Thanksgiving Wines

We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends last night, and of course, we opened a little wine. It was a very eclectic lineup. but with the exception of one wine, we had some really nice wines and equally nice surprises. For those of you who are into cooking, let me say that this year was my second year tasting brined Turkey, and in my opinion, there's no better way to prepare Turkey. Simply delicious. On to the wines.

• 2007 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  Surprisingly good wine. Not as oaked as I would have thought it would be, and plenty of acidity. Fresh, vibrant fruit, but not terribly complex. A great wine to start off Thanksgiving when you have 20 people for dinner.
  


• 1997 Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Estate Bottled Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  This wine was very good. It wasn't at all what I expected to taste. Still very tannic, structured, and dry. Restrained red and black fruit and nice leather and earth components. It had freshness and poise and a nice finish. Should hold for years in the cellar.
  


• 2004 Sportoletti Rosso Villa Fidelia Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT
  Phenomenal wine. Stern structure, so decanting is advised. Brilliant cherry and plum fruit and nice earthiness, freshness, and focus. Lovely, velvety texture, and booming finish. Will last a long time, but it's drinking so deliciously right now.
  


• 2001 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  This wine must have some amazing bottle variation. I remember my last bottle to be very oaky and flabby, but this one was neither. Very solid wine right out of the gate that has some really nice complexity and shows a certain underbrush/treebark and spice characteristic that I really liked. Nice, vibrant black fruits and a very nice finish.
  


• 2006 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir San Mateo County - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County
  Unfortunately, this was another average bottle of this wine. I've had average and I've had very good. Disappointing showing. Flabby, sweet, simple, and forgettable. The only wine that did not get finished last night, and even the non-geeks in the crowd (which was practically everyone) didn't care too much for this.
  


• 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  From Magnum. This is still just a baby. Still has tremendous, focused cherry and blackberry fruit and shows great balance. I got a little leather and tobacco, but the fruit is still so big that it's difficult for me to see through the wall of fruit and detect the nuances beyond it. Needs more time. I actually liked the Regusci better last night.
  

Thanks to Mike and Tonja who invited us to their home and welcomed us among friends and family.