Up until then I had not been buying wine, but this was the best wine I had tasted to date. When I told my uncle, with whom I was staying, that I wanted to buy a case he went ahead and bought it for me.
Which was something I would have had difficulty doing, seeing as i was 10 at the time. While it may have been only a bit unusual for a 10 year old to be buying wine in 1975 (we were in rural Italy at the time), what is more impressive in hindsight is that the US customs let me bring it into the country!
For those of us who are perhaps too lazy to watch the video if it has the answer to my question, how would you describe or define “quality enhancements”?
Dave,I loved your story,but Cascina Francia wasn’t a vineyard in 70 and I believe Conterno didn’t produce a barolo under the Cascina Francia label (a Riserva) until 79,even though the Monfortino was sourced from the CF vineyard.You’re probably thinking of the Barolo which was a Riserva in that year.I also bought a case of the 78 Pio early on…and just finished the last bottle last year.
Even though wines from Piemonte are by far my preference,and I have been drinking Italian wines since I was around 10,albeit diluted,my real wine knockout was helping a boyhood friend in college sample some wines.He was studying agronomy,horticulture with a bent toward viticulture,and he assembled some Haut Brion,Lafite,Latour from the 60s for dirt cheap.This was in 1974 and,to say the least,my palate was never the same…
I just sent Dave a PM on this very subject. (surprise, surprise)
Our Baltimore Barolo Buddies recently bought some 1970 with CF on the label. Henry wrote to Roberto who said it was possible that some 1970 was sold after they ran out of non-CF labels, so it could be legitimate, even with the name of a vineyard that for all practical purposes didn’t exist until 1978.
The first great wine was a Giscours 1979. I was beginning to get into wine, and saw an article about a wine school in Bordeaux. In 1985, we had two weeks of vacation, so I chose the wine school for one week, and my wife chose hiking round Cornwall, England. Both memorable, but the visit to Giscours, where they did a vertical for us including the 1979. It was just unbelievable, and the wine that really set me on my way.
Later on, at the final black tie dinner, we had a Latour 1970 and a Laville Haut Brion 1971 in the wonderful antique dining room of Chateau Loudenne. The food was glorious; Josette the chef was famous, and dinner at the chateau was a hot ticket. And somehow, as I was so enthused, the Giscours 1979 made an encore appearance, and was comfortably the wine of the night.
Good point that I did not know. I just assumed it was Cascina Francia because it was not the Monfortino, and it had the same classy old school label they still use today, with the blue, gold and black lettering. I do not have a bottle today to check, but it is possible it did not say that - but it was the “normale” at that time, definitely 1970 vintage, and great wine too. :~)
So,cousin,are you saying that since there was no CF vineyard in existence when the 70 Barolo was bottled,and therefore no CF labels,that said CF labels were applied after it came into existence,say in 79/80?..or that when the 70 Barolo was bottled that somehow some labels with CF designation were created before it was bought and replanted with vines?
My understanding is that bottled wine is stored in the winery with no labels. The labels are only applied when the wine is shipped out. This is why you will find wines from the same vintage where the labels don’t look the same. The possibility here is some bottles of the 1970 were sold in the late 70s or early 80s and hence had the Cascina Francia labels applied because those were the only non-Monfortino labels they had.
Dave, the non-Monfortino Barolo from G. Conterno did not change other than adding the words “Cascina Francia”. You can see lots of them here:
Here is a link to a picture of the 1971 that has the same label as the 1970 I bought in 1984. I do not believe it says “Cascina Francia” on it, that was merely my assumption based on what I have tasted lately (82, 85 and 88). My bad. :~)
As I told Ken in e-mail, it was the one vintage I preferred the “normale” to the Monfortino. Also I believe it was a “Riserva” level wine, if memory serves (it doesn’t always at 56).
“My understanding is that bottled wine is stored in the winery with no labels. The labels are only applied when the wine is shipped out. This is why you will find wines from the same vintage where the labels don’t look the same. The possibility here is some bottles of the 1970 were sold in the late 70s or early 80s and hence had the Cascina Francia labels applied because those were the only non-Monfortino labels they had.”
Bingo!
My thoughts as well…and Ken,I didn’t realize you didn’t have a picture of the 70 Barolo Riserva.I had it about 2 years ago with the 78…should have taken a pic for you.
1975 Beaulieu George de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. My father had three case. He was trying to get more of the 74 but the distributor kept sending him more of the 75. Anyways, he still kept the wine and opened a bottle every few months for several years. Actually got to learn about how wine aged and changed in the cellar.
I hear you Dave.Having had both the 71 and most recently,thanks to Greg,the 70 Monfortino and both 70,71 “normali”…I see your point.Embarassement of rich Baroli in those years!
Gallo Zinfandel in a gallon jug. In those days (1963) probably 100% old vine Sonoma juice.
Monday night poker game, freshman year of college. A guy wins a good-sized pot, throws a buck to the guy old enough to buy and says “next week get the gallon of Gallo Zinfandel, it’s a buck more than the Gallo Burgundy and it’s worth it”. I paid attention to the Gallo Burgundy in my glass, remembered it the next week when we had the Zin. Bingo… light bulb goes on and stays on 47 years later.
1990 Antinori CCR. This was the first wine I had that was really savory and complex. I went off Sangiovese not too long after, but now I’m back and I love it.
'85 Dom Perignon, which I splurged on to celebrate graduating from college. I had been playing around with Italian wines when going out to dinner, but the Dom blew my doors off and made me really focus on French wine.
