The Auswine Forum

BHCC1 wrote: As a generalisation, over the three months that we were away I appreciated the front of house style in Italy which is much less interventionist than here. It was so nice not to be hassled every two minutes by a waiter introducing themselves, wanting to know how the meal is mouthful by mouthful and my pet hate, removing one diners finished plate while others at the table are still eating.

And finally, without wanting to sound xenophobic - “we don’t know how lucky we are” to have such a range of eating options in Australia with a cuisine that has been shaped by such a diverse range of influences. Italian food is outstanding and we have had some of our best dining experiences in Italy but when you are in a particular region for a fairly lengthy period of time, menus can look a little one dimensional.

Two thought-provoking comments, that I happen to agree with.

Sometimes I find Italian staff recognise an English speaking accent and seem to want to speed up the whole experience, in the belief that is what we want. Perhaps some of our fellow tourists have moaned about slow service? I like the concept of Slow food, of good food, carefully sourced, and served at a speed that says food is an enjoyment, not simply a re-fueling exercise. I do find it moves between extremes, which can be frustrating. Often we'll request 'una pausa' between main and dessert if they're rushing it. I really hate the artificial 'trained' way of robotically asking how the meal is. In general I find Italian wait-staff more human, and all the better for it. For me the French seem to be best of all.

The variety in Australia is indeed something you are very lucky with. Over in the UK, in terms of Asian food, even a large city might have (Hong Kong) Chinese, (North) Indian and Thai restaurants. No Korean, South Indian, Vietnamese, etc. etc. It's very frustrating, but then it's easier for those chefs to get to Australia than the UK. On top of that, Greek and Italian as well-represented as over here (far too many 'Italian' places over here are a poor copy of Italian food).

Italians are typically even more parochial than even us Brits, parochial to the point of being resistant to 'foreign' food from other regions of the same country (re-unification hasn't embedded completely even 150+ years later). In extreme cases there is even a local pride/prejudice to favour their local food over other food from within the same region. The net result of this can be a certain sameness of the menus - and I admit I get quickly bored of carne cruda. All the more true I find in rural areas, but a little more variety & invention in the cities.

Regards
Ian

I opened three nebbiolos this week, well actually four, a Cappellano Pie Rupstris 2011 corked. Consumed over the five schoolnights.


2011 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin- Heavy balsamic and VA notes on the first night, a few days later its a more positively lifted Barolo with wild saucy red fruits, bitter cherry, balsam and very sweet potpourri notes reflecting hot vintage conditions. It's 15%, though carries it well with the acidity. The palate is long and even, with exotic red fruits and hay delivering the wine's best, the balsamic/ VA notes and a little oxygenation tiring the wine by day six. This wasn't as good a previous bottles.

A good wine considering previous bottles and I'm cellaring 2011 in magnum format.


2012 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin- pop n pour, rose hip and ripe strawberries, deep set with dark unyielding leather-fresh black fruits and frangipane. Palate starts shy, though ready for a breakout with coaxing- by day five there's a floral buzz in black tar and earth, building more austerity and Serralunga structural tension. Could be a classic.


2014 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo- This was best after day two when lighter fragranced nebbiolo aromatics and palate the zing and austerity started to flesh. Warm berry/ tar and rusty aromatics, soft, red fruited tar flavours with gentle, powdery grip fading by day four.

89pts

Aldo Conterno Barolo 1974- Tried to get a picture of the wine's clarity. Slow-oxed for 9 hours and the first generous pours delivered a classic old Barolo. Exquisite bouquet, plentiful, accomplished flavour extract and gentle harmony completes. Wow! The wine deteriorates and the bottle is completed with some urgency.





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Wow well done jamie.
Great colour.

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More oldies. The Cappellano 1955 has always been a struggler in my experience. Tonight, it faired well. The Conterno, once considerable VA blew off revealed an intriguing layer of dark fruits and the 64 Cavalotto Riserva did struggle.


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Starderi was on show. I'm finishing half a bottle now open for a week- elegance and vitality. I think Olek is kicking early goals in Starderi. 2011 normale showed typical Barbaresco aromatics and warmth of vintage.


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A magnum of 88 Gaiun was on song. Delivering a complex, quite tertiary experience on length and fine structure. One thing I'll miss when repatriating is magnums and wine lover's desire for them. Very sort after in Asia

2011 giacomo conterno cf
Pretty good for the year but I just cant place it anywhere near the usual standards that these guys generate
Maybe it will improve one day

A shame some of those older bottles were struggling, but that's the chance we take in seeking such wines. The highs are very high indeed, but the lows are quite frequent.

Ian S wrote:A shame some of those older bottles were struggling, but that's the chance we take in seeking such wines. The highs are very high indeed, but the lows are quite frequent.

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Same with burgundy Ian as you well know
This had exquisite initial perfume last night but the palate rapidly dried out
But when the Wine Gods align it is thrilling!

Hi Michel
I'm not that regular a red Burg drinker, though with what I have experienced, proper age seems even more critical to my enjoyment than with Nebbiolo. Indeed the only Burgs that have really blown me away were from 1966, 1969 and 1978, with a 1996 getting an honourable mention I just don't seem to enjoy it young. A number of 1966s and 1969s have also been badly fading or shot.
Regards
Ian

Ian S wrote:Hi Michel
I'm not that regular a red Burg drinker, though with what I have experienced, proper age seems even more critical to my enjoyment than with Nebbiolo. Indeed the only Burgs that have really blown me away were from 1966, 1969 and 1978, with a 1996 getting an honourable mention I just don't seem to enjoy it young. A number of 1966s and 1969s have also been badly fading or shot.
Regards
Ian

Ian
We I many of us drink all wines too young
If you drink older wines your palate does become more accustomed
Often I see people discard an older Old World wine which is exceptionally brilliant
Just more mature but definitely in its prime
Cheers
Michel

Ian S wrote:A shame some of those older bottles were struggling, but that's the chance we take in seeking such wines. The highs are very high indeed, but the lows are quite frequent.

Preparation of old nebbiolo is like alchemy. It's a lot of fun and I've been having good success with slow-ox and various decanting techniques with half-decanters being very helpful.

These old neb's were from a source in the UK I don't trust. That said, preparation was impatient.

Whilst on my trip, sought out some Luke Lambert Nebbiolo, as I guessed none would be available CD. A bottle shop offered Denton 2014 as it’s made by LL. Very tasty, more roses than tar. Demerit point for a particularly annoying wax capsule.

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Tidy perfumed little creature
Ready to drink

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Tidy perfumed little creature
Ready to drink

Wow so assuming this was Delish? (Autocorrect had that as Delilah)

I bought a magnum of the 2011 and I have read a bit suggesting it’s ready to drink/approachable young... makes me wish I’d read before I bought (admittedly impulsively whilst waiting in a queu!) as I wanted to Lee it aside for years of maturation. Or perhaps the CellarTracker community as a little conservative?

Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin 2006- I found this for a great price in the Enoteca Regionale del Barbaresco- a little church converted to a wine shop showcasing the region in the town centre. It was surprising, as back vintages are few and the price modest. I'm guessing the wine has been undrinkable until now, due heavy-handed oak usage.

I drank a third of a bottle over three consecutive evenings. Day one presented the oak, day two presented the Muncagotta Cru and day three presented the senselessness of too much oak from a Cru, that produces naturally full wines of considerable natural structure.

On day two, mint scented dark fruits bloom toward dark cherry and violet notes, with an alluring smokiness and a lighter shade of tertiary leather. Full bodied, quite a fruit punch toward the front palate, mid-palate hollowness, though worth mentioning this fills by day three. Finishing long, with spice and not unpleasant tannin grit- when the oak is settled.

Quite a likeable behemoth. Worth a longer term gamble.

92pts





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Roagna is making very good wines and their vineyards and products rapidly expanding. Paje is one of my favourites. In the heart of Barbaresco, it's an amphithearte of sorts, rich, complex soils and the native grass is left to grow freely to control humidity. I remember digging at the soils gently on a visit and the life in the vineyard was quite startling.

One for the bucket list is to line up Pajé, Pajé VV and Crichët Pajé against each other. I've been lucky here a few times and it is telling in an evolution of depth and energy of a vineyard.

A nip of each wine the day before drinking, leaving a nice exposure for overnight aeration.


Roagna Barbaresco Pajé Barbaresco 2007- This evolved very well. Typically blocky-dark fruited 2007 aromatics lifted to complex red florals, minerals, licorice, before compressing toward a complex Burgundian like mulch of undergrowth, dried flowers and tar. Clean and and gently compelling, a naturally long wine where tannins seem resolved though their force is more an effortless push.

93pts+


Roagna Barbaresco Pajé Barbaresco 2009- Despite the hot vintage dramas I found the wine had stunning focus and polish in a dimension of rich, layered red an black fruits with sweet spices. There's wood on the edges, not off-putting though perhaps some new big botti? Again, what I love about great Barbaresco is the natural long length of the wines; here it is again, with dark fruits, spice and menthol/ spiritous warmth.

92pts


Roagna Barbaresco Pajé Barbaresco 2010- This wine is a pup. Infanticide though there's joy to behold already. Black tea in tar,spice, minerally crushed rock like notes prior a cool, clean package of unevolved dark fruit, hay on the edges and a forceful spray of fine tannins.

94pts+


Roagna Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti 2007- I think more brutal preparation could have served the wine better. Monetfico delivers rich, dark fruited wines often with a mineral streak. I feel the 2007 vintage, warm coal to prune nuanced fruit, can mask the complexity of the vineyard site.

Delivered here is mint and dark chocolated fruit, unevolved notes of coal/tar. Full bodided and layered is a dark unyielding complexity, mint and mixed spices on a slope of sludgy tannins.

93pts




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Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2012- This is, for all intents and purposes, Barbaresco and a veritable bargain in Aldo Vacca's own words ! Basically, they make it to keep the label. Otherwise, the fruit could be put into the Barbaresco normale. It's about half the price of the Barbaresco if well sourced and a case of 2012 is a joyful winter's quaffer.

The wine embraces a fresh pungency of either young vines or vintage youth. The primary fruit is joyful and childish compared to the regular Barbaresco. Clean menthol/anise overtones, lollied raspberry-cherry and clove like spice. Very comfortable texture, medium full and charged with fresh raspberry fruit, gently barren toward the finish prior a good pippy finish of fruit tannin.

90pts



Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2008- Great buy though I had to unload six to a good mate and three are for a HKWS wine tasting, one now, one soon, one for the cellar! Damn. I offered to buy my friends six back off of him.

Before my meaningless waffle, this is a classic expression of a wine that has a sense of place as it enters a proper maturation window ! So often missed by critics who judge Barbaresco at its most vulnerable. It's a classic vintage that perches you on the billowing slopes of Barbaresco- true sense of place.

Amarena cherry, complex herbs and spiced violet nuances. Lifted with white pepper and anise. By day two its melded toward more simple, yet complete nebbiolo. Generous austerity, yet a sense of place ( again ). Layered, dark fruited, a beautiful natural acidity runs long, taming adolescent tannins in its length.



93pts





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What's extraordinary about nebbiolo is its resilience to air. I found half a bottle of the Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2012 leftover from three days ago and its developed a more refined perfume and structural elegance, offsetting its youthful boniness. Beautiful wine!

Unfortunately barolo only last one night in my house.

JamieBahrain wrote:What's extraordinary about nebbiolo is its resilience to air.

So very true, many bottles are only waking up after 6+ hours of breathing...

Generally I'm slow-oxing the day before for old neb's.

Young neb's can be open all week. Even by the end of the week, a 100ml of leftovers has zero signs of oxidation. Most other reds struggle after the second day.

Any opinions on Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2013 and G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 2013, please?

Hello,

I haven't tried either wines but bought 6 packs of both with confidence.

JamieBahrain wrote:Hello,

I haven't tried either wines but bought 6 packs of both with confidence.

I did the same but only can afford 3 of each.

Fair enough . I can only afford to buy in sixes . In bond purchases from Europe .

Geez I'm craving good nebbiolo after a few weeks holiday. Eased into Piedmont last night with classy Barbera.

Point of the post- Bartolo Mascarello. Truly investment class wine. I'm mailing list so get the Barolo for $65 AUD ( magnum exactly x 2 sometimes with art label ) and it is being released through the UK for 2000£ per 6. Hong Kong same-same Extraordinary!

A shame it's being thought of as investment class - wine is for drinking rather than speculating in my book. However considering the online reverence for the winery, being on that mailing list is undoubtedly a profitable opportunity. I guess it shows the discomfort some producers have with cult/prestige market prices. They know it's not worth €350 a bottle, but that's what the market is trading it for.

I didn't realise the etichetta disegnata was still going after Bartolo's death - I thought the designs were his own work. Any idea who does them now, or did he leave a selection they are utilsing going forwards?

I think they found a heap of Bartolo's sketches so use them on magnums. I can't be sure though.

It was the 2010 vintage that saw a rapid increase in investor interest. The feeding frenzy hasn't abated. I don't mind frankly. Not just from being on the list but it hoovers up speculator interest keeping them away from other wines and still leaving a region full of bargain discoveries.

JamieBahrain wrote:the feeding frenzy hasn't abated. I don't mind frankly. Not just from being on the list but it hoovers up speculator interest keeping them away from other wines and still leaving a region full of bargain discoveries.

Don't think it works that way.

People will trade down from Bartolo...so they will look for the bargains. Also, the price rises for wineries like the Mascarello, G Conterno, Vietti encourages other Barolo producers, importers and retailers to lift their prices. Ends up being harder for us punters less connected in the supply chain than you Jamie

I get what your saying but if you consider the quality leaps, of say Langhe nebbiolo in the last 10 years, we have a permanent Piedmont Christmas. And if you look over to Burgundy, where village Bourgogne would have to the most overpriced and uninteresting wine of any region , Piedmont still has so much room for improvement. Barbaresco is emerging fast too. More and more quality. Barolo is getting intellectually serious - with most still being south of $100 Aussie.

The old money is looking for Piedmont Grand Cru/ First Growths. Mascarello obvious though they'll struggle elsewhere as there's so much happening in terms of climate, wine making practices and interest, coupled with a stylistic changes needing a drinking generation to understand. For example, the winding back of modernists.