We had these last week w/ a ChokeCherry Cake with Amaro/Mascarpone frosting:
1. Dom. l'Ancienne Cure L'abbaye AC: Monbazillac (60% Semillon/40% Muscadelle; 12.5%; CharlesNealSlctns/Richmond) Christian Roche/Colombier 2009: Deep gold/burnished bronze color; ; slight VA/EA very intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty some earthy/dusty complex mature beautiful nose; soft bit hot/alcoholic/VA/EA/volatile very intense ripe peach/apricotty/botrytis quite sweet light earthy complex flavor; very long/lingering bit soft intense botrytis/apricotty/peachy slight earthy quite sweet bit volatile/EA finish; not the elegance of a Sauternes but huge botrytis character; the VA does not bode well for its long-term future.
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2. Velenosi Visciole QuerciaAntica Dessert Wine (12.5%; L12009; www.DomaineSelect.com) SanMarcello/AN NV: Very dark color; very intense black cherry/deep slight chocolaty/licorice CherryMash slight earthy nose; soft slight syrupy very intense cherry/black cherry/black cherry cola bit licorice/chocolaty quite sweet some earthy/tannic flavor w/ some astringent/hard tannins; very long/lingering very intense black cherry/black cherry compote quite sweet bit soft/syrupy finish w/ somewhat hard/tannic finish; huge intense black cherry character.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Visciole: I've sung the glories of this wine in the past. It is made in the Marche from LeCrima di Morra d'Alba grapes and Visciole sour cherries. The cherries ripen in July, well ahead of the grapes. One way is to ferment out a cherry wine and then add it to the must when the grapes come in in a coferment. The other is to chill down the cherry juice to prevent its fermentation and then add it to the grape juice in a coferment in the Fall. Don't know which was this was made.
I've served a Visciole to MattRorick and he was quite taken by it. Alas, not enough to try making one, though. It would be a no-brainer for the SuisunVlly, where the grow lots of cherries. No LaCrima, but plenty of PetiteSirah, which would a natural.
Tom


Edited by TomHill (09-17-2017 09:10:10)