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Nebbiolo Dinner with Punch Brothers

Peck's Arcade, Troy, NY

Tasted December 10, 2015 by kenv with 485 views

Introduction

Chris Thile of the Punch Brothers band is a serious Nebbiolo lover. We organized this dinner after their brilliant concert at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, NY.

Photos and more details on my website:

http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2015-12-10_Neb_PunchBros_Pecks/

Flight 1 - Starter: Huet Vouvray Pétillant (1 note)

Scallop Crudo with Lardo and Citrus
Lobster with Butternut Squash and Pecans

White - Sparkling
2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Cuvée Huet Brut France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
92 points
Pop and pour. A lovely, lightly sparkling wine. A perfect start to the evening. Easy to drink. Well-balanced.

Flight 2 - Flight 1: Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (4 notes)

Wild Mushrooms with Hazelnuts, Brown Butter, and Fregola (Sardinian pasta similar to couscous).
Charred Beets with Stracciatella di Bufala, Pistachio Pesto, and Oil-Cured Olives.

Red
1967 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Cavalieri del Tartufo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
95 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around midnight.] Purity!!! Who could believe that a nearly 50 year old wine could shine like this? The extraordinary clarity of this wine was immediately obvious to everyone at the table. Hard to put a score on this. It didn't have the complexity or structure of the Giacosas, but what it had was the essence of pure aged Nebbiolo. I could not have asked for more from a wine that was older than all but 2 people at the table.
Red
1986 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
93 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around midnight.] Muted nose. Still tannic. Rich in the mouth with lots of sour cherry. Showing really well for a 30 year old base Barbaresco.
Red
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
92 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around midnight.] Cherries in the nose. Silky in the mouth. Tannins still rough. Something seems a bit off, but still a lot to like here.
Red
1988 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
93 points
[Decanted at 6pm. Consumed around midnight.] Plenty of structure and tannin typical of 1988, but enough sweet black fruit to carry it through. One of the better 1988 Produttoris I've had.

Flight 3 - Flight 2: Bartolo Mascarello Barolo (3 notes)

Gnocchi, Pomodoro, Basil, and Meatballs.
Chicken Cacciatore with Semolina Polenta and White Alba Truffles.

Red
1986 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
95 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around 12:30am.] Gorgeous sweet fruit and spice nose. Still tannic, but plenty of ripe black fruit gives it great balance. Once again, 1986 shows itself as an underrated vintage in Barolo.
Red
1998 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
94 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around 12:30am.] Intense, backward, austere, incredibly long. Plenty of black fruit, but not the forward ripeness typical of 1998 Barolos. Could use 5-10 more years based on this bottle.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2011 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
93 points
[Double-decanted for 45 minutes around 6pm. Consumed around 12:30am.] Tight nose. Lots of lovely sweet fruit in the mouth, but not showing much else at this point. Hard to judge such a young wine in the context of these older ones. Certainly a very clean, well-made wine. Will have to wait to judge its future complexity. 92-95
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 4 - Flight 3: Bruno Giacosa Barolo (3 notes)

Braised Beef Shortribs with Pumpkin Puree and Charred Broccoli.

Red
1978 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Rocche di Castiglione Falletto Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
98 points
[Double-decanted at 11am. Consumed around 1:30am.] This brings it to a whole nother level. Huge structure. Sweet soft tannins. Enormous complexity. Distinctive Giacosa fruitcake. Great!
Red
1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
95 points
[Double-decanted for 1.5 hours at 5:30pm. Consumed around 1:30am.] Nose of dark black fruit and tar. Like the 98 Bartolo, not what I was expecting in a 1998 Barolo. Much more backward and structured. This is proving to be a much more serious vintage than it was originally given credit for. Still young with plenty of tannin and sweet black fruit.
Red
1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
97 points
[Double-decanted for 1.5 hours at 5:30pm. Consumed around 1:30am.] Wow! This is simply a great wine. A gloriously fragrant nose. Huge and expansive in the mouth. A great future for this wine, but so much pleasure right now.

Closing

What a glorious experience. I have been fortunate to have many wonderful wine dinners, but this one was extra special because we enjoyed their great music, then broke bread and shared wine. Very, very special.

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