Please Pass the Negroamaro

2003 Epicuro Salice Salientino
Shane’s Notes
$5.99

This wine is a blend of 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. This one reminded me of an earthy, French wine – maybe a very light Beaujolais. The palate shows truffles and a tangy, non-descript berry flavor. This is a pure, rustic wine that we enjoyed drinking. We completely forgot how much we paid for it and agreed that it was a good wine for 10 dollars. So, obviously, it is a great deal for the price.

An Ephemeral Experience

Taylor Fladgate 40 year tawny
$129
Shane’s Notes.

Jen and I love 40 year tawnies and Colheitas. This Taylor was a little heavier than some of the other 40 year tawnies we have enjoyed, but it still possessed that ephemeral quality that I love in the 40’s. Drinking one is a wistful experience. The flavors appear and disappear across the palate with many flavors revealing only an adumbration of themselves. It is a type of wine you must try at least once.

The complex palate of this Taylor included flavors of vanilla, caramel, pecan, peach cobbler, toffee and maple syrup. The sweet, richness of the palate entry was balanced by a tangy, lean, medium length finish. It was truly an incredible wine.

Valentine's Day

2005 Chateau Segries, Cotes du Rhone
$9.99
Shane’s Notes

We enjoyed a low key Valentine’s Day. I gave Jen a gift certificate for our local yarn shop, and she gave me some Recchiuti chocolate and a bottle of Taylor Fladgate 40 year tawny. Then, we drove to Pizza Chicago for our favorite deep dish pizza. We took a bottle of Chateau Segries with us. I bought our first bottle of this wine awhile ago, and we liked it so much that we bought another three bottles. This was our last bottle and we regret not buying a few cases. It just might be the best CDR we have ever tasted. The palate shows raspberry, blackberry, blood orange, tobacco and plum with a rich, medium length finish. The wine has a small bite on the roof of the mouth but not enough to detract from the enjoyment. The flavors are rich and the wine shows moderate complexity. We have had wines from named, Rhone appellations that were not as good as this one.

A Von Hovel Riesling

2005 Von Hovel Scharzhofberg Kabinet
$15.50
Shane’s Notes

I was a little worried about this one – the wine had traveled all the way up the cork, so I thought there might be heat damage. The odor was a bit musty but the palate seemed okay. It was tangy with a peachy/pear flavor. There was a slight minerality on the finish. It is a good Riesling but not a great Riesling. It was just worth the price.