I've been down on the job and have been lax in tasting. But I got back on the horse this week. At a Montecastelli Selections tasting I actually found wines that pleased me. Here are a few.
ROSETI- VELIO 2003. This is a pretty inexpensive Chianti that sees no wood, it’s plunked in stainless and is a simple bit cheery wine with some chew to it.
PIRA DOLCETTO DI ALBA VIGNA FORNACI 2002.
Lovely. Basic every day lively dolcetto, and a little dusty. It’s just the way it used to be before the wine put on airs. You might find this for under $15. I did not like their Vigna Bricco Botti which had been housed in #2 pencils.
JOSETTA SAFFRIO BAROLO 2000. It’s the wine makers first effort and she produced a nice wine that successfully walks the tightrope between the modern and the traditionalists. There’s enough fennel and licorice to appeal to those of us who go trad and enough fruit to lure the barrique lovers. (around $43?)
ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI CHIANTI POGGIO AI FRATI RISERVA 2000. I always liked this producer but in this tasting I found out they have gone modern, EXCEPT for this Riserva which shows they can still make a great wine. Edgy, great acidity with terrific sun baked, ‘chai tea’ like aromas. Mid $20’s.
ONA-CARMNERE 2003. I’ve been promising myself to be the kinder, gentler wine taster. And so when I initially passed this by saying, “Chile, I don’t think so.” I mentally spanked myself and came back to taste it. And wow, I said, that’s not so bad. Has a leafy, crushed dried herb thing going that was quite appealing, with a bit of blueberry. I take a better look-- it’s Chile’s only biodynamic wine. Go know. Pretty damned good and at around $11, a decent price.
ANTONIO FERRARI-SOLARIA JONICA 1959. You won’t be seeing this anytime soon at about $130 for 500ml, but it is really stunning. It started life as Pugliese wine (negroamaro?) made in one of the hottest years in the last century. It was brought up to Piemonte where it lay forgotten until ten years ago when plunked into large oak casks. This is a once in a lifetime oddity. Taste? Think a chocolate and prune PX flavor with an elegant Barolo like weight.
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