I found a nice fatty brisket to braise with some root vegetables, and opened a couple of young wines to go with the meal.
2008 Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape started out beautifully, translucent red, nice lighter style mix of savory and fruit, some garrigue. I am not a huge Grenache fan but this was striking all the right notes for me.
About an hour into the bottle it shut down quite hard, turned very lean and all structure. The leftovers on day 2 were not drinkable either. I was thinking at first this would be a nice Chateauneuf for early drinking, but now I have no idea. Any guidance that fans of this wine that can give as to when this will open again would be appreciated.
2008 Az. Ag. Antoniotti Odilio Bramaterra was very lovely and never shut down over several hours. 13.5% abv.
From the Dressner website:
From their oldest vines, in a high elevation vineyard on porphyry soils that drain extremely quickly
and are full of minerals and nutrients. The vinification is the same as the last two wines. The wine is
aged in large botti of at least 1250 liters in underground cellars for at least 30 months, then in bottle
for 6 months before release. It is 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina, 7% Vespolina and 3% Bonarda.
This had great aromatics, a little high toned, with a mix of roses and dried red fruits. Fans of Sella Lessona and Ferrando Carema would like this, although it's closer to the Carema white label then black. Clean fruit, no noticeable oak, very fine tannins, with just a little bit of the mouth drying, teeth coating dryness the more southern Piedmont Nebbiolo is famous for. Open, expressive and drinking very well, but balanced and should age too. An easy repurchase for me. It was around $28.
Drinking this made me think of Luca M. If any of you see him, tell him hello and to please come back.
2008 Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape started out beautifully, translucent red, nice lighter style mix of savory and fruit, some garrigue. I am not a huge Grenache fan but this was striking all the right notes for me.
About an hour into the bottle it shut down quite hard, turned very lean and all structure. The leftovers on day 2 were not drinkable either. I was thinking at first this would be a nice Chateauneuf for early drinking, but now I have no idea. Any guidance that fans of this wine that can give as to when this will open again would be appreciated.
2008 Az. Ag. Antoniotti Odilio Bramaterra was very lovely and never shut down over several hours. 13.5% abv.
From the Dressner website:
From their oldest vines, in a high elevation vineyard on porphyry soils that drain extremely quickly
and are full of minerals and nutrients. The vinification is the same as the last two wines. The wine is
aged in large botti of at least 1250 liters in underground cellars for at least 30 months, then in bottle
for 6 months before release. It is 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina, 7% Vespolina and 3% Bonarda.
This had great aromatics, a little high toned, with a mix of roses and dried red fruits. Fans of Sella Lessona and Ferrando Carema would like this, although it's closer to the Carema white label then black. Clean fruit, no noticeable oak, very fine tannins, with just a little bit of the mouth drying, teeth coating dryness the more southern Piedmont Nebbiolo is famous for. Open, expressive and drinking very well, but balanced and should age too. An easy repurchase for me. It was around $28.
Drinking this made me think of Luca M. If any of you see him, tell him hello and to please come back.