Beauties from Central Italy

16 Aug 2012: Wine tasting dinner earlier this week and the theme was 'Anything Red but Bordeaux'. We went to Zhejiang Heen (very tasty food!!)  The food was Shanghainese (or nearby) cuisine, with all the usual favourites, such as braised meatballs, honeyed ham sandwiches, stir fried chicken and pine nuts in a rice crispy cone, smoked fish, and crispy eel, etc. Given the theme, the wine selection was rather eclectic amongst the 16 people who attended.  There were some rather big and powerful wines, such as the inky dark monolithic 2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia, with painfully intense aromas and flavours of cassis liqueur, blackberry jam, liquorice and tar, packed into an unctuous texture with ripe but very toothsome tannins. Great concentration, lengthy finish but it really wasn't ready, even with the 2.5 hours of decanting time.  Try again in 5 years time.  The 2005 Chave Hermitage was equally backward and needed every bit of the 2.5 hour of decanting time that we gave it.....but it could do with tons more. Compared with the 2003 that we had recently, this was made in a slightly more austere style (earthy, herbal and spicy notes) with quite angular tannin and bright acidity, quite extracted, which would require a lot more patience to mellow to display its superior heritage.  Should give it another 8 - 10 years before enjoying again, with a very long life ahead.

What really impressed me and what really went so well with the food were the Italian wines!  I was particularly impressed by the magnum of 2001 Sportoletti Villa Fidelia, a Bordeaux blend mainly consisting of Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, from Umbria.  Made by the Sportoletti family, with advice from Riccardo Cotarella.  Lovely cedar, graphite, blackberry, blueberry and liquorice notes, with velvety tannins and marvellous intensity and balance. A very charming wine, an absolute pleasure to drink now and went amazingly well with the braised meatballs and honeyed ham sandwiches! Drink now and for next 6 - 8+ years for optimum enjoyment. 17.5/20

The other wine I really liked and which I thought went beautifully with the crispy eels (and other dishes!) was the 2003 Isole e Olena Cepparello (100% Sangiovese from the estate's best sites in northern Chianti Classico, aged in French barrels for about 18 - 20 months).  I loved the gorgeously classic bouquet of floral, plum, cherry, spicy liquorice and some earthy notes, with a most elegant structure and balance of acidity and ripe velvety tannin.  There was this wonderful definition of generous ripe fruit and balance that gave the wine much elegance and poise, without any signs of over-ripeness from the hot vintage.  A beautifully crafted wine with a very long finish, bravo to the proprietor Paolo de Marchi.  Drink now and for the next 10 - 12 years. 18/20

The 2004 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino was a little muted on this evening.  It could have done with a bit more aeration to flaunt its elegance and finesse. There was some hint of ripe fruit but it lacked depth and intensity on the palate.  

While on the subject of Italian beauties from Central Italy, I enjoyed a bottle of 1998 Falesco Montiano last night with a few friends and was absolutely delighted by a most charming and elegant wine, fashioned out of 100% Merlot from Lazio, aged in French oak barrels.  A mature bouquet showing black cherry, plum, chocolate, liquorice, tobacco and some hints of leather.  The palate was a very smooth, cashmere-like texture of silky tannin, with just sufficient acidity to give the wine a very harmonious structure to pair with the eggplant parmigiana that I made.  Gorgeous effort (the wine and my eggplant parmigiana).  Loved the long finish! 18/20