Tre Bicchieri 2015 Tasting

I went to the Tre Bicchieri tasting the afternoon before Wine Fair. This was the second time for my wife and I, and the previous time (in 2011) was also on the afternoon before the Wine Fair. I have to be honest and say that I am not really that familiar with Italian wines outside the popular denominations, although I have tried a good number of obscure Italian grapes too. One of the wines I tasted for the first time at this event was Sfursat from Valtellina. Another first was a Bianco di Custoza by Monte del Fra. I had also got to re-acquaint myself with Lugana and Morellino di Scansano, though previous wines I had tasted were far from award winners. There were also some very interesting wines from Elena Walsh, a top grower from Alto-Adige.

RP100 disappointment

I saw this Parker 100-point rated wine being offered for tasting at the Wine and Dine event last month, so I thought I might give it a try. Maybe it is the expectation of a RP100 wine, but although the wine was nice, it did not have the fireworks that I had come to expect of those perfect score wines. I suppose this is rather like the 1984 Yquem, but then the similarly rated Don PX 1946 could also be said to be disappointing as well.

As for the wine itself, it was purple ruby with a sweet acid fruity nose sporting a hint of meat. The palate was slightly sweet with acid and fruit, with an acid backbone giving good support. Nice wine, but really perfection??

Niepoort Colheita 1937

I tasted this 78 year old wine at Wine and Dine this year (in the Grand Tasting Pavilion). It must be the oldest wine offered for tasting in that event, but being a port, not something that attracted a lot of interest (some say more's the pity; but I find it welcoming not needing to fight for tasting a wine I fancy at these types of events). It was entirely what I expected from the wine.

It was a dark mahogany with a smoky savoury sweet raisiny nose. The palate was sweet and raisiny with a good smattering of acid, with the acid carrying over to form a bracing backbone. Delicious!

Abbona Barbaresco 1959

I was at one of the booths in the Grand Tasting Pavilion when I spotted someone opening a bottle of this old Barbaresco. I then learnt that it was going to be tasted in an upcoming session on Old wines, so I enrolled for it.Sure enough, after a informative yet definitely promotional talk, the old wine (a grand total of three bottles) was offered for tasting. Well unlike Barolo, Barbaresco is not a wine designed for extended aging and this 56 year old wine was definitely past its peak, yet aging very gracefully. As such a delicate old wine might well disintegrate on decanting, it was poured straight out of the bottle, resulting in a cloudy brick red liquid with brown tints. It was meaty and acid on the nose, with an acid palate hinting of sweet and with a touch of fruit. It was well supported by an acid backbone finishing acid with a hint of tannins.

Wine and Dine 2015

I went to the Wine and Dine Festival on the opening night and all day yesterday. As usual my emphasis is on the Wine more than the Dine. In the end I found that I had tasted perhaps one new exotic grape, one RP100 claret of the 2009 vintage, did an impromptu of three Barolo Cru wines of the 2007 from the same winery, and had three wines aged 50yrs or above, two of which are ports.

I must also say that I had been a touch disappointed that there was so much "more of the same" especially with regards to French wines in general and Bordeaux in particular. One cannot hope to fins more and more exotic wine regions, or hidden treasures from well-known wine producing countries, but this being only the third time I had been to this event, I do wonder if I should either think of skipping it altogether, or shift my emphasis as to what to get out of this annual jamboree.

Chateau Giscours 1995

My friend opened a bottle of this wine the other day at a wine shop. He had been purchasing some wines and asking my wife and I for some advice, and in the end he opened up some bottles he bought for immediate tasting, including this 20 year old claret. Not being one of the better known stars of the Margaux appellation, this aged Bordeaux was really charming that day.

This wine showed a dark ruby rim encircling dark core, and a sweet fruity acid plummy nose wafted from the bottle. The palate was sweet slightly tannic and fruity palate, going onto a soft acid tannic backbone giving good support. Nice now and still capable of giving much pleasure for some years yet.

YCHDA wine dinner 2015

As I blogged a month ago, I had set the theme for this dinner to be cost effective drinking. The wine list turned out to be exclusively from France and Spain, covering a champagne, a Sancerre, even a red Bordeaux (from Listrac) and a couple of Southern Rhones (a Gigondas and a Chateauneuf du Papes). The Spanish ones include the Bodegas Castano Solanera VV 2012 I blogged about previously, and the Englora of which I had previously blogged about its second wine ( as being more value for money).

Well on the night, the champagne was well received (and familiar to some) and the Sancerre though not typical was pleasing enough, and matched the fish appetizer well. As for the clash between the French and the Spanish reds, quite a few like the Fourcas Borie. Others plumbed for the Englora but more for the Solanera. It wasn't as if the Rhones were not appreciated, but just that those that were previously were considered the wines of the night.