Preamble Tasting March
2003
Italian Night
Gregory Alken, Febvre and Co.
1. Le Rime Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay,Castelli Banfi, 2001
Very pale, slightly green.
Tropical, dried fruit. Well balanced. clean zing, fresh, fruity,
rounded but ends a teeny bit watery. Nice but a tad expensive at
€13.50
2. Macrina Verdichio dei castelli di Jesi Classico DOC, G. Garofoli
From the marches; a golden
green pale wine. Quite closed. Clean, good
acid, smooth, long finish. Better than the last, but completely
wiped out when tried after the next ...
€13.50
3. Podium Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC,
G. Garofoli, 2000
Sl. more golden, quite
closed, clean, stern acid drops, mores complex Chablis-like wine.
Very nice.
€16
4. Piancardo Rosso Conero DOC, G. Garofoli, 2000
Montepulciano Grosso.
Deep pink/red/purple. Tannins, fruit, warmth, mouth filling; lovely.
€13.50
5. Centine Toscana, Castello Banfi
Beautiful light red,
clean and clear. Can't get any nose, but cherries, mouth-filling
tannins, smooth (glycerine?) with a decideedly tannic finish. Very
pleasant.
€14.00
6. Agontano Rosso,Comero DOC, G. Garafoli,
Montepulciano, 1999 
Darker, nose sweet and
dark with bitter cherries. Good grip, sooth, balanced, some oak.
Will develop; maybe three years.
€21
7. Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Castello Banfi, 2000
Clean mid-red with pink edge.
Closed (is my nose gone tonight?) Young, green, sappy. hiding the
fruit (and residual sugar). Rich; a wine to go with sauce.
€21
8. Barolo Veglio, Cazienda Agricola Angelo
Veglio, 1998
Extremely
light, very orange. Very closed. Lots of fruit, mouth coating,
finishes with sharpness. Good food wine. Doesn't do it for me,
though.
€22
9. Chianti Classico Reserva a Prima DOCG, Castello,
Vicchiomaggio, Greve-in-Chianti, 1999
Deep and
not so clear. Plug tobacco on the nose. Elegant, soft tannins.
Tobacco again, stern, ends with strong grip, condensed milk usually
associated with Cab Sauvignon. Lovely, stren wine; 3-5 years more.
Can't make up my mind.
€29
10. Excelsus Sant'Antimo DOC, Castello Bani, 1998
Cab
Sauvignon/Merlot from Tuscany. May have some Sangiovese.
Wondefully deep, beginning to get an orange rim. Concentrated, rich.
Smooth, fruity, leathery tannins, burn. 13%. Superb, muscular,
elegant - but the price!
€41-42
11. Brunello de Montalcino Castello Banfi, 1998
Clear, sparkling
mid to light red. Clean, grippy, .lots of sap wood. 13% Ten -
fifteen years to go - might be great. Hard to say.
€36