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Beajuleias Neaveau

The following special report represents the findings of yet another Wine Snob tasting panel. On Saturday November 21, 1998, six Beaujolais Nouveau wines were chilled and served two at a time in three flights. Included in the tasting were four "real" Beaujolais from France, one from California and one from Italy. Each flight was accompanied by the same food for consistency and comparison. After the initial three flights, members of the panel re-tasted each wine against the other in order to assign a rank, one through six (best to worst). The graph below summarizes the results:

Unanimously, the members of the panel found that these wines improved 30 - 40 minutes after opening where they were allowed to come closer to room temperature. A description of each wine follows:

Pierre et Paul Durdilly - Beaujolais Nouveau 98
$8 Ranked number one in the tasting, this wine delivered the best nose and the greatest body. Cherries and apples, light oak on the finish. Was by far the best complement to the grilled marinated shrimp with light spice.

Maison Nicolas - Beaujolais Nouveau 98
$8 Ranked number two in the tasting, definitely the smoothest of all with an even transitioning palate. Delivered the best nose and followed with very light red cherries and bright fruit. Fun wine that paired best with jack cheese.

George Duboeuf - Gamay Nouveau 98
$6 Very nice! Fun with both jack cheese & shrimp. Although no distinctive fruit, there are some berries and floral characteristics. Paired best with grilled marinated shrimp with light spice.

Viva Italian Wines

Tentura Del Portale -"Vulcano" Aglianico 96 Basilicata, Italy $7
Yummy
Good body with lively fruit. Lots of cherries and a fair bit of balanced spice! Oak presents itself appropriately on the finish to cap off the experience! An exceptional value wine that is extremely versatile. Will pair with pasta, meats, poultry, spicy dishes or grilled foods! FOOD: Was great with Fettuccine in a mildly spicy clam sauce.

Villa Pillo -Sangiovese Blend 96 Borgoforte, Italy $9
Very Good
Impressive and nice sweet cherries up front quickly transitioning into a broad palate (the breadth of palate is reminiscent of a French style wine). Within the broadness of this medium to full body wine exists several flavors including plums and hints of pearÉ all the fruit blends elegantly before the soft oak finish finale. Outstanding value! FOOD: Worked well with a pork chop in a mushroom glaze.

Zenato -Valpocella Classico 95 Italy $7
Good!
A medium body wine that is heavily reliant on its food accompaniment! The complexity seems to vary, again, depending upon the food. The wine is progressive as it traverses the palate. The discernable fruit increases in both its intensity and overall complexity. Worth a try! FOOD: Great with Pizza!

Corino - Barbera dÕ Alba 96 Barbera, Italy $12
Good!
Rich medium body with prominent cherry augmented with a hint of pomegranate. The graceful blend of fruit flows well into the finish of mild chocolate and oak. FOOD: Enjoyable with both Port chicken veloutŽ & Pasta with sausage.

Rosso Piceno -Boccadigabbia -96 Civitanova Marche, Italy $17
Good
Lighter medium body with lively cassis fruit along with cherries that linger until the finish. There is mild spice, mild oak, and light tannins on the finish. Not a great deal of depth to the wine nor any great complexity. A nice everyday wine to go with pasta or grilled chicken. FOOD: Very nice with Spaghetti.

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