In which we ate all the truffles
Chicago, IL
Tasted Wednesday, October 14, 2015 by acyso with 483 views
Introduction
It's white truffle season, so high time to go get some at one of Chicago's best Italian restaurants: Osteria Langhe. We brought some Barolos to help wash everything down. Many thanks again to Aldo and the staff for the fantastic food and allowing us to do what we do.
1996 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 88 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Very taut, with bright red cherries on the nose and palate. There's an austerity here that kind of reminds me of 1996 red Burgundy, but actually with fruit. Softer tannins and super high acidity. Very nicely structured, but a bit simple on the palate.
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1997 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 85 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
This was much more high-toned than the 1996 I had alongside. More cough syrup, more ripeness, more fruit. There was also a slight hint of rust. There's not much by the way of elegance here, with the fruit coming across with some desiccated character. Less delineated than the 1996.
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1995 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Hooray for a not-corked bottle! This definitely had a bit of soy and mushroom going on when I first opened it in the morning, as well as a ton of iron character. Some sweet fruit and cough syrup notes show up as well. To me, this seemed like a slightly advanced bottle. The acidity was quite high here, and a little shrill, to be honest. Very nice density and concentration though.
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1999 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti)
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
This was another very bright and pretty bottle of nebbiolo. In fact, I'd say this bottle was really showing its youth very prominently, in that the palate came across as slightly shut down and simple. Slightly softer acids, but this is still very nimble and elegant. Excellent stuff.
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1996 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
By far the fl(a/e)shiest wine at the table. Very rich and big, with some sweet black fruits, this didn't have the traditional florals or tar that you'd expect from a Barolo. Tons of fruit, but not jammy or overripe, and definitely no overt signs of oak either (that, or it has quietly integrated). While I wouldn't say that this would be my go-to Barolo, I was quite enamoured with this.
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1998 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala Flawed
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Soy on the nose. The palate is just iron and acid, and there's nothing else at all. Something's wrong with this bottle, but it's not corked, nor does it seem heat-damaged. Defective cork, perhaps?
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1997 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Cannubbio 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
This was ripe, with a lot of sweet red fruit that really exploded out of the glass with some air. Initially though, I found this to be a lot more earthy than the Brunate. Definitely a softer wine, with moderate acidity, and pretty much fully-resolved tannins. This was also a bit rounder and less sculpted than the Brunate.
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1997 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Le Brunate 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
I liked this a bit more than the Cannubio owing to its more structured showing. The fruit here, however, is definitely less exuberant, though by no means demure. This is still a very fruit-forward Barolo, with some pleasant florals and moderate acids. Definitely a bigger frame, with more acid and tannins, and I think a little more potential for the long haul.
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2000 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Bright cherry. Very light and elegant, but complex at the same time. The palate is moderately dense, but the most prominent thing here are the incredibly beautiful aromatics. Red-fruited on the palate, and somehow the floral character is still present. Tart acids that aren't screechy. I like the integration of all the elements here, forming a very pretty package.
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2000 Parusso Barolo Bussia Vigna Rocche 70 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
I would not be surprised if the majority of the organic material in this wine was derived from Quercus spp. rather than Vitis vinifera.
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