Four of us got together at the last minute for a dinner on Saturday, another effort to deplete some of our wine inventory. We went slightly off our normal track, which recently has tended to emphasize Burgundies and Barolos (who can argue with those choices?) and sampled two wines with some Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1999 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT, and the 2000 Chateau du Tertre from Margaux. The Tignanello (apparently 80% Sangiovese, 10% or so Cabernet Sauvignon) was a bit subdued, perhaps due to late opening, but with some time in the glass it strengthened, developing balsamico aromas that framed the more subtle Cabernet notes on the nose. First taste and I actually thought Cabernet, but subsequent tastes brought out the tarry Sangiovese character that seem to dominate the wine at this stage. While clearly not fully mature, the wine shows good, sharp mid-palate definition, with that Sangiovese acidity bringing clarity to the wine on the finish.
The du Tertre was also caught in transition, with secondary flavors perhaps even dominating primary at this stage. Not hugely long or complex or structured, this nonetheless shows nicely detailed Cabernet and Merlot flavors, with complementary green and dark cassis flavors showing the richness of the vintage and the floral elegance of the Margaux appellation. This gives me some measure of relief that the highly touted 2000 Bordeaux vintage is going to deliver...
