4th Annual Italian Offline

Campagnola, Chicago, USA
Tasted Saturday, April 26, 2008 by futronic with 698 views

Flight 1 - Champagne (1 Note)

1988 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 95 Points

France, Champagne

What a difference a year (and format) makes! Medium-gold colour. Aromas of sherry, flowers, brioche/toast, yeast, apple, lemon, ginger, and peach notes. Very powerful/huge nose. Full-bodied, big wine, with replays from nose. Great texture. Long finish, 40-50s, with ginger, brioche, flowers, and vanilla. Great start to the evening!

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Flight 2 - Starter Red (1 Note)

2005 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia 92 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

Medium-dark ruby/burgundy colour. Huge aromas of crushed red currants, blackberries, and raspberries. Full-bodied, very juicy, but still shows great structure. Replays from nose on the palate that are joined by stones/minerals. Very layered, and has that fantastic acidity one expects from Barbera. Everything is in check and balanced here. Long finish, seamless from the nose and palate. Awesome stuff! Will drink well for the next 5 years easily.

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Flight 3 - Brunello Flight (3 Notes)

1990 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino 94 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

Not decanted, poured into shoulder and allowed to breathe for 1 hour. Consumed over following 3 hours. Medium-dark ruby colour. No bricking. Coolness on the nose that shows herbs, dried currant, cherry, dried roses and violets. Develops sottobosco nuances with time. Medium-full bodied, showing plenty of grip and good acidity. Black plums, blueberry, blackberry, dried strawberry, and sottobosco notes on the palate. Long finish, ~40-45s with more sottobosco and dark fruit with time. This wine continued to open and develop more layers of complexity over the duration of the evening. It's as if the fruit got sweeter with more air.

Absolutely fantastic stuff that I honestly think can get even better! This wine in in the drinking window, but is still early on. It will be difficult to keep my hands off the remaining bottles, but I think another few years of cellaring will reward this wine even more. This was a clear favourite of several people this night, and it was in my top 3 for the evening. Fantastic stuff!

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1985 Tenuta Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento 95 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

Opened 3 hours prior to dinner, not decanted. Consumed over the following 3 hours. Medium-ruddy garnet colour. Beautiful, mature, powerful nose of sottobosco, caramel, dried flowers, anise, cardamom, and brown sugar. Full-bodied, awesome wine. Beautifully integrated tannins, good acidity, showing tar, roses, sottobosco, sweet red fruit, dried cherries, tea, and a spritz of citrus on the palate. Long, long finish, ~50+s, with more sottobosco, sweet red fruit, and tea.

This was an absolute stunner. Aged Brunello is a fantastic thing, and this is a great example of why Brunello is aged (as was mentioned by Longboarder and WIML). Love it.

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1997 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

Medium-ruby colour. Beautiful nose of spice, white Sambuca, and violets. Medium-full bodied, with blackberry, vanilla, and violets. Nice, long finish, ~40s, with berries and violets. Still a little young for my liking, but everything is in balance here. Nice stuff.

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Flight 4 - IGT Flight (2 Notes)

1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss 92 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

Medium-garnet colour. Herbs, red licorice, cherry, and plums on the palate. Medium bodied with sweet red fruit. Good finish, ~30-35s. Nice stuff, but I was a little more entranced with some of the Brunello on the table at this point.

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1994 Antinori Solaia 93 Points

Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

Bordeaux nose of cedar, cigar box, dark fruit, and herbs. Full-bodied, integrated tannins, with dark fruit on the palate. Moderate-long finish, ~35-40s, with dark fruit, herbs, licorice. Great stuff!

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Flight 5 - Nebbiolo Flight (3 Notes)

1979 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero di Castiglione Falletto 96 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

Ruddy, light garnet colour with bricking to the rim. Beautiful, expansive nose of orange peel, dried roses, porcini, earth, and figs. Medium-full bodied, great acidity and structure. Oyster shells, orange rind, leather, violets, roses, and dried currants on the very young palate. Beautiful finish, ~40-45s, with roses and leather. This wine is absolutely fantastic!

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1997 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 92 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

Medium-ruby colour. Aromas of milk chocolate, figs, blackberry, licorice, tar, and violets. Medium-full bodied, great acidity and structure. Shows mineral, black plum, violet, tar, and anise notes on the palate. Long finish, ~45-50s, with tar, spice, and herb notes. Lovely, but needs 5+ years yet.

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2000 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabajà 93 Points

Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

Medium ruby colour. Aromas of smoke, nuts, and dried fruit. Medium-full bodied, lovely texture, with flowers, tar, sage, and black fruit on the palate. Moderate-long finish, ~35-40s, with roses, violets, minerals, and black plums. Awesome stuff, but still very young.

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