Weeding out cellar

[TheEngineer]

Here we go Brappy!

IN order to pick my four bottles tonight, started off with my wine list first and it was not an easy thing to do. Like many starting buyers/horders... you buy many singles ....and let me tell you I've got a lot of singles. I didn't know where to start. Brappy...you feel the same way? So just went downstairs and started looking at things that I always find an excuse not to open (other than its too nice for tonight and its too expensive.....).

I ended up with .... A LOT...... Dozens of bottles everywhere......so for first night, I picked up regions that I've not tasted in a while. Also, since I’ve been sick, I’ve not tasted any wine in any significant measure in a long time. So with a bit of a swollen tongue still, the notes I’m afraid, might be a bit compromised. Nonetheless,

(1) 2005 Vitae Angiovese, Puglia Italia. A $10 CDN bottle courtesy of the LCBO. Actually a very pretty nose, floral. In the mouth, it is a very rich, ripe wine, densely flavoured cherries, a high one tea, and a hint of citrus with a low tone wood flavour. Hint of alcohol at the end. It is actually very attractive to drink right now. The acidity is always in the back, almost tart at the end. Long persistence. Performing well above its paygrade. Might work really well in a sauce too.

(2) 2001 Solaris Merlot Napa Valley, a $7.99 buy at Trader Joes. Dark in colour. Funky nose, dark, wood, coco and beef bouillon. Not exactly exciting. In the mouth, the dark fruits appear to be drying, and while the flavours are dense, wood, coco, beefy, it last very little. Tannins are noticeable at the end along with a wet wood flavour. Flabby. Very little to go back to and outclassed by the previous wine. I barely wanted to finish the small taste.

(3) 2004 Edmunds St. John, Bone-Joly Gamay Noir. $ Light garnet in colour. Light woody, cedar nose again. The cedar is the first thing I notice. Followed closely then by light and art berries. The wine is not overdone and given the tartness of it, I would not have ever guessed California. Interesting wine but it needs food….and I’m getting hungry.

(4) 2003 Chateau La Rogue, Pic Saint Loup, Coteaux de Languedoc. $13.00 A nonfiltered wine, garnet with a hint of bricking. Again, a fairly muted nose with hints of wood. Full rich fruit flavors ripe, dark fruit, perfumey wood, tannic, tart, and a bit discombobulated right now. High acidity, bit of tar and black licorice. Strange because the first part of the taste is very large, and then it drops significantly and in the later part of the mouthful, it is tart and almost astringent. Not very attractive right now but looks like one to return to once it has aired out a bit more.