The Asian Winehunter

2005 Francois Raveneau Butteaux . Minerality more covered up by fruit than usual. Try not to overchill this - nice acidity - very nice balance - good finish. Still prefer the 2002 though. 92+pts. 2006 Fontaine Gagnard - Chassange Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean Opened for ~30minuts. Denser, brasher, minerality backed up by power. Kept unwinding throughout the night - give this time. 90 pts. 2005 George Roumier Chambolle Musigny Opened in bottle for ~3.5 hours - needs it. Red fruits laced with a bit of earth and game. Structured, fine tannins - amazing village wine. 90 pts. 2005 Duhart Milon Rothschild Opened for ~2 hours. Young, full bodied, expansive, cassis, touch of pencil, traces of Lafite but not quite as this is more brawny without the complex aromas. Hey but given the price - no complaints! Serve at room temperature or a bit above ~19-21 C, no problems and may make it a bit less rough on the edges. 92 points. 1999 Chateau Palmer Opened for ~1.5 hours. Ahhh the 2nd disciple. An...

A few years back, I mentioned about a wine that stood out on a trip to Tuscany. That wine was called Isoglio del Cinghiale. After some fact checking, the people behind this winery were none other than Lodovico & Piero Antinori - the previous owner(s) of Tenuta Ornellia. Fast forward almost 2.5 years later and we had a very special treat - dinner with Lodovico in person. Insoglio is basically their everyday drinking product. Up until 2005, it was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cab. Franc. Starting in 2006, Syrah was added to the blend and by 2007 I believe Cabernet Sauvignon was completely eliminated. Going forward from the 2007 the blend of varietals have pretty much "settled" in. Given the price point of this wine which is ~ EUR15, no complaints. More than acceptable as an everyday quaffer. Next up is the Il Pino di Biserno which is a more Bordeaux-like blend and does not contain any Syrah unlike the Insoglio. This is a much more complex wine a...