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Once a Month begins with Nebbiolo

NYC

Tasted October 20, 2007 - October 22, 2008 by Gregory Dal Piaz with 1,253 views

Introduction

So the first meeting of once a month NYC went down this past Sunday at the always reliable and ultimately accomodating La Grolla on the Upper west side. It was great meeting new folks and sitting back down with familiar faces. The wines certainly offered some excellent experiences and I think there were more divergent views than I normally encounter so let the discussions begin.

Flight 1 - An aperitif (1 note)

White - Sparkling
1995 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Piemonte Chardonnay Valentino Brut Zero Italy, Piedmont, Piemonte DOC
87 points
2000 Milennio bottling. Opening with a minor note of caramel this grew in the glass with unusual notes of spicy meats over a strong base of smoked cheese. The very fine mousse is lovely and supports the mature dried apple and slight orange marmalade fruit that morphs into the meaty tones of the nose on the long, evolved finish. Completely mature yet well within it's useful life I enjoyed this aperitif.

Flight 2 - Startling softly (2 notes)

Red
1993 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
85 points
This bottle was not happy to be opened with a lean leathery character and a nose dominated by mineral and menthol notes. Medium full in the mouth with a touch of herbs up front and a very spiky midpalate that feathered out into a long finish that was a touch hot but offered a glimpse of fruit within as well as echoing the chalky, menthol character of the nose. More closed than open with a fair amount of tough tannins to resolve. Leave for 3 years
Red
1993 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
87 points
This offered a great contrast to the Conterno with it's open nose balancing sweet, slightly pruny fruit with a gentle wood spice. Offering a bright entry with excellent acidity this was eminently drinkable and approaching peak if a touch monolithic and dilute through the midpalate with a bit of astringency breaking through leading to a medium length finish that was long if simple. Solid wine for drinking over the short term

Flight 3 - Building slowly (2 notes)

Red
1997 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
92 points
The nose here starts out really tight with gentle scents slowly crepping from the glass. In the mouth it wraps the tongue in a taut drumskin of clean and precise fruit. Cherry pits and leather gain in intensity yet this medium bodied wine remains very cool and reserved with exceptional balance and finesse with a mineral tone offering freshness on the palate and a sweet spearmint note on the finish. This gains sweetness as the tannins round out and while offering alot of pleasure tonight has good upside potential over the next 5-7 years. Very impressive 1997.
Red
1997 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
90 points
This stands in stark contrast to the Giacosa iopening with greater intensity on the nose with it's sandy core over which is piled slightly roasted red cherry, licorice cough lozenge, nettles, and lingering smoke. Bigger and richer in the mouth, this retains good acidity and has solid drying tannins, surprisingly powerful with dark, juicy fruits on the palate and a wooly mouthfeel. This peaks early in the mouth and stutters down a rustic and slight clumsy staircase and it rumbles to a finale. While this is simple outclassed by the Giacosa it is a solid mouthful of Barbaresco. Drink now - 2017

Flight 4 - To a solid middle (2 notes)

Red
1998 Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
92 points
This offers up a full and rich nose with subtle tones of fatty mortadella and nuts over a rich, spicy core or warm cherry fruit. Nuanced menthol and a note of bandaidy camphor add complexity to the great fruit. Rich and chewy up front with sweet red fruits that turn savory on the midpalate leading to a bright pomegranite finish. This builds through the mouth with very ripe tannins and adds a layered earthy, iron note to the end of the midpalate that lingers on the finish. Real well put together with solid upside potential. 2010-2020
Red
1998 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
89 points
Starts off with a reticent nose that slowly reveals black spices and cocoa bean with a direct menthol note adding rosehips with time in the glass. The lovely and powerful nose leads to a medium bodies wine in the mouth with some wood tannin up front and very floral inner mouth perfume, nicely integrated and very friendly in the mouth, pretty much at peak, I'ld opt to drink these over the short term. 2007-2015
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Flight 5 - And immature peaks (2 notes)

Red
1999 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
94 points
This offers a stark contrast to previous wines with it's sappy, almost burgundian fruit that remains cool and crisp and exceptionally primary with it's spicy loganberry character. This enterw the mouth with an explosion of ripe fruit sweetness that spreads across the tongue and offers up an intensity of fruit that is new worldly yet retains balance and sinewy muscularity that is firmly of the old. So round and rich right now, the only relief from the fruit is a lovely mineral tinge on the finish. At this stage the structure is still very much hidden and integrated in the plush fruit. This will be a wicked wine when it matures. 2013-2030
Red
1996 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
83 points
Damn this is angry, the nose is smoky and offers crisp limestone notes and tar but not much else. Cool and crisp on entry with a taut layered feel to the deep, black fruit. Lots of tough tannins today, really showing it's masculine strucutre that actually gets more aggressivein the glass. This finish offers some nice minerality but hands off for now. Based on previuos experiences this should be great but not today. 2013-2030

Flight 6 - Before sitting down in a comfortable old sofa (3 notes)

Red
1978 Fratelli Barale Barolo Castellero Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
90 points
We switched to older wines with this flight and this offered a pretty impressive package with it's rich nose full of earth, tea, veal stock, cold coffee, light fresh funghi note all turning very beefy and bloody with air and throwing in one stinky sock adding complexity. Fairly round and rich in the mouth with a block feel to the meaty, dark fruits. Still some lingering tannins that drive the savory, espresso crema finish. Not this most typical Nebbiolo but at peak and holding well. 2007-2017
Red
1978 Vietti Barolo Rocche Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
flawed
This was a musty bottle with some feeling it was corked. I got both mustiness and insecticide on the nose so corked or not a went home and got something else to drink.
Red
1970 Cantine Vinicola Piemontese Barolo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
91 points
Luigi Calissano and Figli Cerequio Bottled by Vinicola Piemontese- So this was the bottle a got to replace the Vietti. Glad I did, the cork slid out like it was stuck in pudding. Sand and mineral dominated the pop and pour nose with layers of smoke and tar creeping in. Very soft with excellent bottlesweetness adding to the rich round nature of the wine. The midpalate turns more austere and taur with a touch of drying tannin on the medium length finish. This was completely at peak and both delicious and texturally ready if a touch simple. I know this wine, in 30 minnutes it would be tougher and attenuated but in this window of time it shined. 2007-2009

Flight 7 - And then kicking your feet up and spreading out in luxurious comfort (2 notes)

Red
1978 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
92 points
This really was singing with a great nose of porcini, pine bark, deep ripe fruits, and insinuated tar and floral notes. In the mouth this managed the trick of mature nebbiolo with it's round plush texture that remained cool and crisp nonetheless. The only knock on the wine could be that in the mouth it was somewhat monotone but the texture and length made for compelling drinking.
Red
1978 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Speciale Bussia di Monforte Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
94 points
Well this was a welcome surprise on the table which was quickly decanted and set aside for consumption later. By the time we got to it it had probably gotten 1.5 hours of air and of course that was not enough. The nose was very complex with layers of gamy, meaty tones and fried panchetta sweetness that added to the smoky, sottobosco character of the wine.The entry is cool, layered and almost silky with it's somewhat resolved structure perfectly integrated in the medium bodied fruit. Excellent, sapid and savory with ephemeral notes of lilac, ash, tobacco, and coffee caressing the elegant fruit. This is like a pair of tight,red, leather shorts on Uma Thurman. 2007-2020

Flight 8 - Then getting up and putting on some comfortable shoes (2 notes)

Red
1990 Giacomo Brezza e Figli Barolo Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
91 points
This opened with a sharp, dirty note of chlorine before settling down to offer up a cool for 1990 nose with god ripe, spicy lingonberry fruit that offered notes of complicating amaretto and perfume. Offering lovely balance and opening with sightly underfruited feel, though the structure is perfectly ripe, this rounds out nicely gaining depth and sweetness to the simple fruit and finishing with a citrussy top note. A successful 1990 that is at peak drinking and very satisfying. 2007-2016
Red
1990 Prunotto Barolo Cannubi Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
93 points
The final barolo of the night saw 4 hours of air and certainly benefitted from it with it's aromatic nose weaving classic notes of leather, dried flowers, dark baking spices and cocoa into the tight, dark fruits. Rich and mouthfilling this still presents itself as young and tight but the excellent purity of fruit backed up by ripe structure bodes well for the future. The finish offered up some apple skin astringent fruitiness but remained tight if long. Excellent potential here 2012-2025

Flight 9 - before talking the dog out for a pee. (1 note)

White
2000 Fratelli Pighin Collio Picolit Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Collio
88 points
This lone dessert wine offered up warm notes of graham cracker, ginger, and slate over a little leesy cheesiness. In the mouth it presented a moderately rich and sweet midpalate with a burnt egg custard note that was clipped by tannin through the midpalate. Let it rest for a year or two.

Closing

Of course it was a great evening and really fun to sit down with you all. Heres to our next Grand Cru meeting.

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