Vintage Piedmont Tasting at Wine Watch

“I’m like Julius Caesar, when I come around you hail/
Fix me up a salad with tatsoi and kale.”
–The Nitpicker on his hit single “Leefi Greenz.”

“It’s a celebration. Clap, clap, bravo./Lobster and shrimp
and a glass of moscato.”
– Drake on Trey Songz’ hit track “I Invented Sex.”

The Piedmont is one of my favorite wine regions on earth and this is always one of the tastings that I look forward to the most. If you would build a perfect grape varietal it would be Nebbiolo.  This wine has the subtle earthy nuance and floral perfume of Pinot Noir (one my other favorite varietals) and the power and age ability of Cabernet Sauvignon (another one of my favorites). 

The best of both worlds in one varietal, so the perfect grape in my eyes is Nebbiolo and the only place that turns this varietal into world class wine is Italy and more specifically the Piedmont.

Nebbiolo should be all you need to know that this will be a special tasting but as this tasting is the night before my birthday you know there will be some 1969 vintage wine on the table this evening in addition to all the great vintage Nebbiolo.  All of these are 10+ years old and Toni will be making a special meal to accompany the tasting wines.  The fee for this tasting is $275 + Tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Vintage Piedmont Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, March 2nd
7pm

1955 Spanna Vallana

What was true then is still so today: for seventy-five years the name Antonio Vallana has meant great Piemontese Nebbiolo, yet their extraordinarily complex, long-lived wines come not from Barolo or Barbaresco but from the region’s other great terroir, the Novara hills of Alto Piemonte.

1964 Oddero Barolo

What do you think of Hemingway? So asked readers of journalist Gianni Brera, who answered their literary and footballing questions in his column L’accademia di Brera (“Brera’s academy”) in the newspaper La Repubblica. His reply, in Sbornie prese per sport (“Drunk for the sake of sport”) on 12/12/1986: “Ernest drank Valpolicella because he was around Venice, and in those days the Oddero brothers of La Morra couldn’t get their wines to him. But if he’d known Oddero Barolo he would not have turned to the liquor which ultimately killed him.”

1971 Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Riserva

               
Giacomo Borgogno is known for maintaining a collection of older vintages, and thus we are able to carry some of these great wines. Requires some decanting, but upon drinking it is velvety smooth, with mild tannins with a layered palate of earth, red berries and cassis.

1974 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate

Giuseppe’s father, Battista, crafted the legendary 1974 Brunate, a cru riserva, and in 1993, Beppe decided to add Brunate's name to a cuvee. Typically regarded as the more masculine of Rinaldi’s Barolos, Brunate-Le Coste derives that power from the Brunate cru, which also lends the wine’s complexity and intricacy. Brunate’s raw strength is tempered by the Le Coste, enabling the wine to delineate layers of dark fruit; Rinaldi produces about 800 cases of this wine a year, although it’s called “Barolo Brunate” since 2010.

1978 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi

Barbaresco Costa Russi, the third single-vineyard wine of the Gaja portfolio, represents the estate’s most approachable Barbaresco. It is regarded as the softest, most refined and aromatic of Gaja’s single-vineyard trio, which includes Sorì San Lorenzo and Sorì Tildin.

The Costa Russi vineyard was purchased by the Gaja family in 1950. A Costa is the side of a hill that faces the sun, and Russi is the name of the vineyard’s former owners. The predominantly south facing, 4.5 hectare Costa Russi plot is situated in the Roncagliette Vineyard of Barbaresco alongside the Sorì Tildin site.

Barbaresco Costa Russi was first released in 1978. Fermentation typically lasts 15-20 days and takes place with skins in stainless steel.  The wines are then placed in barrique for malolactic fermentation and remain there for a year before spending another 12 months aging in large oak casks.

1982 Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga

Martinenga is considered the very best Barbaresco vineyard in the whole area, and gives our wines the elegance and unique character of the terroir. Over the years we have selected three sub-zones to produce three different Barbaresco DOCG wines, each with its own recognizable and recognized identify: Martinenga Barbaresco DOCG, Camp Gros Martinenga Barbaresco DOCG (since 1978) and Gaiun Martinenga Barbaresco DOCG (since 1982). Three great wines with great potential for ageing, rich in elegance, complexity and character that increase in the bottle.

1982 Borgogno Barolo Riserva
Price: $285.00    Your Price: $250.80
Quantity in Stock: 43

80% blend of grapes from various vineyards in the town of Barolo, including Liste, San Pietro delle Viole, Brunate, Cannubi and Cannubi-Boschis 20% of grapes are purchased from local grape growers (mostly La Morra and Barolo)Garnet red in color, this wine has a complex and fruit forward nose layered with aromas of wood, spices, resin, tobacco and a hint of smoke. Full-bodied with the warmth of alcohol, it has a smooth, silky finish. A strong and very pleasant wine, it has great structure and an enormous potential for ageing.

1985 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Riserva

(96 Points) The Falletto is another great wine for current drinking.  It shows an alcoholic nose and plenty of lush, sweet fruit with notes of dark macerated cherries, spices and menthol that gradually reveal themselves as the wine sits in the glass.  Although the Falletto is a wine of greater overall structure, it is softer and more advanced in its flavors than the Santo Stefano, and ideally it too should be consumed over the next few years.  96/drink now- In the Cellar, Apr 2007

1988 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Soprana

Blending from three Bussia Soprana vineyards in Monforte d'Alba, the precise, silky Bussia Soprana offers a full-bodied palate of red berries, dried flowers, and sweet spice; with maturity, it wraps these signature Barolo notes in tertiary characteristics--autumn leaves, leather, sour cherry, brown spice, dried roses, and tar. Aldo Conterno, the "King of Barolo" passed away in 2012, and this ’88 Barolo Bussia Soprana provides serious Barolo connoisseurs with a mature wine with perfect provenance--and one made by the iconic master himself. Crafted from grapes grown on younger vines and spending three years in Slavonian oak followed by twelve months in bottle before release, this Barolo has a warm, expressive, welcoming nose that ushers you towards a fresh palate laden with fruit, dusted with spices and held in a harmonious, graceful body.

1989 Bruno Giacosa "Villero di Castiglione Faletto" Barolo

(95 points)  The 1989 Barolo Villero is one of the hidden gems among Giacosa’s wines. Sweet roses, flowers, red fruits and spices are just some of the nuances that emerge from this mid-weight Barolo. Deceptively medium in body, the wine blossoms in the glass, showing gorgeous richness and density backed up by powerful, sinewy tannins. (AG) (2/2010) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1990 Silvio Grasso Barolo Luciani

(92 Points) The 1990 Barolo Bricco Luciani is one of the most approachable and food-friendly wines of this tasting. I paired this bottle with baked garden zucchini stuffed with minced veal and chopped mint. You definitely feel the magic of its long cellar evolution, and the wine has enough acidity and general freshness of fruit to keep it in the game. I also enjoyed its earthy tones of dried terracotta and truffle that contrast so nicely against more delicate tones of blue flower and cola. Distant whiffs of oak spice also come into play, especially as the wine takes on oxygen in the glass. That said, I did find that some of its vibrancy started to fade three to four hours after I decanted the bottle. It’s delicious but short-lived. Drink: 2014-2020. eRobertParker.com #213, Jul 2014

Menu

Selection of cheese:  parmesan Reggiano, Beemster Gouda

Cannellini Bean, Eggplant, white truffle and sweet Italian Sausage soup garnished with basil infused extra virgin Olive oil and Mozzarella marsh mellow crouton

Pork Rib Ravioli with Sage Foam and Parmesan Cream