Last night, the Ski Boy and I joined several other friends for an absolutely fabulous Italian Wine Tasting dinner hosted by our good buddy, Mary L.
Mary outdid herself - the main course was a spectacular lamb Osso Bucco (my mouth is watering all over again). Gordon and Blythe provided an excellent antipasto plate, Ramzi whipped up a gourmet Ceasar salad, and Joe finished us off with the most wonderful homemade almond strawberry tort. o.k. - I'm dying here just recounting all the great food!
And the wine - well, it was really wonderful. Mary's nephew, Trajan played professional basketball in Italy two years ago. As such, she has access to Italian wines that we simply cannot get up here.
There were two wines that really stood out: a 2000 Pierre Sauvignon Blanc and 1998 Masottina Colli di Conegliano Rosso. Both wines were exceptional.
The Pierre is perhaps the best Sauvignon Blanc I've ever had. I was absolutely floored by its complexity and stunning flavor. The wine is made in the French Fume style which means that sulfer is a big component of the both the nose and the palate. The French style is in marked contrast to the very good New Zealand grapefruity style. Hard to believe both styles of wine are made from the same grape! Anyhoo, the Pierre had a great nose - complex with a great undercurrent of sulfer. The tast was magnificient - sulfer with a nice steely aftertaste. Now, I know all the non-wine folks are asking incrediously - "sulfer and steel?" Well, it does sound bizarre, but trust me - it works great in a well made wine!
The other wine that I adored was the '98 Masottina - a cab-merlot blend. It had a great barnyard nose that really resonated. It was a young wine that could have cellared for a few more years. As such - it was a bit tight and needed some time to open up. But, even so, it was a total yum. It was very big and jammy, with that wonderful barnyard flavor coming through. According to Mary, this is Trajan's favorite wine and I can see why!!!!!!
5:33:47 PM 
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