Mixed bag in the hood

Dinner at Neighborhood.

Oigame Gentei Fukurotori Daiginjo (老亀 限定袋取り　大吟醸) - seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 40%. Pretty sweet on the nose with tons of banana and fermented notes.

2011 Cedric Inflorescence Côte de Val Vilaine, dégorgée en avril 2013 - really toasty, almost coffee notes, rich nose with lots of depth.

2016 Cos d'Estournel Blanc - decanted for about 45 minutes before serving. Green apple, a little pipi de chat, nice and lean on the palate with good acidity.

2010 Castello di Verrazzano Chianti Classico Riserva - opened for 2 hours and decanted prior to serving. Smoky and minty.

2009 Sigalas Vinsanto - raisins, honey, honeydew melon, and some tangerine on the nose.  Soooo viscous and soooo sweet on the palate.

Full post on dinner is here.

Italian wine pairing

Dinner at La Bottega in Geneva.

Clandestin Les Semblabes - very fresh and vibrant.  Later some marmalade notes.

2015 Bandini Villa Pomona Chianti Classico Riserva - lots of sediment here.  Really fragrant, with lots of herbs and potpourri nose, also a bit fruity.  Nose was beautiful about 2 hours later.

2016 Villa Guelpa Sizzano - minty with eucalyptus notes.

2014 San Lorenzo Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Campo delle Oche - flinty, a little stinky, but really ripe on the palate... almost polyurethane.  An hour later it was really like a Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc, toasty, almost coffee.  Stinky but not quite pipi de chat.

2015 Riccardi Reale Cesanese di Olevano Romano Càlitro - ripe and pruny, a little peaty and bretty, woodsy, smoky, almost a little peppery.  Later on after aeration pretty tannic, and really medicinal. Not a fan.

2018 Marabino Moscato della Torre - lots of Anjou pear, flinty, mineral, and acetone.

Full post on dinner is here.

Wine pairing with Indian food

Dinner at the Gaggan pop-up at the Landmark Mandarin.

Frozen Bite - pineapple juice, coconut water, lime juice, coconut and lime (?) foam.  Definitely very tropical.

Paradise - coconut water, coconut milk, lime juice (?) and a sprinkle of tonka bean powder on top.  A little too rich for my taste...

2012 Pascal and Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Blanc Terre de Maimbray - nose of flint, mineral, and slightly ripe, very aromatic.  Dry on the palate, which was a perfect match with oysters.

2012 Sebastiani Chardonnay Sonoma Coast - as New World as it gets when it comes to Chardonnay... tons of vanilla, tropical and floral notes.  Very ripe on the palate.  I first commented that this was "very Cali", but that puzzled My Favorite Cousin because to her, it tasted just like an Aussie Chard...  I guess many New World Chardonnays all taste like this...

2009 Nevis Bluff Pinot Noir - interestingly this seemed to be mostly cool fruit, with lots of forest and dried herb notes, perhaps tasting a little bit of stem.  There was also some ripeness in the fruit.

2011 Couly-Dutheil Chinon 'Domaine Rene Couly' - a little smokiness, almost like Chinese medicine along with exotic spices.  Kinda tannic still... Paired well with the pork.

2010 Fattoria di Petroio Lenzi Chianti Classico - slightly higher acidity here.  This was OK, but in reality my taste buds weren't exactly operating at full capacity after the lamb chop...

2007 Schlumberger Pinot Gris Spiegel - a little ripe and slightly tropical.

Full post on dinner is here.

1995 Rancia

Drinking at home.

1995 Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia - thought this wine might be corked. A bit moldy and cardboard-y... but this got better after breathing for a while, and after an hour and a half it was not bad. Fruit had come out, and it was a little spicy on the after palate. Also game meat nose. OK but probably won't buy again. Heavy sediment typical of Italians.

Bought from Ponti.

1995 Antinori Chianti Classico

Dinner at brown.

1995 Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva - trying out Chianti Classico for the first time.  Very impressed.  Very nice and smooth, not tannic.  Good depth.  Good fruit level accompanied by balanced acidity level.  This is much nicer than a Cab from 1995!  Should drink this again.