Drinking up in Oakland the other night with a few friends and Nebbiolo connoisseurs. There was a good spread of wines on the table but a flight of two 2008 Nebbiolo’s yielded some shocking results. Both were poured in to decanters about 7 hours beforehand. We knew one of the wines was an 08’ Sottimano Barbaresco Riserva. The other wine was an unknown 2008 Nebbiolo, and I had (incorrectly) assumed it would be another wine from Piemonte.
When we got in to the wines, we started with what turned out to be the ringer, and it was immediately expressive on the nose with excellent typicity. There was some milk chocolate on the palate, but this note was there for both wines, and has been there on older Giacosa’s I’ve tasted. Anyhow, despite being a slight distraction, the wine was undeniably showing very well, and passing for a good wine from Piedmont, with attractive dark red fruit, elevated acidity, mouth coating tannins. Good, full finish. On reveal it was a 2008 Wind Gap Nebbiolo - Luna Matta & Glen Rose Vineyards, Paso Robles - 8 barrels, 180 cases
Just a crazy result.
The Sottimano in the next glass got some high praise for its color by one taster, and the wife of the host preferred it, though it was fairly closed aromatically, and a bit tighter on the palate. Darker in color, with finer grained tannins, it just lacked the openness and roundness that the Wind Gap had. That being said, in another ten years, I’d have to think the Sottimano would turn the tables and blossom, it was still a very shocking result and a reminder of just how bold of a variety Nebbiolo is.
Though I do think there were some conditions that allowed for the Wind Gap to perform so much higher than expectations, like the vintage and time we opened the wine being key. Maybe some intricacies in how the wine was made and the sites. Whatever it was, it went totally ignored by the market as the wine had to go on clearance and my friend bought 6 bottles at a ridiculous price of $10/each. Yes, we may have mentioned he should’ve bought a lot more, but lucky that he bought any quantity at all. It must have been pretty youthfully austere, and Nebbiolo wasn’t really a thing (less so than today, anyhow) in the SoCal market ten years ago.
We also had a 2008 Wind Gap Sonoma Coast Syrah, brought by Brian Tuite that was really showy and excellent.