GIACOSA WEEKEND - DINNER AT MASSERIA - Masseria, DC (5/26/2018)
We planned a Giacosa weekend awhile back. Six of us got together at Masseria to drink mostly Giacosas. Chef Nicholas did an excellent job cooking for us. The room was a bit too crowded for wine dinner but we managed.
Clos du Mesnil
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1996 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil - France, Champagne
Very focused and slightly coiled nose displaying ripe yellow fruit with a hint of red, baked apple, peach, orange peel, a hint of red currant, coriander, sweet spices, brioche and limestone. Excellent concentration, deeply toned sweet yellow fruit, precise, focused and coiled, very fine mousse, strong acidity and mineral, and a long sweet yellow fruit and spices driven finish. This bottle seems slightly more mature than the last bottle from two years ago. This will be a long lived champagne. (96 pts.) -
2000 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil - France, Champagne
Perfectly harmonious nose displaying elegant yellow fruit, lemon curd, honey, baked apple, white pepper, candied ginger, cremes brulee and limestone. Elegant yet rich palate, very precise and detailed, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a long seamless finish. A bit more user friendly but not as focused compare to the 96. (96 pts.)
Ramonet Batard
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2004 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Elegant yet energetic nose displaying fresh white fruit, pear, candied lemon peel, strong Ramonet mint/spearmint, cool mountain stream, saline and mineral. Rich yet energetic palate, lemon oil, good precision and detail, bright acidity, good mineral presence and a long clean white fruit driven finish with strong Ramonet mint at the end. Excellent very fresh showing. Drinking beautifully. (96 pts.) -
2005 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Medium expressive nose displaying rich ripe yellow fruit, lemon crud, peach, crème brulee, biscotti and honey. The mineral expression seems to be hidden under ripe fruit. Excellent concentration, dense and sweet yellow fruit, slightly cloying due to low acidity and lack of mineral, and a medium to ripe yellow fruit driven finish. It will be interesting to follow the evolution. I hope like the 92 white burgundy but we will see. (93 pts.)
1959 Auslese
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1959 Fürstlich Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg´schen Hallgartener Hendelberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Rheingau
Bright clear light amber. Beautiful complex nose displaying sweet yellow fruit, peach, apricot preserve, candied orange, sweet spices, crème brulee, a slight hint of red tea and iron/mineral. Fully integrated harmonious palate, ripe and rich yet precise, slightly lacking acidity, strong steely mineral and a long subtle sweet yellow fruit driven finish with iron/mineral at the end. Just like the 59 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese drunk in 2014, it remains very youthful but slightly lacks acidity. Really beautiful showing. (96 pts.)
Giacosa - flight 1
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2007 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
I thought this was too ripe early on but now it has come together nicely. Expressive nose displaying decadent ripe red fruit, strawberry jam and cherry liquor but not as noticeable as before, a hint of fruitcake, sap, strong licorice and tar and iron/earth. Excellent concentration, packed decadent red fruit, good acidity, strong mineral presence and a long sweet red fruit and licorice driven finish. It is developing nicely. Still quite youthful but generous forward fruit makes this already quite enjoyable. (95 pts.) -
2000 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Surprisingly round nose displaying sweet red fruit, strawberry jam, cherry, dry cherry, a hint of blackberry, fruit cake, tar, licorice, rose, sweet spices and iron/mineral. Very sophisticate palate, silky and polished, very finely layered subtle sweet red fruit, medium acidity, strong mineral presence, noticeable but very fine tannins and a long subtle red fruit driven finish with iron at the end. There is also lingering rose which is captivating. The overall impression is deceptively soft and elegant but there is gripping but very fine tannins that hits you as an afterthought, an iron fist in velvet glove. Wonderful showing, a classic, “user friendly and very Burgundian”, Giacosa. (96 pts.)
Giacosa - flight 2
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1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
En magnum, expressive nose displaying warm red fruit, raspberry, cherry liqueur, a hint of blackberry, strong cedar, leather, tar, caramel and iron. Fully integrated palate, soft and round red and black fruit, medium acidity, good mineral presence, noticeable but fine tannins and a medium to long soft red fruit and tar driven finish. It is not as complex and finely layered as the 00 red label. However, it is expressive and very enjoyable. (94 pts.) -
1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Imposing big scale wine. Explosive nose displaying decadent black cherry, dry cherry, crème de cassis, ink, licorice, rose, tar and crushed rock. Incredible concentration, layers upon layers of decadent yet pure cherry fruit, silky and polished, strong acidity and mineral, very pronounced yet very fine tannins and an unbelievably long intense red fruit and tar driven finish. The most concentrated and structured wine of the evening. It is reaching the youthful peak but will improve for at least two more decades. (98 pts.)
Yquem
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1975 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Bright amber color. Perfectly integrated harmonious nose displaying apricot tart, peach, red currant, crème brulee, strong saffron, ginger candy, botrytis and coppery mineral. Incredibly precise and detailed especially for such a concentrated sweet wine, layers upon layers of slightly dry yellow fruit, bright acidity and strong mineral and a seamless long dry apricot and red currant driven finish with medicine/saffron at the end. Once again, displaying impeccable purity and balance. The 01 may develop similar as it also possesses the intense yet pure fruit and bright acidity. Excellent showing. (98 pts.)
As usual, a great time was had by all!
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