Des Moines Wine and Food Connection: Landmark Wines

Each of us in our personal wine histories have bottles that we've drunk that stand out above the rest. For the record, two of the very best Bordeaux I've ever had were the 1982 & 1990 Chateau Latour. The 1990 Chateaux d'Yquem is easily the finest Sauternes I've every had. As far as Italians go, one of my first and everlasting landmark wines was the 1990 Castello dei Rampolla Sammarco. Composed of Sangiovese & Cabernet Sauvignon it was one of the forerunners in the early years of "Super Tuscan" (non-traditional blends of sangiovese base) creations. When I first tasted it in 1993 it was a baby. Firm, yet sleek and bold, it was a Lamborghini in a bottle. It wasn't big and overpowering like a California Cabernet but it was muscular. I'd never had an Italian wine like it. Of course latter that year I got to drink (a fair bit) of the 1990 Anjelo Gaja Barbaresco's that pushed the qualitative goalpost up a notch or two. I can still taste and feel the way that Sammarco rolled over my palate though. The last time I tasted the wine was in 1997 and it had matured and settled dowm quite a bit. Still dense but the edges had softened and rounded off. A fine wine with another 10 years left at least.