I called my friend on Friday and asked....dinner at my house tomorrow night? They were available and showed up with a bottle of
1999 Tua Rita Giusto Di Notri - served with hors d'oeuvres. Wow, this looked old. A brownish cast with not much showing on the nose. I expected something big, and with agressive swirling, black fruit, earthy complexity, and sweet tannins appeared. It was not the bold wine I anticipated.
1999 Peliserro "Vanotu" Barbaresco - I have wanted to open this wine for about a year, and always reached for something else at the advice of others. At the last minute, I replaced a Brunello with this as a better pairing to farfalle with turkey and mushrooms, drizzled with truffle oil we brought back from Piedmont. It was as I hoped it would be. Totally "of the place". Hints of floral on the nose. The palate showed a restraint with the fruit, roses, and an earthiness with firms tannins. Delicious now with the right food, and it was delicious with the meal.
2005 Tua Rita Giusto Di Notri - I thought it would be fun to end with this along with a selection of cheese. An explosive nose of black cherry jam. Deep and rich with spicy cherry fruit, a hollow mid palate, but fruit persists on the lingering finish. I decided I like these Italian Cab/Merlot wines on the younger side.