Had a wonderful meal at Ristorante Repubblica di Perno after tasting from barrel with Luca Currado at Vietti.
Marco and Ellena run this small restaurant in Perno. Marco was the chef at La Libera in Alba and decided upon a tree change in Perno. They open when they please and grow lot of their own vegetables. Cooking is backed by solid technique and old-fashioned recipes are given a modern makeover. There’s a convivial vibe and lots of laughter.
In tow were Luca’s vintage intern and a few clients from New York city. We kicked off proceedings with a bottle of 2015 Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Néore that had a nose of honeysuckle and peach fruit. It was generous and spicy in the mouth, with good underlying minerality and some herbal freshness to the finish. The New Yorkers had generously brought along a bottle of 1991 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc. It was in splendid condition. It had a youthful colour and just a hint of toasty development on the nose. There were exotic fruits including paw paw, custard apple and mango. It was rich, layered and heady, with an unctuous, waxy feel and great presence and drive. Length was imposing. Both whites absolutely rocked with an entrée of Guinea Fowl terrine with vegetables.
2016 is shaping up as a legendary year for Barolo. Lucca brought along a pre-release sample of Brunate, Rocche, Ravera and Lazzarito for us to have a sneak peek at. All were beautifully balanced and crackled with energy. The Rocche was the most expressive and open today, with engaging florals and intense red fruits. There was a cool, underlying stoniness. The Brunate was luscious, layered and deep. Perfectly ripe fruits enveloped the mouth and it had so much latent power. There’s ample structure under the flesh. The Lazzarito had some tobacco and floral spice. There’s a core of delicious cherry fruit and some earth and iron lingering in the background. The Ravera is a tight, kinetic ball of sensuousness. There are waves of fruit, mineral and spice. It is deeply pitched and so expansive. It will need loads of time to eventually unfurl but you sense greatness.
For main course I was quite jelly of Heidi’s pasta a beans dish. It was loaded with more vegetables than we have had all trip and utterly delicious. It had a local peasant dish of various offal soaked in vinegar, then pan fried and served with vegetables. It was a unique dish and a thoroughly enjoyable one.
Luca had pulled a couple of aged beauties from his cellar. A 1989 Vietti Barolo Rocche had a complex nose of leather, smoke, truffles and earth. The palate is deep, dense and chewy, with good energy and a long, powerful finish, loaded with savoury nuance. A 1985 Vietti Barbaresco Rabajà had a gorgeous nose of decaying rose, red fruits, pine needles and balsamic. It is fine and floral in the mouth, with a core of sweet delicate berry fruits. It builds through the palate and fans out on the finish, leaving a highly perfumed calling card. Absolutely somewhere near its apogee.
It was getting late and we were going to skip dessert, but Ellena demanded we have panna cotta. Made fresh daily, with no gelatin, the version here is as good as it gets. There is a caramel that has been pushed to its absolute limit but remains vibrant and the whole dish is harmonious and perfectly executed.
). The Monvigliero is interesting - I hadn’t realized they were making it. 18 is the first year, I believe. They’re doing it whole cluster, like Burlotto and I liked the barrel sample quite a bit. Of the 16s I tasted, I liked the Ravera the most, though the Lazzarito also surprised me, as I’m usually not the biggest fan of that cru. I also liked the Rocche, which tends to be one of my favorite crus in Barolo generally.