From Tuscany to Paris
My first wine tasting after the summer break. I missed the September tasting due to traveling.
Great to see the boys again (Zuzana was absent). President Bob has just turned 80. He looks in fine fettle. I’m sure he’ll make it to 90, at least.
Peter was back from Canada with some lumberjack fashion. Sebastian gave me some kind and useful advice for this blog. Boris (French, not Russia) now has jet black hair. Doug spoke proudly of walking to Versailles and back in his new walking shoes – hardly surprising for a highlander. Sadly Andrew could not make it as he was still getting over a case of Covid.
President Bob assembled a wonderful flight of red wines from Tuscany. Here are some plagiarised tasting notes.
1.Ornellaia «Le Volte»Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Toscana 2021.
Le Volte is a Tuscan superstar in its own right and offers a little bit of everything, the softness of Merlot, the structure and depth of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the beauty and exuberance of Tuscany’s Sangiovese. The 2021 offers mouth-watering red cherry, plum and blackberry.
2.Tenuta San Guido « Guidalberto »Toscana IGT 2021
Dans les années 1920, le Marquis Incisa della Rochetta voulait créer un vin “noble”, c’est-à-dire se rapprochant du goût des vins de Bordeaux. Sur son domaine de Tenuta San Guido, situé en Maremme (Toscane littorale), il fit planter des cabernets sauvignon (85% aujourd’hui) convaincu par leur structure tannique racée et leur tenue dans le temps.
3.« Ornellaia « Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2001
This wine is deep, unctuous and very ripe, with plenty of dark stone fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice, black cherry and plum flavors. Exotic, rich and decidedly flamboyant, the 2001 is at its peak, where it is likely to remain for a number of years. When first opened, the classic Bordeaux varieties in this blend take prominence, making it seem like a self-consciously fine wine, sumptuous and international in its sheen.
4.Ornellaia «Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia»Bolgheri 2011
This wine (57% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot and 12% Cabernet Franc) opens with an inky dark, almost impenetrable appearance and beautifully chiseled – but abundantly intense – aromas of blackberry, dried cherry, rum cake, leather, moist pipe tobacco and chewy black licorice. The balance and harmony are seductive and impressive and the wine lasts many long seconds on the palate. Noticeable tannic backbone gives us hope in its cellar potential.
Towards the end of the tasting, I asked President Bob about his views on Italian wine. He remarked that back in the day, Italian wines were not much good. But lots of efforts have been put into improving Italian wine and the results are remarkable.
Indeed, these wines were rather good. The first two, which we consumed while eating ham and pate, were nice. The second two wines, which went down with cheese, were exceptionally good wines, with wonderful fruit and balance.
We will meet again on 8 November!