Ben and Wendy (as usual) hosted our annual White Truffle and Nebbiolo dinner Thursday night. I arrived at their village apartment to be greeted with a Champagne and a Burg
NV Ulysse Collin “Les Roises” Champagne (2011 disgorgement)
Big BdB, pears with brioche and citrus blossom. B+
2011 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey “Chenevottes” Chassagne Montrachet 1er (mag)
Fleshy pit fruits, apple, good concentration and good finish. B+B
To the table for the reds. I was struggling with a bit of a cold, but thank god the pungent truffles could make it through my sinuses. First course was scrambled eggs with plenty of truffle
(most people had double decanted that AM)
1964 Minuto Barolo Riserva
Clean elegant and delicate, dried cherry with a little tar and smoke. B+
1970 Produttori del Barbaresco “Pora” Barbaresco Riserva
Color tended toward a slightly murky brick, nose was a bit volatile, I liked palate a bit better but this bottle was a tad long in the tooth. B-
1982 Ratti “Marcenasco” Barolo
Sweet red fruit, a spicy note, quite good. B+
Tajarin ( tagliatelle) with truffles.
1978 Fontanafredda "Vigna la Delizia" Barolo
(mine) Sweet fruit, tarry, a topnote of violets, doing well (I’ve had good experiences with older Fontanafredda which tends to be cheap based on more recent rep). B++
1978 Produttori del Barbaresco “Asili” Barbaresco Riserva
(also mine) A little brown sugar/caramel on nose seems advanced, on the palate more correct. Red fruits, smoked meats, modest finish, B
1979 Cavallotto “Bricco Boschis Vigna Colle Sudovest” Barolo Riserva
Higher acid, bright, red cherry and plum, leather and tar. A-
And a second serving of the pasta and truffles (David had done a great job sourcing the funghi)
1990 Vietti “Brunate” Barolo
Off bottle, maderized
1990 Produttori del Barbaresco “Pora” Barbaresco Riserva
Red and black cherries, game, still some tannin. B+
1991 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
Red cherries, cranberry, mushrooms, good acids. I bought some of these on the cheap (not well regarded vintage) in 2004 and liked a lot, but thought fully mature, this is as good or better. A-
Ben had made a 72-hour sous vide “brasato” - great with the younger wines (though so supple would have gone with older too)
1995 G. Conterno “Cascina Francia” Barolo
Black cherry, citrus zest, game bird. Really nice balance. Good and will be better. A-
1998 G. Conterno “Cascina Francia” Barolo
Ripe red and black cherry, some tangy tannins, could use some time but tasty already. B+/A-
2000 G. Conterno “Cascina Francia” Barolo
Ripest, a bit fat, good though. B+/B
Final flight
1996 A. Conterno “Granbussia” Barolo Riserva
Full and structured, big black cherry and plum fruit with incipient notes of saddle leather and roses. A bit modern but really pulls it off. A-/B+
1999 Giacosa “Le Rocche” Barolo
Wow, this is young but just stunning. Black cherry and berries, coffee, truffles, spice. A- but destined for A
1999 G. Mascarello “Monprivato” Barolo
Corked, a tragedy
There was also a 2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey "Champs Gain" Puligny-Montrachet 1er floating around. . I didn’t take notes as I used as a palate cleanser, but lovely wine with zippy acids.
Homemade ice cream with salt and truffles for those that partake
1993 Monsanto Vin Santo
I thought this volatile and sharp, I think I’m just not a vin santo person. B-/C+
Really fun night, even with a cold.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.