It Doesn't Always Have to Be a Special Occasion......

Sorry about the lack of posts, I've had the crud thats been going around. Luckily I was well enough to go out for dinner for my anniversary. We initially tried to go to Andrew Michael but they were booked up until 9. Oh well, better luck next time. So instead, we stopped by Joe's to pick up a little something special. I love all things Italian, of course, & Kelly loves Barolo....so we grabbed a 2001 Claudio Alario Barolo. 2001 was practically a perfect year in Piemonte, everything just came together beautifully from rain level, fog, all that. This perfect storm produced wines that are almost indescribable. Nebbiolo is without a doubt a grape type that needs some time to develop, soften & come together. With 7 years in the bottle I knew this was beginning to be ready, even though it could easily age for another 13. We popped this baby open & decanted. Immediately what struck me was the aroma of tar & dried rose petal........& that was just from the decanter across the table. Once I took a big whiff of my glass I got notes of truffle, forest floor, dried black currant & a sweet spice note that I couldn't quite place. This is what is exciting about wine. When I can't fully discern what a wine is expressing to me than I know its something special. Every time I sipped, I inhaled deeply & got more layers of aroma. Every time I sipped, the textures & flavors hit my palate in a different way. This wine is something special & made our anniversary that much more special. 7 year old Barolo & 7 years of love. How perfect.