Aldo Ricardo Seghesio Barolo Vigneto la Villa 1996

Slow-o in bottle (no decant) for 3 hours and then served from bottle at restaurant. 

Luscious nose and fruit from the start. Color is showing some signs of age. 14% alc. Nice finish. Not a tremendous amount of complexity.  More fruit and tannin ... not so much characteristic tar profile that a great barolo should have,  though... I would classify this as more modern in style although it is not marked by an overabundance of oak.  A bit one dimensional in character but enjoyable.  

The Asbury is a new restaurant in Charlotte …  results are a bit of a mixed bag...  a few dishes that were spot on... some of the others were not executed very well... 

Positives were:

-  yellow fin tuna (crudo) ceviche appetizer. .. the tuna was shaved ...very fresh and delicious

- drop biscuits baked in cast iron skillet with bacon jam (ridiculously good)

- scallops accented with small pieces of country ham and a very light drizzle of caramelized white chocolate on the scallops (sounds weird but it worked nicely)

weekday bubbly

Lucas & Lewellen Mandolina Bianco di Bianco 2005 from the Santa Barbara region. This was a "forgotten" bottle that was given to us years ago.  A bit of a puzzle since we were unfamiliar with this producer or even sparkling wine from this region.  

Alluring tropical nose immediately upon opening... vibrant fruit and salinity on the palate. .. quite well balanced .. not overly sweet. Pear and quince. Becomes a bit more bread-y and exhibits almost gruner-like flavors after opening up for half hour or so...

Fresh, lively effervescence blew off nicely to reveal really nice mature fruit underneath.... 13% alc...crystal clear, very pale gold color. The varietal wasn't shown on the label. I assume it may be chardonnay,  or perhaps a blend. It disappeared quickly  :)

Paired well with mushroom agnolotti for dinner.

I don't see this available online anywhere, otherwise I would buy some.  Sometimes you find a little unexpected gem...

... sometimes you just need a Beer !

Hot summer days call for grilling and brewskies... 

...specialty of the house = burgers with caramelized Vidalia onions and Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.

Ceretto Barolo Brunate 1997, Ceretto Barbaresco Asili 1998, Massolino Barolo 2000

A bounty of delicious wines recently with friends ... 

WOTN was the '97 Brunate. Just ridiculously good. Brunate appellation certainly deserves its status (although this bottling is a bit ripe at 14.5% alc.)....Very elegant perfumed nose, lush fruit complemented by excellent earthiness with characteristic tar profile. Drink now... it's at its peak. 

The '98 Asili was a bit more nimble on the palate with an interesting anise component and lovely aromatics. 

Both Ceretto's were fully decanted and gained impressive presence over the course of the evening, especially the Brunate - which really hit its stride after about 4 hours and was going strong after 7 hours.

'00 Massolino is a very enjoyable "normale"... like most wines from this vintage, it's a rich and heady bottling... very approachable now for a Serralunga d'Alba vino...

The Bouissiere Gigondas was a 2005 vintage ... have not had one in a long time, but this one is a delicious effort by the Faravel brothers.  Really at its peak now. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. . Rich, luscious fruit with satiny tannins ... creosote and spice notes... a bit hot would be my only slight complaint (14.5% alc.)... 

The 2007 Roero Arneis was the favorite white wine of the evening. .. really well balanced.  The '05 Brewer Clifton Mt. Carmel chardonnay smelled gorgeous (seductive tropical notes) but alas the palate was marred by overabundance of oak ... The '09 Petite Arvine was delightful. .. offering more sweetness of fruit than the Arneis.

------ 13 days later -----

Enjoyed the remaining quarter bottles of the Ceretto Asili and Massolino normale this evening. 

Asili was a true delight. .. gossamer tannins with such noble fruit dancing on the palate. ... delicious aromatics ...great nebbiolo can be a balm for the soul !

Juxtaposed next to the Asili,  the Massolino normale was massive. A blunt instrument to be appreciated on its own merits after the Asili was gone... still quite enjoyable ... an excellent exercise in understanding the differences between a younger blend and a single vineyard in its prime. 

1971 and 1999 vintages in Piemonte...

Let's face it... a 43 year old Barolo that has been acquired on the secondary market can be a crapshoot, but when it works it's pretty cool...

This '71 Marchese di Barolo Gia Opera Pia was in decent shape... nice aromatics upon opening the bottle... left to slow-o in situ for several hours before dinner.  Really nice acidity and very nicely balanced at 13% alc. .. the fruit is just a touch, maybe a shade, toward becoming raisin-y, but it's not obtrusive enough to walk away.... there's more here than meets the eye (or nose) at first. ... four hours later, she is gaining presence ... the wonderful faded cherry and hints of anise pairs deliciously with grilled lamb.  These old wines are definitely best appreciated with fine cuisine ... 7 hours later she is really kicking into gear, showing the greatness of the 1971 vintage, even with an average producer. 

Next to the '99 Albino Rocca Brich Ronchi (which was fully decanted),  I am continually drawn again and again to the  '71 Gia Opera Pia.  It has more complexity and more history.. what can I say, I like the older wines that have a story to tell. .. 

The Brich Ronchi is a nice, fully rounded Barbaresco. .. I am not sure it will ever be very complex.. It exhibited barnyard-y notes for the first couple of hours before blowing off and revealing tasty maturing fruit and light creosote. 

9 hours later, the Gia Opera Pia is still gaining momentum and nicely complements some Belgian chocolate.   This beauty shows no signs of fading ... 

La Tour Haut-Brion 1979, Luigi Einaudi 1997, Bosquet des Papes Chante Le Merle V.V. 2007

Dinner with friends presented an interesting opportunity to enjoy an eclectic selection of wines.

Bruno Giacosa Extra Brut 2006 was enjoyed as an aperitif before dinner along with a selection of cheeses. .. the bird pictured is done by commission from a local artist. .. a truly unique piece. 

The Bosquet des Papes Chante Le Merle V.V 2007 was enjoyed with appetizers (tempura flash fried langoustines and spicy sauteed prawns).  This bottle is just entering into its drinking window and showed beautifully.   The ripe fruit (14.5 % alc.) was delicious. Sourced from 90+ year old vines ... surprisingly approachable for a whole cluster wine... mostly bright and tasty grenache with dollops of syrah and mourvedre...

The structure and depth of the beautiful Luigi Einaudi Barolo "normale" 1997 provided an excellent counterpoint to the Bosquet des Papes CdP.  Once again, the '97 vintage from Piedmont shines brightly. Paired perfectly with aged ribeye steaks with sauteed shrooms and a delightful ratatouille. Alluring perfume right from the start. Slow-o in bottle for 2.5 hours and then full decant with at the restaurant.  Perfectly mature fruit with intriguing complexity on the palate (13.5% alc.) and really nice balance. .... tar, tobacco, elegant fine-grained tannic structure with classic long finish. This wine definitely informs as to the proud heritage of Barolo blends... 

The La Tour Haut-Brion 1979 was a surprise finale for the evening... this was an incredibly youthful example of a 35 year old wine. Rich, dark fruit (see last photo of this wine in the glass... incredible color) with a surprisingly unctuous mouthfeel for a wine of this age.... a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Cab Franc.  Classic roasted earth notes that I love so much and that are also typified in the La Mission Haut-Brion wines... a real treat to end a wonderful evening.