AlanK and myself have bought a heap of old Barolo and Barbaresco from Europe. We plan to do a tasting for the Hong Kong Wine Society in August. We have around 20 wines to look at before the tasting with the culmination being those selected for tasting and dinner. We have two already- Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino Riserva 1993 versus Gaja’s 1993 Sori San Lorenzo.
Yesterday afternoon we had a look at-
Produttori Barbaresco 1971- This was straight out of the bottle without decanting and we concluded that’s how we would serve it if it joins the tasting line up. Developed red fruits and high acidity give this 40 year old + wine a fresh impression. There’s spice, old leather and nuttiness you would expect in a very old wine, however, there is enough showing to indicate its origins. Quite a joy in the mouth, a touch of fruit sweetness on the finish where tannins still persist. Holds up very well with food.
92pts
Borgogno Riserva 1971- There was plenty of evidence suggesting this wine needed a few hours decanting. It must have been an extracted monster in youth. Old and smokey, with a sauciness to some dark fruit aromas suggesting quite a big wine with some depth. On the palate it is warm and expansive, and it indicates there could be more to come. Focused iron-earth tannins direct the finish where they funnel on the back palate. Worked with food. Should have decanted the wine but you just never know with the oldies!
Jamie, old Nebbiolo routinely needs lots of air to show its best so that so called “old” stash you bought (93 Monfortino & San Lorenzo both remain absolute infants, not sure what other babies you’ve got) would be well served with Slow Oxygenation as a common prepour practice. To be clear, I’m not suggesting decanting per se, but S.O. will bring out the magic while at times, a gentle decent immediately prior to serving will solve sediment issues such as one would expect with a 71 Barbaresco, for example.
The 93’s are the youngest and I have decanted a 93 Giacomo Conterno Monfortino today incidentally. I just poured it back into the bottle and will try it tomorrow- after more time in the decanter!
I’ll post notes on the “stash” as we try them. They go back to 58. Most in the 70’s- Rinaldi, Gaja, Mascarello etc.
Last night, AlanK and I revisited our stash of old Italians, as we work through them to find out which wines we’ll present in an upcoming “Old Barolo & Barbaresco” tasting. We aspired them with Chinese food at Ming Court in Mongkok. Our usual practice of having a German white available to cleanse the palate of any food-wine mismatches was in place, with a Von Voxlem(?) doing the honors.
Farewell diner for forum lurker Andy.
Produttori del Barbaresco 1970- These wines are a no brainer for putting in the cellar. They aren’t always pretty or showy in youth for my palate, but they seem to age exceptionally well. Put a few in your cellar and forget about them- they will be beautiful wines one day especially if you consider how well the old ones show that could come from less than ideal cellaring!
This could have done with some more aeration. Wisps of varietal scents emerge with classic tar and roses. A sweet core tertiary flavor dominates on the palate prior the high acidity carrying the finish.
88pts
Gaja Barbaresco Infernot 1970- Not a great bottle as it started sickly-sweet. Did better with air. Should have re-corked the bottle and tried today to ensure that it is not a great bottle.
NR
The Infernot label identifies a Barbaresco wine from one of the best vintages that has been aged for longer, with the term coming from the area of the underground cellar where the most precious bottles were kept, without natural light or direct ventilation.
Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia Soprana Barolo 1986- Tough vintage but I’ve had some good wines from '86. This was classical on the nose with twiggy autumnal notes and mentol spice, expansive on the lively acidity broadening the drying finish.
89pts
Elio Altare Barolo 2006- Just what I felt like. A modernist and approachable Barolo to complete the night. Altare didn’t make his Cru wines in 06 due hail damage so this was a blend. Sweet, perfumed and potpourri like. Some vanilla oak and other sweet oak notes in the mix too. Medium bodied with the palate flavorsome and with a sweet edged weight, ripe tannins funnel on the finish. Drink early was the consensus in a Barolo context.
No worries Ken, I’ll use a proper camera and not an iphone next time. It will take a month or so as the wines in AlanK’s cellar and he is transient from Hong Kong.
Rico, just wanted to say ciao, something that I will not be saying to you on a certain other board ever again, having finally achieved banishment after years of concerted effort! I am apparently in a “read-only” mode now, and the last thing on my bucket list would be to read the incomplete-sentence gibberish so often found there! Just think of me as the poor man’s Dan Posner!
Giovanni Moresco Barbaresco Pajore 1970- Moresco is a legend passed in Barbaresco. Gaja took over his vineyards after his early retirement and passing.
This is an old wine which still presents the simple pleasures of Barbaresco at 40 years + of age. Tertiary, smokey and saucy - red accentuated fruit notes, ethereal on the palate, with faint old leather and spice. The high acidity works well with Piedmontese food where the wine muscles up on the palate.
Giuseppe Mascarello Villero Barolo 1978- Vineyard from the heart of Barolo in Castiglione Falletto. I’ve always preferred nearby Monprivato to this Cru. Tonight shows that the Villero should not be dismissed.
Still dense and compact on the nose. Wisps of animal hide, warm earth and a difficult to discern secondary complexity. Expansive in the mouth where the fruit is dark and extracted in flavor; good food helps to pry open toward a myriad of robust textures and flavors. Long and clever on the finish with an iron earth/blood orange tang of persistence.
92pts
F Rinaldi Barolo 1974- Still fantastic colors. Should have snapped a picture of the glass! Very fresh and lively, with black tea and cut hay, some pleasant orange reflections. A lovely old Barolo that’s not supremely complex but delivers a warm gratification when paired with the Albanese style food of La Piola in Hong Kong.
90pts
Finished with a a lovely Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco 2007(?) and Barolo Chinato…
AlanK and I tried three more bottles from the stash last night and we’ve finalized the wines now for the end of the month “Old Barolo & Barbaresco” dinner. There’s a number we have not looked at, but I think we have enough great wines spanning five decades, with a couple of cameos (78 Mascarello versus 78 Scavino Riserva ) plus double magnums of Gaja and Giacosa as dinner wines, all providing for a great tasting.
1958 Borgogno Barolo Riserva- I have had a number of these wines from the 50’s and this is up there with the best bottles! Beguiling its age with fresh aromas of tar and dark fruits, immersed in a core of purity throughout. Emerging scents of florals, hay and a light nuttiness. A lovely run of fresh fruit flavor in the mouth and with food it becomes rounder, richer and mouth filling. Fine, commanding and gritty tannins amongst the piquant acidity. Long smokey-tertiary finish.
95pts
Drink up? I’d say it’s holding!
1967 Rinaldi Barolo- The nose starts with a powerful ferrous-brassy buzz. There’s an emerging natural fruit like essence in a dark violet spectrum. The wine holds some freshness for a while, prior tertiary notes winning the wrestle. Does well with food where it builds weight and there’s a nice dance of spice. Light orange peel tang in the finish. Charming old wine, worthy of its inclusion, where it will face off with the redoubtable '67 Produttori del Barbaresco.
92pts
1970 Rinaldi Barolo- Pruney, caramelly and dominated with malt and port like notes. Medium bodied, sweet fruited, the acid dominates as the fruit is gone. Not rated and walked away from this wine. Bad bottle as I have heard of good bottles being out there. Unlike the chosen oldies, there is nothing regionally or varietally discernible from the wine.
Hello Jamie,
Where did you guys buy these bottles in Europe? I might be heading there at the end of September and I would like to try some of these. Thanks.
