Another night with old friends...

... and some people too. I was fortunate to be joined last night by a group of passionate and genrous likeminded Nebbiolo lovers for a wonderful evening. We were treated to several well organized flight of wonderful wines, were graced with bawdy jokes, witty conversation, and even some discussion about wine! Thanks to all involved it was a tryuly memorably night.

• 1990 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  First impressions on the nose are of a touch of heat a bit of VA, and a roasted edge to the classic floral, fresh leather and cinnamon tones, there is a note of mustiness which increases before fading and a general sense of a lack of freshness, not so much on it's own but in comparison with it's younger breathern. This starts of, not surprisingly, tough and tannic with an edge of caramellato, roasted plum fruit and bitterness to the tannins. The bitterness hightens the impression of licorice but the palate is a bit muddled and indistinct across the middle though the finish shows fine balance and detail. The palate gains a bit of meatiness and with substantial time in the glass gains more sweet, red cherry fruit and hot asphal though there is something lacking for me here as the wine has great depth and body but not much complexity. That of course is picking flyshit out of pepper as my Mother might say as on an ordinary night this would be WOTN but tonight pales in comparison. Some of the issue is the character of the 1990 vintage which biases me against this wine but I also think there might have been something slightly off here.

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• 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  From pouring the nose here is quite expressive with a base of earth and scorched orange peel which getts fresher and more complex with each passing moment adding a bright iron tone, fresh road tar, incense and church candle, and later a huge camphor note. In the mouth this is decidedly fresher than the 1990 and while style possesing masses of tannins they are only a touch drying and well concealed in the rich core of dark fruit. The excellent richness is balanced by great minerality with lots of dark, spicy tones and macerated berry fruit. This is still young but the palate is integrating well for the biggest wine of the flight and the richly fruited tones gently turn to a blackraspberry note with a whisper of butchers wax lingering on the long finale. I was able to keep a bit of this for the entire evening and there was much discussion regarding it's ability to improve since it is at such a fine place already. I think there is some potential for upside here though less than might be expected and, as Tom said, i would love to drink all mine up over the next 20 years.

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• 1982 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda 98 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose here started out quite coy with gentle notes of turmeric and fading rose petal slowly adding typical notes of orange peel, earth, iron, gradually turning darker and smokier with a bit of rocky minerality and some burning machine oil. This also was kept throughout hte meal and it added layers to the nose, green herbal tone, a touch of caramel, incipient celery salt and at the end of the night gourgeous rich saddle leather. In the mouth this started off texturally layered but very tight and tough with lots of old book and mineral notes. Opened slowly but surely with an entry of red currant, lovely austerity in the mouth, cooler and crisper than the 1989 though with a shade less depth but for me, better balance. I was definitely in the minority in favcoring this over the 89 but the energy in the mouth was more vibrant and the wine was more chiseled and detailed. I too have had fresher, ie more youthful bottles of this yet preferred this precisely because it was very nearly ready and a pleasure to drink now.

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• 1978 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  With this vintage we really change gears into a mature wine with it's gloriously open nose redolent of coffee, dark tobacco, and very ripe dark fruits turning smokier and earthy through the meal before adding an intriguing and unusual spicy note of black olive. Relatively resolved in the mouth with spicy red fruits rounded out with just a tone of musk all complimented well with typical anise and tar notes. The finish here is very long and reveals great cherry fruit which creeps back on to the palate with time. Texturally the palate is starting to show signs of loosing integrity, the tannins popping a bit out of the seamless integration with the fruit and the acidity lingering exposed on the back end though supporting wonderfully complex finale fo rhubarb and pomegranite seeds. A lovely wine open, giving, and at peak though not the best of this particular bottling.

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• 1985 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This was served blind, obviously from the nose it seemed to be old nebbiolo and with it's green herbs, faded asian spices, caraway and cellery seed I ventured that it was Giacosa Rionde, ignoring for the moment that while it was served blind it was served with the Rionda flight. The funghi, soy, cocoa and caramel tones led me to thinking that this very mature bottle must have come from before 1978, of course having the 78 on the table helped in that regard. In the mouth the wine was quite soft, bony and sandy with a pure licorice note on the finish, a bit shy in the mouth with a nuance of fresh juniper berry and porcini accenting red fruits of modest intensity and depth. A bit loosely knit and lacking a bit of stuffing i ventured a guess that this was 1974 maybe 1976. Imagine my surprise when this was revealed as the 1985! Evolving at lightening speed, and by far the most evolved bottle of this I've had, this is part peak for me but still very good though shocking in terms of the flight.

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• 1978 Vietti Barolo Rocche 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Man this has an explosive and lovely nose high toned and spicy with menthol, limestone and spicy floral tones dominating early before easing into a lower register with aromatic wood and roasted meat notes adding depth. The nose here quickly began to lack a bit of intensity and persistence, though it couldn't be faulted for not being complex enough, and actually fades quite quickly. I am not sure how this was handled but pop and pour next time. Lovely citrussy entry leads to a midpalate packed with rosehip and cherry fruit with just a touch of medicianl character, lovely balance with ample ripe tannins adding volume in the mouth and balancing the bright acidity, the finish is long with red apple skins and a touch of peach pit with slight astringency which does turn a bit drying as the palate begins to fade. Lovely stuff from a great bottle at peak, in fact drink the rest of these on thursday.

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• 1978 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This is very different out of the gate with it's intense anise nose competing with earth and barnyard, more than a bit dirty this also features notes of mint and beeswax and shoe polish on the nose with a topnote of bay leaf gaining in intensity. The entry is lush and soft, dirty like the nose and slightly metallic at first with a rich core of cocoa, earth and slightly astringent amarena cherry across the midpalate and through the finish, this gains more cocoa and caramel tones with breathing and adds some green coffee tones on the finish. While it has excellent intensity and balance the flavors are more about high acid savoriness than fruit.

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• 1978 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Pugnane di Castiglione Falletto 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Somewhat akin to the Rinaldi this has an unusually savory and herbal nose with complicating notes of mint and oystershell before turning quite garrigue like. With time one finds quite distinctive tones of used coffee grounds, a balsamic tone, waxt crayon, curing tobacco and toasting pine nuts. unusual but compelling aromatics. Fairly soft in the mouth with lots of soft tannins, good acidity suporting a savory core of fruit which leans to the muchroomy broth end of the spectrum, brightly mineral on the finish with lots of cherry pit fruit and a slight green tobacco note. The palate does not measure up to the complexity of the nose and while it still has some flesh it is a touch too lean. Would love to try this again in the hopes of finding a more youthful example.

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• 1978 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino Speciale 98 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Que the music form 2001 A Space odyssey. A wall of a nose redolent of dark cherries, nettles, sweet licorice, moist earth with airing the fruit turns a bit macerated and the citrus tones pop a bit. In the mouth this starts out monolithic, dense and chewy with great structure, massive yet seamless without any clumsiness at all. This remains very tight and youthful throughout the entire evening slowly revealing notes of gunpowder, tea, and fresh rose on the nose until, of course, the final sip when the parts have aligned to allow one a glimps of what is to come. It is though a flag is unfurled in ones mouth reaching up into the sinuses and down the gullet enveloping all in an etheral blanket of sweet and complex fruit. this still needs 10 years plus to peak. Monumental.

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• 1958 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This looked like that bottle of peach snapple that's been rolling about the back seat of your car for the past 2 years. It didn't taste quite as good though. Alcohol, bitterness, acidity, and a green herbal thing. Spit quickly. Oh I hope my next bottle is better.

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• 1964 Cantina Mascarello Barolo 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose here started out with notes of old parchment and chicken base over deep soil tones and while the intensity of the nose remained low it did freshen up adding cherry fendant notes and some bitter coffee and medicinal notes. This didn't resonate with me nearly as much as it did with the rest of the table and while the palate was very soft and integrated with dark cocoa and fading prune fruit fanning across the palate the wine felt much like the &8 Giacosa Rionda to me with cracke developing across the midpalate and the finish which none-the-less remains very long and distinguished for it's purity of fruit. An elegant and balanced bottle past peak and slowly fading away.

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• 1971 Cantina Mascarello Barolo 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Slatey and smoky nose with seared cherries and roasted bones on the nose with airing adds sottobosco notes of old wood and thistle with a touch of green walnut leading to an herbal edge and a wafting topnote of woodsmoke. A classic nose. In the mouth this offers lovely integration with wonderful bottle sweetness accentuating the bright amarena cherry fruit. Surprisingly soft and well integrated acidity with nuances of coffee and tar accentuating the black, spicy character of the finish which surprisingly shortens up with airing. In fact this seemed to close up a bit with airing growing a touch tighter and less generous though perhaps that is only wichful thinking and this in fact faded but I did not get the sense that less was actually there. Another bottle that i wish I had decanting info on but for me very close to peak and quintessential Bartolo with the slight caveat that this warm vintage offers a wine with slightly lower acidity than the usually quite obvious acidity I typically find in Bartolo's wine. In this case it works brilliantly.

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• 1982 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose here is quite restrained and subtle at first with nothing particular jumping out. This is very structured and tight in the mouth with typical highish acidity and a tarry finish with lots of licorice tones. Lithe and elegant in the mouth showing a bit of greeness with notes of seaweed and green cardamom. The finish finally hints at some incipient sweetness and slowly adds some pronounced sweet cherry fruit tones but the wine remains coy and unyeilding. A baby in need og another 5 years before revisiting but balanced and appearantly with the stuffing to improve.

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• 1985 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Wow this nose has it going on, soaring aromatics of fresh leather, bay leaf, spices, menthol, camphor, a shred of tobacco, the nose of the night for it's exceptional combination of complexity and intensity. Soft and sweet in the mouth with it's bright almost raspberry toned fruit leading to a lush finish which has such wonderfully balanced acidity supporting crisp fruits through the long finish with it's hints of tar and mineral. Alot has been written, and discussed just last night, abouth 1985 as a vintage and it's unrealised promise. This perfectly cellared bottle illustrated just how perfectly ripe the vintage was in the right hands, this bottle had some of the ripest tannins possible perfectly balanced by acidity. It does lack a bit of complexity perhaps but only by a hair.

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• 1978 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Villero 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Another bottle at peak with the intense layered nose filled with sottobosco nuances, damp tobacco, spicy clay soil notes, exotic wood, lilting woman's perfume and floral topnotes this was enthralling to smell. It offered up a relatively seamless palate impression with it cool and resolved texture and lovely integration supporting chewy yet almost delicate fruit that was darkly fruited with a touch of saline iodine and lingering notes of cherry pits and ripe herbs. This was perfectly open and giving and while it will never be able to compete with the greatest bottles there is alot of pleasure to be erived from enjoying this at this perfect point in it's evolution.

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• 1970 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose here presents and intriguing blend of lighty floral, more lily, aromatics with smoky tones reminescent of prosciutto and preserved meats with developing notes of cigar ash, green herb, and some duck flesh. Very round in the mouth with lots of soft, ripe tannins and good balancing acidity the fruit begins as a touch pruny and the tannins seem drying and astringent. The wine, though poured late in the evening, remained a bit tough and the long finish with it's deep medicinal and licorice tones offeres the greatest peak into what will come with time. I wish I had the opportunity to whatch this develop more completely as I gave the impression of being very youthful and with much more to come.

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• 1961 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This was very pale but clear and retained some bronze rouge tones yet the nose offered up only very evolved notes of bookbinders glue and cigar wrapper. In the mouth this was very soft and round with pronounced sweetness, a bit chewy and clumsy with typical old notes of bouillion and caramel and some lingering red berry fruit on the finish. Very evolved and a candidate for pop and pour, to be served at home only. Judgement reserved.

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At the conclusion of the evening ken graciously broke out some 1993? Maculan Acininobili which was sort of off and way too hot after the previous line-up so it was not noted though it did seem to improve with a bit of air even though it was served in glasses better suited for digestivi. And then we paid the bill and went out into a hot, muggy NYC evening each scampering off at highest speed in search of our comfortable air conditioned accomodation. Yeah Baby!