Domaine Charvin “Le Poutet” Cotes du Rhone 2003
Oh no! The geek-despised ’03 vintage! Medium ruby, a bit cloudy. Light, fresh raspberries on the nose, backed by ripe strawberries and some flowers. Clean, pretty palate, with more ripe red and black berries and a touch of pie crust. Snappy acidity and good tannic grip. Maybe a wee bit burnt around the edges, but delicious with and without food. I had a glass at a party, and liked it a lot, so the host sent what was left home with me. Price unknown (but based on wine-searcher, probably $15-20). 14% alcohol.
Barone Ricasoli “Formulae” 2002 (Toscana IGT)
Oh, no! The rainy, miserable Italian ’02 vintage! Inky, medium-dark purple, nearly opaque. Black cherry perfume and foresty smells. Plum and other dark fruit flavors, with meat, bark, and tar notes on a medium-bodied frame. Juicy acidity and soft, slow tannins on a somewhat short finish. Named to honor the inventor of the classic formula for Chianti, which is a little ironic since this is supposedly 100% Sangiovese. It’s the entry-level wine from the Ricasoli / Brolio folks, whose lineup I’ve usually found underwhelming. Not this time. Declassified juice from better Ricasoli / Brolio vineyards? Unusually mature flavors an unintended consequence of the blue plastic cork? Dunno, but this has become my house red. Hope my local supply of this vintage can last a little longer. $10. 13% alcohol.