Dinner with Manlin at Lampreia

Scott Manlin made his second annual trip to Seattle. We started off with lots of espresso, a trip to Salumi for lunch, more espresso and then rested up for dinner at Lampreia. This ended up as a 9 course affair featuring bubbles, Barolo/Barbaresco and some Amarone to finish.

Sadly I was having too much fun and was too lazy to take notes on the food and wine, so below is just sketchy from memory of a week ago. I threw in a few scores for reference where the wine still clearly stands out in my mind a week later.

Attendees were myself, Scott, Jon Misko and Adam Noble.

We started with some bubbles.

• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 98 Points

  France, Champagne

  Mindblowing. I haven't had this wine for about 18 months and pulled this one on a whim. Wow, glad I did. Spiny, intense, with a funky mineral nose more reminiscent of White Burgundy than Champagne. The palate is electric, so young and clean, loaded with citrus, amazingly dynamic, creamy, and powerful. This bottle disappeared quickly among 4 of us, but I saved 1/3 of a glass for several hours. At the end of the evening it was even better, amazingly complex on the nose and palate, vinous, powerful, clean. A 1990 Krug served next to this was blown off the table by this young baby.

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• 1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Fairly deep color. A strange nose, marzipan, oxidized smelling, doughy, and nutty. The palate however was pure contrast, young, powerful, loaded with acidity, stunningly fresh and aggressive, more academic than pleasurable. With further aeration the oxidized smells receded and the wine seemed to grow younger in the glass. Ultimately this was a panther of a wine, impressive, yet clearly in need of more age and time.

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Moved onto the Giacosa.

• 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Brawny, masculine, and powerful. Smokey notes of tar along with some raisin. Heavy palate. It improved with aeration but never really set my world on fire. Perhaps it was not an ideal bottle, although the cork looked impeccable.

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• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  A baby. Still showing its wood. Soaring, much lighter and in some respects more appealing than an 89 Riserva of the same vineyard. More dynamic fireworks in the mouth.

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We elected to serve the 1990 Gaja on its own for fear that perhaps it might be overwhelmed by the younger wines, but no chance.

• 1990 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 99 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Wine of the night, no contest. This was unreal, just an amazing wine and a pinnacle Barbaresco experience. Soaring and dancing notes of crushed rose petal intermingle with delicate, nuanced notes of cherry and tar. A party in your mouth. So dynamic it's hard to put words on it but a truly breathtaking wine.

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As the meal was moving into its final courses we realized we needed to get this last flight down. The Scavino was basically lost, but the pair of Gaja were amazing.

• 1996 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Next to the Gaja and Giacosa I just did not prefer this. Sweet, more overtly oaky, some vanillin tone. On another night on its own I am sure I could have found immense pleasure in this, but on this night it was lost.

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• 1997 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Woof, what a wine. If not for the 1990 Sori San Lorenzo this might have been the wine of the night. It's stunning how precocious and delicious this youngster is, but it will clearly reward time. Just starting to yield some more complex secondary aromatics but with gorgeous baby fat still.

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• 1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Wow this has come around in the past 18 months. Amazingly open, rich and friendly, it was perhaps showing more open and showing more seductive fruit than the 1997 served alongside. Frankly, I could not pick a favorite between the pair, but why pick? I have worked through two of these like candy. I need to save the last for at least another 5 years.

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Finally we finished up with the Bertani.

• 1964 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

  A pretty classic Amarone nose with loads of caramel and raisin. It was a long night, and I was a little hesitant on whether I really wanted a glass of this. I am glad I tried it though, as the palate was baby smooth, unreal in fact, so silky, chocolately, nowhere near as chalky as I am used to with younger Amarone. Fascinating!

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A great way to start!