by Ray Johnson | Sep 30, 2007 | Fortified dessert, Port, Portugal
Taylor Fladgate, Porto, Late Bottle Vintage 2000 Porty and pruny with a noticable sense of the fortifying spirit – true to type and sometimes the wine seems to have the alcohol integrated even better than usual. Bottled in 2006 in Oporto, by Taylor across in Vila Nova...
by Ray Johnson | Sep 30, 2007 | California, Dry Creek Valley, Lodi, Primitivo, Puglia, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley, Zinfandel
Gran Sasso, Puglia, Primitivo IGT 2005 Tasted in May ’08 this wine was blooming with brett and would repulse most consumers. A bottle tasted later in the summer proved to be a different animal. Oaky and earthy with new world fruit, an appropriate amount of acid...
by Ray Johnson | Sep 30, 2007 | Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2003 Tonight’s bottle showed some herbaceousness and tannic grip, as well as evolving fruit. The bottle opened earlier in the year showed classic cherry fruit and complexing earthiness with some evolution and stewed fruit. 85%...
by Ray Johnson | Sep 30, 2007 | Italy, San Gimignano, Sardegna, Tuscany, Vermentino, Vernaccia
This flight pairs two of Italy’s well-known white grapes. Vernaccia from Tuscany and Vermentino from the island of Sardegna. Classically the Vernaccia has been described as crisp and full of minerality while the Vermentino was known for its broader, almost flat...
by Ray Johnson | Sep 30, 2007 | Fortified dessert, Port, Zinfandel
Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Zinfandel Port 2004 This wine combines sweet fruit, an essence of chocolate and spirit. One of the class affectionately described it as like a chocolate candy filled with liqueur, ‘alcohol in an envelope of something sweet’....
