Some notes from an impromptu Friday lunch:

1995 Doudet Naudin Fixin - as always a very pale colour, but it retains the
cherry based pure fruit style of nose. Some Burgs seem to start life in the
funky mode and segue into this sort of nose, but this wine has always shown
this sort of nose, and it hasn't become much different over the 5 years or so
we have been tasting it. The tannins are finally pretty much gone. A nice
luncheon weight Burg to start a meal.


1991 Tignanello - we started this wine with a mixed pate plate, and I have to
say that it showed better than the 1991 Sassicaia we had the previous night.
Surprisingly dark - darker than the Sassicaia - and a sweet fruit and nutty oak
nose. It has less acidity than the Sassicaia, which we had found to be
excessive on that latter wine, and as long as you had the Tig with the food, it
was an elegant luncheon wine. Once you finished the food (assuming you still
had some wine left), you started to notice the acidity again.

1993 Taurino Notarpanaro - my mistake was in not laying down a case of the 1988
Notarpanaro - the price is embarrassingly modest and the wine ages so well.
This vintage is almost as good as the 1988 and 1990 were. The nose was a little
hot, and the tarriness and nice weight in the mouth and medium long finish with
good fruit still makes it a real bargain.

We had this with a salad of pancetta, olives and chevre. Oh yes, and some green
stuff to hold the good stuff up off the plate.

2001 Dom. des Coteaux de Travers Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages - sweet,
typical Rhone nose centred on black cherry fruit with a bit of spice. Medium
weight and sweet in the mouth, this wine is ready to go now, and IMO will not
improve, though it will hold. It will make great summer drinking next year!

With some air dried beef steaks, prime rib cut, grilled rare and served sliced
at the table. Three of the participants swore an oath not to let another month
go by without returning to accept the challenge of eating a whole steak (each
one was around a kilo and served 3 people) all by himself. Seems to me that I
was one of them......

1998 Ruffino Modus - another blended wine from an old Tuscan producer, this one
with cabernet and some merlot added to the sangiovese. Dark wine, bright on the
tongue, with a nice feel to it, and the nose has added more smoke to it since
the last time I tasted it. Very drinkable now, though it will continue to
improve for a few years. Good choice with cheese - the Notarpanaro was the
other possible candidate for this slot.

On 29 Nov 2003 14:31:52 GMT, (Bill Spohn) said:

][]
] 2001 Dom. des Coteaux de Travers Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages - sweet,
] typical Rhone nose centred on black cherry fruit with a bit of spice. Medium
] weight and sweet in the mouth, this wine is ready to go now, and IMO will not
] improve, though it will hold. It will make great summer drinking next year!
]
]

Hi Bill,

Sounds like an atypical Rasteau, although there have some lighter 01s.
Typical Rasteau should be a darn sight bigger than typical CdR!

Glad it was pleasant, though. Just goes to show that even a wine that
goes against tradition can still be very pleasant.

-E
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Emery Davis
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