Henry Bongiovi
Henry Bongiovi
Thank you to the invitation to this site from a member.
Impressions from the end of the year celebration with my group of over twenty years . . .
bubbles . . .
2008 Dom Perignon Brut ‘Chef de Cave’ Legacy Edition: bright citrus bursts from the glass; palate is awash with golden fruit; sharp jagged mouthfeel speaks to its youth and ability to age; long finish that seems never ending; put this away for another five years
2002 Dom Perignon P2: flinty minerally nose; fleshy mouthfeel; white-Burg with bubbles; caramel-laden finish; still smiling thinking about this nearly perfect experience
2008 Piper-Heidsieck ‘Rare’ Brut Millesime: intense effervescence; light, refreshing and citrusy; suffered the unfortunate fate of following the two Dom’s
white Burgs . . .
2016 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, Grand Cru (Magnum): fleshy, youthful, and decadent; Spring Break in a bottle
2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault-Charms, 1er Cru: as fun as the Martray was, this turned it up a notch; dances across the palate with spine-tingling acid; thrilling
2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Abbaye de Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru: some bitterness up front, but rounded out nicely, then finished with a touch of anise
2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Batard Montrachet, Grand Cru: double ‘wow’; nose of ripe golden pineapple followed by an unctuous palate laden with sweet rich tropical fruit (maybe even some guava); long palate-coating finish with a hint of candied melon; easy White WOTN for me
reds . . .
2008 Romanée Conti Echèzeaux, Grand Cru: always nice to start a red flight with a DRC; effusive intoxicating perfume of purple and red (especially ripe raspberry) fruit and floral notes, followed by layers of dark and smokey fruit on the palate; finishes with a touch of bitterness which detracted from an otherwise wonderful experience
2014 Gros Freres et Soeur Echèzeaux, Grand Cru: sweet candied red fruit profile up front, with an underlying core of dark cherries and dark soil; nowhere near the level of perfume or fruit as the DRC
2000 Clos Erasmus: immediately hit with VA, varnish, medicinal eucalyptus notes; dumped
2005 Clos Erasmus: sweet, rich, creamy fruit with a pronounced oaky streak that still needs to integrate
intermezzo . . .
1975 Sanctus Jacobus Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese: nose of dirty dishwater and old paint thinner, which is hard to get past; however, complete transformation on the palate which was full of sweet fleshy fruit despite being more than 45 years old; fun experience
2nd round of reds . . .
2001 Gaja Sori Tildin: some VA on the nose; palate is full of dark red\dark purple fruit and a touch of milk chocolate; still quite tannic; complex layers of concentrated dark fruit, but lacked the lift I would have expected; not sure if this needs more time to come together or whether it should be drunk up before the negative elements overtake the positive
1996 Flaccianello: nose of Band-Aids initially off-putting, but blew off quickly and revealed a beautiful leather-laden wine, silky smooth on the palate and replete with Italian-ness as well as a long palate-coating (yet elegant) which is enough to garner a ‘wow’; fully integrated and resolved; wonderful; don’t miss this window
2005 Troplong: showstopper nose of effusive boysenberry and black raspberry; on the palate, very tactile, with a chewy mouthfeel; abundant black fruit and molten black licorice; delicious (1 vote for WOTN)
2003 Ausone: wow, extraordinary; perfectly integrated, perfectly balanced; elegant but not soft; instead, lifted with impeccable structure and a lithe spine of blackberry; still plenty of tannins as evidenced by the mouth-puckering finish; my WOTN (3 votes for WOTN)
2005 Spottswoode bottle #1: wonderful notes of eucalyptus and abundant dark sweet fruit which is in no way over the top; unfortunately, hampered with a green pepper streak and a bitter, astringent finish
2005 Spottswoode bottle #2: more pronounced green pepper streak on the nose, however, the finish was much better than bottle #1
2010 Dal Forno Amarone: extraordinarily complex, with dark sweet fruit and exotic spices; the layers of flavor intermixed perfectly with the sweet tobacco leaf; despite its heft, concentration, and power, never ponderous or clumsy, instead, somehow enough acid and structure to keep it all in check; my second favorite WOTN, just barely losing out to the Ausone (4 votes for WOTN)
1994 Unico: black raspberries and dark cola up front, with charcoal and pine tar on the finish; still quite dense, concentrated, chewy, and youthful; great structure and balance; easily go another decade or more; yet another special Unico (4 votes for WOTN)
dessert . . .
2010 Baumard Quarts de Chaumes: rich without undue sweetness; in a perfect place
1979 Moulin Touchais Coteaux Du Layon: lovely streak of orange rind permeates the experience; not going to improve; time to drink up and enjoy while there is still some life in this
1997 Dal Forno Recioto: wow, my Dessert WOTN; exceptionally complex with layers of darkness that envelope you at every sip; like stepping into a tobacco\cigar store back room and reveling in the distinctive nuance of each jar of tobacco
2004 Dal Forno ‘Vigna Sere’, Possito Rosso vino Dolce: a masterpiece of towering blackness; I’d give the ’97 Recioto the edge now for its level of complexity, but with time, this could evolve into something that even greater
2007 Valdana ‘Montecristo’, Aleatico Passito Dell’elba: and just when you thought a wine could not get any darker than the Dal Forno’s, the Valdana walks into the bar; not sure I’ve experienced a darker, more concentrated wine; thick and unctuous, like black motor oil with grip; once past the imposing nature of the beast, you are rewarded with a wonderfully unique dessert wine, with hints of Tootsie Roll and orange rind beneath the blanket of black
2008 Dr. Loosen Riesling Eiswein: impeccably balanced lush fruit lifted by crisp acid; perfect way to end the night
Thanks again for the invite; look forward to participating here
Impressions from the end of the year celebration with my group of over twenty years . . .
bubbles . . .
2008 Dom Perignon Brut ‘Chef de Cave’ Legacy Edition: bright citrus bursts from the glass; palate is awash with golden fruit; sharp jagged mouthfeel speaks to its youth and ability to age; long finish that seems never ending; put this away for another five years
2002 Dom Perignon P2: flinty minerally nose; fleshy mouthfeel; white-Burg with bubbles; caramel-laden finish; still smiling thinking about this nearly perfect experience
2008 Piper-Heidsieck ‘Rare’ Brut Millesime: intense effervescence; light, refreshing and citrusy; suffered the unfortunate fate of following the two Dom’s
white Burgs . . .
2016 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, Grand Cru (Magnum): fleshy, youthful, and decadent; Spring Break in a bottle
2013 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault-Charms, 1er Cru: as fun as the Martray was, this turned it up a notch; dances across the palate with spine-tingling acid; thrilling
2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Abbaye de Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru: some bitterness up front, but rounded out nicely, then finished with a touch of anise
2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Batard Montrachet, Grand Cru: double ‘wow’; nose of ripe golden pineapple followed by an unctuous palate laden with sweet rich tropical fruit (maybe even some guava); long palate-coating finish with a hint of candied melon; easy White WOTN for me
reds . . .
2008 Romanée Conti Echèzeaux, Grand Cru: always nice to start a red flight with a DRC; effusive intoxicating perfume of purple and red (especially ripe raspberry) fruit and floral notes, followed by layers of dark and smokey fruit on the palate; finishes with a touch of bitterness which detracted from an otherwise wonderful experience
2014 Gros Freres et Soeur Echèzeaux, Grand Cru: sweet candied red fruit profile up front, with an underlying core of dark cherries and dark soil; nowhere near the level of perfume or fruit as the DRC
2000 Clos Erasmus: immediately hit with VA, varnish, medicinal eucalyptus notes; dumped
2005 Clos Erasmus: sweet, rich, creamy fruit with a pronounced oaky streak that still needs to integrate
intermezzo . . .
1975 Sanctus Jacobus Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese: nose of dirty dishwater and old paint thinner, which is hard to get past; however, complete transformation on the palate which was full of sweet fleshy fruit despite being more than 45 years old; fun experience
2nd round of reds . . .
2001 Gaja Sori Tildin: some VA on the nose; palate is full of dark red\dark purple fruit and a touch of milk chocolate; still quite tannic; complex layers of concentrated dark fruit, but lacked the lift I would have expected; not sure if this needs more time to come together or whether it should be drunk up before the negative elements overtake the positive
1996 Flaccianello: nose of Band-Aids initially off-putting, but blew off quickly and revealed a beautiful leather-laden wine, silky smooth on the palate and replete with Italian-ness as well as a long palate-coating (yet elegant) which is enough to garner a ‘wow’; fully integrated and resolved; wonderful; don’t miss this window
2005 Troplong: showstopper nose of effusive boysenberry and black raspberry; on the palate, very tactile, with a chewy mouthfeel; abundant black fruit and molten black licorice; delicious (1 vote for WOTN)
2003 Ausone: wow, extraordinary; perfectly integrated, perfectly balanced; elegant but not soft; instead, lifted with impeccable structure and a lithe spine of blackberry; still plenty of tannins as evidenced by the mouth-puckering finish; my WOTN (3 votes for WOTN)
2005 Spottswoode bottle #1: wonderful notes of eucalyptus and abundant dark sweet fruit which is in no way over the top; unfortunately, hampered with a green pepper streak and a bitter, astringent finish
2005 Spottswoode bottle #2: more pronounced green pepper streak on the nose, however, the finish was much better than bottle #1
2010 Dal Forno Amarone: extraordinarily complex, with dark sweet fruit and exotic spices; the layers of flavor intermixed perfectly with the sweet tobacco leaf; despite its heft, concentration, and power, never ponderous or clumsy, instead, somehow enough acid and structure to keep it all in check; my second favorite WOTN, just barely losing out to the Ausone (4 votes for WOTN)
1994 Unico: black raspberries and dark cola up front, with charcoal and pine tar on the finish; still quite dense, concentrated, chewy, and youthful; great structure and balance; easily go another decade or more; yet another special Unico (4 votes for WOTN)
dessert . . .
2010 Baumard Quarts de Chaumes: rich without undue sweetness; in a perfect place
1979 Moulin Touchais Coteaux Du Layon: lovely streak of orange rind permeates the experience; not going to improve; time to drink up and enjoy while there is still some life in this
1997 Dal Forno Recioto: wow, my Dessert WOTN; exceptionally complex with layers of darkness that envelope you at every sip; like stepping into a tobacco\cigar store back room and reveling in the distinctive nuance of each jar of tobacco
2004 Dal Forno ‘Vigna Sere’, Possito Rosso vino Dolce: a masterpiece of towering blackness; I’d give the ’97 Recioto the edge now for its level of complexity, but with time, this could evolve into something that even greater
2007 Valdana ‘Montecristo’, Aleatico Passito Dell’elba: and just when you thought a wine could not get any darker than the Dal Forno’s, the Valdana walks into the bar; not sure I’ve experienced a darker, more concentrated wine; thick and unctuous, like black motor oil with grip; once past the imposing nature of the beast, you are rewarded with a wonderfully unique dessert wine, with hints of Tootsie Roll and orange rind beneath the blanket of black
2008 Dr. Loosen Riesling Eiswein: impeccably balanced lush fruit lifted by crisp acid; perfect way to end the night
Thanks again for the invite; look forward to participating here
