Tasty...

The 1990 Chateau Gruaud-Larose continues to impress... what a powerful, youthful wine. Tons of cedar, smoke and fennel seed and a long, long finish. This wine still has decades of life. The 2004 Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon rocks... really stunning stuff. Glad I've still got some... Awesome! The wine of the night, however, was the 1996 Gaja Sperss. Powerful and closed upon opening, this wine really blossomed over the next 3 hours. Rose petals, dried cranberries, cherries and plums with saddle leather, tar and dried leaves coming out with truffles on the finish... The texture on this wine is amazing - so silky and soft, yet powerful and tannic at the same time. Only Gaja can make Nebbiolo like this (not that there aren't outstanding Barolo & Barbaresco producers that make better wine...). Best Italian wine so far this year...