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.