I invited 15 friends (all well versed wine drinkers but with different levels of wine knowledge) for a birthday summer BBQ dinner on which we opened Magnums from my cellar. We wanted to have some fun and compare some of Italy’s iconic wines and compare them to the Bordeaux elite. Both did very well, Bordeaux had a slight edge, but in the end, it was really a matter of taste. A magical evening!
Match play 1
2000 Château Hosanna, 97 Points
and opulent character which we needed to pair with a Barbera. Consistent to my previous tasting note, a modern, really well made Pomerol from a top terroir and producer. This bottle showed additional secondary aromas adding even more complexity.
2001 Roberto Voerzio Barbera d’Alba Riserva Vigneto Pozzo dell’Annunziata, 95 Points
From Magnum, served blind. Medium-dark ruby. This bottle was chosen as Voerzio’s Pozzo is generally considered to be the best Barbera there is. Expressive nose of dark fruit, black forest cake and some red berries, a bit of tobacco. Enters the palate with a fruity but serious structure and acidity as well, much more than typical for this varietal. No one go the grape right. Excellent wine, transcending the Barbera grape, high price though.
-> France-Italy 1:0
Match Play 2
2007 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Sarmassa, 96 Points
From Magnum, served blind. This was chosen as a representative of a modern Barolo. Medium-dark garnet. Expressive nose of red berries, cake, tar, tobacco. Enters the palate with very strong fruit which is buffered by the serious Nebbiolo tannins in the mid palate. A very good Barolo, aromatically slightly outshined by the Monfortino though.
2005 Château Léoville Poyferré, 96 Points
From Magnum, served blind. The most closed wine of the evening despite 2h decant, opened in the second half of the evening much more. Discrete nose of dark fruit, pine tree, forest floor, some oak. it is immediately clear that this is a Medoc wine that is still young. Very aristocratic, medium bodied, sappy. Great potential. Wait till 2020. 96+
-> France-Italy 2:1
Match Play 3
2007 Cerbaiona (Molinari) Brunello di Montalcino, 97 Points
From Magnum, served blind. This was chosen to represent the peak of Sangiovese. Medium-light garnet. brick rim. Discrete nose of sour cherry in the top note supplemented with rose petals, red fruit and sweet spices. The nose is quite closed, holding the wine on the palate reveals a lot of flavor strength with a long, exciting finish. Enters the palate with Burgundian elegance, almost light bodied yet structured. The tannins are soft but there is prominent astringency at the finish – typical for a Sangiovese. This is classic Italy after all, an elegant wine for food that cleanses your palate after a nice Mediterranean dish. Grande!
2004 Château Margaux, 96 Points
From Magnum, served blind. Typical Margaux nose with with red fruit, earth and cloves. Really elegant on the palate, medium bodied, with already softened tannins. There is just this great drinkability and aromatic complexity with mature Grand Cru Bordeaux. A very worthy Margaux from a so, so vintage. 1h decant recommended.
-> France-Italy 2:2
Match Play 4
1996 Château Lafite Rothschild, 100 Points
From Magnum, served blind. Medium ruby. Expressive nose of dark fruit with a touch of barnyard, cut hey, minerals and cedar wood. Medium bodied with excellent mid mouth feeling, freshness and great complexity. Long finish. A really grand Pauillac, forget about the price…
2002 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino, 97 Points
From Magnum, served blind. This was chosen to represent the peak of traditional Barolo making. Decanted for 2h. Medium garnet-brick. Expressive nose of cut hey, anise seeds, red fruit, tobacco, etc., very complex. Enters the palate medium bodied and restrained but with excellent fruit and structure. Clearly not a wine for the fruit-forward preferring customer but paired with a steak or a funghi risotto, priceless. This, together with the Lafite and Margaux was one of the preferred wines of the evening.
-> France-Italy 3:2
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
July 2015