On Dec 8, 9:12�am, DaleW > wrote:
> Saturday I was in charge of dinner as Betsy had a rehearsal in city
> till 6. In between trips to office, I put together a salad of red
> lentils and lamb (vaguely Indian-ish flavors). About 5 I realized that
> I was serving a cold salad as a main course on a cold night with the
> possibility of snow; that seemed just wrong. So I quickly soaked some
> dried mushrooms, sliced some Napa cabbage, and put both in some duck
> broth as a first course. Wine was the 2007 Tenuta delle Terre Nere
> Etna Rosso. I've only discovered the Etna wines in last year or two,
> this is quite different than my personal (uninformed) epitome of the
> area, the delicious Biondi Outis. The Terre Nere is quite light
> bodied, with a hint of a green/herby/geranium/floral � �taste that I
> often get from Loire gamay. Fruit is strawberries and slightly
> underripe red plums, the floral note fades and gives way to a more
> earthy/mineral edge. This is a bright and fun wine, but � without the
> Burgundian elegance and depth of the Biondi. Quite enjoyable, though.
> B
>
> Betsy had a meeting in city putting together a program Sunday, our
> friend Oswaldo was in town. Betsy hated to miss him, but our best plan
> was my dropping her and meeting Oswaldo. Best plan for me at least,
> because he is a great host and had some nice cheeses and two wines
> (from half bottles) to taste!
>
> 2004 Albert Morot "Bressandes" Beaune 1er
> I had passed on some older Morot a couple months ago because I really
> wasn't familar with producer. If this is an example, I goofed. Very
> nice midbodied Beaune, rich dark cherry fruit tempered with good
> acidity and a ferric mineral note. Stylistically I'd put this in the
> middle, there good extraction and a little cocoa note that is probably
> oak, but nowhere near over the top. Quite lovely. B+/A-
>
> 2004 Ducru-Beaucaillou
> Fairly aromatically shy, but a forward lush texture. This is a bit
> closed down since I last tasted (just after release), but there is
> clean sweet cassis fruit kissed by some oak and a graphite/pencil lead
> note. I don't enjoy as much as the Burg this night, but that's more a
> function of the stage than anything. Probably a B on this night, but
> good potential.
>
> Fun seeing the generous Oswaldo. After this, I picked up Betsy after
> her meeting and we stopped by Katzs for �pastrami and corned beef
> sandwiches, with a knish on the side. Yum!
>
> Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
> wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
> drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
> promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
> �

I only have experience with two wines from Mt Etna both are from the
same maker, Andrea Franchetti who also ownes Tenuta di Trinoro in
Tuscany. The two wines, Passopisciaro (Nerello Mascalese) and his
eponymous Franchetti (Petite Verdot and Cesanese) are both powerful
wines. THe Passopisciaro is a bit lighter and burgundian with cherry,
earth and mineral notes and the Franchetti is a huge dark brooding
mouthful of blackberry and cassis. Both are incredible but not what I
recall as typical of the region.