I wish I imported wine. It seemed as if we couldn't get any of our favorite wines from the recent Golden Glass event, because none of them have U.S. importers.
Slow Food San Francisco puts on the event to showcase Italian wines. Jack & Joanne consider this their favorite tasting, and we found a large number of good wines. We didn't get to many of the tables: The press tasting was short, and when the public arrives the bumping and jostling frays our nerves. Also, at a Slow Food wine event, we run into a zillion people we know.
Other items of note at the tasting. Paul Bertolli was offering his Fra' Mani salumi, which, as Max has noted, don't move me. Hopefully they'll work out the kinks. Melissa loves Gelato Massimo
I don't write complicated notes for each wine; there's no time. I use a fairly basic ranking system: - for wines I dislike, nothing for wines that make no particular impression, + for good wines and * for my absolute favorites. Occasionally I use +/* to indicate a strong + or ~+ to indicate a wine that's almost a +. Here are the wines that warranted some form of positive mark. These are all subjective rankings: Your mileage may vary.
*
- Coffele, Soave Classico Ca' Visco 2004 - lots of great flavors and good acidity
- Cave du Vin Blanc, Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle Brut Metodo Classico 2004- nice aromatics, good acidity
- Bric Cencurio, Barolo Costa di Rose 2001 - can't read my notes, but among other things they say "great acidity and tannins"
- Prunotto, Barolo Bussia 2001 - lighter than I'd expect from a Barolo
+/*
- Cascina Adelaide, Barbera d'Alba Superiore Amabilin 2003 - lots of tannin, good spice
- Casalone, Barbera d'Asti Rubermillo (N/V?) - spicy licorice, nice acidity, good tannins, raisins
- Casalone, Monferrato Rosso Rus (N/V?) - good fruit, nice spice, good acidity, light tannins (relative to the Barbera)
- Prunotto, Barbera d'Asti Costamiole 2001 - good spicy fruit, medium tannins
+
- Colterenzio, Alto Adige Pinot Bianco 2004 - great acidity
- Colterenzio, Alto Adige Lagrein 2004 - caramel finish, lots of good fruit
- Collavini, Ribolla Gialla Turian 2004 - reminds me of a sauvignon blanc
- Anzivino, Bramaterra 2001 - leather, cherry, good tannins
- Anzivino, Faficato (unknown vintage) - can't read notes; this was a bonus wine not in the catalog.
- Bric Cenciurio, Barbera d'Alba Naunda 2003 - good acidity and nice dark, cherry fruit
- Filippo Gallino, Roero Superiore 2002 - pretty tannic; could use some age. good acidity.
- Renzo Castella, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba 2004 - light aroma, medium body, medium finish
- Marotti Campi, Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Riserva Salmariano 2003 - interesting. good acidity
