Recent Wines: Quintarelli, Soldera

[kazuo]

Closing dinner with clients:

1993 Soldera BDM Reserve: beautiful mature Brunello, complex nose replete with spices and tobacco, balanced and mature

1991 Quintarelli Amarone: wow, all discussion at the table stopped and everyone dove into this, immense yet balanced

Various other recent wines:

2001 Tua Rita Redigaffi: when first opened, not very attractive, unbalanced, vanilla oak sticking out like a sore thumb, after 15 hours in decanter, it is more integrated but a bit too jammy and sweet, not worth the money to me

1990 Giacosa Barolo Reserve (red label): a wine to savor, complex nose with classic tar, roses and dust, color is garnet with slight browning, builds strength as the night goes on, wow

1990 Gaja Sperss: by comparison to the Giacosa, seems a little coarse, more power than finesse

2001 Quinault l'Enclos: shut down and rather unattractive, nothing but coffee and vanilla oak at this point