gonzo winetasting

Friday night, we met friends out at Cafe Goodfellas. [insert stereotype joke] I was actually quite impressed with the place, especially their Wine List ($$+). The list is rather large for a restaurant of their size, focusing on California and Italy. Even the lower end wines ($$), are better than average. The typical restaurant mark-up is lower than most (the wines will still be $15 or more over retail).

We started with David Bruce 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($$) and salad.
While the wine might be a little young, it was still impressive for the price. It smelled of cherries and strawberries, and tasted of ripe plums and other fruits with a smooth oaky finish.
Use a decanter, if available. Buy a second bottle, you'll want another.

A bottle of 2003 Clos Du Bois Alexander Valley Reserve Merlot ($-$$) kept away the Sideways comments.
This was actually one of the best Merlots I've had in a while, and the price works quite well. The wine smelled of plum, blackberry, and chocolate. The taste matched the nose, and this wine was "lighter" than other Merlots in this price range.
Tell your friends it has, "Fleshy, supple tannins".

With dinner we had a 2002 Bastianich Vespa Rosso ($$). The wine is a blend of Merlot, Refosco, and Cabernet Franc. It's a bottle that's good now, while showing signs it will benefit from aging. The nose was fruit and earth, with a very "lush" palate.
Tell your friends it's "an impressive blend of indigenous and international grape varieties".
The wine is grown in Italy, but it's producer, Joe Bastianich, is behind a few New York Restaurants and is the founder of Italian Wine Merhcants, a shop that you must check out the next time you're near Union Square.

After dinner, we headed over to Firehouse 12 to see what Carlos was hiding under the bar. He suggested a 2004 Castello Di Monastero Sangiovese ($-$$). I'm going to admit that at this point, I'm not quite sure what it tasted like. My notes say exactly the following, "TUSCANY DRY HOTFRUIT TOMATOSAUCE ""SOR"' Firehou se."
Carlos' suggestions are usually on point, though.