Grilled veal chops with sauteed mushrooms. I opened a bottle of 2000 Tenuta Carretta and Barolo Cannubi decanted for two hours. Deep burgundy red in the glass with no signs of age. Ripe red fruit aromas with plenty of tar and anise notes in the nose. Smooth and powereful on the palate. Sweet cherry and red plum flavors with a resinous finish. Tannins smoothed out. "B+" I also opened a bottle of 1998 Duckhorn Merlot that was in my orphan bin. The bottle was thick with sediment so I decanted it. Medium weight with little signs of brick or age. Nose of seaspray and wet rocks with a pronounced minerality and a bit of exotic spice. Medium weight on the palate with intenese black cherry and apple pie spice with a nice mineral driven finish. Not what I expected but quite nice for an old Napa Valley Merlot. "A-"
I opened a bottle of 2003 Torre Muga that was corked as was the second bottle of Torre Muga 2003 that I opened from the case. Not a good sign.