Thanks to one of our alert dinner group members, 6 of us attended a very interesting and informative luncheon at Somm`s Kitchen in Paso Robles.
Fourteen in all sat at the Chefs Counter, a curved, granite topped counter, while tasting wines for this events theme, Barbaresco vs Barolo. The host, Ian Adamo, treated us to two different spirits at the end while plating 4 delicious courses that were perfectly paired with the wines.
I had no idea as to what to expect and took this champagne {and a Barolo} at least to share with our group only to discover the first 3 wines to be served would be a sparkling wine and 2 champagnes, one of which was good as it gets:
2015 VILMART GRAND CELLIER D`OR- 80 % Chardonnay, 20 % Pinot Noir classified Premier Cru and from vines 50 years old; aged 4 years on the lees after bottling; disgorged June 2019 at 7 gpl; no ML; this has nice pear, golden delicious apple and citrus fruit nicely accented with a streak of minerals and chalk; it has bright acidity, a pleasant mouthfeel, depth of concentration and is medium plus bodied; it served as a fine palate cleanser and it served to get us off on our way.
We then proceeded to enjoy 3 more sparkling wines poured as part of the event:
NV CONTADI CASTALI FRANCIACORTA BRUT ROSE- 65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Nero; this was fruity, but not sweet; it had yellow peach, citrus in the form of lemon and orange zest and a nice dollop of strawberry to top it off; the mousse was light and frothy and it was very refreshing and crisp being served with a good chill.
NV POL ROGER BRUT RESERVE- this bubbly has been produced for over 150 years in the same manner and consists of equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier; in fact, it is still being hand riddled and they are the only negotiant to do so for NV wines; I’ve had this many times and this bottle was consistent with those before it having a bounty of lemon, lime, pear and apple with accents of fennel and pine; it had a light creamy mousse and loads of charm.
After the first 2 “event” sparklers, I was not expecting, but quite happy to see the next one:
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT- 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay; bottle aged for 8 years and then held at least an additional 8 months after disgorging; I opened way too many bottles of this when I first purchased it and they were just not ready, but now it’s less restrained and giving up some more of the massive treasures that were strongly suggested in the first 5; it`s big, it’s rich. it’s full bodied, it’s nicely balanced, it’s stupendous; the nose had fresh and ripe citrus notes which translated into lemon, lime and green apple on the palate; there’s a bit of saline and hint of spice as well, but it’s all of the texture, power and sophistication that truly distinguishes this from just another spectacular champagne.
Now for the theme of the luncheon with introductory comments for each wine/ producer by Ian:
2017 PRUNOTTO BARBARESCO- following its medium red color came aromas of wild red fruit which on the palate translated into lightly spiced red cherry/ berry; it was very light in weight and had a medium body at best; overall, there was just enough to please.
2001 TENUTE CISA ASANARI MARCHESI di GRESY CAMP GROS MARTINENGA BARBARESCO- fine Nebbiolo here from this single cru; it had a medium dark red color; the nose included leather, tobacco and toasted oak accents that were nicely integrated into the red currant, plum and black raspberry fruit; it was medium to full bodied, had a soft texture and took it to another level beyond the first wine.
2015 PRUNOTTO BAROLO BUSSIA- smoke, sandalwood and coffee provide nice accents to the red cherry and cranberry fruit; it is medium to full bodied and has a feel good silky texture; although young, it gives enough at this early stage to be really enjoyable.
1997 MICHELE CHIARLO CANNUBI BAROLO- the fruit for this wine comes from the oldest single vineyard {cru} within the commune of Basolo dating back to the 1700s; this winner had some significant tannins that are just soft enough now to allow for a more than good experience, in this case, a stellar experience; the fruit profile included spicy dried black currant, plum and red cherry; it was full bodied, long and in a great place now with more maturation left still to be attained.
1964 FONTANAFREDDA BAROLO- decanted 1/2 hour; this came from 1 of 2 remaining bottles in my cellar; I thought it might be time to open it and after the first nose, it was clear that about 10 years ago would have been even better; Port like nuances wafted out of the glass in the form of sweet licorice and molasses that complimented the almost inky black color and if that was not enough, it poured like slightly watered down molasses; a touch of clove and cedar also showed up as did sweet black currant, black mission fig and dried raisins; the latter now was mindful of an Amarone; I think that this being 57 years old made a bigger statement that where the wine had evolved to.
As an aside: Fontanafredda is a historic estate in the commune of the same name in Piedmont. It has long been regarded as one of the great producers of the region and has a portfolio of wines including single vineyard Barolos, Barbaresco, Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba and Moscato d’Asti. The estate was established in 1858 when the land was purchased by King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia (later the first king of Italy) for Rosa Vercellana, a drum major’s daughter with whom he had fallen in love. Rosa was made Countess of Mirafiori and Fontanafredda a year later. The wine business started in 1878 under her management and that of the king’s son Emanuele Guerrieri, the Count of Mirafiore. I wonder if she would have loved this bottle?
2016 GAJA DAGROMIS BAROLO- this release is named after the Gromis family, owner of the vineyards planted with Nebbiolo vines in La Morra until the acquisition by Gaja in 1995; the 2 estate vineyards are located between Gaja`s stellar Conteisa and Sperrs vineyards; there must have some rub off as it was a fantastic wine giving enticing aromas of dried red fruit with herbal accents that continued on throughout; once tasted, I got rich notes of red cherry/ berry and plum fruit being delivered in a soft and smooth textured medium; it had nice balance and loads of charm.
2000 PAOLO SCAVINO BRIC del FIASC BAROLO- this bottle was brought by the one who coordinated the 6 of us attending this event; it was stellar; ready, willing and capable, this wine exuded both power and finesse; it had such an inviting nose of licorice, leather and spice laden black raspberry and plum that was joined by blueberry and red currant at mid palate; it was full bodied and it seemingly had so much to give, it just held on at the end as if to never want to quit.
And now for some spirits:
VERY OLD ST. NICK HARVEST RYE WHISKEY CASK STRENGTH ESTATE RESERVE- this non age stated rye whiskey comes in at 119.6 proof (59.8% abv); alcohol, caramel and charred wood are evidenced in the nose; the taste included more of the same plus nutty, dried red fruit with more oak notes taking over at the end.
PAPPY VAN WINKLER`S KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOUBON WISKEY FAMILY RESERVE- I missed this pour, but got a photo of it afterwards so it’s mentioned here.
I`m happy I chose to go to this. It was fun and informative and it was a treat to revisit Paso Robles after having many good times at a local annual wine festival held years ago in the city’s central downtown park.
Cheers,
Blake