Notes from a Piemonte Nebbiolo tasting.
2000 Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve Rosé – while not in theme, I don’t think anyone present would have rather had a Moscato d’Asti as a starter! Good nose, still fairly primary (warning – I like my Champers mature) soft in the mouth going in, with a bit of sweetness in the finish, but the acidity also comes in with enough presence to give a clean finish. My only minor criticism would be slightly less than satisfactory mousse, with but a single trail of bubbles rising in mine. I hesitate to press that point as it can be caused by residual detergent in a glass.
2010 Pietro Nero Bianca La Novella Chiavennasca – this white wine was a bit puzzling, showing a melon nose, an almost clear colour, pleasant mid palate and hint of finishing sweetness. Presented as a white Nebbiolo, it puzzled me as a Chiavennasca is normally just a Nebbiolo red wine from Lombardy. Well, this was a white Nebbiolo from Valtellina blended with chardonnay (so I had been right guessing that component from the nose) so it was half in theme! Then I recalled tasting one of these many years ago, but it had dropped from the memory banks probably shortly afterward. Interesting wine!
2008 Produtorri del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo – this co-op produces excellent Barbarescos and they do it by being vigilant in selection when their farmers bring their fruit to the coop to be crushed. Anything less than top quality (could be too young vines, or off year) goes into this second wine instead of one of their Barbarescos. This one was quite light in colour, with a pleasant nose of simple sweetish fruit, and the tannin made it seem lean and green, but not in a bad way. It reminded a couple of us of a decent Dolcetto.
2000 Cascina Gagliassi Barolo ‘Le Coste’ Riserva – (to save me typing, all wines from now on were Barolos). This one had some decent tar in the nose, a bit ‘one note’ and a decent entry, but then the tannins put a clamp on your tongue. Too young to really assess.
1998 Corino Vigna Giachini – rustic nose with some floral element and a bit of tar, the tannins were pretty much a wall that prevented you seeing just how much fruit was present. I have a half case of the 1997 and am thanking myself for staying away from it, based on this sampling of the 98. These wines need time.
1997 Ceretto Brunate – someone was let loose with oak on this wine – the nose was vanilla and flowers and hints of anise, rather non-traditional! This is still tannic, but it has smoothed out enough to be pleasurable drinking now – certainly be in no rush to plunder this if you have it.
1996 Ceretto Brunate – the nose on this one was much more fruit (dark cherry) but still showed some floral element, high toned, with medium tannins and very good length.
1996 Alareo Claudio ‘Riva’ – a minty nose, of all things, but also some more cherry and hints of coffee, and moderate tannin levels. A new style wine with good length. Nice, but I guess I am an old style advocate.
1990 Paolo Scavino – I wanted to revisit this wine as the bottle I’d opened earlier in the year hadn’t presented as well as I’d hoped. This one was considerably better, showing a tar and floral classic Nebbiolo nose with more complexity than the younger wines could muster, with things like cigar box nuances appearing. Smooth and medium long, I think this is drinking on plateau now and will continue to do so for some years.
1990 Paolo Scavino Cannubi – what fun to have someone bring the same year and producer from a single vineyard so we had the opportunity to compare! The comparison? This wine had greater complexity in both nose, where I noted additional nuances of wood and dark fruit, a ripeness of fruit lacking in the previous wine and excellent balance and length. Many reviewers seem to not be plugged into these wines (RP included, he had drinking windows for this and the previous wine ending in 2009 and 2004 respectively). Yes, you CAN drink them young, but that is like plundering new Port – why waste it when it will give decades of increasing pleasure?
1988 Mascarello Monprivato – I had been thinking that this one was a 1989 or maybe a 1985, but it was instead an over-achieving 88. Lovely mature tarry nose, good concentration and medium length, this traditional wine had it all together and was a nice way to finish the tasting
