TN: Fascinating wines

[Florida Jim]

Pasta with white clam sauce and a Cesar salad:

2005 Luneau-Papin, Muscadet Clos des Allées:

An aromatic, beautifully silken wine with character, cut, finesse and length; I wonder why I even bother with white Burgundy? 12% alcohol, imported by Louis/Dressner and about $13; worth multiples of that.

As good a pairing as there is – should be considered a classic match as each makes the other even better – and both are pretty darn good to start.

Ravioli in an artichoke, roasted pepper, parmesan cream sauce:

2004 Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore:

There is never a disappointment with this producer but this bottle is particularly charming with red fruit, dusty rose and earthen scents; bright fruit with complex earth and spice notes and perfect balance on the lively, almost vibrating palate; and excellent length with complexity. Years ahead of its time but such precision so young. 13.5% alcohol, imported by Locascio and about $30 on release; under priced.

A good but not great pairing.

After dinner:

2005 Dom. Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie:

(This was a partial bottle, recorked, left on the counter for three days and reopened this evening.) Even better then when first opened as some of the baby fat has been shed and the real depth and power of the wine are more evident. This will last a very long time – if I can keep my hands off it. Astonishing wine! 12.5% alcohol, imported by Weygandt-Metzler and about $20 on release; I bought a lot.

At an in-store tasting, I had a chance to taste from two bottles over the course of an afternoon; the 1996 Chat. Duhart-Milon, Bordeaux and the 2004 Gorrondona, Bizalko Txakolina from the Basque region of Spain. The first cost $70, the second $18. Both had a vegetal edge to the nose and were somewhat tannic. At first, the Duhart smelled like fairly closed Bordeaux and the Gorrondona smelled like Chinon in a ripe year but had a certain rawness to the texture. As they were exposed to air, they came closer and closer together in flavors and with textures that smoothed out appealingly. And by the end of the afternoon, the only real difference was the more pungent finish on the Spanish wine. Who would have thought that a Bordeaux blend and a wine of 100% hondarrabi beltza could show so similarly and so well – certainly, not me?

A revealing experiment for more than one taster this day.

Best, Jim