In the reverse order of tasting:
2015 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco Nebbiolo
One of the youngest of the night and one of the best; everything about this wine is just right. Violets, red fruits and spice awake and singing, and all the textures are in harmony. Exceptional for a young barolo.
1989 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Nebbiolo
My bottle. A classically mature barolo with dried strawberry, leather, bergamot, black tea, and balsamic notes. A sedate earthiness and fresh acidity provides a good foundation. Time to drink up, though.
2002 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barbaresco Nebbiolo
Super sweet fruit, sweet and vanilla oak, very tannic. Very international with no sense of place.
1964 Sordo Giuseppe e Figlio Giovanni Barolo Riserva Castiglione Falletto Nebbiolo
Corked.
2007 Cantina del Pino Barbaresco 150th Anniversary Nebbiolo
Fungal and earthy with lovely rose and tea notes. The 14.5% alcohol interferes a bit, but otherwise it's a very nice wine in a very nice place.
2010 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Laboro Dissubbediente Vino da Tavola Nebbiolo
Timmy J's. If wine were a V-8: tomato fruit with celery and white pepper, big acid and tannins. 'Disobedient' indeed.
2005 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala Nebbiolo
Dusty chocolate coats every sip, distractingly so. But that's about all we get--it's tight and closed, this wine very clearly does not want to be drunk right now. HOLD.
2007 Marcarini Barolo Brunate Nebbiolo
Mine. Decanted and returned to the bottle earlier. Plummy fruit with a chocolate background offset by some chinato-ish bitter green and camphor notes. Interesting but angular without food. Will schedule next bottle for 2022.
2008 Curto Marco Barolo La Foia Nebbiolo
Erik's. Something of a fruit bomb at the moment with roses, tar and tons of mint. Needs more time for integration.
2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo Langhe DOC
Mark's. Fresh red fruit with fennel, sandalwood. Silky tannins add sturdiness to the young and promising wine, I like it.
2017 Marchesi di Barolo Barbera del Monferrato Maràia
Fresh, easy, a good value barbera.
1971 Cantina Terre Del Barolo Barolo Riserva Nebbiolo
Some weren't impressed and it's owner wasn't wholly satisfied with it, but it was the 19th wine of the night and my favorite by far at that point in time. I wrote LOVE in capital letters and noted tootsie roll, pecans and sweet tannins.
2016 Le Piane Mimmo Vino da Tavola Nebbiolo Blend, Nebbiolo
Flowers, walnuts, and pickling spices on pure red fruit. Really delicious.
2012 Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d'Alba
Opened six hours earlier. Dark berry fruit, five spice, hibiscus syrup and cranberries with fine tannins for good texture. A really superb barbera.
2015 Cavallotto Langhe Freisa Langhe DOC
Erik's. Medium bodied and barbera-like friendly with black pepper, beet, and burdock root.
2015 Cavallotto Langhe Freisa Langhe DOC
Same as previous bottle and purchased from the same source, but interestingly this had been decanted four hours earlier resulting in a juicier, fleshier wine we suspected of being domestic, not Italian.
2017 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis
Mine. Rich yellow plums, delicata squash, stone fruit, beeswax, subtle acidity, creamy finish. A serious white.
2016 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Langhe Sauvignon Blanc Viridis Langhe DOC
Easily identifiable as SB for the grassiness but an unusual salinity sets it apart from domestic product. Interesting--SB in Piedmont, who'da thunk it.
2018 Saracco Moscato d'Asti
Timmy J's. Sweet and exotic with quince and guava fruit. A decent, inexpensive aperitif at 6.5% abv.
2010 Parusso Metodo Classico Brut Piemonte DOC Nebbiolo
Mine. Not nearly as vibrant as the bottle in 2017, and it's more earthy with round cherimoya fruit and a softer finish. Drink up.
But yeah, I was surprised to see a La Spinetta show up with this group. It was sure out of place.