Blind Tastings with Yoshi

Trattoria Il Pozzo, located in Sant'Angelo in Colle, close to Montalcino.  It's January and it's not too cold. I can actually stand outside at night and look at the stars without feeling like one wrong move and my body will crack into pieces.  This is a good thing.  Massy and I were meeting some friends for dinner.  Yoshi Miyajima, Carlo Marini, Rodolfo Maralli who happen to all work for Castello di Banfi, and Giovanni Lapini.  I am excited.  Bistecca alla Fiorentina was on the menu and the fireplace was crackling.  And we should have known. . . when Yoshi comes to dinner, there's going to be a blind tasting.  Next time Yoshi . . .you will be tested!  It was a white wine, goldish hue, medium body, acidity still present -- F*&K! Blind tastings are hard.  Everyone looks at the other while Yoshi smiles.  Massy took one sip and in ten seconds says: Verdicchio Fattoria San Lorenzo 1997. . . in slow motion Yoshi looks as if to fall back from his chair. . he smiles. . . but you never know with Yoshi, the wine could be something so esoteric and virtually impossible to guess -- that alone makes blind tasting with Yoshi probably the most difficult blind tasting in the ENTIRE world.  Yes Yoshi:)
Well, Massy kicked a@%.  The wine was actually very similar. . . Fattoria Coroncino Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Superiore 1999.
Everyone else was leaning towards Friuli 2005ish.  And that was the most impressive wine move I've ever witnessed Massy perform.





After the blind tasting we opened Amiata Lavico Montecucco Sangiovese and the very loved Palari Faro 2007 (nerello mascalese, nerello cappuccino, Nocera, Acitana, and Jacche` -- the grapes).

Yoshi Miyajima and Carlo Marini

Giovanni Lapini, Massimiliano Giovannoni, Yoshi Miyajima, Carlo Marini, Rodolfo Maralli

and I added the blurry picture with myself because everyone tried so hard to get a good photo with me in it -- but my camera doesn't have a flash and it takes a special touch.