The Auswine Forum

I went to the last rare wines dinner at Salt Pepper Nutmeg last Saturday.
I happened to seat next to adam who is a self confessed Barolo fanatic.
He has asked if some formites would entertain a Barolo and Barbaresco off line in Sydney North Shore Restaurant.
Adam is keen to have 8-10 die hearts for the gathering.
Let me know if any interest as I am also keen on the idea.

By the way the food at Salt Pepper Nutmeg was outstanding and the French and Italian Reds equally impresssive.

Do a separate Offline thread. Gets too messy otherwise.

Looking to backfill whenever some reasonably priced bottles show up at auction, latest acquisitions:
x2 2006 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Barolo 'Bussia Cascina Dardi'
x2 2006 Rivetto Barbaresco 'Ce Vanin'

Grabbed two more bottles at auction so I have something appropriate for the (hopefully) upcoming Barolo/Barbaresco dinner in Sydney:
x1 2001 Borgogno Barolo Riserva
x1 2000 Fontanafredda Tenimenti La Rosa Barolo

In pure drinkability / near peak terms, I'd take the Fontanafredda over the others, as they're not exceptionally tannic (despite their Serralunga base) and 2000 is a more easy-going vintage in general. No crime opening a 2000 in this decade. 2006 is a well-structured vintage so can risk being a 'wall of tannins'. Borgogno can age up to 40-50 years (I drank some 1961 recently and the 1971 was also excellent). New ownership may see a change in direction but that was from the middle of the decade - the 2001 was still the old management.

regards
Ian

Ian S wrote:In pure drinkability / near peak terms, I'd take the Fontanafredda over the others, as they're not exceptionally tannic (despite their Serralunga base) and 2000 is a more easy-going vintage in general. No crime opening a 2000 in this decade. 2006 is a well-structured vintage so can risk being a 'wall of tannins'. Borgogno can age up to 40-50 years (I drank some 1961 recently and the 1971 was also excellent). New ownership may see a change in direction but that was from the middle of the decade - the 2001 was still the old management.

regards
Ian

Thanks Ian.

Chances are both the Fontanafredda and the Borgogno Riserva will be on the cards since my better half only recently started cellaring Barolo. What sort of decanting time would you feel is optimal for the 2000 Fontanafredda and 2001 Borgogno? Based on my (limited) experience, I was thinking at least 4 hours for the latter.

Those 2006s ill be leaving alone for a long time.

A 'lively' and informative discussion which started out about the 2011 vintage in Barolo but has ranged far and wide:
http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=122000

I'm rubbish on advising decanting times, as I try to drink nebbiolo well-aged. The Americans seem more experienced in popping them early and often talk of very extensive decanting e.g. c. half a day, though some talk about double-decanting that far ahead, but basically re-sealing the bottle once decanted off sediment and then back into the clean bottle.

I wouldn't gamble on that with the Fontanafredda, Open & taste. If fine, then pop the cork back in. If tight then decant - but few 2000s are tight. The Borgogno should be safer for a few hours decanting.

Ian S wrote:I wouldn't gamble on that with the Fontanafredda, Open & taste. If fine, then pop the cork back in. If tight then decant - but few 2000s are tight. The Borgogno should be safer for a few hours decanting.

Cheers mate, I was thinking something along those lines.

My experience with other 'youngish' Barolos recently (from 2001 and 2004) has been they do not show well until at least 4 hours in a decanter.

Just wait until you go to a Barolo or Barbaresco walkround tasting - we've been to the Festa del Barbaresco twice, where there is nothing but Barbaresco, mostly new vintage but with an occasional prior vintage, and no food. Palate fatigue does hit awfully quickly, as all the moisture is ripped from your mouth!

2005 Ceretto Bricco Rocche "Brunate" Barolo Another enjoyable 2005. Long and powerful in comparison to the Rockford Basket Press along side of it, the wine also shows typically of Brunate with a supple elegance. The spiced tar and plum fruits sit on the front of the palate and the wine completes best with the aid of suitable food helping to draw the fruit out on the palate. Oak is unobtrusive.

A good wine though better value can be found from this cru site.

92pts

Another 2010 Produttori Barbaresco. Elegant expression of Nebbiolo. Thankfully not every year is a blockbuster.

A trio from last night.

The Roagna was stunning ! The veritable Burgundy lovers nebbiolo ( Felix it was 600HKD from BBR HK and a robust alternative to red burg that would be double the price ). The Di Gresy had great aromatics though the palate shut down- frustrating but not uncommon with nebbiolo.

Roagna must have had a good year. Le Coste Barolo was good too in 2007

One opened last night and still drinking very well tonight

• 1998 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (03/01/2016)
  Really singing on the nose now. Lovely farmyard element to the nose backed by red fruit and a little mocha and tar.
  
  Less strikingly mature on the palate, but now with a fine balance where the fruit is still hanging in well on the back of juicy acidity, whilst the tertiary flavours evident on the nose are coming through. The tannins are quite faint now, but still give some nice additional grip.
  
  I'd say it was properly mature now, though could still provide interest over the next 5-10 years
  

I'm the process of moving house and just moved all my wine into offsite storage, forgetting of course to keep something on hand for NYE, so had to slum it with a bottle of Pio Cesare Il Nebbiolo 2013.

Aromatics were a bit funky / barnyard, however the palate was pretty pleasing with tart cranberry and raspberry and lively acidity. Length was decent. Not the best Langhe Nebbiolo going around but better than most $30 aussie reds since its made from a more noble grape.

My mate who enjoys a good red but isn't a 'connoisseur' was pretty pleased with it, which is a fair tick of approval.

winetastic wrote:Aromatics were a bit funky / barnyard, however the palate was pretty pleasing with tart cranberry and raspberry and lively acidity. Length was decent. Not the best Langhe Nebbiolo going around but better than most $30 aussie reds since its made from a more noble grape.

I think there's a lot of BS fashion in the wine world and Barolo & Barbaresco are being over marketed and a lot of folks I reckon, actually don't like these wines but buy and drink them for fashion's sake. OK, that's a little jaded and may be an Asian perspective.

Anyways, was very surprised to see a modest expression of Barolo blow a 96 BP out of the water in the view of a few Aussie drinkers. The BP was the better wine, though I suppose the varietal nobility of the Barolo came through at dinner time with the palate profile and perhaps it was the food friendliness or just an accidental perfect food-wine pairing.

JamieBahrain wrote:You'll need a reference book and I suggest you get this on Kindle-


Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine.


Excellent reference and you can get a feel of each Barolo or Barbaresco communes, history ( so so important but lost on the vinous technocrats ), wines and soil types. As a beginner a great book though slightly controversial amongst the seriously obsessed!

Ian mentioned lesser known varietals - now there's a separate thread and I suggest you stick to the main Barolo & Barbaresco communes and perhaps have a look at these as an aperitif over dinner.

On the back of the recommendations in this thread managed to grab copies of both the Barolo & Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino books by Kerin O'Keefe.

If anyone's interested, you can get them through The Book Depository for less than AUD$100 delivered.

Barolo MGA Vineyards Encyclopedia edited by Alessandro Masnaghetti 2015

Arrivo Nebbiolo Adelaide Hills 2006- Beautifully aromatic, showing fresh, warm year ripe cherry-tar notes with supporting oak. Nebbiolo palate austerity coated with sticky red and black fruits, as the wine warms its a little structurally flaccid, though a tender cooling brings out better acidity and resurgent dry tannins.

88pts

PS Someone outbid me on their premium gear at auction and if a forumite would love to see a note.

JamieBahrain wrote:PS Someone outbid me on their premium gear at auction and if a forumite would love to see their head on a stick

FIFY

2011 Grésy Chardonnay Langhe & 2001 Giacomo Bologna Braida Bricco della Bigotta Barbera not in line with the thread theme but still great Piedmontese wines.

An intense and well crafted chardonnay, decadent yet fine, alas with no terroir stamp but yet another testament to the quality of this varietal in Piedmont- Gaja's Gaia & Rey Chardonnay is amazing incidentally.

The Barbera was initially one dimensional which is an expected criticism of the type at this age though once again it peeled its way open to reveal an interesting wine built upon Barbera's high natural acidty and some extracted concentration delivering dark fruits and spice. Not up there with the other Crus but good wine.

Moved house yesterday, after my lower back could not handle any more bending over to unpack boxes I decided to reward myself with the last bottle of Vietti ' Perbacco' Langhe Nebbiolo 2010 from the local bottle shop. Of course mistakes were made and it took me an additional 90min to locate a corkscrew.

Anyhow, I didn't take notes, just enjoyed, but god damn this is a good drink. Structure wise its got it all going on, nice lick of fine tannin but also a wonderful acid backbone, pure cherry and cranberry fruit, great length, balanced and poised.

It was a real challenge not to smash the whole bottle, happy to have 1/2 left to revisit this evening.

winetastic wrote:happy to have 1/2 left to revisit this evening.

Day two some of the excitement had wafted away, still delicious, probably at its best around 1-2 hours from pulling the cork (no decant).

Giuseppe Mascarello Villero Barolo 1998- A week in China draws cravings. Barolo and a dinner without MSG was the homecoming drawcard.

The cork was a shocker and I cursed one of the UK's pre-eminent purveyors of fine wine once again. The wine delivered and was consistent with better commentators though it still has me wondering if sound provenance would have delivered better.

Popped and poured straight from a eurocave at 15 degrees to mask any of the Mascarello VA. Delightful! Sweet rose fruit, autumnal development with rich, red fruited ripe plums subsiding toward licorice and spice, tar and prune. There's some very exciting aromatic evolution with the wine rising to room temperature and VA a juggle. The mouth flavors are intense on the edges with a powerful minerality delivering an austerity that is overridden with the fruit in an intriguing tussle. Beautiful acidity and refined tannins marking Castiglione Falletto again as a great reference for adolescent Barolo.

Remarkably drinkable.

93pts

Hi Jamie
I'll be popping the cork on the 2000 vintage of that wine soon - having been advised that (unsurprisingly for a 2000) it has remained open and may not have too much in the way of upside for future development.
regards
Ian

Hi Ian I had the 2000 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano di Perno a few months ago with a couple of the ADL crew.

I popped and poured though the wine was texturally and emerged aromatically as expected, excellent I feel aeration would have tamed the VA for the better.

Have recently worked through a range of 2012 and 2013 Nebbiolos, from the likes of Vietti, Giuseppe Cortese, Massolino, Brezza, Giovanni Rosso and Sandrone, with the latter two being standouts for classic fruit purity and freshness. The 2013 Giovanni Rosso probably ahead on VFM, but really impressed with the Sandrone Valmaggiore 2013. Both classy wines.
Also suitably impressed over the last month by Guido Porro 2011 Lazzairasco, transparent, vibrant wine, although overshadowed by the Giovanni Rosso 2010 Cerretta,very, very good. Both need many years to reach their best.

Fontanafredda Ebbio Langhe Nebbiolo 2012
A pleasant surprise, no obvious oak influence, smells like a nice clean langhe nebbiolo, tastes like it too. Suggest pop and pour or a very brief decant if drinking now as the tannins really asserted themselves after a couple of hours, leaving the wine almost impenetrable without food.

Can be found as low as $23, excellent buying at that price.

Travaglini Coste Della Sesia Nebbiolo 2011
Vanilla oak and rotten fruit, not even worth washing your sink with.