SteveTimko
Steve Timko
2009 Marisa Cuomo Costa d'Amalfi Ravello - Italy, Campania, Costa d'Amalfi (8/3/2012)
This was wine of the night for both Fred and me. This was quite delicate and tickled several senses. On the nose, it was floral and had white fruit aroma. I like the term honeysuckle because there was a streak of honey but it was also flowery. The flavors were more delicate. Again it was floral and citrus -- maybe lime or maybe I was influenced by the greenish color. For me the real treat was the texture of the wine. Not quite waxy, it had that mouthful that comes from aging in something that breathes, like oak or cement. I looked at the web site to see how it was made and there wasn't much said there, but I'm pretty sure it was not made in stainless steel. It is a blend of 60 percent Falanghina and 40 percent. Biancolella. Good finish. I have no idea how this will age. The bad news was that I bought only one bottle. The good news is that there was still more left to buy. Imported by Vinity Wine Company.
2010 Cascina Degli Ulivi Semplicemente Vino Bellotti Bianco Vino da Tavola - Italy, Vino da Tavola (8/3/2012)
Delightful to drink. Nice white fruit flavors. I don't think there's much residual sugar but the fruitiness of it almost seemed to make it off dry. Light bodied, making it a it a great summer wine. And a tremendous value. I Like this better than the red. A Louis/Dressner import.
2001 Calabretta Etna Rosso - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (8/3/2012)
Took about an hour to open up and then showed nicely. Cloves, roses and olives on the nose and a little bit of leather. I kept trying to detect tar, but none alas. Maybe if I had nursed it longer. On the palate, mostly dark fruits and some nice earthiness. Excellent finish. A pleasure to drink from attack through the finish. A great value. By the way, the CellarTracker! drinking window says drink by 2014 but this will go another five years easily. Imported by Rare Wine Co.
2010 Cascina Degli Ulivi Semplicemente Vino Bellotti Rosso Vino da Tavola - Italy, Piedmont, Vino da Tavola (8/3/2012)
Fred described this as Italian Beaujolais Noveau and that's not far off the mark. There's some acidity but the fruitiness is what drives this wine. The taste is mostly dark fruit. Quite slurpable and it went well with the food. A nice wine for the price. A Louis/Dressner import.
2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (8/3/2012)
This was nice. I got dark cherry and some cedar. Nice balance. It might have been closed a little bit. More subtle than powerful at this point. Imported by William Grant & Sons.
2006 Milliaire Cellars Zinfandel Clockspring - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County (8/3/2012)
I think there's good zinfandel struggling to show itself here but it seems to have been crushed by the oak. There's some nice brambly black fruit with some spice, very Amador, but the oak hides a lot of it. Decent finish. It carries its 16 percent alcohol well. I might like other bottlings of this winemaker's wine or maybe this wine in other vintages.
This was wine of the night for both Fred and me. This was quite delicate and tickled several senses. On the nose, it was floral and had white fruit aroma. I like the term honeysuckle because there was a streak of honey but it was also flowery. The flavors were more delicate. Again it was floral and citrus -- maybe lime or maybe I was influenced by the greenish color. For me the real treat was the texture of the wine. Not quite waxy, it had that mouthful that comes from aging in something that breathes, like oak or cement. I looked at the web site to see how it was made and there wasn't much said there, but I'm pretty sure it was not made in stainless steel. It is a blend of 60 percent Falanghina and 40 percent. Biancolella. Good finish. I have no idea how this will age. The bad news was that I bought only one bottle. The good news is that there was still more left to buy. Imported by Vinity Wine Company.
2010 Cascina Degli Ulivi Semplicemente Vino Bellotti Bianco Vino da Tavola - Italy, Vino da Tavola (8/3/2012)
Delightful to drink. Nice white fruit flavors. I don't think there's much residual sugar but the fruitiness of it almost seemed to make it off dry. Light bodied, making it a it a great summer wine. And a tremendous value. I Like this better than the red. A Louis/Dressner import.
2001 Calabretta Etna Rosso - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (8/3/2012)
Took about an hour to open up and then showed nicely. Cloves, roses and olives on the nose and a little bit of leather. I kept trying to detect tar, but none alas. Maybe if I had nursed it longer. On the palate, mostly dark fruits and some nice earthiness. Excellent finish. A pleasure to drink from attack through the finish. A great value. By the way, the CellarTracker! drinking window says drink by 2014 but this will go another five years easily. Imported by Rare Wine Co.
2010 Cascina Degli Ulivi Semplicemente Vino Bellotti Rosso Vino da Tavola - Italy, Piedmont, Vino da Tavola (8/3/2012)
Fred described this as Italian Beaujolais Noveau and that's not far off the mark. There's some acidity but the fruitiness is what drives this wine. The taste is mostly dark fruit. Quite slurpable and it went well with the food. A nice wine for the price. A Louis/Dressner import.
2000 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (8/3/2012)
This was nice. I got dark cherry and some cedar. Nice balance. It might have been closed a little bit. More subtle than powerful at this point. Imported by William Grant & Sons.
2006 Milliaire Cellars Zinfandel Clockspring - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County (8/3/2012)
I think there's good zinfandel struggling to show itself here but it seems to have been crushed by the oak. There's some nice brambly black fruit with some spice, very Amador, but the oak hides a lot of it. Decent finish. It carries its 16 percent alcohol well. I might like other bottlings of this winemaker's wine or maybe this wine in other vintages.