--
Assembled from the past month or so. Put 'em up, or forgettaboutit. Here
goes:

Sandrone, Nebbiolo d'Alba, 'Valmaggiore', 1999
deeply colored for a nebbiolo. A closed nose that only initally reveals
a cheesy aroma.
Medium-to-full bodied in weight, with dense forest growth showing
considerable tannins,
cherry and mint toward the finish. Clunky and chunky. An alright wine, but
doesn't sing 'Ne-bee-ol-lo' to me. Could pass for something from
California (fighting words, I know
B / 86

Marcarini, Barolo, 'Brunate', 1990
Yeahhh, NOW we're talking! A slight browning on the edge. On the nose,
some saddle, slight tar/smoke. Tight cherry flavors with still noticeable
tannins. Remind me to put the other bottle I have of this under wraps for
another 5-8 years. Needs to resolve soem toughness, but definately becomes
better with air. Finishes with a bitter toasted hazlenut flavor. In the
mold of a powerhouse over elegance (perhaps I need to compare it to La
Serra?) A / 90

Dal Forno Romano or Romano Del Forno (take your pick), Valpolicella
Superiore, 1996
Never having had a Dal Forno before, I had to try one in the name of
'science'. It's unclear whether this is the Landoletta vineyard site
specific Valpol or not. Kind of a moot question because this producer's
wines are way over budget for me and I probably won;t be buying any more
anytime soon. Still, for "science": medium dusty red colored. Wow. What a
nose. Evasive floral aromas, roasted almonds, roses waft in-and-out and
continually refresh. This wine is simply fun smelling.
Bittersweet chocolate-dusted almonds along with some hints of mint-thyme
and fresh anise tops. What impresses most of this wine is the incredible
sense of proportion and balance, everything is in line. This was
considered an off year by Gambero Rosso. If so, I'd love to see what a
great year is like. A / 91

Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, 1999
Nose of forest and cherry, with cherry, licorice, and sweet vanilla.
Packed flavors, good density and decent mouth appealing acidity to boot,
this wine is still young and could see 3-5 more years of aging without
losing its essence. B+ / 89

The Marcarini Brunate is always a solid wine (and as you say, the La Serra is a
good example of a more feminine style). Sad to hear the '99 Brunate was
featured in WS, does that mean price inflation? The Marcarinis were some of my
favorite $40 Barolos.
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

Dale Williams wrote:
: The Marcarini Brunate is always a solid wine (and as you say, the La Serra is a
: good example of a more feminine style). Sad to hear the '99 Brunate was
: featured in WS, does that mean price inflation? The Marcarinis were some of my
: favorite $40 Barolos.

Dale -- and hard to believe $40 B&B's are "cheap" these days! I've never
tried La Serra because I usually only seem able to find Brunate on the
shelves. One of these days...

Mark S