WTN: Week wines

[Alberto]

Some recent wines and pairings.

Aperitif of the week:

Erbaluce di Caluso DOC, TerreDaVino, 2003

12% ABV

Extremely pale, grey-ish, not very appealing. The tiniest amount of residual CO2 too, a tour-billon of incredibly small bubbles. Floral nose (jasmin, cyclamin), somewhat floury at first then somewhat mineral and waxy (lipstick, plasticine, wet clay). Shows a bit more body and weight in the palate with off-dry toasted white bread, wind-flower seeds, citrus and pear notes, albeit remaining fairly light. Lightly honeyed finish. Weird but unpleasant at all.

With tagliatelle with prawns and tomato sauce, grilled tuna and grilled aubergines seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil:

Breganze DOC Pinot Nero Superiore, Savardo - Cantina Beato Bartolomeo, 2000

12,5% ABV

Ruby-garnet hue. Warm, correct, rather simple nose of earth, cherries, dried flowers, sandalwood and icing sugar which is carried into a medium-bodied smooth palate. Resolved tannins. Earthy, slightly fat finish with a touch of oak. Good wine, very good pairings.

With fruit salad:

Moscato di Noto Liquoroso DOC, Villa Dorata - Elorina, 1993

17% ABV

Fortified muscat (100% white muscat) from south-eastern Sicily, late harvested. ~90 g/l of residual sugar. No wood.

Full gold color. Needs time to open on the nose. Has developed a (bottle-age, I suppose) pleasant popcorn note. Plush texture, quite unctuous but not cloying. Fresh grapey fruit, lemon peel, lanolin. Good acidity, very flowery and delicate throughout. Long finish and clean after-taste; this wine will keep for many years. A surprise.

Temperature is warm enough for the first barbecue & open-air dinner of the season!

With chicken and sausages (and various cooked vegetables):

Bagnoli DOC Friularo, Ca' Zen, 1997

12,5% ABV

Very dark ruby. Intense, almost piercing tart wild cherries, wood spices, eucaliptus and mineral (graphite) aromas. Mid-weighted, bone-dry and fruity (ripe raspberries, cassis, plums) palate with softened tannins letting the natural high acidity of the grape play the main part. Fruit-marked finish with a somewhat smoky feeling. Great nose, I liked this wine a lot.

With dessert:

Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC Verduzzo Friulano, Zof, 2002

14% ABV

Pale gold, pale indeed. Reclutant, closed nose; grape skins and an alcoholic pear brandy note. Medium sweet, pretty flat palate which continues the theme, rather low in acidity and a little out of balance with the alcohol. Turns fruitier (melon, pear again) and a little nutty towards the (alcoholic again) finish. Disappointing and unfocused, maybe still too young. Shame.

Cheers,

Alberto

[Andre]

Peculiar pairings Alberto - nothing conventional here.

Thanks for sharing.