Fattoria Colsanto 2002 Sagrantino di Montefalco

Quite thoroughly opaque, cherry red at the rim.

Smell of cherry, raisins, leather.

Flavor of black cherry, black plum, tannic finish.

Very good medium-to-full-bodied bottle, big flavor, $34.99.

Chartogne-Taillet 2002 Champagne redux

A year ago I enjoyed a bottle of this wine and put the rest of the case away. Today, I opened a bottle.

Pale straw color, many streams of vigorous pin-point bubbles. I could (and did) copy & paste this from last year.

Smell of bread dough rising, pear.

Flavors of pear, peach into apricot, toast, with lemon at the end.

This remains an excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle. I'm reminded why vintage Champagne is more highly prized than is NV Brut.

I'll open another bottle in a year.

Cesarini Sforza 2002 Trento "Tridentum"

Restrained long-lasting streams of tiny-to-small bubbles.

Apple smell, toast.

Dry apple and pear flavors, touch of cherry by the end.

Good fruit-forward medium-bodied Champenoise 80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir Italian fizz @ $24.99 / bottle. (It's not your father's Spumante!)

Chartogne-Taillet 2002 Champagne

60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.

Pale straw color, many streams of vigorous pin-point bubbles.

Smells of ripe red cherries, toasted home-made bread.

Peach and cherry flavors, buttered baking-powder biscuit at the end, lemony-good finish.

Pricey but not painfully so bottle for $60.67, I accept that Champagne is never cheap (especially vintage Champagne) and the degree of hand-work in producing it somewhat justifies that.

I'll open another bottle in a year.