Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 1986

A honeymoon purchase at the winery, many, many, years ago. I'm really old. But the wine wasn't! A near-perfect cork allows access to supreme Tuscan wine situated at its aging apex. A wine of terrific flavor-depth considering its average level of density, showing roses and violets, almost à la Piemonte, but with a more supple tannin structure. The understated licorice notes and the flamboyant black plum notes both become progressively more obvious with continued aeration. Lovely. [***] Estimated: $90.

Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 1985

Christmas dinner wine. An interesting aeration experience with a 24-year-old wine; I'm used to great wines being closed or mute and opening up with time in decanter. In this case, after struggling with a more-than-difficult cork, the wine seemed to be substantially faded, judging by a quick taste immediately post-decanting along with a slightly oxidized nose. Granted, surprising given the aging potential of Monprivato. Then, after some two hours in decanter, as the last glasses were poured, the Barolo is reanimated, fleshes out, in fact becomes of the flesh, showing classic aged beefiness, the fruit becomes fully intact and the bouquet becomes redolent of eye watering sottobosco-based complexity. Quite the sleight of hand.
Incidentally, as evidenced when decanted through cheesecloth, this wine threw the jammiest, most substantial deposit that I've ever seen, save a 40-year-old bottle of Vintage Port.
A view of the vineyard is below. For an image of a similar label, see much further below. [***½] Estimated: $200.

Le Ragose Amarone 2003

Chocolate. Fudge. Brownie. As great as Le Ragose's Valpolicellas have been over the years, their Amarone has often lacked a bit of intensity and classicism. Finally, the 2003 shows vintage-typical explosive fruit along with firm, masculine structure. Asian spices and fresh morning earth. A delight. [***] $71.

Pertinace Barbaresco Marcarini 2004

Produttori di Barbaresco is not the only extraordinary cooperative in Barbaresco; Pertinace, formed in the early 1970s, is producing a few lovely cru level wines. Ethereal and properly delicate, the Marcarini is showing finely sifted earth and pretty nebbiolo notes of white truffles and assorted undergrowth. Classical length along with (malolactic) softness. [**½] $60.

Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 2004

An exercise in sheer elegance and nebbiolo purity. Lovely sottobosco notes of fall leaves just prior to decay and fresh truffles lead to a midpalate that is, well, impenetrable, although dried roses hover just above the surface. Present is that rare level of complexity that comes only with extraordinary balance and depth, rather than overstated corpulence, found almost exclusively in Barolo, Barbaresco and great red Burgundy. Perhaps a deathbed wine, if one lives long enough to see it through to maturity. [***½] $107.

Coffele Recioto di Soave 'Le Sponde' 2006

A wee bit of an in-your-face bruiser compared to the wine of similar provenance in the previous blog entry, and yet... lovely and ultimately well-mannered. Intense, intensely sweet, showing fairly obvious notes of botrytis. A wine to let linger on the palate. As if there is a choice. [**½] 500ml: $48.

Ca' Rugate Recioto di Soave 'La Perlara' 2007

The slightly elevated alcohol in this passito-method dessert wine is in no way obtrusive, allowing the (100%) garganega fruit to express lovely miele di castagna (chestnut honey) in all its glorious delicacy. Complex and subtle. [**] 500ml: $43.

Colterenzio 'Pfefferer' (Moscato Giallo) Alto Adige 2008

Tropical, off-dry and gorgeous. Abandoning Colterenzio's usual finely made but carefully controlled style, this is far and away the most over-the-top wine that I've tasted from this excellent producer. Silly-generous and a blast. Lychees and Asian spices coat the palate. [**+] $16.

Principiano Barolo 'Boscareto' 2004

Principiano's top cru, from a desirable south-southwest facing vigneto. Intensely perfumed, especially for a wine from the often restrained if classical 2004 vintage. Pleasantly light on the tar but rich with sottobosco notes, this is, in my experience, Principiano's best effort to date. Power and silk, it's a textbook example of a steel hand in a silk glove. High long range potential. [***] $98.

Deor (Cielo e Terra) Prosecco Rosé

Seems appropriate for the initial post to concern a bubbly. Perhaps my first true rosé Prosecco, deep salmon in color. 49% raboso (a red grape indigenous to NE Italy), it exudes fresh red pit-fruits, particularly a black friar plum, kernel and all. Quite exciting as Proseccos go, but, then, an entirely different grape. [**] $12.