Earlier this month (may 2005), I attended an interesting dinner hosted in William Wongso’s restaurant in Jakarta featuring top super-Tuscans. Apart from the interesting wine selection, it was the wine moderator on that night that was the highlight. Serena Sutcliffe, the first woman Master of Wine (I believed?) and Head of Wine Department of Sotheby’s was the guest speaker for that night. Anyone who is familiar with her and her works would know her specialty in Burgundy and Champagne. She had released several books on these two wine regions.
Tuscany or even Italy was never her territory. However, being an experienced wine speaker, auctioneer, she appeared to have done her homework and presented the wines well on that night. She even tried to pronounce the regions with an Italian accent! The best wine on that night was clearly 1998 Grattamacco (a Sangiovese-based red). The wine unveiled distinct Tuscan’s sangiovese nose of earth, tobacco’s ash, smoke in addition to the exuberant fruit personality with equally sound acidity to preserved wine purity and verve. This pioneering quality producer in Bolgheri recently changed hands, and my recent tastings suggested that the quality would never repeat the past glories like 1997 and 1998. Other top achievers included Ornellaia Masseto 1998 (somehow tasted lighter and less concentrated this time), Solaia 1999 (highly accessible and expressive). The Ornellaia 98 came across quite Graves-like, with distinctive herbaceous and mint element. I was less impressed with both Le Macchiole, while I found the Merlot-based Messorio 2000 to be too aggressive, and wood driven. The 100% Syrah Scrio 1999 also tasted unexcitingly fleshy, with unclean nose of mustiness and damp wood. Despite that, the wine did showed interesting northern Rhône white pepper notes.
Tuscany or even Italy was never her territory. However, being an experienced wine speaker, auctioneer, she appeared to have done her homework and presented the wines well on that night. She even tried to pronounce the regions with an Italian accent! The best wine on that night was clearly 1998 Grattamacco (a Sangiovese-based red). The wine unveiled distinct Tuscan’s sangiovese nose of earth, tobacco’s ash, smoke in addition to the exuberant fruit personality with equally sound acidity to preserved wine purity and verve. This pioneering quality producer in Bolgheri recently changed hands, and my recent tastings suggested that the quality would never repeat the past glories like 1997 and 1998. Other top achievers included Ornellaia Masseto 1998 (somehow tasted lighter and less concentrated this time), Solaia 1999 (highly accessible and expressive). The Ornellaia 98 came across quite Graves-like, with distinctive herbaceous and mint element. I was less impressed with both Le Macchiole, while I found the Merlot-based Messorio 2000 to be too aggressive, and wood driven. The 100% Syrah Scrio 1999 also tasted unexcitingly fleshy, with unclean nose of mustiness and damp wood. Despite that, the wine did showed interesting northern Rhône white pepper notes.
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