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Archive for September 4th, 2006

4

Sep

A Tale of Two Parties

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, St. Laurent , , , , ,

The party wine was a 2003 Premiere Bordeaux Chateau Haut Rian: a bit thin, not notable. Light airy, aloof, like many at a party. Little oak, less earth; slight aroma of berries, mainly black, and that is about it: 8.2 points. Perfect for a party. Easy drinking, inexpensive red. Didn’t complain of course, yet the host said ‘this one’s for you.’

A bottling from Austria; forgot the vintage. Made mainly from a grape called St. Laurent. Also Merlot, Zwigelt. Cool climes for cool times. Seemed a bit bland at first. Let it breathe. The strong tartness gave way to sublime bitterness. Dig the dark chocolate. The wine found its soul when finally set free. Almost desperate to impress; excellent: 8.9.

Drank a bottle of Montepulciano di Abruzzo from Marks and Spencer, £8. Italian wine is a minefield. Montepulciano, for example, was the grape used in the wine from Abruzzo. However, Montepulciano is also a town in Tuscany, which makes Vino Nobile, made from Sangiovese. Huh? What’s that? Make sense. Please.

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