WTN: Italian notes from the past week

[futronic]

I attended a couple wonderful dinners over the past week and wanted to share my notes on the Italians. Notes on non-Italian wines were posted in another thread.

1983 San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Poggio Rosso

Dark garnet colour to a browning rim. Aromas of anise, raisin, spice, mushroom, and rubber. Medium-bodied with cherry, anise, spice, and taffy. Moderate finish with mushrooms and earth. Surprising amount of life left in this wine. 87 points (06/19/2004).

1996 Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo

Dark garnet colour. Aromas of cherry, earth, truffle, and anise. Slightly restrained on the nose, however. Full-bodied. velvety wine, with cherries, spice, and earth. Nice finish, ~35-40s with spice notes. 89 points, but would merit a point or two more if the nose wasn't muted. (06/19/2004).

1990 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino La Casa

Dark garnet colour. Aromas of violets, anise, earth, and coffee. Medium-full bodied, with cherry, earth, spice, and a bit of mint. Soft in the mouth; shows well-integrated tannins. Delicious wine with nice structure. Drinking well right now. 91 points (06/19/2004).

1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo

Medium ruby/garnet colour. Aromas of bleu cheese, cherries, alcohol, and herbes du Provence. Sweet cherries, mild tannins, strawberries, and floral notes on the palate. Nice finish, ~30-35s. Nothing in this wine says Merlot or Italy in it. 88 points (06/19/2004).

1971 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino

Pale garnet with bricking to the orange rim. Aromas of spice box, tar, wet leather, and mushrooms. Medium bodied with the tannins completely gone. Cherries, mushrooms, and orange rind on the palate. Nice finish, ~30s. I'm amazed that there is still life in this wine. 87 points (06/23/2004).

1979 Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche Brunate

Medium ruby colour to a bricked rim. Aromas of tar, spice, cherry, finocchio frawns, plums, anda hint of creaminess. Opens to show black licorice notes with time in the glass. Medium-full bodied with tar, spice box, and red fruit. Moderate length finish, ~30s with cedar and red fruit. Quite tasty. 91 points (06/23/2004).

1985 Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche Brunate

Medium garnet colour. Aromas of vanilla, spice, orange rind, mushroom, and a bit of acetate. Medium-bodied with spice and cherry notes. Moderate length finish, ~30s with cherry and earth. Very tasty! 90 points (06/23/2004).

1997 Allegrini La Poja

100% Corvina.

Dark ruby/black colour. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, cinnamon, cherry, black licorice, vanilla, and raisins. Full-bodied, lush wine, with cinnamon, spice, blackberry, and black licorice. Tannins are quite chewy, but everything is in balance. Long finish, ~45-50s with spice and pepper notes. Beautiful wine that can easily go another 5-8 years. 94 points (06/23/2004).

[Brad Ballinger]

1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Rosso Ca' del Merlo

Medium ruby/garnet colour. Aromas of bleu cheese, cherries, alcohol, and herbes du Provence. Sweet cherries, mild tannins, strawberries, and floral notes on the palate. Nice finish, ~30-35s. Nothing in this wine says Merlot or Italy in it. 88 points (06/19/2004).

There isn't merlot in this wine. It's 100% corvina. Merlo means blackbird, and is some reference either to the bird or to an area where there are a lot of them. And I will disagree with your conclusion that nothing says Italy. This wine is all Italy. And it can go 5-10 more years, easy. But if you had bleu cheese on the nose, I'd be worried that this could've been an off bottle.

[Alberto]

1997 Allegrini La Poja

100% Corvina.

Dark ruby/black colour. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, cinnamon, cherry, black licorice, vanilla, and raisins. Full-bodied, lush wine, with cinnamon, spice, blackberry, and black licorice. Tannins are quite chewy, but everything is in balance. Long finish, ~45-50s with spice and pepper notes. Beautiful wine that can easily go another 5-8 years. 94 points (06/23/2004).

Yum.

Shame that it goes for US$ 50, few dollars more than Amarone.

Alberto

[futronic]

Thanks for the comments and correction, Brad. The Merlot statement came from the person who brought the wine. I guess that's why I didn't think it tasted like Merlot! I'd like to try it again sometime, however, if you think it was an off bottle. I'm sure this sold out in the province some time ago though.

Alberto,

$50USD is a good price then. I purchased it on release here for $75CAD, which is a little higher than down south. I passed on the '98 at $85CAD.