TN: Gala Dinner at La Festa del Barolo

WINE TALK
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GALA DINNER AT ANTONIO GALLONI’S LA FESTA DEL BAROLO - Four Seasons Restaurant, NYC (2/6/2015)

This was the Friday evening gala dinner at Antonio Galloni Vinous Media’s La Festa del Barolo 2015. I sat with members of my regular Barolo group at the G.B. Burlotto table with Fabio Alessandria who is the winemaker at Burlotto and the great-great-grandson of Commendatore Giovan Battista Burlotto himself.

The Four Seasons Restaurant is a special and historic restaurant. The food at dinner was truly outstanding.

More details and lots of photos can be found on my website:

http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2015-02-06_AG_Festa-Gala/

Flight 1

  • 1971 Gaja Barbaresco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    A 3.78 liter bottle brought by Eddie M. Decanted before dinner. Nose of earth and cherries. Long elegant and earthy. Open 2 more hours it is really showing its stuff. Much more complex, but still very elegant. (95 pts.)
  • 2001 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Fabio. Fragrant nose of red fruits and spice. Juicy red fruits in the mouth. Tasty. Still young. (92 pts.)
  • 2001 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Vigneto Cannubi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Fabio. Muted black fruit nose. Juicy. More structured and complex than the Acclivi. Needs time. (93 pts.)
  • 1990 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Taste from Bob L. Fruitcake nose. Just a lovely complex wine. (95 pts.)

Flight 2

  • 1995 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Neirane - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Greg. Complex nose of black fruit and tapenade. Expansive and complex. A gorgeous wine from what is considered a lesser vineyard in Verduno and a lesser vintage, but it is right in its sweet spot now. Still should drink well for at least 5-8 years more. (93 pts.)
  • 1996 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Neirane - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Greg. MUCH more structured, backward and tannic than the 1995 Neirane. Needs 5-10 years more. 93-? (93 pts.)
  • 1995 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Greg. Wonderful floral and black olive nose. Rich, structured, tannic. Not nearly as ready as the 1995 Neirane, but not nearly as backward as the 1996 Neirane. Should drink well for 20 years more. (94 pts.)

Flight 3

  • 1989 Azienda Bricco Asili (Ceretto) Barbaresco Bricco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
    Earthy nose. On the palate, the wine is dirty and lacks fruit. Maybe just a bad bottle?
  • 1982 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Riserva Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Corked. Very sad. :frowning: NR (flawed)
  • 1958 Cantina Mascarello Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    1.9 liter bottle brought by Jamie. OMFG!!! Stunning nose of red and black fruit, tar, violets. Amazingly expansive in the mouth. Explodes on the palate. Ethereal, it lifts you up. This is every bit as good as the first bottle I had many years ago which was the first bottle I rated 100 points. God’s house wine, as my host the first time I had this said back then. (100 pts.)
  • 1971 Filippo Sobrero Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Henry brought this and was not happy that it had to follow the 1958 Bartolo, but boy did it hold its own. A stunningly complex nose. Delicious, complex and elegant in the mouth. Wow!
    Luca Currado (of Vietti) told me his great grandfather owned the vineyard this was made from, a parcel in Monprivato, but he had to sell it to the church long ago. Sobrero bought it from the church. When Sobrero went out of business, Luca’s father tried to buy it back, but Mauro Mascarello outbid him to complete his ownership of Monprivato. (96 pts.)
  • 1988 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Magnum brought by Todd. Gorgeous nose of red fruit and fruit cake. Tannic structured, but still delicious and relatively light on its feet. This might be the best wine Bruno made in 1988. (93 pts.)

Flight 4

Flight 5

  • 1978 Vietti Barolo Rocche - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Peter. Fragrant nose. Tart in the mouth. Nice. (91 pts.)
  • 1985 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Vigna Cicala - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by Peter. Strawberry compote nose. Elegant, sweet and tart in the mouth. Simple. Not what I’d expect from this wine. (89 pts.)
  • 1958 Cappellano Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought to our table by Josh L. Not the best bottle of this wine, but lovely. (92 pts.)
  • 2007 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Brought by me. Gorgeous red fruit nose. Complex in the mouth with black olives and sweet red fruit. Great future! (93 pts.)

Flight 6

Flight 7

  • 2010 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Tre Tine - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Then, just when I thought I was done, Antonio shows up at our table with freshly opened bottles of this and the 2010 Brunate. Wow! What a way to finish the evening. So much of the past tonight, now a glimpse into the future with these 2 great young wines. Heavenly red fruit nose. Bright red fruits in the mouth. A great sense of elegance and balance. 93-95. (94 pts.)
  • 2010 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
    Then, just when I thought I was done, Antonio shows up at our table with freshly opened bottles of this and the 2010 Tre Tine. Wow! What a way to finish the evening. So much of the past tonight, now a glimpse into the future with these 2 great young wines. Stunning, wow wow nose of complex sour cherry, tar and flowers. Long and amazing finish. This wine has such a great future. We will taste it again tomorrow morning. It will show even better with a bit more air. (97 pts.)

Oh what an evening!

Posted from CellarTracker

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Fabio hosted us with typical piemontese hospitality, despite them being in the middle of serious building work when we visited ~ 3 years ago.

I then went to a tasting in London a while back and thought “hmm I’m sure I recognise that chap” at the same time he was looking at me with the same thought. We both worked it out at the same time.

Nice chap, and his wines have great interest as well.

regards
Ian

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Thanks for the report on the 96 Neirane. I remember that was something of a brute five years or so ago, so I’m not surprised that it’s remained backward. You’ve confirmed my instinct to keep my hands off that one.

I bought a bunch of the 95 Monvigliero from Chambers Street and have had a lot of bottle variation. A couple have been somewhat oxidized; while the best have been glorious, floral, feminine and just etherial. None of my bottles would I have wanted to hold another 20 years.

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Those Neiranes were a bit of a revelation for me. I had not had them before. Unfortunately, the vineyard has been replanted and older vintages are hard to find.

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Ah, I wondered what had happened to it.

Any idea when it will come on line again?

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Thanks for the great write up and the pics on your link Ken. That was a very fun night.

The Burlotto Neirane wines were a wonderful new experience for me. Very impressive and unfortunately equally unfindable. Thanks for the treat Greg!

That risotto was stellar!

For me the wines of the night, in a night full of otherwise wines of the night, were the 58 Bartolo and the 78 Rinaldi.

Thanks of bringing back the memories

Cheers,

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I have a 3.0L of the 1985 G.B. Burlotto Monvigliero, purchased on Italian eBay for the princely sum of 269 Euros, on its way to me right now. The Force be with me!

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That’s an amazing bargain. Someone is selling a 2009 3L for that same price. They had a 3L of the 85 at the Burlotto tasting that Mannie put on a few years ago. I coveted it then.

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But did you taste the damn thing? :slight_smile:

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1985 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero
[From double magnum.] Smokey nose. Young, ripe, smooth. Lovely and youthful. I suspect 750s of this are quite ready, but this is still too young in 3 liter. (91 pts.)

That score may be conservative.

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I could not hope for better. Do not know where this one has been, but it is OWC with a label tear on one side. If it looks really good and the cork is sound, I may let it sit a while longer…

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Ken V, is that '01 Giacosa Falletto Riserva open for business now? If not, how long do you think it needs to reach its plateau?

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Yes. 20 years. :wink: