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1997 Bonny Doon Rosata Diverso; 67 % Barbera, 33 % Charbono: Mark figured this would be an apt aperitif, and it was pleasant enough. It has a faint strawberry and cherry nose that follows through with a little more authority on the palate, but none of us were really that impressed. We did admit that it would probably be a nice summer afternoon sipper whilst sitting out on the lake, but then so would any good Sauvignon Blanc. BD described it as "off-beat," adding, "I never knew Barbera could be so insipid!" (Kim snuck into the kitchen and dumped her glass into the sink.) 1996 Storrs Contra Costa Sangiovese San Luca Vineyard; 14.9 % alc.: This was one of The Director's favorite discoveries last July during our trip to the left coast. It shows huge sweet oak/vanilla/dill that doesn’t quite dominate the effusive raspberry and black cherry bouquet. The wine is big upon entry, but fades slightly on the mid palate and finish. This is spicy, tasting very much like a Zinfandel; indeed, Moe called it a "Turley Lite," but added that he "couldn’t get past all the oak." Most of us were more forgiving, though, and this was Kim's and my favorite of the ’96 Sangios. It has good acidity, and a year or two worth of tannins to shed, so maybe we’ll sit on our last bottle for a while… 1996 Ridge Sangiovese Dry Creek ATP; 13.7 % alc.: This ruby garnet has some nice toasty oak Draper perfume over spicy raspberry, with less vanilla than the Storrs. The tannins are more dominant here than in the first wine and the raspberry/black cherry with a hint of coffee flavors aren’t as assertive or impressive. It finishes with some astringency and surprisingly, Kim calls it "boring!" Mike added "underwhelming," Moe chimed in with, "neutral," and I had to admit that it wasn’t too exciting. (When told of our reaction, a certain left coast correspondent remarked, "It needs time. I think it's just a bit tight, and it's Paul's first effort with the grape. We need to be patient with that fellow - he's still learning.") };^)> 1996 Luna Napa Sangiovese; 13.5 % alc.: An even lighter ruby garnet than the first two selections, this shows quite a spicy, buttery black cherry/raspberry bouquet that echoes in the flavors with an added note of something like strawberry jam. Moe mentioned a certain "tomato" note. It has significant tannins and plenty of acidity, so it should do well in the cellar for a few years. 1996 Venge Penny Lane Vineyard Sangiovese; 14 % alc.: Another ruby garnet, this gives off an immediate stink of burnt rubber that never quite blows off, detracting some for this taster, but not everyone else. BD described it as smelling like "a prophylactic on scorching asphalt" and "sweat." What a combination! The flavors and aromas feature more black cherry/raspberry, with a certain green streak. Mike comments that it’s smooth and round and Moe comments that it almost tastes like the ’94 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet. The funky notes can’t completely hide the big Venge oak, but this doesn’t quite do it for me. 1996 Garry Crittondon Sangiovese (Australia): The label on this was covered at first, and I didn’t get all the pertinent info, like alcohol content. But I did note that this ruby garnet has a slightly Brett-y plum and black cherry bouquet and flavor profile and is less tannic and acidic than the others. Moe thought it had a meaty quality, saying it tastes like "pastrami." He added that it’s "not hateful" and is similar to the Venge, rating them his two favorites. Mike and BD agreed with him in this respect. None of us were overly impressed with most of these wines, least of all Moe. He complained that they were nothing like the average everyday medium weight Italian Chianti spaghetti red; I agreed, but added that I was glad they weren’t. I’d rather have a solid Chianti Classico Reserva from a good vintage any day, as they show some density and darker flavors that can be most intoxicating, but then none of these resembled that model either. Needless to say, the Moe-man was less than impressed with the next selection that he uncorked. (Next - last page)
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