Italian Wine Class, and a Musar!

With TH, went to the Piedmont and Brunello class at SF Wine Center, then watched the second episode of UnCorked. I decided on impulse to access my '01 Musar to go with Ribeye and arugula salad with olive oil and feta. The '01 was SINGING - a real surprise considering my experience with a youthful, awkward '99 last year.

Notes from Class:
Piedmont = Burgundy mentality (producers source from single vineyards all over)
Tuscany = Bordeaux mentality (2nd wines, big chateaux source from adjacent vineyards)

1990's, early 2000's there was a war in Piedmont between Traditionalists (large barrels, Slavonian oak) and Modernists (barriques, international appeal).

AGING
Barbaresco - 26 months (50 for Riserva)
Barolo - 38 months (62 for Riserva)
Brunello - 48 months (60 for Riserva)

Barbaresco: 2.2y (4.2)
Barolo: 3.2y (5.2)
Brunello: 4y (5)

Communes: Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso

Uniform soil (calcareous marl) and climate - more so than Barolo.

Bordered on top by the Tanaro River > maritime influence > Nebbiolo ripens a bit earlier here than in Barolo > finishes fermentation earlier with shorter maceration time > tannins less harsh than Barolo > 1-year less aging requirements.

Tannins soften with less bottle age than Barolo. Doesn't age as long though.
35% of production of Barolo.
More consistent than Barolo (communes have similar climate and soil)

• 2012 Marchesi di Barolo Barbaresco 85 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Traditional Barbaresco producer. Entry level.
  Medium minus dark ruby garnet to a red rim.
  Earthy, savory, soft blackberry, signs of oxidation - bruised apple skins. Light robitussin notes. Slight dried orange peel, dried flowers.
  Elevated alcohol, maybe 14%.
  In context of Barolo/Barbaresco, this is simple, soft, and relatively light in the mouth. It has some good secondaries though.
  Score: Around 8.5

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• 2008 Serafino Rivella Barbaresco Montestefano 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Traditionalist producer.
  Med - ruby garnet, to a very garnet rim.
  Earthy, prominent dog fur with a hint of clove (Brettanomyces), slight bruised apple core, slight gingerbread, dark forest floor.
  More structured and more savory, nutty and brooding.
  Tannins are a bit more chewy, but still on the pretty / papery tannins side for Piemonte. Satisfying dark, savory flavors, with some dried florals.
  Score: Between 8.5 and 9.

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• 2007 Gaja Barbaresco 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  12 months in 2nd year Barrique, then a year+ in Slavonian oak.
  Bright red to a garnet rim.
  Nose: Pronounced sweet gingerbread, hint of cola, medicinal tones. Florals and earth are submerged under sweet oak-influenced tones.
  Ripe and rich, with only elevated acid (not quite high) and somewhat chewy tannins, but overall quite plush and sweet. Thick
  This is like a St. Emilion vs. when I think of classic Nebbiolo as Paulliac Bank. Feels hefty and sluggish for a Nebbiolo.
  Score: between 8.5 and 9, but not my preference.

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Communes:
Serralunga Valley: (more austere, 12-15 yrs min age)
Castiglione Falletto
Serralunga d'Alba
Monforte d'Alba
Central Valley: (more perfumed, 8-10 yrs min age)
Barolo
Cherasco
Diano d'Alba
Grinzane Cavour
La Morra
Novello
Roddi
Verduno.

• 2010 Andrea Oberto Barolo Brunate Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Commune: La Morra (Central Valley, more perfumed than the austere Serralunga Valley Communes)
  Vineyard: Rocche dell'Annunziata
  
  Med - ruby, darker than previous, to garnet rim. Beautiful robe.
  Reduced (burnt rubber), some toast/burnt wood.
  A bit fleshy in the mouth, with good elevated acid,
  Tannins are a bit chewy, but also a bit fine in texture.
  
  score: No Score (reduced)

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• 2010 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Cerretta 90 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Commune: Serralunga d'Alba (Serralunga Valley, more austere)
  Vineyard: Cerretta
  
  Dried strawberries, dried roses, dried orange peel, earthy and floral.
  Lighter wine, alcohol high, acid elevated, HERE are the chewy tannins I love.
  
  Score: Around 9.

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• 2008 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Commune: La Morra (Central Valley, more perfumed than the austere Serralunga Valley Communes)
  Vineyard: Rocche dell'Annunziata
  
  Med - ruby-garnet to a bright garnet rim.
  Nose is tight, a bit softened, signs of age. A whiff of bright dried cherry and cranberry, with earth, dark forest floor.
  In the mouth, sweet oak-influenced vanilla fruit. Tannins are chewy-papery, a bit too softened for me, with a little bitterness. Thick in the mouth, like the Gaja, not as light as the Cerretta. More about fruit and oak than rose and tar.
  
  Not my preference: Around 8.5-9

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"Brunello" = "dark one" - name of Sangiovese Grosso clone.

Most arid Tuscan DOCG (700mm rain vs. Chianti's 900mm)

Montalcino microclimates:
Northern slopes - racier, more aromatic
Southern and Western slopes - power and complexity

• 2010 Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino 83 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  2010 was great in Piedmont and in Tuscany (a coincidence - areas have vastly different climates).
  Clear, bright, medium minus garnet to an orange rim.
  Sweet buttery smucker's strawberry jam. Slight dusty earth.
  Rich and ripe, acid is high. Fleshy. Juicy and sunny. I don't think I'd confuse this with Barolo. It's just a bit structurally lighter - tannins are medium plus. Also it's more generous.
  I'm guessing modern producer with some oak treatment.
  8-8.5

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• 2010 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino 87 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Darker shade of ruby, more consistently ruby than the Camigliano to a garnet rim, still medium minus concentration.
  Nose is less exuberant, showing age, and a bit tighter than the Camigliano.
  Slight bitter apple core, dried leaves.
  In the mouth, still juicy and sunny compared with the Piedmont Nebbiolos. Ripe fruit, touch of well-integrated oak.
  8.5-9

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• 2007 Fossacolle Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Flawed

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Clear, bright. Medium minus ruby-garnet to a garnet rim.
  Nose: A slight reductiveness with brett. Burnt and slightly rotten.
  Palate: This is pretty awesome. High tannins. A dose of Barolo chewiness. Just slightly elevated acid. Medium body - similar to the thickness of the Gaja. I like this a lot. I wish it weren't reduced.
  
  Score: Flawed.

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RIBEYE
pan seared

ARUGULA
feta, olive oil

• 2001 Chateau Musar 95 Points

  Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

  2001 Chateau Musar
  
  Perfectly integrated, well-ahead of the 1999 (still disjointed a few months ago). Supple, not powerful. Just an absolute pleasure.
  Red cherries, dried strawberries, rye, subdued tamari with slight balsamic prickle, browned liquorice. This isn't arresting as the '95, but rather it's a quieter, equally thoughtful companion. Effortlessly transportive. With it's constant shifting and ease, it makes me think of friendships. Of the people I've met and the conversations I've loved. Of my friend, Tim, who shared the bottle with me. Of friendships born out of music, climbing, work, school, wine - friendships that transcended the genre in which they emerged.
  
  I wouldn't change anything about this wine.
  Score: Around 9.5

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