Mini dreamer tasting

[Nicklasss]

December 14

Tasting club. Dreamer.

All the wines presented well. All very good, difficult to choose the best!

2005 Château Destieux: a beautiful Saint Émilion in a modern style, but not overrated. Powerful nose of creamy oak, plums, chocolate, vanilla, sweet blackberries and raspberries. Rich palate, flavors of ripe merlot, brown sugar, raspberries, vanilla, with abundant and flattering tannins and flowers on the finish. Excellent, but lacks a little “je ne sais quoi” of seriousness. Score: 91-92.

2011 Aeroplanservaj Barolo Domenico Clerico: wine with the “Clerico signature”. Concentrated nose, aromas of camphor, old leather, ashes, purple grapes, black berries, earth, rhubarb and black licorice. Attack on the palate with blue fruit, creosote, concentrated cranberries, very tannic, black cassis. Extreme, acidic, astringent and tannic finish. It got a little dry during the evening. Score: 91.

2004 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino: the oldest wine, but in great shape! Stable nose to start, it opens dramatically with aromas of blackberries, concentrated red cherries, smoke, coffee with milk. Powerful. Balanced and always rich palate. Old fruits, terracotta, sweet blackberries, medicinal herbs, touch of chocolate. Still very tannic and long. Score: 92.

2015 La Fortuna Giobi Brunello di Montalcino: my favorite of the evening because this Sangiovese can already be drunk with great pleasure! Nose of red fruits, jujubes, chocolate, smoke, sweet spices, thyme, complex. Mouth full of red fruits, cranberry, rosemary, raw wood, Vicks or peppermint side. Good tannins, astringent fruity length. Long and fragrant. Rating: 95. The rating may seem high, but really good.

2015 Lupicaia: beautiful Italian Cabernet Sauvignon, a little Petit Verdot. Nose of dark red fruits, blackberries, sugar, light milk chocolate, blackcurrant. Mouth containing concentrated red fruits, green wood, blackcurrant, a mineral side like crustacean, tannic, a little austere, long finish on old rose. Concentrate. Very good and for a long time. Score: 93.

2015 Sassicaia: another beautiful Italian Cabernet, despite appearing the youngest of all. A little closed, but beautiful nose of biscuits, blackberries, dark red cherries, blackcurrant, sweet spices, concentrated. The palate shows the “race” of the wine. Complex red and purple fruit flavors, sweet florals, flower stem, creamy cassis, a touch of minerality. Almost impressive on the palate, good drinkability, good tannins, good length but as already said, very young. Will become big in 10 years. Rating: 92-93+.

A very nice evening.

[DavidG]

Nice line-up and report! Despite TominDC's best efforts, it took me a loooong time to warm up to Italian wines. Still not a big Sangiovese fan unless it's blended with Cab. And I do like Nebbiolo.

[stefan]

I have never seen La Fortuna Giobi Brunello di Montalcino in the USA. Maybe Canada gets the entire allocation for North America.

[barsacpinci]

I have never seen La Fortuna Giobi Brunello di Montalcino in the USA. Maybe Canada gets the entire allocation for North America.

Sometimes WDC carries it. I picked up a 2016 from them

[dstgolf]

Great notes and wonderful way to lead into the holidays. Sangiovese works well with pizza and pasta on the lower end side for easy drinking but I don't get the thrill from the higher end expensive Brunello's like some and can relate with David's comment for sure. Add a little cab or merlot and a different kettle of fish altogether!!

[AlexR]

Nic,

You said on a previous post that you were dispirited that people didn't react to your posts, or reacted very little.

I read each and every one.

I was very interested to read you comments about the Italian wines and I think that Destieux is a dark horse wine that is quite good, which seems to be borne out by your experience.

Alex R.

[marcs]

So the $50 Fortuna clearly beat the $300 Sassicaia?

[JoelD]

So the $50 Fortuna clearly beat the $300 Sassicaia?

I have yet to have a Sassicaia that really shows something to me. But in fairness, I haven't tried that many. Think how many bottles of Bordeaux would beat that $300 2015 VCC Like some value 2014's that are so much more classic and accessible right now.

[dstgolf]

Joel,

Agree there are better qpr's in Bordeaux than Sassacaia but I must say I've loved it every time I've had it going through cases of the 97-2000 with friends over the years. It has never displayed the complexities or nuances of an aged Bordeaux but it always was a crowd pleaser. I haven't bought it in years just because it was always good and never a WOW wine especially at the price point they are asking.

As for the Fortuna I'm not sure of the pricing where you are because in Quebec where Nic bought it it goes for $158cdn and Sassacaia $248, so with a 40%exchange rate that puts then at about $100 and $175usd by rough calculation.

[JoelD]

Joel,

Agree there are better qpr's in Bordeaux than Sassacaia but I must say I've loved it every time I've had it going through cases of the 97-2000 with friends over the years. It has never displayed the complexities or nuances of an aged Bordeaux but it always was a crowd pleaser. I haven't bought it in years just because it was always good and never a WOW wine especially at the price point they are asking.

As for the Fortuna I'm not sure of the pricing where you are because in Quebec where Nic bought it it goes for $158cdn and Sassacaia $248, so with a 40%exchange rate that puts then at about $100 and $175usd by rough calculation.

I was more responding to Marcus's comment about the $50 Fortuna beating it. Then I was comparing to similar situations in Bordeaux. Especially when comparing earlier drinking wines to ones that aren't ready yet/closed down.

Maybe a more apt comparison would be 2000 Lanessan which him and I both love. I swear that bottles of that have been better than quality second growths from 2000 (at current drinking). Even the beloved 2000 Leoville Barton comes to mind in that context. Just not ready. The 03 was quite good at the Saturday convention dinner this year though.

As far as Sassicaia goes, I do get why people love it. Just like I understand how people like certain Napa cabs. I just have yet to have one that has moved me. In Italy I go mostly for Piedmont or mountain regions. Not a big fan of most tuscan wines these days. Except for some very quality older Brunello's that other's have opened for me.

[Nicklasss]

All good comments.

As pointed out by dstgolf, price difference between the Fortuna Giobi and Sassicaia is 100 $. The group prefered the Sass, but for drinking right now, i prefeted the Giobi. But i have to admit, i'm not a "label" drinker, or the type of person that give high scores to wines that will be better in 10 years.

Also, i understand that some enthusiasts here like their italian wines with Bordeaux grapes in it. For me, there are no better Cabernet or Merlot wine than Bordeaux, so when judging italian wines not blind, i tend to prefer the wines made from italian grape, as like you said, i never find the italian Cabernet/Merlot as profound, complex or balanced like their Bordeaux cousins.

The Destieux compared ok to the italian, but oak, slightly lush style and less acidity and seriousness on the final did not helped against the high tones italian. But a 2005 Cantemerle or Duhart Milon would have been better candidates against them.