Bounty of the Cellar

Kelly & I went to see Vicky Christina Barcelona late Saturday afternoon with Justin & Amy. It was absolutely FANTASTIC. I would see it again which is strange considering that I don't particularly like Woody Allen's films. But the best part of the evening was dinner at Justin & Amy's. We started with some olives & Manchego that I paired with a Cantina del Taburno Falanghina 2006 Campania, Italy ($18.99 at Joe's). The briny quality on the finish of the wine paired perfectly with the olives & the wine's fruit matched up well with the salty sweet nature of the cheese. At that point, Amy pulled out a surprise...Marimar Torres Chardonnay 1999 Russian River Valley, CA ($?). Wow! It was rich & unctuous with a slice of bittersweet fruit & almond on the finish. This wine had balls! The aroma leaned toward dried apricot & pineapple with a sprinkling of clove & some luscious vanilla. Yes it was cellared well, otherwise it wouldn't have lasted but more importantly it started its life as a truly exceptional wine. If you don't begin with great wine, you can't age it into being great.