Mid-Summer Barolo Dinner

Incanto Restaurant, San Francisco, California
Tasted Wednesday, August 3, 2011 by rjonwine@gmail.com with 494 views

Introduction

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Flight 1 - Sparkling starter (1 Note)

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  • 2001 Monte Rossa Franciacorta Brut Cabochon 92 Points

    Italy, Lombardia, Franciacorta DOCG

    Light golden yellow color with abundant tiny bead; leesy, baked peach, pear, baked apple, lanolin nose; tasty, poised, elegant, light mousse, tart apple, mineral, leesy palate with near medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points (among the most impressive sparkling Italian wines I've ever tasted, and certainly the most Champagne-like in production methods, nose and taste)

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Flight 2 - Dry white (1 Note)

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  • 2009 Colli di Lapio Fiano di Avellino 91 Points

    Italy, Campania, Fiano di Avellino DOCG

    Light yellow color; focused, lovely, ripe pear, baked apple nose; tasty, poised, tart pear, mineral, citrus, white grapefruit palate with medium acidity; medium finish (a solid Fiano di Avellino, and great with our vegetable appetizers and charcuterie)

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Flight 3 - Younger Barolos (2 Notes)

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  • 2003 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricking medium dark red violet color with pale meniscus; ripe berry, dried berry, black fruit and spice nose; tasty, maturing, dried berry, tart black fruit, spicy cherry palate; needs 5-7 years; medium-plus finish

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  • 1998 Marcarini Barolo La Serra 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricking, medium dark red violet color with light orange meniscus; nice, buoyant, ripe cranberry, dried cherry, black cherry nose; tight, tart black cherry, dried cherry palate with still integrating oak; needs 8-10 years yet: medium-plus finish

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Flight 4 - Scavino Bric dël Fiasc flight (2 Notes)

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  • 1996 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricking very dark red violet color; nice dried berry, tar nose; tasty, starting to come around, dried berry, tangy, tart plum, tart berry, tar palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 93+ points

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  • 1997 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricking medium dark red violet color; dried berry, fig, tar nose with a possible touch of TCA; tasty, youthful, dried berry, tar, tart black fruit palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (seems subtly flawed compared to the much better bottle I had earlier this year; also pales next to the '96 version)

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Flight 5 - 3rd Barolo flight (2 Notes)

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  • 1997 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Very dark red violet color; appealing, lifted, chocolate, ripe berry, plum, cinnamon nose; rich, tasty, youthful, tart plum, berry, chocolate palate; medium-plus finish 93+ points (a "feel good" young Barolo)

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  • 2001 Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricking very dark red violet color; lifted, ripe berry, plum, dried berry nose showing a little heat; accessible, bright, juicy, tart berry, tart plum, tar palate with incipient ginger cake; medium-plus finish 92+ points

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Flight 6 - '58 Borgogno (1 Note)

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  • 1958 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 97 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Bricked medium red color with 1 millimeter clear meniscus; lovely, mature, ethereal, cigar box, roses, mint nose; lovely, silky textured, mature but still relatively youthful, ripe cherry, dried cherry, raspberry, roses, cigar box palate; has 25+ more years to go; long finish 97+ points (a truly satisfying, and remarkably youthful, mature, traditional Barolo; decanted for 3 hours, which helps explain why it showed so much better than the non-decanted bottle I had at a Bipin Desai tasting earlier in the year; original bottling, not a reconditioned bottle)

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Flight 7 - Sparkling sweet (1 Note)

  • 2010 Cascina Ca'Rossa Langhe Brachetto Birbét 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

    Medium ruby color with a small amount of medium sized bubbles; lovely, light, berry, black cherry nose; rich and fruity but serious, black cherry, black raspberry, raspberry palate with good acidity; medium finish (a delicious version of one of my favorite sources for summertime, after dinner bubbles)

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Flight 8 - Chinato finish (1 Note)

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  • NV Vergano Piemonte Nebbiolo Chinato 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Piemonte DOC

    From 500 ml - dark red violet color; rich, complex, herbal, tea, green tea, gunpowder, dried root, cinnamon bark nose; tasty, rich, poised, gunpowder, cinnamon bark, herbs palate; long finish (always a lovely way to end a rich, satisfying meal)

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