Some
wines come across rough and rustic, while other refined and rarified. It’s a matter of relativity and the borders
get blurred, depending on where you come from, and what happens with a bot f
experience and time. It’s an odd
phenomenon, well at least to me… With
the Prince and HDL around, it was a good cause to open a red or two. Italy was the country of choice.
The
2010 Georg Ramoser Sudtiroler Lagrein was clearly going to be a rustic
one. Afterall, that’s what Lagrein
is. An up-front, dark and fruity red with
flesh, but rustic flavours. A bit like
savoury and funky confectionary with an accessible palate. This is what it was. Country wine with a bit of the cool-climate
hillside freshness, but an inkiness to let you know it isn’t going to be
classy. But the more you sipped, the
more sweet the fruit became, and it softened the roughness,making each glass a
more-ish one. Delicious and I’d be
tempted to see it a bit more noble than it really is.
Then
a 2011 Rocca delle Macie ‘Sant’Alfonso’ Chianti Classico. This should be a bit of class, right? Well it is in a way. Quite elegant and tight, with fine, but serious
structure and tannins. Quite drying too,
as Sangiovese can do, ending up with the taste of leather. His has a delicious succulence of fruit,
which is perfect at first. Then it grows
in aromatic lift and ripeness and sweetness.
A touch of whole berry confectionary, then hints of jam. Oh no, it’s more modern and New World! Well, not really, but the more it went down,
the juicier it got. Delicious too, but
no longer refinement and class in the traditional sense as I’d learnt over the
years.
