Lunch with Friends

October 2007

A gorgeous sunny Sunday in rural New Jersey provided the
backdrop for this relaxing, leisurely lunch. Highlights included the polenta
with shrimp and spicy tomato sauce and perfectly grilled veal chops, one of my
favorite dishes. A large glass of the 1997
Percarlo was immensely pleasurable. This massive wine offered a voluptuous,
seamless texture and a generous personality loaded with fruit. Lingering notes
of sweetness on the finish worked well with the spiciness of the tomato sauce
on the polenta.

A flight of Angelo
Gaja’s 2000s was spectacular, even if the hot vintage had attenuated the
differences that make each of these wines so unique in cooler, fresher years
like 2001 and 2004. The Barbaresco was
very 2000 in its gorgeous, seamless texture, open aromatics and sweet ripe
fruit. The 2000 Costa Russi revealed
a darker profile and a more generous palate presence. It was an incredibly
rewarding wine to drink. As is usually the case, the 2000 Sorì Tildìn was the
most feminine and nuanced of the Gaja’s wines from Barbaresco, even if the
vintage had toned down some of those qualities. Still, it was a relatively
accessible and delicious Sorì Tildìn.
Gaja’s 2000 Sorì San Lorenzo stole the show on this afternoon. This deep,
powerful beauty offered compelling balance in its stunning dark fruit in a
remarkably open style for this wine. It was the freshest and most vibrant of
the Gajas and was magnificent to catch at this stage.

Giuseppe
Quintarelli’s 1997 Alzero was majestic, as it has been every time I have
had it so far.&nbsp; This particular bottle
appeared to be more structured than is normally the case. It was nevertheless
an immensely pleasurable wine to drink. Exotic Cabernet Franc aromas were
interwoven with sweet dark fruit, spices, tar, roasted coffee beans and a
multitude of other flavors that emerged as this wine opened with air. It was a
great showing by one of Italy’s most profound wines. The 1995 Recioto was equally moving. Plums, prunes, dark cherries, new
leather, spices and licorice all flowed from this concentrated, opulent sweet
wine. Our bottle was finished in an instant, yet its aromas and flavors
lingered for hours.

Food:

Assorted crostini

Polenta with shrimp and spicy tomato sauce

Risotto

Grilled veal chops

Artisan cheeses

Brasato al Barolo

Selection of cheeses

Wine: 

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1997
 </td>
 <td>
 San Giusto a Rentennano Percarlo
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Gaja Barbaresco
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Gaja Costa Russi
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Gaja Sorì Tildìn
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000
 </td>
 <td>
 Gaja Sorì San Lorenzo
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1997
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Quintarelli Alzero
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto 
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

--Antonio Galloni

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