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I wrote this in a friend’s blog:
Let’s say goodbye to year 2008 as the forgettable Year of Swindlers. Luckily as wine lovers, we should be grateful that there is this truth that we can dip into day in and day out. Wine never lies.
As the Romans said: In vino veritas — there is truth in wine. A journey in wine is therefore a journey in seeking truth, truth that lies in that eternal interaction between heaven, earth and man. Almost like a page lifted out of 易經.
As the world rumbled and tumbled in the last three months, we kept ourselves sober and sane by getting drunk on a host of beautiful reds, mostly Italian.
Truth came to us in so many forms: there were drops to die for, new and old acquaintances to surprise us, and strange creatures to intrigue us.
Drops to die for
The 1997 Giacomo Conterno Barolo ‘Cascina Francia’ was in peak form, with the purest fruit tasting like nectar.
Our first encounter with the 1996 Tua Rita Redigaffi was an unexpected love at first taste. How can a Merlot be so unMerlot — so pure and classical but yet so unmistakably Merlot?
The 1988 Ornellaia is Italy’s answer to Bordeaux. I think someone said that if there are Grand Crus in Italy, this is one. Well said.
Pleasant surprises galore
The 2001 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole is an elegant Barolo that must be among the best value at about HK$400!
A vertical tasting of the 1997, 2001 and 2004 vintages of this single vineyard Chianti from Fontodi (Vigna del Sorbo) lends strong support to an often heard claim that the most exciting wine coming out of Tuscany these days is the good old Chianti!
The 1999 Carmartina from Querciabella is one of the earliest Super-Tuscans from Chianti (debuting in 1981) and is still doing strong today. And a great value too!
The 2003 Sammarco from Rampolla is already drinking beautifully with enough decanting, but not the d’Alceo. The Sammarco is another forerunner in the Super-Tuscan movement hailing from Chianti, and it still surprises you.
Old favorite 2003 Tignanello is very aromatic, and has a feminine feel at this stage. Like an old friend you always long for.
While Petrolo is famous for Galatrona (a pure Merlot), this Torrione (from 100% Sangiovese) is a very worthy younger brother. My new favorite.
Intriguing fellows
Wine is often difficult to penetrate, like truth hiding beneath the surface.
Unlike the Tua Rita Redigaffi, this other pure Merlot from Tuscany, the 2005 Galatrona from Petrolo, is playing games with us. We were bathed in a sea of green apple juice on the first night, which turned into an exciting cocktail of apple and grape on the next. Very unMerlot in another way. Is this a faulty, half-sleeping bottle or what? Enigmatic.
We just love this archaeological journey. It is said that the aglianico grape was brought to southern Italy by Greek settlers over 2,500 years ago, so these two wines from Campania should give us a chance to savor what could have been a Socrates favorite, and what made Socrates great. The Greeks were famous for men-only evenings of wining and dining mixed with philosophy.
Turns out the aglianico grape was as stern as Greek philosophy. A mouthful of tannins greet you if you don’t decant a young wine like the 2005 Terra di Lavoro from Galardi for two full days.
We had one bottle of the 2001 Serpico from Feudi di San Gregorio 2 years ago, and another one a year ago. On both occasions, they gave away almost nothing other than acidity and tannins. This third time around, like 劉備三顧草廬, lo and behold, a beauty appears before us. Eureka!
It was said that good Barolos need at least 10 years before it’s ready. Perhaps aglianico made wines, often called Barolos of the South, need nothing short of that.
