re: Wine Appreciation Thread

I didn't make it to that tasting. Just commented that the lineup was good. If John is doing a Spanish lineup at WC, I'd expect him to pour some cool traditional, old school Rioja and maybe some light and weird Mercia from Ribeira Sacra for contrast. I know he digs those styles a lot. Would imagine he will skip the super jacked up and overly new world stuff that dominates the Spanish wine scene these days. Have fun.

Haha. No. But the Nola wine scene is very, very small. And there are only 4-6 real sommeliers in town. You can get to know the preferences of those guys pretty quickly.

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. If John is doing a Spanish lineup at WC, I'd expect him to pour some cool traditional, old school Rioja and maybe some light and weird Mercia from Ribeira Sacra for contrast.

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Hahaha. Unveil yourself, John!!!

He (I mean you) used the exact term to describe the upcoming Spanish tasting.

FYI- the Italian tasting tonight was really nice.
Started with the 05 Barolo. It had excellent balance and was very drinkable. You could tell it could use more time, but will be a beast.

Occhipinti Il Frapatto- This one wasn't to my liking. The table described it as "cotton candy". I found it super-light with little body. While it was sweet, it wasn't overwhelming. Least favorite

Ama Chianti Classico- Easiest drinker. Reminded me of a pinot which isn't necessarily a compliment. Minimal complexity.

Lungarotti Monticchio- GOAT This was the star. IMO. While being an 05, it could still use more time. The wine was complex, but you felt like you could drink this one the entire night. RARE!

Enzo Fruili- This was was too young. Biggest nose, and strong upfront. It fell off the ledge after a sip. This is another rare bottle, but needs time. This one, like the final, needs to be paired with food. I would have killed for a braised boar or some game with some polenta.

Last Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavaro
This was another dark and rich wine that begged for food. The frontal dark fruit notes were great, but it also needs time.

We were lucky to get a few bottles with some age, but Italian wines need more love some others. I'm down for the Spanish tasting in April.

I guess I'll see you, eh John?

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Thank u for this

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No worries!

I rarely discuss wine here as FDB is craft beer country. I love this thread and look forward to reading and contributing when I can.

John uses the term weird to describe 80% of the wines on his list That arent the average bear.

Given his age, and the fact that using a word like esoteric would sound snobby, he pulls it off.

Havent had much time for wine lately but am using thread as motivation to restock wares.

The terra di lavoro is one of the greatest Italian wines in the world. Aging potential of a second growth Bordeaux easily at a fraction of the price. Has a scent of smoked pork belly and peat last time I had it with deep complex fruits and spices. A super small production Aglianico from volcanic soil. Winery opened in the mid 90s I believe.

I recall the last dinner I had at Stella! John was pouring Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja out of mags for a pairing. He was on a trip to Greece but his assistants took great care of us and his gf, Liz, who was testing for her MS certification, was assisting floor service. Last I saw of him was at a champagne master class for the court of master sommeliers at the WC just prior to moving to Houston. Great guy and really knows his juice.

Was that at Hermann Grimma House...we were there