Some time ago, Matteo Giusti, owner, with his family, of the Giusti delicatessen and the Hosteria Giusti restaurant in Modena, called me to ask me to go and hold a tasting of Bordeaux wines at a dinner at his restaurant (maximum capacity 14 people) for his “Giusti Academy” association, made up of ten people.
The Giusti delicatessen is the oldest in Europe, in fact it dates back to 1598. Matteo told me that his association was made up of wine-loving friends who together, over time, buy bottles of wine and then taste them together at dinner at the Hosteria. Matteo also told me that the partners were him, Giuliano Davoli, Radamisto Bertarini, Antonio Corsi, Giordano Anceachi, Maurizio Baracchi, Oscar Spaliviero, Lorenzo Davoli, Simone Guizzardi and Marco Bellucci. Two possibilities were presented to me: doing a vertical tour of six vintages of Chateau Haut Brion or a horizontal one of premier crus of Bordeaux wines from the 1995 vintage. They were both interesting themes, and Matteo and I agreed that it was more interesting for the group. , to do a horizontal to have an experience of more Bordeaux appellations, given that we would have tasted the following Chateaux: Margaux, Ausone, Latour, Lafite and Haut Brion, so we would hear wines from Margaux, Saint Emilion, Pauillac and Pessac Leognan and I would have to talk about wines from both the right and left banks of the Gironde river.
The date was set and so I went to Modena to meet these enthusiasts and to hold this tasting during the dinner based on local dishes cooked by the restaurant’s kitchen team, led by Matteo’s mother, Laura and Matteo’s son, Daniel. As soon as I arrived at the Hosteria Matteo introduced me to all the guests and we went into the restaurant’s cellar where we drank an aperitif accompanied by various local cured meats and other delicacies prepared by the kitchen including, crunchy corn puff with chopped tomatoes and burrata foam, fried polenta with honey and Iberian bacon and millefeuille of fried aubergines, fois gras and Colonnata lard.
For the aperitif, the Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs “Blanc des Millenaires” 1995 vintage champagne was opened, truly very pleasant.
At the same time, all the bottles of the evening were opened and unfortunately the bottle of Chateaux Latour was not drinkable as the wine had oxidised, in fact it smelled of dried porcini mushrooms, a typical scent of wine arriving adrift. The order of service of the wines has been decided. The Chateau Haut Brion served macaroni al comb with duck sauce. Followed by the suckling pig at room temperature which was served with Chateau Ausone and Chateau Margaux. The roast guinea fowl with its potatoes was paired with the Chateau Lafite.
The dessert “zabaione al vin santo with sable breton biscuits” was also a perfect match with the vin santo Avignonesi, 1997 vintage.
Before moving on to the tasting notes of the wines. Regarding the width of the tannin, it is important to make the following clarifications so that it can be understood. I feel the tannin of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, i.e. the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less broad, it could be for example 5/6 and so on. The width of the tannin is important when the quality of the tannin is of good or high level. The larger the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the tannin, as I have specified, must, in any case, be of good quality. Let’s move on to the analysis of the wines tasted.
CHAMPAGNE CHARLES HEIDSIECK
MILLENNIUM WHITE
BLANC DE BLANCS, annata 1995
Golden yellow colour, shiny, fine and quite numerous bubbles.
On the nose it diffuses aromas of brioche bread, honey, mineral, cedar peel, grapefruit and lemon.
On the palate it has a medium body and a flavor of chestnut honey, cedar peel and pink grapefruit.
The bubbles are fine and delicate.
Well balanced wine with freshness which, with the help of flavor and minerality, completely dominates the alcoholic mass.
Its flavor persistence is long with a finish of amaretto di Saronno and pink grapefruit which pleasantly tone down the honey note. (95/100)
CHATEAUX MARGAUX, annata 1995
MARGAUX – rosso
(grape variety: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc)
It shines from the ruby red glass with a garnet edge.
The olfactory range offers aromas of plum, mint, eucalyptus, juniper berry, chocolate, paint enamel, plum, summer melon, medicinal herbs, ending with whiffs of India ink.
With the tasting encounter a medium body emerges. Balanced wine with freshness that dominates the alcoholic mass.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), initially velvety and then dry the upper gum a little.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long. (95/100)
CHATEAU LAFITE, vintage 1995
PAUILLAC – rosso
(grape variety: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot)
Garnet red coat.
The olfactory encounter marks aromas of cherry, popcorn, tiger balm, camphor, gazzozzola, mint, eucalyptus, rosemary, sage, ending with memories of chestnut boiled with dried wild fennel.
Mouth with flavor of plum, blueberry and blackberry.
Wine with medium plus body and discreet flavor. Excellent taste balance thanks to the generous freshness and flavor that dominate, without second thoughts, the alcoholic mass. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6-) and velvety.
Its taste persistence is long with a fruity finish. (95/100)
CHATEAU HAUT BRION, annata 1995
PESSAC – LEOGNAN – rosso
(grape variety: 45% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot)
Intense ruby and garnet red coat.
Rich olfactory encounter with aromas of camphor, mint, eucalyptus, black olive, oil paint, plum, smoked wood from the fireplace, minerals, helichrysum (intense of chamomile and licorice), medicinal herbs, candied cherry, ending with caresses of oregano.
Fruity bite of plum, blueberry, black morello cherry. The body is medium and the wine has a perfect balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6–) and velvety.
Its taste persistence is long with a smoking finish already felt on the nose.
(95/100)
CAHTEAU AUSONE, vintage 1995
SAINT EMILION – red
(grape variety: 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot)
Garnet red robe.
Olfactory mix composed of aromas of black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, oil varnish, mint, eucalyptus, cold coffee, balsamics reminiscent of Valda tablets, capers, mild anchovies, sweets from the outside of the dragee, blackberry, plum , starch (starch spray for ironing) chocolate, finishing with cherry puffs.
Upon tasting, one perceives a medium body and an excellent balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6) and silky.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long. (94/100)
AVIGNONES
VIN SANTO DI MONTEPLUCIANO, 1997 vintage
(grape variety: 100% Trebbiano)
Very intense mahogany color.
The olfactory treasure chest opens with aromas of milk toffee, almond, candied black morello cherry, dried date, ripe jujube, dried white fig to end with whispers of helichrysum (mint, licorice and chamomile).
On the palate it has a flavor of dried dates and dried white figs. The body is medium plus.
The freshness is generous and completely embraces the alcoholic mass.
Its taste persistence is long.
Due to the density of the body it looks like a partridge’s eye. Nice wine but it would have needed a little less concentration on the taste and more freshness.
(97/100)
The diners during the tasting dinner were very interested in understanding the wines of the different denominations and the diversity of the grapes used. We focused carefully on each individual wine, analyzing their aromas and their meaning.
It was noted that the 1995 vintage in Bordeaux was characterized by a particularly hot and dry summer which produced perfectly ripe grapes and an abundant harvest.
The Chateaux have therefore optimized the concentration by selecting the grapes and limiting their yields.
In general, 1995 was not a masterful year but it was a year of good quality.
The evening was very satisfying for the people, the food and the wines.
