Gatij Brachetto D'Acqui, Marchese di Barolo

Piemonte, Italy

Gatij Brachetto D’Acqui

Producer: Marchese di Barolo

Grapes: 100% Brachetto

No vintage date on bottle

DOCG

6% ABV

This was the dessert wine served at the wedding. It is brilliantly clear and cherry red. It is effervescent with medium-sized bubbles. This sparkling wine is not pronounced in its perlage. The bubbles don’t ascend in the tight chains that characterize champagne. It is more frizzante than champagne-like.

The first aroma that rises from the glass is the sweetness of prunes, and then ripe red cherries. It is delicate in its intensity and would seem to be a wine that is of good quality. The is a fine scent of damp forest at the end.

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To the taste it is sweet and light. You immediately feel the fizziness on your tongue. I taste prunes, but it is balanced by a nice acidity, not making it cloyingly sweet. The acidity gives it a medium length, and the final note is of prunes. It is well-balanced and fairly intense on the palate persisting for a medium length of time.

It is a good quality, light, harmonious wine. It was paired with two desserts: the Delizie di Sorrento that I have previously described, and the chocolate, nutty caprese cake. The Brachetto was a good accompaniement to them both. The chocolate is a nice combination with the cherriness of the wine and the Delizie mixture of sweet chantilly cream and lemon scents were also in perfect agreement with this wine.

Here is the producers description of the wine and how it is made:

http://www.marchesibarolo.com/pagine/eng/dettaglio_vini.lasso?cod=024

Sauternes Chateau Le Mayne 2005 tasting notes

France
Château Le Mayne
AOC Sauternes
2005
90% Semillon, + Sauvignon
13% ABV

Golden yellow, with orange-amber hues, crystal clear, beautiful transparency adding to its brilliance. Swirls heavily in the glass, viscous. Even tears quickly form on the outside of the glass.

Intense brandy- scent with a honey and beeswax, citrus and white spring flowers. This glass smells of orange blossoms, and honeysuckle. The brandy and honey sensations are predominant at first scent, but the citrus-flower freshness is what is making me look forward to those first few sips. Here goes.

Honey, honey, honey. It has some weight on the palate and is as smooth as silk. The initial tastes are exactly what awaits me in the glass. Honey, beautifully counterbalanced by a fresh acidity. Though 13% alcohol, the silkiness and sweetness of this wine, soften the heat that you would normally feel from the alcohol.

It is full-bodied, creamy-intense and of medium length on the palate. In my opinion it is a beautifully balanced, still developing wine. The acidity in this wine will offer it a long life in the bottle yet.

This is an elegant, captivating wine to enjoy with desserts, but the label on the back of the bottle also suggests it seals a nice marriage with foies gras. The wine is nice to drink on its own, as I am doing now, so would also make a nice aperitif. I’ve seen this bottle online for $12.00 USD.