Dinner with Nonna (Donnhoff, Scavino, Borgogno, Castell’in Villa)

Gage’s girlfriend’s Nonna, who is from Italy, came over to show us, Gage and me, how to make suppli, and traditional lasagne. She asked for Riesling and Italian wines. She was not hugely into reds so I pulled an assortment.

• 1986 Castell'in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva 95 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Oh my! This is in a perfect place! My sons potential grandmother in law, (nonna)who is from Italy, came over and we cooked together for both families. True lasagna made with bechamel, and suppli, these incredible rice balles filled with cheese and dropped in fryer. Ok, so this wine was just right. There was bright red fruit, but with an aged feel, like cherries, in slight compote, on a table in an antique store. There were also light spices, and lovely earthiness. This wine showed pretty in the glass as well, as it was cordovan/ruby, with pale pink edges. This was great in the mouth, with a nice swallow, dark cherry, earth, muted and mellow, and some aged tobacco perception. I really loved it.

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• 1997 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  I open the Borgognos with trepidation, as they can vary from bottle to bottle. This one was great, shared with Gage’s Italian in-laws(almost)! This is another AFWE dream. It has rich earthy perceptions, and black cherry, sweet tar, rose petal, and white flower. It started red\brown, then turned limpid red. This is truly a lovely Barolo, a perfect food wine.

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• 2000 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata 85 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This is OK and exactly what I was expecting. It shows modern, with a little age. It is dark, brick-ish, with fruit akin to allocated Cabernet Sauvignon, with maybe a dab of Neb tar, and cherry. I cannot imagine this every being like the 1982 or 1985 from Scavino. Decent, but unexciting wine, bottle not finished.

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• 2012 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 95 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  From screw cap. Wow is this good! It is still bright and shiny as ever, but nicely showing it’s decade in the bottle! Here the fruit it still vivid with citrus, tangerine and sweet lime, with limestone, and hard rock mineral, green dried leaf spices, a slight hint of that petrol thing that’s not really like petrol, but is… At 10 it is still a thrilling, gorgeous, lovely, pradikat that I most highly recommend! Nonna said she likes Riesling so we obliged her with this!

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We had a great time. I reflect at how happy I am to have been collecting wines for a time. It is so nice to be able to pull aged bottles out of a cellar next to my kitchen, and enjoy great bottles with family and friends!