smooth tannins; sharp and slightly unintegrated acidity (acidified?); high, but not oppressive alcohol. Very good wine, but not quite in the same league as the Clearview and Ornellaia.
Red
1997 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Mature ruby colour. Roasted nuts, cola (kola), wood and a little fruit on the palate. Medium level of slightly rough tannins; much higher acidity than the others, but that very pleasant kind of acidity. Easy to pick this as a Sangiovese, but not so easy to narrow down appellation and year. Perfectly sound Brunello, but not exceptional in spite of its vintage.
Closing
This was the first time we’d asked to do this at the Enoteca in the Ghetto and it worked out perfectly. Antonio and Gino said we could do it anytime. Fridays around 17.30 should be ideal, as we can go straight from work and we’ll have the place almost to ourselves for the first two hours.
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC.
