WTN: Piedmont (mostly Barbaresco) plus Ledru

Great small group met in Croton Sunday for a mature Piedmont evening. Started off with charcuterie and cheese

2008 Marie-Noelle Ledru Cuvee de Goulte Extra Brut
Tangy, limey, and long. White nectarine, chalky mineral. A pointe. A-

First flight were good wines, but I find hard to find real enjoyment in young Nebbiolo. Where’s my toothbrush?

2009 Cappellano Barolo “Otin Fiorin Rupestris”
Big, tannic, firm, with red fruit and anise. Others found more approachable than I did. B-/B for drinking now, could be eventually great

2015 Rivella Serafino Barbaresco “Montestefano”
Comparatively elegant, spicy, good potential. B for now, also lots of potential

OK,now for things more in my zone.

1996 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Barolo
Still some oak notes, a touch bitter, but with dark fruits, tar, and spice. B

1993 Castello di Neive Santo Stefano Barbaresco
Good red fruit, tar, but a little hardness on finish. Still, a pretty credible effort, I think ‘93 is a bit underrated as a vintage. B

1990 Bruno Giacosa Gallina di Neive Barbaresco
Delicious, complex and long, tar and roses overlay dark fruit. A-

1982 Castello di Neive Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva
Sweet fruit, classic, touch of rusticity but really in a good place. B+/A-

1979 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
Bright acids, herbs, menthol, black cherry. A little high toned. B+

1978 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
Riper and rounder, but delicious Nebbiolo fruit with tar and spice. B+/A-

Dinner was braised rabbit legs in a sage sauce with scalloped potatoes with roast tomatoes

1970 Bruno Giacosa Santo Stefano Barbaresco
A nuttiness on the nose blows off, spicy, with cherries and citrus zest, note of smoked meat on finish. Great stuff. A-

1970 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
Nose was not a great start, lots of balsamic and some oxidative notes, tasted with trepidation, and was surprised with sweet pure fruit. Nose got better, palate stayed great. B+

1967 Oddero Barbaresco
Red cherry, licorice, autumn leaves. Complex and integrated. Plenty of life left. A-/B+

1964 Oddero Barbaresco
A touch nutty and pruney, a good wine but showing its age. B

John decided to blind us, we got era quickly, I said Barolo and Henderson said ‘71. But then we struggled mightily to get producer. But we knew it was very good! Earth and truffles with red fruits, complex and long, still young. 1971 Filippo Sobrero Barolo A-

Really fun night

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 consistenc

[David M. Bueker]

That sounds like a very fun night!

Other than the very occasional bottle, I leave most of my Piedmont wines resting in the cellar. Someday I will think they are “ready” to drink.

That sounds like a very fun night!

Other than the very occasional bottle, I leave most of my Piedmont wines resting in the cellar. Someday I will think they are “ready” to drink.

Same here. I hope I have the lifespan to enjoy some of my Langhe Nebbiolos as mature wines.

What a great tasting! I love the old nebbiolo based wines and have Produttori but now only back to 1990, having drunk up the earlier ones. I took a look at my cellar list and I have Nebbiolo based wines from 1982 through 2021 (something like 30 cases of it) and they age as well or in some cases better than cabernet. My investment guy came over for his annual home visit last week and although he isn't a big wine fan himself he gained brownie points by bringing a Gaja!

An unanswerable question, but interesting to ponder - what varietal makes the longest lasting dry red wine?

The oldest intact dry wine I have had was 1896 Latour, but it had been reconditioned at chateau (in 1960s I think).
1919 Gruaud, but unsure if reconditioned.
But I'd probably vote for Tempranillo or Nebbiolo, probably highest batting average on wines older than I am (1960 child).
Of course storage is the huge variable.

I was lucky enough to have an acquaintance who was a mad keen wine fanatic and he collected wine all over the place, I attended many of the events he sponsored including some late 19th C. clarets that were a real education.

You might find his book to be of interest: https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/CARTE-BLANCHE-Quarter-Century-Wine-Tasting/929847474/bd