My family took good care of me on my birthday but left the wine selection to me, so for my special day I grabbed a bottle of pricey Italian merlot.The 2001 Falesco Montiano comes from the Italian region of Lazio. Spicy and aromatic, white pepper and smokey leathery notes greet you first but lots going on here - tarry blackberry, cedar, currant, green nuts, rose petals - an olfactory fiesta. Very dry on the palate with big tannins and crisp cherry fruit on the mid-palate. A brutish merlot, with extraordinary length, it is awkward now and needs a few more years in the cellar to settle down. It worked well with a wintery beef stew, but a steak (I'm thinking Moishes) off the grill would be better.
cork. 13.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$45.90 (SAQ)
Note that I served this wine at a blinded tasting nearly three years ago and it didn't show well. I recall it having a nice nose but being rather simple (it was not the brute I poured tonight) and needing more time in the cellar. I was not expecting the brute I opened tonight - I have to get another bottle and stick it away...
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7 comments:
Never been to Moishe's. Tell me about it if you go...
Happy Birthday...seems a good time to have been born(2oth March here)...
I'll await my present in the post...anything but Aligote...
damm..I promised not to say that word ever again
Glad we have Crazy Joe back with us...
Marcus - been to Moishes a few times, fabulous place for a steak. Not your hip, trendy resto, just the best steak (and everything else) in town, great service, and a great wine list. Old school fancy.
Barry - Beware the Ides of March - I see Aligote in your future...
Happy Birthday Joe. This wine looks interesting!
By the way, on May 1st there is an in town Cali wine tasting organized as a fund raiser for the Heart and Stroke Qc foundation (tax refund applicable). I thought that this may be of interest to you (90 Cali producers, ~ 375 wines; 75$; Le Windsor, 1170 Peel St). I am planing to go myself to check it out. Here is the link:
http://www.heartandstroke.qc.ca/site/c.pkI0L7MMJrE/b.3915035/k.C9C0/The_California_Wine_Festival.htm
Hi Fadi - I heard about that - I think I will check it out. Next up on the calendar is the Salon des Vins...
Happy Birthday Joe!
Sorry to be a few days late. Will crack open something good to celebrate on the weekend.
Hi Ed - I look forward to the virtual celebration!
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