Tenuta di Trinoro, "Cupole", Rosso Toscana, 1996

Deep red, evolved rim.

Great Bordeaux-ish nose - toast, herbs, hot bricks, graphite, black currant ... Doesn't smell like a second wine.

Medium-bodied, light touch. No way I'd think this was from Italy, except, possibly, the acidity. This is my last bottle. Another a year or so ago, was every bit as good. This is why people love Bordeaux, and well-done geographical extensions of it.


$25

Lesec, "Kristial", Chateauneuf du Pape, 2001

Light red.

Nuts, wilted greens, touch of oak spice(?).

Round and sweet (texture) in the mouth with nut character repeating. Red cherry liqueur, alcohol showing a bit. Intense, but light-handed. Shows the (front teeth) grip provided by stem inclusion. This needs some time to strut.



$28

Conterno-Fantino, "Sori Ginestra", Barolo, 1995

Evolved red.

Killer nose - to the extent that I can't really pin it down. Ethereal spices, cherry jam/liqueur, yet fresh ... wow.

Round and mouth-filling in a way I'm not used to seeing from Barolo or Barbaresco. Which is not to say that it lacks structure.
Cherry preserves and spice in the mouth, with acid-driven tannin constricting the sides of the mouth. There must be some sort of harmonic convergence going on tonight. Actually light-bodied, but intensely flavored. Tanzer's "inner-mouth perfume".

Jesus, this is good.


$45?

Bouchard, Volnay Caillerets, "Ancienne Cuvee Carnot", 2002

Light red.

Suave, attractive nose - smoke, nuts, iron/blood nuance, ...? No real sign of fruit, though.

Light-bodied in the mouth, orange zest flavor dominating. Very lively, not complex.
Good length.

$30

Luna, Pinot Grigio, Napa County, Barrel-Fermented, 2005

Pale yellow.

Straw/grain, white grape jelly, vague citrus and a hint of oak spice on the nose.

Nice breadth of flavor in the mouth, with a textural sweetness that probably includes some RS. Not at a bit flabby/cloying, though, thanks to cleansing acidity. Actually quite powerful stuff, but deftly handled.


$18

Pintia, Toro (Spain), 2003

Deep purple/red.

Deeper nose than the Pesquera, but also shows more meat, earth and oak aromas than fruit.

Deep and a bit confectionary in the mouth. This has a blackberry syrup character, similar to the Chryseia blogged earlier. Tannin hits late here too. This really takes over the mouth, as much as any Old World wine can. Ultimately a bit one-dimensional, though. And I'm not sure any significant complexity will emerge with time.


$60

Pesquera, Ribera del Duero, 2003

Deep red.

Earth/clay/oak spice aromas with a medicinal/meat nuance.

Broad initial palate-impression, with firm, but reasonably fine, chewy tannin hitting late. Mid-palate is quite plush for a Pesquera. Little obvious fruit character, but this is definitely deep. Needs a couple more years in the bottle.

$28