Babbo NYC Wine List: Any value?

Called to confirm no corkage for a Friday dinner.

After combing through their list, I’m a bit stymied (a lot of expensive interesting choices, a few that have some marginal value).
Italy isn’t my wheelhouse, so I have a less refined eye for value. Curious to see what others think.

http://www.babbonyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/1.31.16-PDF-for-website1.pdf

That list is an insult

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte 2006 240 is what I ordered few weeks ago. This is 2 x retail and not as nuts as the rest of the list

The food prices were not as high as one would expect in NYC

While generally not a fan of wine pairings, I have to say they did a great job when we were there a few years ago.

JD

I had the opposite experience as John. Did the reserve wine pairing several years ago and wasn’t impressed. The only good thing was that they repoured if we drained the glass during the same course.

Probably not super bargains, but within context of this list the Balgera Valtellinas are rare, interesting, mature and modestly priced. I’d probably go with these. The Valgella of a sound bottle should be on the lighter, floral rustic side of Nebbiolo. The fondatore blends in some dried grapes so will be more robust but not over the top.

You need to go to Milwaukee.

2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora @$180. Currently $70 from Rare Wine Co., so not stupid.
2004 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero @$195

This (and I’ve never been to Milwaukee)

BTW Jim - Enjoying a 2013 Berserker Cuvee tonight!

The markups on that list didn’t used to be so bad. It’s gotten incredibly worse.

When I first looked I thought to myself, “$250 for the '98 Conterno Monfortino is an amazing price. What? Oh. That’s for the BTG option. Never mind.”

A couple of things mentioned although a huge fan of Produttori I don’t think I would go $170 but I do have a zillion bottles of it so I might be a bad example there. That wine is very good and it does have some bottle age to it.

The 2007 Foradori Granato for $145 is about 2.5x current vintage retail so not so bad a mark up and not big dollars.

It’s not grand but it is good and not something you would necessarily run into much but it is in magnum only 2012 Rosso di Valtellina from Ar.Pe.Pe. for $180. Their wines are very interesting. This is really humble stuff but quite tasty. Might not be grand enough for whatever reason you are there for.

Lots of way too expensive stuff. There is so much stuff in “lesser” regions that I might ask after as there are lower price points and perhaps better deals to be found if you have a somm worth their salt working that night.

Thanks for the suggestions all. Several I wouldn’t have considered.

Food definitely isn’t poorly priced at Babbo, but the wine pricing is challenging for the non pied-a-tere/expense account.

I find it hard to buy the 2004 Produttori Pora at that price (hell I bought a 67 Rabaja from CSW for around the same) or the Montevetrine as I have the 05 sitting in my apt (I think I paid closer to $50?). The space is quite large and I do understand their need to prop margin, but they offer sane customers little outs…

Paolo Beas look interesting as do some of the other skin contact white/oranges. It may be a cocktail night.

Thanks again all

I’m a huge fan of the Bea Santa Chiara

New York is New York. The Occhipinti’s aren’t terribly expensive for both the whites and reds. I also like the quartino option and the Bastianich house pours might be decent and seem fairly affordable.

The one and only time I was there they had an aged Barolo (don’t recall the brand) in quartino for $40 and was a deal. I really enjoyed the food, negronis and the (affordable) wine.

I am just back from 2 weeks in Italy and it is shocking to see those prices. Most restaurants we ate in we got great bottles of aged wine (both white and red) for 20-75 euros although most under 30.

With as good as the pasta tasting menu we had was I’d be fine with iced tea!

They used to have a great list with minimal markup when they first opened.

I was at their Vegas outpost B&B last November and had an excellent 1996 Giacosa Barolo Falletto at just a little over current retail.

That is a fairly priced NY list with lots of interesting sub$100 options. Shame the food at Babbo has been so bad for so long. Every time out of town friends or family drag me there, I die a little inside.

Zidarich Prulke is great, ditto Lambrusch Costa Marina though I haven’t had one of those in years.
Reds: I like the Porphyr lagrein and Foradori is always a blast. Balgera in the Valtellina - better and cheaper than ArPePe.
The Barolo/Barbaresco and Tuscan sections are clearly trying to punish people who play it safe so I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
Occhipinti SP68 is there at a very fair price and never disappoints.
But I’d probably be inclined to go for one of these:
15086 Nanni Copè Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco 2013 150
15000 Luigi Tecce Poliphemo 2009 195

Donnas 2010. Very nice northern piedmont nebbiolo (donnas is the valle d’aosta village close to Carema). I pay this wine 8 euros in my Turin enoteca, but it is only 70 dollars.
Since the Donnas 10 has a wonderful qpr, even at 70 you will be satisfied

More like a joke, as the wine list illustrates with a jester.
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