Opened tonight with a dinner of Paella Americana. It was actually the
backup bottle after the '97 Cavalloti "Gran Bruciati" Barbera D'Asti I
initially opened proved to be corked.

color: pale ruby red
nose: initially reticent, becoming sappy with some pencil lead, tart
dark fruits, a hint of spice
palate: medium body, rich fruit, good acidity

We needed a lighter wine with good acidity to go with the paella, and
this wine delivered all that and much more. The sappy, dark fruit
reminded me quite a bit of Oregon PN, but the nose developed an
unmistakeable Burgundian character as time went on. While this wine was
certainly ready to drink, it can probably last another 5 years or so
with no worries.

Mark Lipton