2005 Tentute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy Langhe Chardonnay (Langhe DOC, Piemonte, northwest Italy) cork closure, 13% - imported to USA by Marchesi di Gresy USA, Napa, California – appears pale straw color, very clear, smell guava, bare hint of tropical fruit, little salty at edges, dense nose with some light herbs floating, difficult to read on day one, mouthfeel thick, viscous, and impenetrable on day one, taste slight sweet, pears, not much concentration of flavor on day one, finish is light and elegant, bit salty, bit of the seashore, reminded me of clams, on day one the finish was the only delightful thing about this wine, the rest felt like it was hidden behind a viscous wall, on day two however the nose opens up a bit and the taste comes forth on the palate, a very nice mix of pears and apples sprinkled with a bit of lime juice, combined with the lively herbal finish, this was indeed a very nice wine, by the late hours of day two, however, the finish had faded away, and the pear-apple-lime freshness was not enough to carry the day, the wine had a moment of glory, but for the $22 I paid, I’d need that moment to last long enough for me to savor the entire bottle
2001 Château d'Arche Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois—Haut-Médoc AOC, Médoc, Bordeaux, France) cork closure, 12.5% - imported to USA by Monsieur Henri Wine Company, New Orleans, Louisiana – appears crimson purple, quite dark, smell hay, herbal spice, wonderful pungency, mouthfeel soft with touch of roughness of dark chocolate and light integrated tannins on finish, taste tender less ripe fruit, great acid with just a bit of pique, great integration of tender fruit and leather, tobacco finish, nicely integrated and easy to drink, good with beef tenderloin and the type of wine it is easy to drink a whole bottle of alone, I could go for more wines like this