NebbioloFest X

Chicago, IL
Tasted Saturday, November 22, 2025 by Nanda with 112 views

Introduction

Tenth annual White Truffle and Nebbiolo dinner

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 2012 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée 93 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

    Bright, radiant orchard fruit with judicious toast and brioche. Vibrant and energetic bead. Early peak drinking.

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  • 2004 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 96 Points

    France, Champagne

    Opened for about an hour before serving. A rich, decadent and powerful Champagne that is so very young. Having said that, plenty delicious with great energy and a lively palate. Upside from here.

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  • 2008 Dom Pérignon Champagne 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    I was able to have a glass of this on day two and it was still going so strong and the toasty reduction had integrated a bit more. A terrific vintage for Dom but one that will reward patience.

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  • 2006 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut 93 Points

    France, Champagne

    This is more crisp and linear right now and I wonder if it's a stage or whether this will always be a more precise and less dense/broad vintage for Krug. A great bottle but other vintages have delivered more.

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Flight 2 (4 Notes)

Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 1988 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Slow-ox for several hours and then double decanted off the sediment a couple hours before service. A gorgeous and classically Giacosa lifted aromatic of sweet red cherry and florals. While the palate is more mid-weight than the 88 Santo Stefano red label side by side, there is nothing is out of place. Picture perfect balance and persistence.

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  • 1988 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Double decanted and then slow-ox ~8 hours before service. Perhaps not as intensely aromatic as the 88 Gallina side by side, the palate here was so rich, round and robust while maintaining classic Giacossa poise. Fully mature though this can hold for a couple decades.

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

Flight 5 (4 Notes)

  • 1961 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Remarkably fruit-forward (and even purple-hued) for a 60+ year old wine. Structure is now reasonably resolved and you're left with a fully mature Barolo showing solid but not significant evolution given how much fruit is remaining. Impressive in some ways, but just a little simple in other ways (if I'm being overly critical).

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  • 1979 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate 96 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    One of the wines of the night. Just the ideal amount of evolution with dried florals, dried herbs and tar notes while the fruit is still round and pleasurable. Plenty of stuffing left. At peak.

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  • 2001 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste Flawed

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Marred by sharpie notes and a vintage/bottling that is super mixed given the VA.

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  • 2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Gorgeous potential here with fruit that is rich and concentrated buy shows a refined and elegant touch. Still fairly primary like so many 2004s. No harm drinking this now, but the best is a decade+ from now.

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Flight 6 (4 Notes)

  • 1989 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Very hard to pick between this and the 1990 served side-by-side. Plump and still-fresh fruit has nice fresh floral and spice accents. Structure still has some grit but the fruit does its job to absorb and create balance. Slox-ox a couple hours before service and this kept getting better and better.

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  • 1990 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 96 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A tick better than the 1989 served side-by-side as I found one more gear of intensity and refinement on the 90. Plump fruit with plenty of evolution but still fresh with integrated but still gritty tannin. Slox-ox a couple hours before service and kept getting better and better.

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  • 1999 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato Flawed

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Another disappointing bottle. Decanted for several hours but never opened up.

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  • 2004 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A baby, particularly compared to the 89 and 90 in the flight. This will be as good (maybe better) than the 89 and 90 some day, but that day isn't today. Still fairly brooding despite have excellent purity of fruit.

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Flight 7 (4 Notes)

  • 1996 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Annoyingly this had just a trace of TCA. Fruit was otherwise so pure and silky. What could have been.

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  • 1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 96 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A monument of a wine and likely on my Barolo Mt. Rushmore when it eventually hits peak drinking. Even with a day's long decant, this wine isn't ready. It is however still delicious with waves of red cherry fruit that is marked with floral character. Structure is significant but not harsh. Fun enough now, but I suspect this will flirt with perfection in 15-20 years.

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  • 1996 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    ~6 hour decant. A great 1996 that is just approaching it's peak drinking window. Lovely crystalline red cherry fruit. Upside as this gains a little more nuance.

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  • 1996 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 98 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A quick double decant in the morning and the aromas were explosive from the get go. Classic Burlotto Monvigliero with intense whole cluster but so well integrated into the fruit with this much age. Palate is seamless and so very refined and long. Wow.

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Flight 8 (4 Notes)

  • 2008 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Relative to the 96 and 01 tasted tonight, this is still a bit boisterous and cagey. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious and has the trademark whole cluster of the house, I just think a few more years will bring it all together even better.

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  • 2012 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero Flawed

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    Color was dark/murky and the nose was a bit subdued. Probably not a perfect cork and therefore a bit oxidized.

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  • 2013 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 94 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A baby but totally delicious with all the whole cluster uniqueness and plenty of packed cherry fruit. Nearly half the bottle was left on night two and it was so much better in terms of the elements being integrated. Tons of upside from here.

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  • 2001 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    A fantastic vintage. Trademark whole cluster spice and olive notes with this cuvee but the fruit is so radiant and so purely cherry that the whole cluster is framed just right. A vintage that is youthful but delightfully seamless and a pleasure to drink.

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Flight 9 (4 Notes)

  • 2008 Roagna Barbaresco Vecchie Viti Pajè 95 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    My favorite of the Roagna VV flight. This is a pleasure to drink and shows a great combination of old vines concentration with silky fruit, yet its still just getting started. Was terrific on night two. Loads of upside from here.

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  • 2012 Roagna Barbaresco Vecchie Viti Pajè 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    More fleshy than the 08 side-by-side but also more youthful and brooding. This will be an terrific wine in a decade+.

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  • 2011 Roagna Barbaresco Vecchie Viti Asili 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Like the other three Roagna VVs, this drinks really well young with plenty of concentration and good silky fruit. While it drinks well now, it will be even better in a decade+. Same for the 12 Asili side by side.

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  • 2012 Roagna Barbaresco Vecchie Viti Asili

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Like the other three Roagna VVs, this drinks really well young with plenty of concentration and good silky fruit. While it drinks well now, it will be even better in a decade+. Same for the 11 Asili side by side.

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