August 31, 2012 – End of Summer Tasting/Celebration, Vintages, Concord, MA
Thanks to the staff of Vintages for organizing another great event!
2009 Azienda Agricola Fratelli Brovia Barbera d’Alba DOC Brea
Medium to full-bodied, well balanced, with nice acidity; a more structured, traditional Barbera. Features cherry and plum aromas and flavors, with mineral, meaty, and nutty notes. Very good/excellent.
2010 Cantina del Pino Langhe DOC Freisa
Medium-bodied, dry, frizzante, well balanced, with good underlying acidity. Floral, earthy, lightly mineral, with raspberry and blackberry notes. Perhaps a bit more mineral than I remember in previous vintages. Very good, as usual.
2010 Fratelli Alessandria Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC “Prinsiòt”
Lighter bodied, elegant, nicely balanced, with cherry, blood orange, brick, and lightly earthy notes. Maybe it’s not in the same category as the great Barolos and Barbarescos here, but this is still a very nice, expressive Nebbiolo for earlier drinking.
2006 Azienda Agricola Brezza Giacomo e Figli Barolo Bricco Sarmassa
Rather closed on the nose right now. Medium to full-bodied, nicely structured and balanced, quite mineral, with notes of dark fruits, spices, and roses; lightly meaty finish. No question here that this will fill out nicely – just give it some more time. Excellent.
2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano
This was one of my favorites among the 2004 Produttori crus that I tasted three years ago, and it is clearly developing quite nicely. Full-bodied, nicely balanced and structured, with firmer yet attractive tannins; as would be anticipated, it seems to have added some weight since 2009. Full of cherry, meaty, spicy, and rose notes, with some mint as well. Excellent.
2004 Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano
Forest/berry/licorice nose. Full, tannic, well balanced, elegant, and smooth, with a mélange of cherry, mixed berry, floral, meaty, spicy, and lightly piny/tarry notes. Outstanding; this is one of the greatest Barbarescos that I have had to date.
2004 Poderi E Cantine Fratelli Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda
Rosy/coconut/berry nose. Full-bodied, tannic, moderately acidic, smooth, nicely delineated, very floral, with cherry, mixed berry, meaty, and spicy notes. Excellent; good balance between the traditional and the modern here.
2004 Cantine Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
Full-bodied, focused, elegant, well balanced and structured; meaty, with cherry, mineral, smoke, and spice notes. Excellent traditional Barolo.
1998 Cantine Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
Nose of porcini mushrooms, tobacco, and sour cherries. Full-bodied, elegant, nicely balanced, leathery, meaty, somewhat earthy, with cherry and cranberry flavors; some notes of herbs and spices. Excellent – this is coming along nicely.