TN: Recent Food Wines

[jrufusj]

• 2004 Inama Soave Classico - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico (3/5/2006)
  During the summer, a new wine shop opened near my house. Not much to see when I paid an early visit. Went back this weekend and saw the Inama wines for the first time in Tokyo. Bright, light, and enticing clear straw in the glass. Rich but bright and crystalline nose of pure fresh-cut pears backed up by a little grass and a good shot of cool stone. The palate is dancingly bright with the most minute hint of spritz and nice acidity. A bit of citrus and apple join the pear to form a bright white fruit core. Never big or round but manages to wash and refresh every corner of the mouth before it exits gracefully with one more hint of grass and stone. Even ignoring the much lower price, I probably prefer this to the higher end cuvées, especially as a foil to lime-driven vegetable tacos. Why don't I drink even more Soave?
  
• 2002 Domaine Moillard Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (3/1/2006)
  Still the slightest flashes of green, but this has started to deepen from its straw yellow start. Has a slightly sharp apple and rock and fieldgrass nose that is immediately accessible and doesn’t really evolve over the course of a few days. On the palate, good front-end bite and a little more substance than expected in the mid-palate. Simple apple and taut citrus flavors along with a bit more (good) grassiness on the (shortish) finish. I really like aligoté for its tense and refreshing character. At best (from Lafarge or de Villaine and the like), it can take on a certain roundness and depth without losing its tautness. This wine lacks that roundness and depth, but retains the tautness and is a foursquare effort for a producer from whom I did not expect much. Good enough but not particularly exciting, it did a fine job of standing up to bean noodles in a mildish kimchi and vegetable broth. Won’t buy again, but don’t regret that I’ve got a bottle or two left.
  
• 1997 Villa di Geggiano Chianti Classico - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico (2/27/2006)
  I love it when someone tells me my son has dashing good looks or is smart or creative. But what sometimes makes me happiest is to hear the phrase “plays well with others”. He could survive any number of shortcomings if he knows how to get on with others. For me, the vinous equivalent is “goes well with food”. If that is the case, the wine can survive any number of flaws. This Chianti, in fact, is not flawed. It’s got a nice mouth-watering cherry juiciness, good acid for the vintage, and enough aromatic complexity (herbs, tobacco, earth) to be interesting. The palate depth and finish are adequate. And it marries up with good Bolognese just beautifully. It’s also got a slight veneer of wood and a little cab blended in, neither of which I would prefer. But I don’t care so much when it plays so well with others.
  

Posted from CellarTracker

Edited March 8, 2006 by jrufusj (log)

[Florida Jim]

From someone who drinks a lot of Soave, I have no answer for your question. But I do think you're right about leaving the high-end cuvees on the shelf; especially with Inama who likes wood for the pricier stuff.

Others worth a try are:

Anselmi, Capitel Foscarino

Pieropan, Calvarino and their low-end Soave Classico

Tamellini, Anguane.

A lot of people like Gini but they have never given me that extra something that the above wines do.

Best, Jim

[jrufusj]

Jim:

I hope the answer to my rhetorical question is that I will drink more Soave now that I've found sources for a few different wines I like here in Tokyo.

I've got the first bottle of the '04 Pieropan basic-level classico lined for consumption in the next week or so. Assume it will be good as Pieropan is a proven winner.

I'm also a fan of Prà, at least the basic cuvée, and it is available here.

Haven't seen the Anselmi here in Tokyo, but I've liked it before and will pick it up when I eventually find it.

Don't know the Tamellini at all. Thanks very much for the tip. Don't know the Gini either.

Take care,

Jim