These pictures tell stories all by themselves. I will fill in the details shortly. In the meantime enjoy them and the bits I've included already. Cheers ...
Look above at the color of this ALDO CONTERNO 2004 Barbera : isn't it stunning and aren't you drawn to it? I am ...
Brian told me that no 2002 and 2003 were made and so this is the first vintage and what a vintage it is, too.
I loved this ALDO CONTERNO Barbera. It was the one that took my breath away and gave it back to me slowly and so memorably as the flavors opened, filled ot- spilled and overall kept me entranced and on the edges of my tongue as the tastes returned and opened and continued to intrigue and delight and punctuate my palate and mood and other senses. It just kept giving and letting me out and reeling me back over and over again even without a meal or being seated at a table. We have to have some of this in the store again : the 2004 is superb.
As I explained to both Arielle and Brian it was the wine here of all of these that allowed me entrance fully into it and all it's highs and lows and in-betweens. That's to say that if I could climb inside a wine with my full body then this ALDO CONTERNO 2004 Barbera let me do just that. And like being in a well-crafted, hand-made car it gave me plenty of room for all my body. My tongue arms and legs could all stretch out to their fullest reaches : I could do hand-stands, cartwheels, jump, shout, close me eyes , both day and night dream - and feel totally comfortable and engaged. Classic and restrained as well as welcoming and with touches of forwardness, this Barbera has lovely toasty, pointed edges of fruit and acidity ; and a brightness and clarity of fruit that was obvious and yet completely balanced and integrated with the rest of the flavors.
It's a medium-bodied to light bodied dry red that is still quite young though delicious and it will certainly complement many a dish - a wide array of foods I'd say. Cheers and bravo!
Here we have the California BACIO DIVINO " JANZEN " 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California. It was the last one of the eight or so wines that I sampled and I quite liked it and warmed to it pretty much immediately. We will buy some for the store and I will add more notes about it tomorrow when I get back to the store. I liked it's complexity and yet approachability. I still think it's a long way from being ready to drink as it still has to come into focus and the middle really has to develop more. However, the wine and it's components are balanced and that tells my palate that with pa rewarded - my palate and me.
Alas, many will drink this bottle now while still quite young. I think very few will have the patience or the insight to age it so that it gives and reveals so much of itself that at this time is both hidden and undeveloped. This as an adolescent brimming with promise and simply needing more time in the bottle before being left all alone in this big and complex world of ours today.
This was a really very special tasting for me with Arielle and Brian. Than you both for bringing me such a grand roster of excellent wines to experience and wrap around my tongue this afternoon. I appreciate the opportunity to try all at once so many fine examples of Californian and Italian wines.
Tomorrow at the store I will continue to download the pictures as I have the time and also include the list of all the wines that I sampled, too.
As you will see in these pictures that Brian talks a lot with his hands and reveals much understated ( yet very real ) emotion with them. Arielle is quite a good listener, too. I will have to ask her what she learned as she probably listened or at least caught so much more than I did as I was multi-tasking by tasting and taking the pictures at the same time.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy what I will refer to as some artsy fun pictures where I think I capture the mood and the appreciation of such quality wines being tasted or at least shared with me.
It's now later in the evening at home in northern Virginia at 11:00 PM ( Wed. Sept. 10th, 2009 ) as I type this last sentence before posting this blog for the last time today.
Enjoy these photos as I get ready to include notes on the eight various wines. Cheers, TONY
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