I remember recommending this wine to people a year or so ago as one of the best value wines to come out of Israel in a long time (and into the LCBO system - Vintages to be exact); and now that it has some age on it I'm starting to realize my own brilliance (how do you like that back patting - think I actually hurt my arm doing that one). The colour is like Smoke on the Water, deep purple (I'll wait for those who have no idea what I am talking about to check with their local classic rock station, and that's the only hint I'm giving you). The smells are very inviting and plentiful, with blackberry, cassis, plum, vanilla, cinnamon, spicy-tobacco, new leather and, of all things in a kosher wine, Christmas spice. The palate is just as wonderful and complex showing big black fruit that is just so juicy in the mouth, though still with big tannins, and a nice peppery-spicy finish. This one still has lots of time to go so if you've got any, enjoy it at your leisure.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Valpantena 2000 Falasco Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy)
Sunday, a day of rest and relaxation. Sunday, a day to put your feet up without a care in the world. Sunday, a day to pull out a special bottle to sip and savour; hence, this bottle for Falasco Valpolicella Ripasso. I am sure plenty of folks out there will ask, what are you having for dinner to accompany this Italian Stallione? And to you I answer - I have absolutely no idea, I have decide to get some edamame (Japanese soy bean appetizer) out of the freezer, nuke as per the directions and enjoy, hope the wine goes ... it ain't half bad. I opened the wine an hour before I decided on the Japanese treat ... my first smell and taste of the wine was somewhat pruny with hints of spice and very little else happening, so I thought that decanting it might be in order. I filtered (with a wire-mess strainer) and decanted it into a wide bottomed decanter. I looked at the bottle and noticed lots of fine grit, this also appeared in the glass (it was grit so fine even the filter couldn't get it). After about half and hour this wine started to show very well, the nose turned from pruny to black fruit (blackberry and plum) - and the palate improved too ... sure there was apparent age here with some forest floor and dried black fruit, but there was also a touch of tannin dryness and this wine really opened up appreciatively over the next hour. It certainly did hit the spot and was very nice for a layabout type of Sunday (which this wasn't, so it made the wine hit "the spot" even better).
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Korta 2007 Syrah (Chile)
Disappointed with the display of my Danzante wine I turned to a wine I had, and bought, during the PMA Chairman's Gala. This wine wasn't exactly the Primitivo I was looking for (see below) - but neither did it try to hide what it really was. Dark in colour, a nose of pepper, spice and dark fruit followed on the palate by lots of spice, cassis, blackberry, pepper and plenty of tannin. The long peppered-raspberry finish added to the enjoyment and went well with the chicken and Sante Fe rice I had for dinner. Do I lament the Danzante wine? Sure I do. But this Syrah proved to hit the spot and made me forget my momentary sadness.
Mondavi/Frescobaldi 2003 Danzante Primitivo (Italy)
With the whoaful results I had when I opened my last bottle of Danzante wine, I thought it best I also open this one. With, I hate to admit, the same whoaful results. This time it wasn't that the wine was corked, it was just aweful. The smell lacked fruit of any kind and the taste was all wood. Primitivo is the kissing-cousin (if not brother) of Zinfandel, so I was expecting plums and berries - in modern Primitivo's (like Ogio) they highlight their relationship with Zin by being very fruit forward wines. This one seemed to want to hide it. The oaking was very heavy handed and the wine was chewy in the mouth, but not in a good way. A very clumsy effort from a winery I expected a lot more from - in all their bottlings. And for those of you who are going to make comment that the wine is 5 years old what did I expect ... I expected an Italian wine with the legendary names of Mondavi and Frescobaldi attached to it to last at least a paltry five years.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Finca Las Moras 2005 Black Label Shiraz (Argentina)
I started the night with a Sangiovese (that was unfortunately corked), so I moved on to something that was not even in the same ballpark - a Shiraz from Argentina - it's the equivalent of starting the day wanting All-Bran and ending up with eggs, bacon, toast and a mess of homefries. This was released in Vintages (Ontario - LCBO) a few weeks back. The nose is black and spicy with hints of graphite (what they call pencil lead these days), blackberry, black raspberry and hit after hit of nutmeg/cinnamon. The palate is just as intriguing and inviting - lots of spicy character, peppery with black fruits (cassis, amongst others) and a drying tanninc finish. I have two bottles of this puppy and will be laying the other down for a few years to see what happens ... stay tuned.
Mondavi/Frescobaldi 2002 Danzante Sangiovese (Italy)
Boo Hiss Hiss Boo ... nothing's worse than opening a bottle that you have been sitting on for awhile and finding out it is corked (that moldy cardboard, wet newspaper, damp basement smell - nasty). This one was subtle, as in I thought it was there, then I thought it was gone, then I thought it was again - then I realized it definitely was there: countless sniffs and three sips later. Few things make me sadder than knowing that this bottle was bad the moment I took it off the shelf and no amount of care in storing it could have helped. Damn! I guess it is on to something else.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Antinori 2000 Santa Cristina (Italy)
My first question, when I found this wine in my wine cellar, was when on earth did I happen upon a bottle of Antinori wine ... this producers brings us some of the best Italian wines on the market, and some of the most expensive and sought after (ie: Tignanello, Pian delle Vigne, etc.); my other question, of course, was how was this wine going to show - knowing Antinori's reputation I was hoping well. The nose at first was all dried fruit and dried herbs, then it slowly started to show more, with typical old wine smells: forest floor, dried leaves, mocha, leather, tobacco and even a touch pruny. The palate showed old wine characteristics as well: dried cherries and herbs, tobacco and a very dry finish. A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot that was in oak only four months and obviously bottled unfiltered (due to the bits of sediment I found) - I have to admit I really enjoyed this wine and see why Antinori's reputation is what it is - I would have bought this wine for under $15 and it was well worth every penny, now 9 years from vintage date.
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