By: AJ McClellan
We had quite the day here at Graileys yesterday! While it wasn’t the most busy day we have had this week it certainly took the cake with some of the best bottles opened…
We started with a bottle of 1993 Giacosa Santo Stefano di Neive Barbaresco that was just beautiful! The wine was a little on the light side but full of sour cherry and great minerality that only grew in the glass as the wine opened. After the Giacosa we popped a 1994 Gaja Barbaresco for comparison. It was great to see the old school Giacosa and taste it up against the more new aged style of Gaja. The 1994 showed much darker in color with stronger black fruits and plenty of tobacco and leather. After opening up for a few hours the Gaja flourished softening around the edges and exploding with beautiful floral notes that showed for a good 45+ seconds on the finish.
Once we got over the Italian kick we decided to move on to Spain with a NV Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial. This is a interesting blend of 1990, 1991, and 1994 vintages of Unico creating a interesting depth of character that you don’t typically find in the wine. All of the wood spice, cedar, dill, and vanilla were present with ripe red fruit and a subtle minerality that I really enjoyed. Next we took a quick jump over to Saint Julian and popped a bottle of 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou that was stunning! The 96 was full of Bordeaux earth and graphite with a finish of wet tobacco and mushrooms. The final stop was a 2001 Diamond Creek red Rock Terrace that was a fun counter point to the wines we had already been drinking. The Diamond Creek was full of life with vibrant red fruits and a crushed rock minerality that was a real treat after the earthiness of the Bordeaux.
There was a handful of other wines that were opened through the night but the above highlights were a real treat! The best part is today is already shaping up to compete with yesterday, make sure to check in on Monday to see what was popped around the tables!!
