A friend dropped by yesterday with two bottles in tow, the 2004 La Spinetta Barbera D'Asti and the 2005 La Spinetta Tuscan Sangiovese. He said that in spite of his love for traditional wines, he really loves La Spinetta's stuff and he wanted a second opinion (he just got back into the wine business after a several-year break). I've never had La Spinetta wines before. Frankly, I couldn't stand the latter--purple with a sweet bubble gum note on the nose, and on the palate, grapey mystery fruit with vinegar. There wasn't one thing about it that suggested either Italian wine or sangiovese to me. The Barbera was better, though I didn't love it, it was just better than the sangiovese. Again, the grape was unrecognizable. Mostly black fruit nose with dust and tar, and more extracted black, red and blue fruit on the palate. Not grapey, but I could detect some VA here too. I don't get these wines at all.
To go with our dinner of beef, pea and pearl onion stew on grilled bread, I chose a half bottle of 2005 Benziger Tribute (Sonoma) that was given to me by a Canadian friend. Unabashedly Californian with rich, superripe black fruit. Big and wide bodied with plush and jammy midpalate fruit and a touch of cedar vanillin. The finish is sweet with ripe, smooth tannins. Not unpleasant as a cocktail, but totally wrong with food. Never had this wine before--is this typical of Tribute, typical of the 2005 vintage, or both?