I rejoined our 4 member Monday night blind wine dinner group after a 5 week hiatus in order to allow my body to recover snd heal from a health related surgical procedure.
A good friend also joined us on this night and we enjoyed another fabulous evening of excellent Italian food and fine wines while exploring the wines and offering our impressions and guesses as to some details as to what they were before revealing them.
Unlike our usual very broad theme, this time we opted to do 3 Barolos within a vintage frame of 1985-2010 preceded by a bubbly and a white wine beforehand on a Tuesday night. Here’s some notes:
1999 POL ROGER BLANC de BLANC BRUT- blind; vinified 100% from Chardonnay grapes selected from the Grands Crus of the Cote des Blancs: Cramant, le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Oiry, made in only limited quantities, aged for 7 years; this had a yellow to gold color and some musty, advanced aromatics suggesting some age, but not to its disfavor as there was nice rich and ripe citrus fruit which on the palate translated into orange and lemon zest; my first take on this bottle was it had reached it apogee and perhaps started a downward trend and this was a good time to pour it; the taste profile also included some of the requisite butterscotch and caramel notes as well as bruised red apple; it had body and expressed boldness and all in all, was very pleasant: I guessed it to be either a 1990, 1995 or 1996 and perhaps a Laurent-Perrier until I saw the bottle neck sticking out of the bag when re-poured. Now I’m guessed its Pol Roger, but did not call the BdB nor vintage.
2021 PIO CESARE PIODILEL CHARDONNAY LANGHE- blind; the fruit for this wondrous wine was sourced from estate owned vineyards “Il Bricco” in Treiso, located in the Barbaresco area, and “Mosconi” vineyard in Monforte d’Alba; fermentation was initiated in stainless steel tanks and then finished in French oak barriques, new for only 1/3 and then aged in French oak barriques for almost 8 months with extensive lees contact; it was delicious and mindful of a white Burg and I’m all over the place trying to ID which commune this comes from and then I recalled some Napa Chardonnays that had some similar characteristics and went with Chateau Montelena, my preferred choice; wow, blind formats are so humbling and when this was revealed, I was shocked and surprised and when I researched it and saw the {$60} price tag, I was even more amazed; this was the best Italian white Burgundy I’ve ever had; the color was light yellow and the inviting perfumed nose offered some honeysuckle and mineral accented citrus dominate fruit with super bright acidity and continued on to the back end; a bit of oak was nicely integrated and its smooth, oily texture sealed the deal.
We poured all 3 Barolos while still exploring the champagne and white wine and I checked the color and aromas on them before getting into the serious evaluation mode. The first thing I knew was I had no idea as to which one was my bring and that all were really good with a common denominator of having a distinct talc accents {and eventually, soft and smooth texture}.
2010 CONTERNO FANTINO VIGNA del GRIS BAROLO- blind; opened at the table; the fruit was sourced from 40-year-old vines and southeast exposures (not far from where the legendary Monfortino wine is made); it got a year in 100% new French oak, followed by a year in a combination of equal parts barrique and cask; the color was a youthful, vibrant red purple; the nose offered some serious aromas of jujube likened red and dark fruit with a streak of minerals and iron; the taste profile was laden with wild red raspberry with noticeable accents of talc and vanilla while being delivered in a soft, smooth textured medium all the way through; underlying tannins strongly support this will age gracefully and for decades as it is just starting to express and offering a tantalizing introduction to the forthcoming treasures: I guessed the vintage, but had no idea as to anything more.
2001 ALDO CONTERNO CICALA BAROLO- blind, as it turned out out once unveiled, my bring- decanted 2 hours; the red purple color that prevailed in all 3 wines was just a tad lighter in this one, but I had it as a 2005 as other attributes suggested it was a bit older than the first wine; the nose was redolent of mature red fruit with hints of talc that was more specifically red raspberry with a blueberry topping on the palate; its mouthfeel was super soft and smooth like the first wine, but this one had just a bit more aromatics, flavor, body, complexity, length and balance and as such, was my favorite of the flight; one of the others got reduction and VA.
2001 PAOLO SCAVINO BRIC del FIASC BAROLO- blind, decanted 2 hours; this had an intense dark red purple color, but a mellow profile that showcased lots of treasures that included the, in this flight, requisite talc note and the soft and smooth texture; from the nose through the tail, it delighted with lovely plum and blueberry fruit, fine acidity and an ideal balance; I guessed it to be from 2005 with little more than this was another wonderful Nebbiolo currently singing a great tune.
The wines were as superb as the company and dinner and we had another glorious night, one I was especially happy to have experienced after a short term sabbatical.
Cheers,
Blake
