2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Dolcetto d'Alba

Florals leap from the bottle upon opening. Young-ish now, it settles down after a half hour.

Nice , medium weight red and blue fruit with a savory style of acidity that I find very attractive in this varietal.

Why am I not drinking more Dolcetto? Ridiculous QPR at $16/btl.

CdM makes an especially easy drinking version. Sourced from a north facing slope of the estate Monfalletto vineyard. Fermented using a combination of steel and barrique. The steel seems to preserve a freshness of fruit, while the barrique perhaps mellows some of the angular edges on the palate.

 Super food friendly. This disappears quickly.

NV Domaine des Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Turquoise

12% abv. 60% Cabernet Franc 40% Chenin Blanc

Fine mousse. A bit overt all around and calming down with components falling into place after a couple of hours. Pithy texture with the chenin softening the edges a bit and lending freshness. 

Decent QPR at around $20. Paired with poulet dijonaisse.

2009 Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

A bottle opened earlier this year seemed to be a bit muddled in character, perhaps as a result of bottle variation or less than ideal storage.

This one showed improved delineation, but needed some time to come around.  The 2nd half of the bottle showed better (after being under vacuvin for 3 days). Tasty fruit yet lacking the cut of a great vintage like 2004.  Rancia is such a big wine that it needs acidic lift to create balance.  The 2009 is a bit monolithic, if pleasant wine. 

Paired nicely with meat ravioli (fresh homemade pasta) dressed with shaved Asiago, sea salt, fresh ground Tellicherry pepper and olive oil.