Here are the wines we tasted (Note: All wines tasted are being brought in over the next week and these are the REAL prices ... no misprints!):
- 2005 Tenuta S. Anna Pinot Grigio (Italy) $15/bottle: A straightforward Venetian Pinot Grigio, with some mineral and citrus character. Clean and crisp on the palate. Good, soft finish. No, this is not going to make you pucker but it drinks the way a great Pinot Grigio should drink. Pair this with fish or spice and you'll be good to go!
- 2004 Begali Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Italy) $17/bottle: A good, traditional-style Valpolicella (Corvina, Rodinella & Molinara blend), with light floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, with medium, fruit-coated tannins and a minerally finish. A bit more earth and dirt than the other reds we tasted but the value side of my palate got the better of me. The gang liked it and you will too!
- 2003 I Fabbri Chianti Classico (Italy) $23/bottle: This one exhibited some additional dark red fruit and a bit of vanilla with a good balance and succulant tannins on the middle and the finish! A really nice addition to our growing Italian selection!
- 2001 Begali Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (Italy) $50/bottle: Wine Spectator said: Enticing, almost exotic nose, with ripe forest fruits and sweet spice. Medium- to full-bodied, with a silky mouth feel, firming up slightly on the finish. A truly elegant Amarone with great aging potential (90 points). The trio of tasters all said it tasted amazing and for the money even better! A bit more fruit here as well but it is balanced with the soft, prickly (I am at a loss for adjectives on this one) tannins and smokey notes and the nice long finish!
- 2000 Lodali Estate Barbaresco (Italy) $23/bottle: An excellent Nebbiolo-based wine with expressive dark fruit aromas, great charm and exemplary tannins that are ripe and very fine-grained, making for good flavor, lovely texture and a nice long finish (This one can lay down for a few years as well)! This was one of my two favorites from the tasting! I love Barbaresco and it is how I really began my love affair with Italians (the wine that is)! We will have this one open for tasting starting tonight (9/15)!
- 2000 Lodali Estate Barolo (Italy) $28/bottle: This monster needed at least 5+ years to soften, at which point it has finally opened up, resulting in a complex and rich full-bodied wine with flavors of earth, truffles, and chocolate and an aroma reminiscent of violets. Never had I tasted a wine like this one from the famed 2000 vintage ... we opened it up and tasted it within 30 minutes. Six years does make a difference and this one is showing great signs of potential for immediate drinking as well as 10+ years of aging! Long live the Barolo and all who worship his greatness!
A note on the 2000 vintage in Italy: While not everyone succeeded that year (Wine Spectator did give the overall vintage a score in the high 90s and Wine Advocate agreed), a great deal of winemakers are reaping the benefits of warm growing months and extremely ripe fruit. Tuscany and Piedmont saw very nice rewards as they began bottling and these wines are sure to increase in value over time as well as provide consumers an amazing value while they are still around!
Take care, enjoy the beautiful fall weather this weekend, Go Chiefs and be sure to Drink Vino tonight and always!
Michael
