TN: Domenico Selections Tasting with Jeff Mazen

DOMENICO SELECTIONS TASTING WITH JEFF MAZEN - The Chef’s Table at Cafe Capriccio, Albany, NY (1/18/2012)

Jeff brought a whole lot of wines to share with my Albany-area tasting group. It was a delightful evening of food, wine, and friends!

For photos and more details, check out my webpage:

http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2012-01-18_WCC_JeffMazen_Capriccio

Flight 1: Two Whites

Flight 2: Roccalini Dolcetto

Flight 3: Roccalini Barbera

  • 2008 Cascina Roccalini Barbera d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d’Alba
    Delicious bright red fruit in the nose. Full and tasty in the mouth. Excellent Barbera which should drink well for 5-8 years. (90 pts.)
  • 2009 Cascina Roccalini Barbera d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d’Alba
    Even more ripeness than the 08, but still with a good sense of balance. This might prove even better than the 08 down the road. (90 pts.)
  • 2007 Cascina Roccalini Barbera d’Alba Superiore - Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d’Alba Superiore
    Chunky vanilla nose. Thick and gunky with too much oak for me. Others liked it a lot more, and it may mellow with time, but for now, I like the less-oaked, non-superiore Barberas better.
    Jeff says that the owner/winemaker Paolo Veglio has decided to go back to making Barbera without new oak, so the 2007 will be the only one made that way. (88 pts.)

Flight 4: A Throw-In Montepulciano

Flight 5: L’Arco Dryer Reds

  • 2005 L’Arco Rosso Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
    Ethereal nose. A stunningly elegant wine with great length. This is the most pleasure-giving and subtle wine of the evening so far. This really wowed me. Don’t know if it will make old bones, but tonight and for several years to come, this is a winner. (93 pts.)
  • 2005 L’Arco Valpolicella Classico Superiore - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore
    Bigger and more extracted than the L’Arco Veronese above, but still has its elegance. Should improve for 5-10 years. Just a hint of sweetness on the finish is still appealing. Says Ripasso on the back label, but Jeff says it means nothing. (93 pts.)

Flight 6: L’Arco Sweeter Reds

  • 2004 L’Arco Rùbeo Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
    Glorious, sweet red fruit nose with hints of spice. Thick and sweet in the mouth. Very Amarone-like with more than a hint of sweetness on the finish. This and the Pario might have shown better at the end of the meal with strong cheeses.
  • 2005 L’Arco Pario Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT
    Even more Port-like. The alcohol must be 18%. Too sweet on the finish at this stage of the meal. This and the Rubeo would have shown better at the end of the meal with strong cheeses.

Flight 7: Roccalini Barbaresco, Roccalini Vineyard

  • 2005 Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco Roccalini - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Tannic red fruit nose. Very tannic in the mouth with intense red fruit. As it warms and opens in the glass, it shows a more subtle nose of red fruit, licorice and tar. Oddly, it seems softer after trying the 2007, even though the 2007 seems clearly softer and less tannic after this. This is a truly classic Barbaresco, elegant with just the right amount of tannin and power. A great value at $40. I would put this down for 8-10 years. (93 pts.)
  • 2007 Cascina Roccalini Barbaresco Roccalini - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Sweet red fruit nose. Stunning, classic Barbaresco in the mouth. Lots of tannin, but the tannin is soft and sweet. I would expect it to shut down soon, then open up in 5-8 years and drink beautifully for another 10 years.
    Day 2: Tannins much more aggressive today. Really has shut down hard. (94 pts.)

Flight 8: Giacosa Barbarescos
I added these from my cellar just for fun and to act as a reference point.

  • 1998 Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Continues the mixed experience I have had with this wine. It’s elegant, but has more tannin than I think the fruit can carry. Not an estate bottled wine. (89 pts.)
  • 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Wow, what a difference from the 98. This is all there. A riveting, ethereal wine. I wonder if this got the Rabaja grapes that wasn’t made in 1999? It is certainly well above the average for a base Barbaresco. Note that this is estate-bottled. Should drink well for another decade. (95 pts.)

Flight 9: Aglianico

Flight 10: Dessert

The Roccalini wines and the L’Arco wines and some others are clearly excellent wines and very good values. I have already added a few to my cellar!

Well-done, Jeff and Strappo! And many, many thanks for sharing these with us.

Posted from CellarTracker

Kudos for the terrific notes cousin Ken! Sounds like a really really fun evening with some new stars strutting their stuff.

Jeff is sourcing out some really great stuff from all over Italy.
I was surprised to read that you felt the Petrale Aglianico was aggressive. I always felt that was a more subtle, user friendly wine.

Nice notes.

Thanks. You’ll notice the “…at this point in the evening” part. This was a lot of young wine for one evening. (Go ahead, call me a wuss!)

Nice notes,Ken and interesting that we both seem to have found the Roccalini Barbaresco at the same time.
I added some of the 07 a few months ago.
Fine wine and very fine value at $28. [cheers.gif]

Ok. You’re a wuss! Thanks for posting.