2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah Stockholm Syndrome

A very rare bird from Manfred Krankl ... 96% Syrah,  3% Roussanne, 1% Viognier... from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills.  Leonard Taylor reports that this is a truly monumental wine.  Wonderful complexity with dark fruits, chocolate and a purity that flows across the palate. Supremely balanced... sexy, elegant and voluptuous!  

1982 Chateau Margaux and 1982 Chateau L'Evangile

A wonderful dinner hosted by friends, Joe and Leslie Chandler. Joe has been buying Bordeaux since the '70's and enjoys an extensive cellar of perfectly stored older vintages.  It's always a treat when he brings out the classic '82's. 

Paired with a selection of excellent cheeses and fresh baked bread (thanks, Don!) were:

2012 Robert Denogent Pouilly Fuisse la Croix Vieilles Vignes 
A brilliant wine that has everything you want from this appellation. .. great nose, bracing fruit and minerality.  

2012 Liquid Farm Golden Slope Chardonnay
I just did not get this wine.  Lots of great press, but seemed marred by oak to me. (But then, what do I know?)

Paired with pan seared foie gras and fresh baked bread:

1976 Chateau d'Yquem
Dinner could have stopped with this course and I would have been perfectly content! There's not much to be said when a wine it at its peak and served with the perfect accompaniment food-wise.  Only on a few occasions have I had the privilege to enjoy older d'Yquem.  The nose is intoxicating, the palate of tropical fruit and honeyed melon is compellingly gorgeous. 

Paired with pan-seared, marinated Moulard magret,  Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in duck fat, tomato aspic salad:

2004 Quinta Sardonia
A beautiful blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,  Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot from Sardon del Duero.  A Peter Sisseck project, this definitely works. Enticing smoky red and blue fruit on the palate with an almost Bordeaux-ish nose. Slow-o for 2 hours prior to dinner and served from bottle. 

1995 Pride Mountain Claret Reserve
Only 100 cases made, this is one of nicest California versions of Claret. Always sumptuous and immensely pleasing. Still drinking very well.  Slow-o for an hour before dinner with full decant at dinner. Gained presence throughout the evening and disappeared too quickly. 

1982 Chateau L'Evangile
Now we come to the main event... the '82's.  Slow-o for an hour and then full decant. Drank over the course of around 5 hours. Mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc.  Wow! Stunning beauty right out of the gates. Gorgeous plum, alluring spice and truffle. Sexy florals on the nose with hints of sous bois.  Actually slightly darker in color (!) than the Chateau Margaux... perfect with the duck...

1982 Chateau Margaux
WOTN ....while the Pomerol came of out the gates capturing the attention, the greatness of Margaux was revealed as the evening progressed.  Cabernet Sauvignon,  Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.  At a wonderfully mature stage of development,  black currant,  cassis, cedar and earth..... velvety aged minerality... An ethereal nose that kept developing and kept me entranced. Gained serious presence over the evening.   With duck, yes, it doesn't get any better. 

Paired with Pear Clafouti... we returned to the glorious '76 d'Yquem. 

Tuscany, Sicily and Portugal

2001 Calabretta Etna Rosso (14.5% alc)

2003 Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino (14% alc)

2005 Silgueiros Touriga Nacional Quinta Da Falorca (14% alc)

Fascinating results over the course of the evening.  

Decanted upon opening, the Etna Rosso roared out of the gates ready to go. Compelling nose of florals, anise and balsam ... a real knock-out.  High-toned fruit at its peak complemented by creosote.  Mostly Nerello Mascalese with a dollop of Nerello Cappuccio.  Minerality clearly reflective of volcanic terroir.  Hands down the best Sicilian wine that I've had. 

Decanted the Cerbaiona upon opening. Picked this up on recommendation from Mark Scudiery.  This wine is built for the long haul. Quite dark in color,  the nose is initially subdued.  Palate is classic black cherry complemented by elegant sous bois ( hints of cedar) and earth..  Really took several hours to open up and show its pedigree.  Came into its own about six hours later, and outpaced the pack. A true beauty of a long distance runner. Simply intoxicating allure by the end of the evening. I kept going back to this thoroughbred until it was gone (none left for day two...)

I don't get a chance to drink many Portuguese wines so this was an interesting experience.  The Quinta da Falorca was decanted upon opening.  Very attractive nose ...the palate actually reminded me a bit of Cabernet Franc.   Very smooth tannins. This wine is hard to resist and paired well with the main course of the evening,  grilled bone-in veal chops. 

1997 Mario Marengo Barolo Brunate

Picked up some Marengo based on positive comments on this producer from Mark Scudiery.  
 Slow-o for 4 hours prior to dinner. 14% alc. Upon uncorking, the initial taste previewed a monster chewy and delicious wine.  Big tannins yet in balance with fruit.  Reticent nose... light florals.
Decanted at restaurant.  Now things are happening.  A strident example of Brunate.  Mineral, anise and tar. 
About an hour after decanting, wonderous perfume completes the picture. Wow... when the nose caught up with the rest, it all fell into place.  
This beauty needs a lot of air to show at its best.

2000 Luigi Einaudi Barolo

Popped and decanted half of the bottle. 14% alc. Fading garnet color suggests advanced maturity , which is supported by the cherry fruit palate whose sun is already setting.
Nice florals on the nose ...light tar accents and a touch of brett. Probably peaked 2 to 3 years ago. 
We always enjoy Einaudi but have found their normale bottlings to age a bit more rapidly... half of the bottle left to report on later....
Paired beautifully with a hot bowl of home-made jambalaya, garnished with Périgord truffles,  on a cold winter day.

2000 Charbonniere CdP les Hautes Brusquieres Speciale and 2001 Saint Cosme Gigondas Cuvee Valbelle

Interesting to try these side by side.  Slow-o in bottle and consumed over several hours with dinner. 
Brusquieres is destemmed 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. 
Valbelle is 90% Grenache and 10%:Syrah.
I would have guessed that the varietal composition were reversed with the Valbelle having the higher % of Syrah.
Brusquieres is gorgeous from get-go with come-hither floral nose and bright raspberry grenache flavor profile with satin mouthfeel.  A delicious bottling showing the greatness of the vintage. 
Valbelle is more reserved both aromatically and on the palate. Smoky blackberry and garrigue.  Much slower to reveal itself.  Very good on its own, but outshone by the Brusquieres. 
Have tried several vintages of the Brusquieres and it is the real deal for reasonably priced CdP....

2009 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard and 2009 Big Basin Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard

Popped and poured at dinner at a local restaurant.  Nice showcase of the different terroirs of Sonoma and Santa Cruz Mtns.  
The Big Basin was pretty tight at first with sour cherry and cola. Aubert was smooth as silk from the start. As the Big Basin unwound with beautiful aromatics, the palate smoothed out with nice licorice and minerality becoming apparent.   The Aubert is a gorgeous, rich wine.  However, the Big Basin disappeared fast and seemed the favorite.   It just had a lot of interesting things going on.... go figure. ..
Both wines went really well with my sea bass ...

2003 Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage les Varonniers

Full decant. A bit closed at first certainly not giving up much on the aromatics.  About an hour later, the flavors began to appear.  3+ hours and she's singing. Super - refined black truffle fruit, olive, bacon and iodine and, oh yes, a lovely 12.5% alcohol !  This is a classic. Sourced from old vines in the Varognes and Les Meysonniers sites.
Paired with pasta and fresh Périgord truffles... delightful. 

1995 Ceretto-Bricco Rocche Barolo Prapo

Opened this alongside the 1997 Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche. Full decant.  This is a very different wine. Lots of plum fruit and earth... rich texture. 

We enjoyed the second half of the Prapo the next day with dinner and decorating the tree.  Mature plum character really comes out along with licorice nuance. Violet floral on the nose. Allspice and big earth. Jammy character indicative of a warm growing season ...?  Quite enjoyable...
Happy Holidays! 

1997 Armando Parusso Barolo Bussia Vigna Rocche

It's that time of year when we celebrate with a Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche and the 1997 posed an interesting comparison to last year's 1998.. 

Decanted the 1997 Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche two hours ahead of dinner.  Good nose and impeccable composition upon opening - all that was needed is to open up. And open up nicely it did... black cherry, tar, earth and anise with a nice underlying minerality. .. Man, you know a good Barolo when you hit one...
The nose was enjoyable but a bit more reticent than expected over the evening (perhaps as compared to the sexy nose of the '97 Moccagatta Bric Balin from yesterday. .. and we poured the last of the Bric Balin this evening where the aromatics where still just as alluring).
Overall though, the '97 Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche had that sweet perfume and truly noble palate that typifies a great Barolo...
I think I've read where this is a whole cluster wine... if so, it is certainly reflected in the body and soul of this bottling. . .. we always enjoy the Parusso wines! 

1997 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin

Popped and poured. 14% alc. Nice floral notes on nose. Subdued palate for the first hour.  Slow-o in bottle. 2nd hour started opening up with red & blue fruits and dusty tannins. Nicely balanced. 3rd hour and beyond was revealing. .. delicate nebbiolo profile with more red fruit now... the aromatics are so fine with very classic tar and roses.... a delight to just enjoy the nose.  Amazing the similarity between Barbaresco and Burgundy in terms of appeal... 
No reason to wait on this... it's on the far side of optimal drinking window.  Overall I would describe as an enjoyable moderately priced Barbaresco.   

1996 Colin-Deleger Chassagne Montrachet en Remilly

Popped and poured with dinner (chicken piccata, broccoli rabe and tomato-mozzarella salad drizzled with balsamic)
Very nice honeyed floral aromatics right away.  Bright lemon, stone, baked bread with hints of tropical fruit (13.5% alc).  I like '96 white Burgundy on the far, mellow end of the drinking window. 
 Enjoyed this over several hours as it opened up for business and we revisited stories of a trip to Lyon and dining at Paul Bocuse many years ago.

Piedmont, Priorat, Bordeaux and Mendocino

The Whites

(Paired with crab dip and a selection of cheeses)

2012 Forman Chardonnay

Always a hit.  Not your standard Napa chardonnay.  Bracing minerality with citrus and pear.  Only 10% new oak and no malo. Mr. Forman is a traditionalist.  13.5% alc.

2011 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Reserve

A more modern chardonnay (14.5% alc) from Carneros.  Quite tasty ... more peach and hazelnut influence.  The oak is not too obtrusive.  A dependable, enjoyable chardonnay.

The Reds (Paired with grilled bone-in ribeye steaks, broccoli salad and medley of potatoes & root vegetables in white wine)

1998 Elio Altare L'Insieme

First time to try this wine.  2 hours slow-o.  Interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Syrah and Petit Verdot from La Morra.  The L’Insieme association is a wine growers initiative and charitable organization founded in 1997 by Elio Altare. This is one of those blends that works due to the high quality of the components and skill of the winemakers. Substantial, but past its prime.  Tasty blackberry, spice and cassis with hints of sweetness. 14% alc.

2000 Mas Garrian Mas del Camperol

From Priorat....  1.5 hours full decant.  Carignan, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and a dollop of Syrah. (14% alc)  I am a fan of Spanish wines made from a blend of different varietals (e.g., Quinta Sardonia, El Nido Clio...)  Raspberry fruit with attractive tartness and minerality. Very enjoyable florals on the nose.  No reason to hang on to this any longer.  It's ready now.

2005 Clos les Lunelles 

From Cotes de Castillon (Right Bank Bordeaux).  Popped and poured with full decant.  Lots of very fine grained sediment.  Really attractive nose right out of the gate with hints of anise.  Took about an hour to start to show its stuff.  Mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. (14% alc)  Edging out the Insieme as my favorite wine of the evening with its freshness and being in its prime drinking window.  Black fruits, currant and fully integrated sweet tannins.  Very enjoyable minerality.  Rolland is the consulting winemaker.  Note: Day 2 on this wine brought out even more complexity and aromatics, re-confirming it as my favorite. 
 
2007 Agharta Exhibit C

A Pax Mahle project. 15% alc. From Alder Springs Vineyard in Mendocino.  Equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with a dollop of Petit Verdot.  Aged 48 months in barrel.  Popped and poured with full decant.  Serious funk on the nose that just would not blow off.  Put aside for later.  Day 2 - funk had completely dissipated revealing a subdued nose.  Massive black and red fruits. Tastes a bit more like a big Syrah (?) rather than a right-bank blend.  Monolithic and tasty. I rather like the Agharta Grenache but this bottling is more of a puzzle.

2012 Raffaldini Sangiovese Riserva 

From the Swan Creek Vineyard in the Piedmont of North Carolina.  Very deft 13.7% alc. Bright cherry with cedar. Better on Day 2.

Saxum James Berry 2006, Kanzler 2005, Beau-Sejour Becot 1979

A bit of variety in the wines opened for dinner, which was slow cooked pork loin, collard greens, roasted peppers and cauliflower puree. 

1979 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot (magnum)Slow-o for a couple of hours prior to dinner.  Amazing how fresh this wine is, likely due to good storage along with enhanced longevity of the magnum format.  A very pleasant Saint-Emilion (12.5% alc.)  Loads of flavor and robust color for a wine this old ... attractive (if somewhat muted) nose .  Mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Classic mature cherry palate with interesting tobacco notes and some herbal influence. 

2005 Kanzler Estate Pinot Noir (Sonoma)Steve Kanzler makes one of my favorite California pinot noirs. 14.9% alc. Slow-o for 2 hours prior to dinner.  It really started taking off in the glass after extended exposure to air in 3rd hour.  This is a great food wine.  Comprised of clones 667, 115 and Pommard-4.  This wine always has a very tasty anise character that I enjoy (contributed by the 115 clone according to Kanzler).  Big mature raspberry fruit with earth. Here is a link to Steve Kanzler providing a fascinating tour of his vineyard. 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/57jSSynGUvQ?rel=0 

2006 Saxum James Berry Vineyard (Paso Robles)A very nice mature example of Justin Smith's renowned James Berry vineyard bottling. Very nicely balanced wine in spite of the high level of alcohol (15.6%).  Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre.  Full decant on this one.  Really needed two hours to start to show its stuff.  Impressively smooth with subtle underlying minerality ... I think limestone substrate is part of the terroir.  Well - deserved cult status...

Dinner featuring Rhone Varietals from around the World

Thanks to everyone for the great wines and wonderful camaraderie!   

> First Flight <

Paired with 
- Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Goat Cheese 
- Sauteed Scallops

1996 Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres - a personal favorite.  Kept opening up splendidly. Minerally citrus and brioche. 13.5% alc.

2004 Domaine Pascal Cotat Sancerre Chavignol Les Monts Damnes  - a blockbuster Loire Sauvignon Blanc !  Forwardly gorgeous floral & honey nose.  Lusciously matured citrus fruit with underlying salinity ... Voted as post popular wine of this flight. 12.5% alc.

2009 Herman Story Tomboy - blend of Viognier and Roussanne from Santa Barbara ... a perennial favorite... slightly eclipsed this evening by the greatness of the Loire and CdP .  16.1% alc.

2011 Clos St. Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape - showing nicely, this was the 2nd most popular wine of the flight and paired perfectly with the sauteed scallops.  A blend of Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc.  Delicate florals on the nose.  Alluring oily, satiny (?) texture on the palate with melon and quince fruits. 14.0% alc.

> Second Flight <

Paired with grilled pork tenderloin, broccoli salad and wild rice consomme

2006 Charles Melton Nine Popes - a blend of old vine Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the Barossa Valley.  Very nicely done and drinking well after several hours of air where it gained serious presence.  Intense fruit yet well balanced with that light kiss of sweet fruit that I so enjoy from Mourvedre. My personal favorite of this flight. 14.5% alc. 

2007 Gramercy Cellars Syrah John Lewis - from the Walla Walla Valley. A well-balanced New World interpretation of Syrah echoing Northern Rhone nicely.  Black fruit, spice and olives with a hint of creosote.  13.9% alc.

2009 Chateau Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint Drezery Quercus - 100% Grenache ... far and away the most popular wine of this flight.   Ridiculously alluring lavender and spice nose.  Black raspberry fruit balanced with a nice underlying minerality.  Quite fruit-driven complemented by signature Languedoc garrigue. Philippe Cambie has a hand in this. 15% alc.

2011 La Mujer Canon - single vineyard Grenache from the Gredos Mountains near Madrid.  Attractive florals with earthy blackberry fruit and nicely balanced acidity. 14.5% alc.

> Third Flight <

Paired with selection of cheeses and fruit (Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, Cypress Grove Chevre Truffle Tremor, Sartori Rosemary & Olive Oil Asiago, Vermont Cheddar drizzled with 10 year Balsamic and local Honey, fresh Honeycrisp Apples)

1989 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle - simply amazing wine.  Voted most popular wine of this flight and also most popular WOTN by a significant margin.  Purchased on release and held in the same cellar.  I have had the privilege of enjoying this wine on several occasions over the past decade and it always shows impressively.  It was informative tasting the '89 La Chapelle next to the '03 Guigal Cote-Rotie.  Both delicious, but the La Chapelle exhibited such freshness and purity of fruit for an older vintage.  Silky blackberry fruit, earth, spice, notes of creosote.  Kept on going through the evening. Lovely balance with 13.0% alc.

1997 Quintarelli Rosso Ca del Merlo - this was (fortunately) put into the mix because I had opened bottles of Cote-Rotie and Hermitage for this dinner that were corked and put aside.  What can I say about Quintarelli wines that hasn't been said ... This '97 was showing very well.  Gorgeous floral nose leaps from the glass. Violet, red currant, spice and mineral... I wish I had a lot more of this.  Very popular wine at this dinner.  14.0% alc.
Here are some previous notes from the 2000 vintage bottling:
http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-memorable-wine.html 

1998 Rockford Shiraz Basket Press - a relatively rare offering from Barossa Valley producer Robert O'Callaghan. Mellow fruit, sous bois, cassis, and hint of anise.  On the far side of its optimal drinking window (?)...  Will have to try this again (have some left over and will report back). 14.0% alc

2000 Damilano Barolo Cannubi  - I put this into the mix served double blind from decanter.  One of my favorite "go-to" wines ... always enjoy Cannubi and this '00 rendition from Damilano is so attractive right now, yet still has a lot of good years ahead.  Everyone enjoyed this as the "mystery" wine for the evening. 14.0% alc.
Here are previous notes:
http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2014/01/luigi-pira-barolo-marenca-2000-and.html 

2003 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde - Wow! This was a very nice surprise.  I usually eschew Guigal CdP's because of oaky characteristics.  This Cote-Rotie does not suffer from oakiness at all.  Delicious plum with sweet tannin, game, smoke and stone.  The nose was incredible as soon as it was opened.  Good length all evening.  Really a nice wine drinking in its optimal window for enjoyment. Very nicely balanced at 13% alc !

Tuesday Evening with Alberto Cordero di Montezemolo

We had the good fortune to enjoy a delightful evening with Alberto Cordero di Montezemolo at a dinner featuring the most recent vintages of his wines.  

The estate, one of the oldest in Italy, has been the family since 1340.  Today, it is run by Giovanni and his two children Elena and Alberto. Holdings consist of 28 hectares of a single vineyard in the Annunziata cru of La Morra’s Monfalletto-Gattera hill.  An additional two hectares are located in the Villero cru of Castiglione Falletto where the Enrico VI bottling is sourced.

I brought a bottle of the 1997 Enrico VI to the dinner which afforded an opportunity to compare with the current 2010 Enrico VI bottling.   It provided a fascinating view into how Villero ages.  The 1997 was slow-o'd for a couple of hours prior to dinner.  The fruit has matured beautifully, yet did not show as robustly as the 1996 tasted last year. 

http://lestastevinsdulac.blogspot.com/2013/12/1996-cordero-di-montezemolo-barolo.html

The 1997 Enrico VI exhibited the delicious balsamic notes derived from the higher percentage of calcareous marl in Villero.  

The 2010 Enrico VI was gorgeous for such a young Barolo.  Eminently approachable, yet still holding back a lot.  Lovely tar and roses profile provided a fresher counterpoint to the 1997's palate.

This is my first real brush with the 2010 Barolo vintage and it lives up to its great press  :) 

The surprise of the evening was the 2010 Monfalletto, a blend made from parcels that have been vinified separately (not an assemblage).  The 2010 Monfalletto is beautifully engaging now.  Silky and supremely balanced ... Highly recommended ...   

Other wines tasted:

2013 Barbera d'Alba, which came across as quite muted.  

2012 Dolcetto d'Alba which was a delight.... crisp well-delineated fruit with mouth-watering acidity and an alluring nose

2013 Langhe Arneis ... tasty, very enticing fruit with fresh florals on the nose

Alberto, a consummate and engaging host, was heading back home to family by way of NYC later this week.  We look forward to seeing him at La Festa del Barolo in February.

2003 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir Belles Soeurs and 2005 Vodopivec Vitovska Classica

Paired with grilled yellow fin tuna, lemon-herb risotto, marinated artichoke salad.  

Frankly, it's hard to switch from the Vodopivec once you get started.  There is something about this wine that is intriguing and keeps you coming back for more.  For one thing, it continues to evolve nicely over many hours. Wonderful satin mouthfeel coupled with aged fruit redolent of spicy tangerine and carambola.  A very deft 12.5 alcohol. Drink up now.... no upside to further cellaring... although enjoy over many hours and even let it come up to room temperature. .. fascinating stuff. 

Beaux Freres wines in general also benefit from plenty of time for aeration. ... Continued to open up and gain complexity throughout the evening, although in reality this Belle Soeurs is a bit past its prime. A blend from the Ana, Shea and Beaux Freres vineyards.  14.4% alc. Slow-o in bottle.  After several hours,  the black raspberry fruit came into its own complemented nicely by earth, sous bois and spice. Good underlying minerality for a New World pinot...

1982 Ducru Beaucaillou and 1998 Silvio Grasso Bricco Luciani

Traveled to the 16th annual EuroAutoFestival which is held on the beautiful Zentrum grounds of BMW's North American Manufacturing Plant in Greer South Carolina, near the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains.  Always a great event and an opportunity to enjoy fine dining in the charming downtown area of Greenville SC.  The venerable Poinsett Hotel, with original architecture dating back to 1928, is a welcoming venue for a quick weekend getaway.

The 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou (St. Julien) was decanted before dinner and as we began to taste it, it became clear that we were not going to be able to resist it charms.  An executive decision was made to give it a bit of air and then enjoy it while ensconced in a cozy private sitting area of the luxurious, grand old lobby of the Poinsett.   I am glad that we did because this bottle was showing beautifully since the last one we had a couple of years ago.  Brought back memories of my first acquaintance with great Bordeaux many years ago.  An intoxicating mix of black cherry, tobacco, cedar, earth, mineral and sweet fine-grained tannins (alc 12% ?).  More powerful at this juncture (yet with beautiful balance) than the 1982 La Mission Haut-Brion which we enjoyed last year.  (The 82 La Mission is all about delicately structured fruit, scorched earth and hints of anise.)  The aromatics of the '82 Ducru exhibit wonderful florals with sous bois notes.  This is a beautifully contemplative wine with a lovely complexity on the finish that unveils layer upon layer of character.  It's at a really good place right now.  

The 1998 Silvio Grasso Bricco Lucciani (La Morra) was decanted and enjoyed with dinner a bit later.  Tannins have mellowed and provide an elegant framework for the tasty fruit.  After a couple of hours, it really opened up and the perfume on the nose was gorgeous. Very well balanced (14% alc), this bottling still has another five years of peak drinking ahead of it (at minimum).  A very nice example of how friendly and approachable La Morra wines are.

Along with the wine photos, have included a couple of interesting pics of an older Jaguar sedan outfitted for the good life, and a beautiful modern-day classic, the McLaren, from the EuroAutoFest.