TN: 1989 Nebbiolo at Cinghiale

WINE TALK
1

1989 NEBBIOLO AT CINGHIALE - Cinghiale, Baltimore (9/14/2018)

This was an evening with close friends who share a passion for nebbiolo. Tom had offered up the theme of '89 and mentioned the words Collina Rionda. From there it was very easy to say yes and to make the trip out east. It was also a celebration of health and to steal a term from TM, our good fortune. This was a night of staggeringly good wines and wonderful company. The group included Henry with a cameo appearance by hi better half Marlene, Ian, Jamie, Kevin, Kim, Steve, Tom, and me. All nebbiolo wines were double decanted in the morning. Henry worked with the restaurant to create a Piemontese menu that would act as a supporting actor to the wines, which deserved center stage this night. So, without further banter, here we go.
Whites
With Fritto Misto and later Carne Cruda

Paired with the 1999.
Very young and pretty closed at first. At first pretty reductive on the nose, then mineral, savory, lemon and herbal on the nose. It opens with air but still lI thin tonight is just a glimpse into the future. An interesting wine of contrasts. Dense and powerful, with citrus pith, gripping tannins, and tension, yet with great lift and freshness with chewy tannins. Structured and impressive, and I suspect has a very bright future. Outstanding. 93+ (93 pts.)

Poured alongside the 2012
Mature and like al looking glass into the future of the '12. Mature fruit, but not tiring. Great cut, tension and grip still. Tannic, and almost chewy on the back end with citrus pith, bitterness that I liked. More savory and herbal than fruit driven at this point, and while I doubt it will improve, I think this is in no fear of imminent decline. At peak and no reason to hold. I think the '12 is a better wine but this wine shows in a better stage of evolution. (93 pts.)

A bird of another feather tonight. Some matchstick to start that blew off with some air. An intoxicating, beautiful nose. Purity and grace, themes that seemed to recur in my comments while drinking this wine. A little nutty, lemon curd, some subtle wood and subtle florals on the nose. Graceful and beautiful pure nose. On the palate, clean and fresh, like drinking mineral water. More lemon curd, some nuttiness, and beautiful inner mouth perfume. This is cohesive, beautifully balanced wine that seems to carry itself with a sense of effortlessness. Grace and purity, depth without heaviness. It’s really mid weight at most, but has hidden power while lithe and graceful. Precise and with a jewel like transparency/precision. Mouthwatering. A wonderful wine that I wish I could drink more often. Terrific. 95 (95 pts.)

Nebbiolo Flight #1
With Tajarin and Guinea Fowl Ragout

An intoxicating perfume that seems to fill not just the nose but your lungs as well. Cherry fruit, roses, balsamic notes, porcini, cherry Luden’s in the best way possible. On the palate, sap and density without heaviness. Harmony, power and grace. To throw in in another overused term, iron fist in a velvet glove. This has beautiful inner mouth perfume, sap and depth. Terrific balance and tension. Towering yet graceful. In spite of al the technical beauty, this is and emotional wine, that just sings to you. Drinking fantastically well, and has a future lifespan to measure in decades. Firm. Wonderful wine. (98 pts.)

Much more savory than the Rinaldi. Bouillon, tar, leather, decaying leaves, some iron, a little soy that blew off, and dried rose petals. Midweighted on the palate and still are savory than fruit Driven. More beef broth, porcini, and just with a touch of balsam on the back. Where it really lifted its expression was with some of the tajarin. I like this more than others, and this is a wine that really complimented the food. Drink up now or a couple years ago if you have them. (90 pts.)

Dark fruited nebbiolo. Tar, dark fruit, balsam, and some chocolate on the nose. On the palate, dense and meaty, more savory than fruit driven with more tar and dark fruit in the background. A broader stroked wine that while structured and dense, lacks clarity and lift, and is more of a direct impact wine than a wine of nuance. This is personal preference and others will like it more I suspect. (91 pts.)

Again dark profiled nebbiolo. Tar, dark fruits, roses, savory/herbal notes, iron, and olive. Better texture and with more focus and clarity that the Ginestra. A good sense of sap, minerality and focus. Drinking at peak. (93 pts.)

Nebbiolo Flight #2 a.k.a. The best flight of wines I will ever drink
With mushroom and roasted chicken agnolotti

This was one of my bucket list wines, and this was the night to get to see it. Often this ends up in disappointment as my expectations would have been hard to have been higher.

Well, it takes at most a couple seconds to realize you are in the presence of perfection. A lung filing nose. hugely lifted and fresh, weightless yet profoundly deep nose. Roses, cherry, tar, truffle, amazing perfume. The perfume just continues onto the palate. Florals, balsam, truffle, Serralunga fruit power but with a graceful touch. This not only has everything, but everything in perfect harmony. This is not the broadest or most powerful wine of the night, but the most complete, and deepest. Sap, density without weight, an effortlessly perfect wine that words cannot adequately convey. Incredibly long. I have not had a better wine in my life. Others at the table said it. This is an emotional wine. Thank you TM. (100 pts.)

The most savory of the flight. Bouillon, tar, iron, some olive, and darker nebbiolo fruit. Wonderful texture and sap. It’s denser and more structured than the other three wines in the flight, but also and I am picking nits and all in relative note to the wine drunk alongside it, it was the broadest and most direct of the 4 wines. Great balance, and with a great mix of savory and soil over fruit. Finishes long with balsamic notes. Terrific wine. (97 pts.)

Beautiful perfume. Dried roses, tar, cherry fruit, olive and a little ferrous on the nose. Wonderful sap, with tension and lift. This, the Rionda and the Santo Stefano all have the sweetness and suppleness of fruit that Giacosa seems to have mastered. It is extracted, yet very light on its feet. Harmonious, graceful and beautiful balanced. It is easy as mineral water to drink. Wonderful balance. I love Villero in general, and this is another wine that let’s me know why. Power and grace, wonderful depth but no heaviness. A harmonious wine drinking at peak (97 pts.)

Roses and tar on the nose. A touch of caramel that blew off. Terrific texture. A profoundly deep nose and palate. Rich yet with great tension and balance. Some Luden’s cough drop cherry balsamic notes fill your nose and then your whole palate when you drink it. Expansive yet graceful, with terror sap and Giacosa sweet fruit. This wine just flows everywhere filling the space with its perfume. Over time it opens up more, with roses, balsamic, note. Incredible wine, and on any other day I would call it perfect, but there was a glass next to it that was better. Another reason why points can’t convey the wine. Fantastic wine and a privilege to drink. (99 pts.)

Nebbiolo Flight #3
With braised beef short rib, creamy polenta, and baby carrots

Deep and darker fruited. Great perfume. Roses, tar, some ferrous notes. Rich and dense yet with sap and great lift. A structured, powerful wine, full bodied and carrying it very well. It is more muscular than most of the wines tonight, yet maintains harmony. Finishes long and dark with more ferrous, balsamic and savory on the back end. Impressive and still somewhat youthful. (96 pts.)

Two bottles were opened on accident instead of a Cicala and Colonello.

One of the bottles was not sound, so my TN is on the better bottle. One of them was off.

Dense and darker fruited. Savory and meaty, soil driven nebbiolo. Power and more forward. Tar, beef broth, porcini, iron, and dark nebbiolo fruit on the palate. Savory and structured, with good acidity and lift, but lacking the nuance of some of the other bottles tonight. Still outstanding. (92 pts.)

This was surprise on the upside. Tar and roses on the nose, with some saline, olive notes. Great mid to fun weighted texture with lift and freshness. the least structured wines of this flight, but aside from the Granbussia, the most harmonious. Some decaying leaves, balsam, and mature notes on the back end. Graceful and cohesive and the most open of the '89 Aldo Conterno wines tonight. (94 pts.)

This was a tremendous evening, where most any of these wines could have been the wine of the night or wine of the year in other circumstances. That said, there was great joy and value in tasting and drinking these wines during a slow meal in context with each other, and drinking them with the people involved. I found it very instructive and even more enjoyable. I have not had a better wine than the '89 Collina Rionda and it was a bucket list wine for me. It exceeded my high expectations. I doubt I will ever enjoy a flight of wines as much as the Giacosa flight this night.

I thank TM for setting it up and for his unparalleled generosity, and more importantly, friendship. Thanks for Henry for doing the legwork with the restaurant. Thanks to everyone else who shared their wines and the experience. I cannot think of an evening I have had better wine in my life, and I doubt that will change any time soon. These wines were further substantiation that '89 is a monumental vintage in the Langhe. I am humbled to have been part of this evening and could not think of people with whom I would rather have shared it.

Thanks for reading
Posted from CellarTracker

2

Todd,
Thanks so much for posting your notes. I so wish I could have been there. Originally I had to bow out due to work but then Florence sealed my fate. So much rain I’ve had to pump out my pool 6 times to keep it from over flowing.

I have been lucky to have had the ‘89 Giacosa Collina Rionda a few times. Always perfection. Along with the other ‘89 Giacosa likely his greatest overall vintage.

Really miss seeing you guys. Please report on last night as well.

3

Kelly,

We were sorry to miss you. I hope your home stays dry on the inside. I’m flying home tomorrow and will try to knock out the following night’s notes soon. As a whole the wines showed very well, some were exceptional. Hope to see you some time soon.

Best,

T

4

Amazing notes…I live a couple of blocks from there, guess I missed my invite!

5

I prolly should have made more of an effort to get down there!

Sounds like I missed another epic night. Great notes but looking forward to sharing the bottles next time.

6

Wow, what an amazing night that must have been. Like that restaurant a lot (only been there once though)

7

Yes, thanks for the notes, Todd,

Particularly the ones on the Giacosa’s–made me feel like I was there. (Also like Cinghiale!)

Cheers,
Josh

8

Very nice; thanks.

Sounds like 89s are at a great place right now.

9

Todd,
My impression is almost identical to yours.

1989 PIEDMONT RETROSPECTIVE - Cinghiale, Baltimore (9/14/2018)

Todd T was coming into town with his family and Tom M organized two dinners. Last night’s theme was the 89 Barolo/Barbaresco. Without a doubt, this was one of the greatest Piedmont dinners of my life. Tom happens to be one of the most generous wine folks. Since I had no ’89 to contribute, he kindly offered to trade his ’89 Giacosa Santo Stefano Riserva with a few bottles of Salon.

It was truly educational to observe 12 bottles of the 89 Barolo. Bacchus was kind to us as the wines showed incredibly well. Tom considers ’89 the best Barolo vintage surpassing ’71 and ’78. The wines displayed excellent ripeness, structure and concentration. However, what truly impressed me was the balance. The best two wines, the Rionda and the SSR reminded me of the 89 Haut Brion a bit, intense and concentrated, yet weightless as the fruits are so finely layered and the tannins are so sweet.

The dinner was at Cinghiale. Most of the dishes were good. However, my short ribs were a bit bland, definitely under-salted. The wine service was very good. Being able to experience the great Barolo and Barbaresco wines more than made up for any shortcomings.

White

  • 2012 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
    Very fresh but a bit coiled example. Pop and pour, slightly subdued fruit expression, grapefruit, starfruit, flint, honey, wet stone, white pepper, oyster jus, jalepeno and steely mineral. There is a strong sharp floral note and coriander seed towards the end. Excellent concentration, dense slightly coiled citrus driven palate impression, cool and clean, medium acidity, steely mineral and a long coiled white fruit and steely mineral driven finish. A couple hours of decanting is highly recommended. (94 pts.)
  • 1999 Azienda Agricola Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
    Pop and pour, a hint of sulfur. Fully mature medium expressive nose displaying ripe slightly dry yellow fruit, a hint of raisin, clementine peel, smoked ham, smoked oyster, burnt sugar, anise and beeswax. Very good concentration, deeply toned dry yellow fruit, good acidity and mineral, and a medium to long finish with burnt sugar and orange peel at the end. Fully mature, no need to wait. A couple hours of decanting is recommended. (93 pts.)
  • 2014 Arnaud Ente Meursault Clos des Ambres - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
    Off the restaurant’s list. Very precise and energetic nose displaying subtle pure white fruit, lemon, a hint of white peach, strong Coche like flint, beeswax, subtle perfume, cool mountain stream, saline and wet stone. Medium concentration, displaying exquisite balance, very finely layered subtle pure white fruit, cool and precise, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long pure white fruit and matchstick driven finish. Very pure and precise, as well as incredibly delicious. Interesting contrast to more dense and steely Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. (95 pts.)

Barolo - Flight 1
The Rinaldi Brunate and the Falletto were the most concentrated wines of the evening.

  • 1989 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Explosive complex nose displaying very ripe concentrated black fruit, black cherry, dry cherry, balsamico, licorice, tobacco, root beer, iron, raisin and earth. Incredibly concentrated, layers upon layers of dense concentrated slightly dry black fruit, chewy, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, still noticeable medium coarse tannins and a long intense black fruit driven finish with tobacco and licorice at the end. Initially almost overripe and rustic with a hint of oxidative note. With air, it shows better detail and precision. The nose constantly evolves overtime, gaining animal, black truffle and surprisingly chocolate. It is a very ripe and powerful wine. The style is quite different from the recent Rinaldi wines. Along with the 89 Riserva Falletto di Serralunga, this is the most powerful and concentrated wine of the evening. (97 pts.)
  • 1989 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    A bit tired and straightforward. Subtle nose displaying raisin, plum, fruitcake, rust and earth. Medium concentration, subtle ripe dry red fruit, medium acidity and mineral, and a short clipping finish. I suspect this will be a pedestrian Barolo even if cellared properly. (89 pts.)
  • 1989 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Medium expressive nose displaying shy slightly dry red and black fruit, dry cherry, iron, rust, anise, caramel, cumin, cinnamon and earth. Medium concentration, subtle dry red fruit driven palate impression, slightly lean, good acidity, strong iron mineral and a medium long shy red fruit driven finish with sweet spices and iron at the end. For my palate, a step below the Bussia which is more complex and expressive. (92 pts.)
  • 1989 Domenico Clerico Barolo Bricotto Bussia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Expressive nose displaying concentrated warm red and black fruit, cherry, dry cherry, fruitcake, iron, sweet spices, tar and earthy mineral. Very good concentration, generous sweet red fruit, warm, soft and round, good acidity and mineral, and a long sweet red fruit driven finish with sweet spices and iron at the end. Showing better concentration and balance than the Ginestra. (94 pts.)

Barolo - Flight 2
Perhaps the best Piedmont flight of my life as the wines showed incredibly well. The Villero showed incredibly well, almost as enjoyable as the Riservas. However, it was a bit more “obvious” and not as complex and layered.

  • 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Incredibly precise, complex and detailed nose displaying cherry, dry cherry, caramel, balsamico, iron, rose, tar, leather, truffle and mineral. Perfectly harmonious palate, very finely layered subtle red fruit, silky, soft and fluid, bright acidity, strong iron mineral, still a hint of very fine tannins and the never ending finish. The nose constantly transforms. Just like a great GC Burgundy, it is incredibly complex, detailed and harmonious. The power, intensity and concentration is not obvious. It is a Zen like wine that remains calm and composed. Tom and I agree that this is an emotional wine for us. This bottle has to be the most “complete” Barolo of my life. (100 pts.)
  • 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Explosive nose displaying concentrated very ripe black fruit, black cherry, dry cherry, blackberry jam, fruitcake, licorice, caramel, rust, soy, dark spices and iron mineral. Incredible concentration, layers upon layers of deeply toned concentrated black fruit, dense and chewy, bright acidity, strong iron mineral, still noticeable medium coarse tannins and a long dense black fruit driven finish with caramel and dark spices at the end. It is the most powerful, ripe and concentrated wine of the evening along with the Rinaldi Brunate. It also transforms with air, showing better precision and detail. (97 pts.)
  • 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero di Castiglione Falletto - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Not sure if this makes sense but it is the freshest yet the most approachable wine of the flight. Very pretty and delicious nose displaying subtle yet decadent red fruit, red cherry, red currant, strawberry jam, licorice, leather and earthy mineral. Beautiful harmonious palate, very generous delicious sweet red fruit, silky, round and soft, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long sweet red fruit driven finish. It is more upfront and obvious compared to the Riservas. However, it is almost as enjoyable as the Riservas. Excellent showing. (97 pts.)
  • 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Beautiful perfectly mature complex nose displaying subtle sweet red fruit, strawberry jam, raspberry, dry cherry, cedar, spearmint, anise, Asian spices, cinnamon, leather and iron mineral. Perfect balance and harmony, very finely layered subtle sweet red fruit, soft, sweet and warm, exceptional precision and detail, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, most resolved very fine tannins, and an incredibly long sweet red fruit driven finish with a hint of mint and Asian spices at the end. With air, constrantly transforming, becoming very Burgundian. Initially not as good as the Rionda but gets better and better. A rare occasion where I have the privilege of drinking two perfect wines. (100 pts.)

Barolo - Flight 3
The Granbussia was clearly a step or two up from the other. The Colonnellos came from the same case yet one was much fresher.

  • 1989 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Expressive nose displaying concentrated red and black fruit, black cherry, strawberry jam, licorice, mint, caramel, leather and limestone. Excellent concentration, generous amount of concentrated black fruit, dense yet silky, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral, still noticeable yet non obtrusive tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish. This is a big scale wine that will drinking beautifully for a couple more decades. (95 pts.)
  • 1989 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Tom meant to bring the Vigna Cicala and the Colonnello to compare but mistakenly brought two Colonnellos. This was really educational as the two wines showed differently. This bottle seems more advanced showing more subtle fruit and tertiary notes. There is also a slight hint of oxidative note in the beginning that dissipates. The palate is soft, warm and round and the finish is medium long. Not as good as the other bottle. No need to wait. (91 pts.)
  • 1989 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Tom meant to bring the Vigna Cicala and the Colonnello to compare but mistakenly brought two Colonnellos. This was really educational as the two wines showed differently. Definitely fresher than the first bottle showing sweet red fruit. Very pretty nose displaying cherry, strawberry jam, anise, mushroom, tar and earth. Fully integrated palate, warm and round red fruit, good acidity and mineral, and a long subtle sweet red fruit driven finish. Really delicious and enjoyable. (93 pts.)
  • 1989 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Relatively straightforward nose displaying subtle red fruit, tar, iron and earth. Good concentration, subtle cherry fruit, good acidity and mineral and a medium long finish. It is surprisingly tannic, perhaps the most tannic wine of the flight. (90 pts.)

It was a great evening of great wines and more importantly great friends!
Posted from CellarTracker

10

Thanks Todd. Great line-up.

11

Kevin,

My best white Valentini is the great 2007.

Fabio Alessandria came to Toulouse in february 2015 to present us a wonderful verticale of his wines (from 2011 to 1997).
I think that the oldest wines were not as good as they are now.

12

Interesting. Did you recall how the 2001 performed?

13

Markus

The full tasting is on our web site.

Monvigliero 2001 : Report by Maxime France
La gamme aromatique montre des accents plus
évoluée au travers de senteurs de tabac, et de
sous-bois notamment. La bouche apparaît très
fraîche mais le vin semble, dans un premier
temps, plus évolué que son âge. Il reprend du
corps et de l’énergie à l’aération en se parant au
passage d’une belle complexité de parfums. Au
final un très joli vin, peut-être pas tout à fait au
niveau attendu en terme de densité de matière…

8 tasters, average and uniform rating : 90/100 (only, I would say)

14

Laurent,
I am not surprised. Even Rinaldi much more consistent.

15

Kevin

Was the 1989 Rinaldi a Brunate/Le Coste ?
The two bottles of 2011 Brunate (Le Coste is no more indicated on the label) I had recently wer both glorious (18,5/20 and 18/20), on a great affordable vintage.

16

Sorry, I was asking about the Valenttini. I thought you had a vertical of trebbiano. I was so curious, I had to pull a bottle last night. It was excellent.

17

Markus,

I liked the Valentini Trebbiano 2004 and 1994 (no trace of the 2001 in my archives).