Tasting Notes, week ending 4/6/2008

Sometimes, I love my job because I get to drink lots and lots of really good wine. This was all consumed over the course of a week-long engagement in upstate NY.

Silver Oak, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003
Always reliable. I like this Californian cab very much. Dark ruby-red, rich, good acidity and sweet fruit – peach, perhaps? Drinks very well. It was on the wine list for $90+ when it retails for $65 a bottle. With a markup like that, it practically picked itself.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Il Poggione, 1995
Old-style Brunello, great structure, balance and elegance. Intense bouquet of dried fruit, dances over your taste buds towards a cool, enduring finish. A wonderful experience. I like Brunello because it challenges more of your senses – sight, smell, taste – than other wines. At least this did for me.

Chateau Talbot St Julien, 1995
I think Bordeaux is often not for everyone because some can be harsh, austere and take a long while to open up. This one, though, is very palatable and friendly even to the novice Bordeaux drinker. Creamy, well rounded with enough oak to satisfy the old school die-hards but not too much to put anyone off. Good tannins, not overpowering, and very delectable fruit – cranberries. Smoky notes give this wine a character and complexity that I enjoyed very much.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Camigliano “Gualto”, 2001
We started off hitting hard with this modern-style Brunello, acclaimed as the best-ever from this producer and described as having “muscular legs”, which is good for a laugh no matter how old you are. Weak nose but turned out to be full, rich and velvety with a touch of musk, which I appreciated. Chocolate, raisins, and berries. I liked this, it was a subtly different take on Brunello and a hell of a way to start the night.

Colli di Salerno, Montevetrano, 2001
Silky-sweet from start to finish, very nice fruit and spice – plums, cinnamon and nutmeg, very minerally. Less tannic than the Gualto so I felt we were taking a step down, but still strong enough to pair with red meat and a very, very delicious wine on its own. Grew into its own after an hour open.

Ornellaia, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Bolgheri IGT, 2004
I have never had this before but have only heard good things about it. They are all true. I almost felt like this took the best of the previous two wines and combined them – it had the structure and the tannins of the Gualto, and the rich sweetness of the Montevetrano. Currants and dried fruit in a very crisp, very tart balance of acid and sugar and tannins and all the things that make red wine so delicious. The thing about this wine was that everything was so “put together” and in its right place – not a single note out of step. Intense aroma and long, long finish make this wine a wonderful trip from start to finish.