The Noble Rotters gather in Sydney for the October 2003 dinner. Officially, weÂ’re supposed to be drinking Italian Sangiovese, but the theme seems to have broadened to anything Italian, or Sangiovese. Challenging to make decent notes, as IÂ’m on relatively unfamiliar territory hereÂ…
1998 Mazzei ‘Poggio alla Badiola’
Bright red, with clean cherry fruit and a touch of earth. Not un-pinot-like. Spicy on the palate – very light, with not much acid and no real tannin to speak of. Minimal oak influence. Shortish finish, but despite the apparently negative notes not faulty, just a light quaffing Italian red in clean modern style.
1998 Castellani ‘Le Lame’
Orangey-red. A rather fungal nose – earthy, barnyard. Some astringency on the palate, but in general a short, light wine
1998 Isole et Olena “Ceppanello’
Crimson red. Almost citric qualities on the nose, with even a touch of cinnamon or woodspice. Surprisingly light at this age, I find it a little woody and perhaps disjointed. Savoury, though. Hard to call – a wine requiring some time?
2000 Antinori ‘Pèppoli’ DOCG
Very dark red. Pepper & sweaty saddle leap first to the nose, and theyÂ’re lifted and pronounced aromas. ItÂ’s tannin city on the palate, but at least even across the palate, with a long finish. A food wine, in the best sense of the word.
2000 Titolato ‘Gabbiano’
Clean cherry red colour. Perfumed strawberry aromas. Gently astringent on the palate, although quite light, the balance inclining towards the front palate. Pleasant, but not especially memorable.
2001 Chain of Ponds JupiterÂ’s Blood Sangiovese (Adelaide Hills)
Light red. Fruit aromas are very reticent – the nose is all of a light woodiness. The palate is dominated by warmth (alcohol?), with soft fruit and a pretty simple flavour profile. Ho-hum.
2000 Step Rd Sangiovese (Langhorne Creek)
Pale-mid red. This presents aromas rather like a turbo-charged Australian pinot. Powerful stewed light red berry fruit. Medium weight on the palate, but itÂ’s all tannin, albeit it soft and fast-fading ones. OK, but a bit one-dimensional.
2002 Tower Estate Sangiovese (Orange)
Bright red. Very clean nose of indeterminate red berry fruits. The palate offers a bright acidic, zesty, wine – makes me wonder about any carbonic maceration techniques used in fermentation which could have given it such a lifted perfumed quality. Spicy flavours with plenty of acid. I liked it better tonight than at the cellar door 2 weeks previously.
1998 Terrabianca ‘Scassino’
Deep red. A meaty nose, but a bit muted. A dryish, spicy medium weight wine, with not much obvious fruit. I was expecting a bit better for the price I paidÂ…
1999 Toredi ‘Ceparano’ Fatoria Zerbina
Deep red. Lots of blackberries and oak aromas. Tannins are unexpectedly soft – but give a pleasant dry finish. The balance is good, length pretty respectable – just misses somehow in the finish for me.
1997 Antinori Tenute Marchese Riserva
This offers a charry macerated nose of worked blackberries and oak spice. Very dry on the palate, and not much breaks through the wall of tannin. Not great just now – a bit hard to drink. Needs a few years, or more to show better. Great potential, though?
1992 Secco Bertani Valpolicella Valpantena
Reddish, with some brick colour. Is this ‘brett?’ Strongly showing a funky earthy quality, with a bacterial hint perhaps slightly suppressing the fruit that seems to be lurking beneath! Still in one piece though – pretty good for Valpolicella!
1998 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino
Deep red. Clearly the darkest wine of the night – no sangiovese here! Surprisingly youthful nose all of primary blackcurrant fruit. It’s desperately tannic, though – I find this quite over-the-top, and am not sure that it will ever come round to be a balanced and satisfying wine…
1998 De Bortoli Noble One (Griffith)
Golden caramel colour. Very much crème brulee on the nose, carrying through with marmalade on the palate, but with very little acid left, to my taste. Another year or two, and this will be well into the ‘cloying’ category.
1996 Miranda Golden Botrytis (Griffith)
Deep gold. A marmalade-infused nose not unlike the Noble One, but with a less refined edge. This has softened as well and is a drink-now proposition. The flavours are pretty big, but the finish is quite short.
Cheers,
Graeme