Convergence

An observation about red wines as they age: often there is a convergence in character...   This was evident at a dinner that showcased older pinot noir alongside older sangiovese.  Whites were paired with first course of cheese and serrano ham.  Reds were paired with grilled yellow fin tuna.

1996 Domaine Emile Jobard Meursault-Poruzots

Rich, golden color, 13% alc. ... on the far side of drinkability at this stage. Still decent aromatics with tropical notes. Very mellow and enjoyable. Gained presence over the course of an hour.

2012 Forman Chardonnay

Pale crystalline straw color.  Attractive floral nose with very tasty fruit.... really underscoring that the Meursault is a quite tired.  Just a kiss of oak that it could've done without in the interest of purity.  Very good California chardonnay and nicely balanced at 13.5% alc.

1986 Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto

Produced only in better vintages, I have always liked this wine.  This '86 was showing decently.  Nice floral nose upon opening, however the aromatics faded over the course of the evening.  Fortunately, the palate held up and even gained a bit of strength through the evening. Red fruit with mellow spices and decent finish with 13.5 alc. The fruit on these wines in their prime is gorgeous.  This one was clearly past its prime, yet very nicely complemented the grilled tuna.

1999 Martinelli Blue Slide Ridge Pinot Noir

WOTN for me.  This one lived up to its hype.  I had a 2007 Martinelli Blue Slide Ridge a couple of years ago and it was way too young to drink.  I have also enjoyed a 2000 Marcassin Blue Slide Ridge, which would have easily been taken for a Vosne-Romanee grand cru in a blind tasting. This 1999 Martinelli version echoes the Marcassin's elegance but falls short of the grandeur. 

Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard was planted by Lee Martinelli in 1995 to Helen Turley's specifications, who made her Marcassin wines using Martinelli's facilities up until 2011when she completed building her own winery.  Turley's influence as consulting winemaker at Martinelli has been evident over the years. Martinelli pinot noirs are some of my favorites (and are far more available/affordable than Marcassin). 

There's no reason to further cellar the '99 Martinelli BSR ... it is drinking extremely well now (perhaps a tad past its peak). Red raspberry fruit is still bright complemented by a mouth-watering melange of acidity, minerality and spices.  Manages its 14.7 alcohol nicely. A fair amount of very fine grained sediment.  Definitely the most alluring aromatics of any of the wines this evening.

1999 Siduri Shaw Vineyard (Oregon) Pinot Noir

Adam Lee is known for his negociant style of winemaking, drawing on some of the great terroirs in California.  My first experience with one of his wines sourced from Oregon fruit, this version from the Shaw Vineyard was a bit past its prime. Faded, yet enjoyable, black fruit (14.2 alc.) with a bit of tasty sous bois that is evident in many Oregon pinot noirs.  Very faint aromatics.  A good deal of sediment (bottled as unfiltered).

2010 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

This was a late addition to the line-up, popped & poured.  Classic satin mouthfeel that characterizes Kosta Browne wines. Dark cherry, balsam and spice. Clearly young, it will benefit from additional bottle age.