Piedmont with new friends

Tonight I had the pleasure of sharing a few bottles with Ben Smith & Gaye McNutt of Cadence Winery along with Ric Gregory. The theme was Nebbiolo. We had a few soaring wines as well as a few disappointments due to being corked etc. That said, it was a lovely and educational tasting.

Ben is the winemaker for Cadence Winery, so before we dipped into the Nebbiolo he first presented us with a blind glass of something of his own...

• 2002 Cadence Klipsun Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  This was not much beyond a barrel sample. Unlike the 2001 Klipsun which was fairly approachable, this was an absolute black monster, huge in structure, very true to the Klipsun personality. As in 2001, this is a Merlot dominant blend with a mix of the other Bordeaux varietals, but this one also has a splash of Syrah for the heck of it. Honestly, this wine left an impression on me, mostly one of amazing structure and power. I am very excited to see what the Cadence 2002 lineup looks like!

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At this point we dipped into a series of Nebbiolo-based wines. Alas, 2 of the 6 bottles were undrinkable. :(

• 1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  This was fairly mature in color with a lot of brown and a clear rim. The nose is slightly truffled showing plenty of dried rose but very little tar. On the palate this was sweet but a touch simple. As charming as it was on a fresh pour (and it was charming), it cracked up very quickly in the glass and starts to madeirize showing lots of caramel. The acidity was rather present on this, drying and tight on the finish. That said, with a bowl of stew this was at its best. Drink up quickly but enjoy along the way.

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• 1997 Gaja Barbaresco 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Compared to the Produttori tasted alongside it, this wine was very deep in color and amazingly spicy, showinng some wood. Oh my goodness, this is high pitched, lifted by some VA with intense scents of tar. The wine shows remarkable concentration and is almost chameleon-like with tastes every 5 minutes for 3 hours showing different flavors and personality. This wine has a VERY long life ahead and a huge amount of fruit and complexity to help it along the way. My oh my!

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• 1998 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Cannubi 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This wine showed a LOT of VA on the nose, but strangely this actually worked rather well to lift the wine without being offensive. On the palate this is very muscular and black with great structure. At first the finish was very drying and tight with a lot of acid, but with time it relented a bit.

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• 1998 Elio Altare Barolo Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This wine was off in a strange way with a very distict aroma of warmed orange juice. Blech!

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• 1985 Prunotto Barolo Bussia Flawed

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Hideously corked!

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• 1995 Prunotto Barolo Bussia 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This shows a ton of peat and thick tar on the nose. Wow, such a palate, monstrous and masculine with a gorgeous, LOOOONG finish showing a hint of licorice. Lovely wine!

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