TN: over and under (Nov 7, 2015)

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
Just Jay and me. Bacchus was napping somewhere because we opened two bottles: one was too little and one was too much. Bleh.

Nicolas Gonin 2013 IGP Isere - Balmes Dauphinoises "Mondeuse Persan" - a very modest wine of humble charms and a mild disposition, no obvious or insincere flaws, there will always be some of this left in the bottle when the evening ends

Montevertine 1996 IGT "Le Pergole Torte" - dense and inky dark, this stinks of oak, it's harsh, fruitless, charmless, the decanter will be rinsed and in the drying rack long before the evening ends

Better Jay should tell you all about the Grand Tasting at the Fetid Sham Pane, or wherever he was today.
 
Huh. My last note on the '96 Pergola Torte, from 2004 (the Steamed Steaks night):

Montevertine Vino da Tavola di Toscana 'Le Pergole Torte' 1996: Cement dust and taut berry-cassis aromatics, quiet and shy. Tastes coiled and more theoretically interesting than actually pleasurable. The finish is all hard blackfruit and sandy tannins. Hold, hold, hold. It seems like there's a lot going on, but hard to read right now, especially in my Katsmanesque famished state.

I would have expected more from it this many years later. Sad.
 
Interesting about the Pergola Tortae. I brought a magnum to the first night of the 10 Bells (the last one I've had). Definitely tannic, not overly heavy, definitely vibrant and alive. Great evolved fruit. Loved by all that night.
 
The '96 Pergole Torte was purchased at auction about 2 years after release and held for far too long given what it turned out to be. But it's always possible it had bad storage for that short period.

Charmless about sums it up.

I'll try to write up my Fete du Champagne notes.
 
Back
Top