Ian's Piedmont Extravaganza

A fabulously generous dinner with a suprise line-up organised to celebrate a 'big' birthday.

We were all excited to see the bottles upon arrival at the restaurant, and luckily enough there was only one casualty and one other slightly tired bottle.

The reds were decanted c. 1700 and drunk between around 1930 and 2230.

• NV Azienda Agricola Marcalberto Alta Langa Metodo Classico Nature 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Alta Langa

  100% Pinot Noir. Similar to when I tried it in 2021 and 2022 - so continues to be very nice. Rather golden in colour and an overriding sense of ease; this clean, silky wine is in a good place. Some quince and marmalade and an airy icing sugar note, along with compensating quinine-esque bitterness.

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• 2004 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  The first sniff of the evening's first red had me slightly worried... are these amazing bottles going to live up to expectations? Luckily, all the others absolutely did, but (although others liked it more) I found this Roagna a bit tired on the nose, which had quite a bit of balsamic VA and a slightly oxidative note of coffee. On the palate there was elegant acidity, quite a bit of tannin and a lovely long juicy finish, but also an underlying fecal note. A shame.

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• 2004 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  We had a bottle of this last year, and a 2008, that both seemed a bit heat damaged, so I was relieved that this was completely clean. Intense on the nose, with some menthol, and more and more lift and florality with time in the glass. Subtle and elegant on the palate, and plenty of juicy red fruit. This was one of tonight's less powerful and demonstrative reds, and would probably have been even more appreciated if shared between 2-4 people over a longer period of time.

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• 2009 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  A really gorgeous fragrance that immediately made it my favourite of the flight; it was so complex and complete that I couldn't identify any individual notes. The wine was really suave on the palate, lively and grippy with some red apple and real thrust on the midpalate. Very long.

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• 1990 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  I was expecting this - in part because it was our sole magnum - to dominate the other wines tonight, but that didn't happen, except perhaps in terms of sheer density. Such a dark and potent wine, with a touch of exoticism on the nose. Coffee and mushroom on the palate, and an excellent level of acidity. Very refined and beautifully balanced, and a real treat, but a bit too brooding and massive at present; at peak in 5-10 years' time? Voted group #5 tonight.

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• 1989 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Much 'smoother' than tonight's other reds, with real weight of fruit at its core. A distinctive and pretty nose with notes of forest floor and pink soap, chewy and substantial yet also surprisingly approachable. I wrote 'a real crowd pleaser', but I think tonight's was probably the wrong crowd for this hedonistic, modern-leaning wine... I found it sensual and delicious.

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• 1967 Cappellano Barolo 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  A beautiful colour, star-bright pale orange-brown, like Amontillado sherry... but surely it had to be tired, even dead, if it looked like that? Well, no - our first sniffs and sips revealed a wine that was certainly alive, and with a little more air it started to sing. Sleek, piquant and delineated, but ultimately ineffable, we all fell hard for this wine's ashy, savoury cocktail, and delighted in its long finish. An exquisite surprise, and my and the group's WOTN.

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• 2010 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  As ever, such an interesting and distinctive wine, and I style that I love, although it didn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. What a nose: Christmas spice and coal tar soap, and an underlying sexy muskiness. Leaner than most on the palate, the fruit in the cranberry register, with more smokiness and some olive brine, then a gorgeous sweet finish that reminded me of blueberry smoothy and blackcurrant ice cream. Aside from the arresting aromatics, I was also so impressed by this wine's brightness and energy. Tannins seemed much more approachable than a bottle tasted a couple of years ago.

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• 2004 Cappellano Barolo Pie Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Holy crap... this wine was in the zone! So aromatic - the essence of Nebbiolo. Crisp, elegant red fruit, immense energy, seamless and complete. I needn't say more. Group #2 tonight.

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• 2001 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Another bottle was brilliant in 2019, but sadly this one was woefully CORKED

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• 1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Beautifully resolved and quite smoky on the nose. A punch of bright strawberry fruit on the palate, seasoned with some ash, and a refreshing acidity. A gorgeous and elegant wine, albeit overpowered by the two red labels we had in the same flight.

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• 1996 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Really aromatic nose, full of pretty flowers. The wine had such ease despite each sip bringing intense waves of flavour, and was packed full of beautiful sweet strawberry fruit supported by soft pillowy tannins. Exquisitely enjoyable (AG quite right to call it "a total pleasure bomb"), and group #3 tonight.

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• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 97 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Even in the context of the flight, and the dinner as a whole, this wine was quite something. Sweet meat and sweet smoke on the nose, and some more of the strawberry fruit I found in all three Giacosas; things got even smokier with air. Seamless and beautiful on the palate, clean and soft, with some game and ash and such incredible energy and power, the spurt of acceleration on the midpalate becoming more and more noticeable with time in the glass. I'd love to spend an evening tracking this. Group #4 tonight.

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• NV Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Dans un Premier Temps Assemblage Extra Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Disgorged 2022, and duly effervescent. A super Champagne, simultaneously refreshing and approachable, with notes of bitter lemon, orange peel, peach skin and mandarin, almost like an orange wine. Despite those pithy notes, the overall impression was creamy and textural, albeit with an arrestingly bitter finish. We were all pretty impressed by this.

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OMG - I don't expect to drink better than this any time soon. Although I voted the Rabajà my #2 on the night, ultimately the two Cappellanos are the wines I can still smell and taste in my mind's eye - utterly haunting. Thanks Ian!

Results of everyone's votes for their top 5 reds:
Cappellano 1967 - 33
Cappellano 2004 - 26
Giacosa Asili 1996 - 19
Giacosa Rabaja 2001 - 16
Conterno 1990 - 15
Burlotto 2010 - 11
Monprivato 2004 - 7
Giacosa Falletto 1996 - 4
Bartolo 2009 - 3
Gaja 1989 - 2
Roagna 2004 - 0