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Gareth's Post-lockdown Piedmont
Noize
Tasted September 9, 2020 by NickA with 141 views
Introduction
The brief was simple - it had to be from Piedmont...
Flight 1 - Sardines on toast, Chimichurri (1 note)
White - Sparkling
2016 Azienda Agricola Marcalberto Metodo Classico Extra Brut
90 points
From magnum. Quite fumey at first, although not hugely effervescent. Tangy lemon/lime, but the acidity is nicely balanced with sweetness so the wine keeps demanding another sip.
Flight 2 - Cep Tagliatelle (2 notes)
Red
1971 Marchesi di Barolo Langhe Barbera
89 points
Very brown colour gave me some concern, but at first the wine belied that indication - very mature, certainly, with hints of furniture polish, but definitely alive, tasty and interesting. Unfortunately it didn't enjoy contact with the air and after about 15 minutes started to remind me of spicy, vinegary H.P. sauce.
Red
1982 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora
93 points
Some lovely pine needle and herbs. Retaining plenty of acidity and structure made this a great food wine, and I didn't find it particularly tertiary, but I did get the sense that it was on the edge and thus probably opened at the right time.
Flight 3 - Slow Cooked Beef Cheek, Celeriac Puree, Roscoff Onion (2 notes)
Red
2004 Azelia Barolo San Rocco
92 points
Double-decanted about two hours before it was drunk. Surprised at how modern this was - plush, with notes of spice, wood and coffee, it reminded me of a Pappy van Winkle Bourbon. That's not altogether a bad thing, given Pappy is tasty stuff, but the wine was too much like a Super Tuscan or Right Bank BDX for me to love it. Maybe this was exacerbated by drinking it alongside a Nebbiolo made in a completely different style.
Red
1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba
92 points
Nicely mature - slightly volatile, gamey nose, and lovely deep cherry cola-accented fruit on the palate. Bright acidity made it a great match for the rich food it accompanied. Elegant and enjoyable, but (unlike some of my dining companions) I wasn't excited by this - perhaps partly because my glass had a lot of sediment in it.
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Comments (1)
Flight 4 - Venison Wellington, Truffle Jus (3 notes)
Red
2007 M. Marengo Barolo Bricco delle Viole
91 points
Rich and floral, at first sniff this brought to mind a ripe Beaujolais. Although certainly a warm, dense wine, it had sufficient acidity to keep it in balance. A pleasure to drink but not particularly complex.
Red
2008 Nervi Gattinara Vigna Molsino
92 points
Darker in colour than its flight-mate, but actually a much softer, quieter wine. Game, tobacco, and pretty long finish. Although it filled out with time in the glass it couldn't avoid being slightly overborne by the other wines tonight - but this was one of the wines I could most imagine wanting mutiple glasses of.
Red
2009 Giovanni Canonica Barolo Paiagallo
flawed
Not obviously reeking of TCA, but felt stripped of fruit and a little musty on the finish. Seemed oxidised too. Oh well.
Flight 5 - Selection of Farm House Cheeses (2 notes)
Red
2014 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero
92 points
Lifted and elegant. Plenty of soft strawberry fruit, and seductive and drinkable, but lacked the impact and the complexity of the 2015 vintage of this wine. Interesting to note that AG says this particular wine will need time to fill out on the mid-palate, as that would be a welcome development and a reason not to drink these all now.
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Comment
Red
2015 Silvia Rivella Barbaresco
91 points
Characteristically 2015 - easy in its own skin and full of juicy pleasure. Very approachable and fun already, although there's no hurry to start these, let along finish them.
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Comment
Closing
No stand-outs for me, although with the two obvious exceptions everything showed pretty well. No formal WOTN although I suspect the Giacosa would have been up there; mine was probably the Pora.