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Default TN: Tuscany, Campania, Dordogne

On Jan 6, 1:05*pm, DaleW > wrote:
> Dave and Mary Kate graced us with their presence at dinner table last
> night, Betsy decided to make Bolognese sauce, long a Dave fave.
> Cooking/apertif wine was the 2009 Richard Bergerac Sec. Clean, crisp,
> a little bit of grass. No apparent oak, nice but nothing that screams
> buy again (though at $10 certainly acceptable value). B-
>
> With the pasta/ragu, Betsy also made broccoli and a "butter bean bagna
> cauda" salad. I wanted Italian red, and brought up the 1997
> Mastrobernardino Radici Taurasi. Some VA, cherries, a bit pruney. Big,
> still a bit of rough tannin on the backend. Wait, why am I drinking
> this? C+
>
> Replacement was the 2002 Montevertine. A bit too chilly, I decanted
> and it gradually warmed up. Dried cherry, saddle leather, violets, a
> bit of herb. This seems mature, midbodied, not a great Montevertine
> but excellent for vintage. Probably at its best after couple hours in
> decanter, last glass was falling apart a bit. B+/B
>
> 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.*


While I've been a fan of Montevertine for years I've found the last
few bottles I've openend ('97,'99, '00) have shown a bit more oak than
I recalled (or prefer). How was the oak on this vintage?