2007/2008 Produttori Tasting

I'd had this one in my craw for a while, and we finally got together to do it - not without setbacks, but we did it. I had had a few Produttori wines in Italy in 2013, and was interested to learn more and try more. Michael M from Domaine NY joined us, Josh K did the brunt of the work getting the room at L'Apicio, and Matt N did a lot of the prep work on the wines.

• NV Château La Serre Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Colsenta 85 Points

  Italy, Veneto, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG

  Ripe and sweet on the nose with apple, yeast, peach, baking - cooking dough, marzipan - creamy. Very sweet on the entry - probably some RS: peach, pear, apple, creamy marzipan. Decent mousse and acid - the latter builds in the middle with crisp green apple. Green apple finish. This is OK, but not really what I look for in a sparkler - I want more minerality, citrus and chalk. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 0.5/2 = 12.5/20.

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• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Popped and poured. Cool, menthol-mint, crisp small red berries and some dark fruit. Perfumed with roses and candied fruit. Very pure. Silky on the palate with violets, dark berries, mint. Smooth cool flowery finish. This wasn't as open as the last bottle I had - but I tried the previous bottle over the course of a few days, while this one was drained quickly at the tasting. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.

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• 2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Ripe red fruits. Deep and big, cherry, tar. Plush with roses, tar. Big - but the alcohol is in balance for the most part, dark cherry. Flower, cherry and stone finish. This showed some heat and volatility with time. This had been double decanted much earlier in the day, and my thoughts are that with a ripe young wine like this, PnP might have worked better - it did for my previous bottles. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.

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• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pajè 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Michael's bottle. Smells great: sweet, violets, lots of mint, raw meat (Matt called that), animal fur. Pure on the palate - tight, smooth, floral, cherry fruit. Really nice - this is much like the Normale but younger and with more complexity. This about level with the 08 Normale now, but will outpace it with time. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16-16.5+/20.

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• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  This is a big, serious and young wine. Deeper and more structured than the previous wines this night - holding stuff way in reserve. Musty, spice, leather, sauvage, wet fur, stinky, raspberry - thick, young, a touch of heat, minerals. I don't know much about this vineyard, except the general reputation - but it seems quite austere but with excellent potential. Hard for me to assess. Right now I would give it a 15/20, with a 16-17/20 potential.

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Since we had both vintages of Muncagota and Rabaja, we decided to have two blind flights at the end: one flight of Muncagota, and one of Rabaja. We didn't know which flight would come first, or which wine was which vintage within either flight.

I didn't find this flight that impressive - don't get me wrong, the wines were good, but I was glad these weren't the Rabaja's since I had high hopes for those wines. These wines were cooler, minty and citrusy. It was easy to discern which was the 2007 and which was the 2008 - they showed very typically.

• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Tasted blind (knew we were having 2 blind flights: 2007/08 Muncagota & 2007/08 Rabaja). Cool, mint, stone, citrus, cherry, pepper, violets. Similar flavors on the palate - this is young and burly, integrated heat, spicy. Needs time. Guess this as an 08, based on the Normale and the Paje, and figured it was Muncagota, not Rabaja (I hoped, since I wasn't super-impressed with this flight.) Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5+/6, Finish - 5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5+/20.

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• 2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Tasted blind (knew we were having 2 blind flights: 2007/08 Muncagota & 2007/08 Rabaja). Big forward nose: violets, prune, tar. A touch of citrus and stone and citrus peel. Menthol. This was pretty clearly an 07, and I figured this was the Muncagota flight ... i had higher hopes for the Rabaja's. No formal score, but this was in the 14/20 range.

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Since we had both vintages of Muncagota and Rabaja, we decided to have two blind flights at the end: one flight of Muncagota, and one of Rabaja. We didn't know which flight would come first, or which wine was which vintage within either flight. By this point, we knew that the previous flight was the Muncagotas, and so we knew these were the Rabaja's.

These wines were good - right from the get-go. Soaring bouquets from the glass - complex, floral, sweet and delicious. I had doubled decanted the 2007 in the morning and smelled it and tasted a bit - and it seemed amazing at the time, so I had high hopes. I was not disappointed. Also, it was interesting that it was much harder to terll the 07 from the 08, and many of us, including me, got it wrong. I think this is a testament to the terroir - really good dirt is able to handle the warm vintage of 07 with grace and make a great wine.

• 2008 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Tasted blind (By this point we knew that the flight was 2007/08 Rabaja). Wow, this flight was really something. Darker than the other glass (the 2007 Rabaja) - the nose is soaring and sappy with flowers, red berries, strawberries, mint-menthol-herbal, perfumed. Kirsch - dark cherry, a touch of heat. Ripe and delicious on the palate with strawberry, minerals, herbs and marzipan. This is delicious now, but will be stunning in 10 years. I guessed this was the 2007 - it was MUCH harder to tell with this flight than with the Muncagotas. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.

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• 2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Tasted blind (By this point we knew that the flight was 2007/08 Rabaja). Wow, this flight was really something. Lighter in color than the other (the 2008 Rabaja) - a touch of heat, sweet fruit, herbal, mint, perfumed. Really focused and driven on the palate with deep flowers, really balanced with bright cherry, strawberry, flowers, minerals, herbs. Really classic - great. I double decanted this in the morning and smelled it and tasted a bit, and when I first tried this blind at the dinner, I was sure it was the 2007, but I was convinced otherwise ... I should have trusted my instincts. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.

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As usual for tastings like this, we learned a great deal. Overall, the difference between 2007 (ripe, lush, forward and a bit hot) and 2008 (cool, minty, classic, restrained but with good fruit) were quite pronounced. I think we were also able to begin to discern some of the terroir differences in the vineyards: Asili was deep but very backwards/austere, Muncagota minty and citrusy, Rabaja was superb - complex, floral and sweet, while Ovello was more round. This are excellent wines for the price, and classic expressions of Nebbiolo. The 2008 Normale is killer QPR.