Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don & Melissa, Eden & Scott, Jay, Jeff, Lisa, Scott & Anne-Marie, Seth
"Se gonfle devant vos yeux!"
It was my birthday on Tuesday. No cake tonight (Thursday) but I assure you my house is full of ice cream (I made the pistachio gelato), pistachio crumble (notice a theme?), filled chocolates, dipped chocolates, cookies, and so on. I had dispatched a triple-chocolate cupcake + candle + match to Anne-Marie last time. This time I received a little whackable packet vid (watch for about 15 seconds, unless you're really into it); mine said, "Happy Birthday!"
Wines are poured by Scott & Anne-Marie and your humble scribe, so you know there will be vino!
We commence the all-Barbera tasting with...
Fleegle - When I poured it in the morning, it's a little old but no premox and the acidity is still sound, with air there is an enticing nose with hints of resin, hazelnut, and tarragon. Everybody pegs it as French but then the full/waxy quality leads people into the Rhone Valley (from which they never return). Everybody liked it but nobody recognized old Chablis: Dauvissat, V 2005 Chablis 1er "Forest", 13%.
---
Now we have three wines together. Scott announces that this is a horizontal (same year, two makers) from vineyards that are walking distance from each other in the East-to-West direction! We decide to taste them all and then start guessing.
...#3 - camphor, cola, cranberry, "Sizzly-ness" -Don, this is textbook good nebbiolo, a little austere
...#2 - "Cherry Sucrets and a little sweatsock" -Melissa, not quite so potent as #3, there is some meaty/funky thing in here
...#1 - very different! tannins are much finer, less volatile, herbal (tending towards basil), is a French oenologist involved?
A map of Barbaresco vineyards comes in handy about now: click.
OK, all tasted. We're ready and, after a few preliminary guesses, Seth is suddenly all over it:
"#3 is very classic... Produttori?"
Yes.
"Reserva?"
Of course.
"Asili?"
Yes. We're all agog.
"2004?"
Yes. What's after agog? It turns out that Seth had the 2016 of this wine last week and recognized it. Bravo!
My turn:
"#2 has a savory/salty chicken broth scent to it... Rabaja?"
Yes.
Nobody gets #1.
The wines:
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Riserva "Asili"
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Riserva "Rabaja"
Sottimano 2004 Barbaresco "Cotta"
---
Back to the Banana Splits show:
Now we have two wines together. This is a vertical (same maker, same vineyard, different years). One year was hot/ripe and the other was "classic". Which years are they?
Bingo - slightly soft, slightly sweet, "coffee" -Scott, warm year fans have found their pal, easily placed in Italy but nothing more specific
Snorky - firmer, "elegant" -Jay, reminds Jay a little of Il Sodaccio so he guesses sangiovese (no)
Although Scott and I did not coordinate ahead of time, this evening turns out to be a Barbaresco tasting:
Luigi Voghera 2007 Barbaresco "Basarin", 14.5%
Luigi Voghera 2008 Barbaresco "Basarin", 14%
---
Last wine from me: Warning, it's old, so while it was good this morning, who knows now:
Drooper - "pipe tobacco" -Don, "tobacco and a little mown grass" -Anne-Marie, the tannins are completely resolved, there is a little tutti-frutti in the palate along with silky texture, and it continues to improve in the glass! An excellent performance from a 54-year-old wine: Luigi Calissano 1967 Barbaresco Riserva Speciale, in a 720 ml bottle
---
Last wine of the evening: A really beautiful nose, like essential oils in a perfume; alas, a lot less exciting to actually consume as it's spirity and dull; French, yes, but it's getting late so we call for the reveal: Ch. Rayas 1995 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 14%, we're surprised at the underwhelming performance.
DAY 2
Following up on a few wines that I managed to keep aside:
1: classic, moderate tannins sharpened by good acidity, flavors dark and pure, umami kinda like good tomato paste
2: similar but also meaty, a little funky, call it Worcestershire
3: fine furry tannins all over my mouth, acidity a little less pointed, fruit is redder (though not all the way to strawberry)
Bingo: between 1 and 3, classic mouthfeel and structure, fruit a compromise of black and red fruit
"Se gonfle devant vos yeux!"
It was my birthday on Tuesday. No cake tonight (Thursday) but I assure you my house is full of ice cream (I made the pistachio gelato), pistachio crumble (notice a theme?), filled chocolates, dipped chocolates, cookies, and so on. I had dispatched a triple-chocolate cupcake + candle + match to Anne-Marie last time. This time I received a little whackable packet vid (watch for about 15 seconds, unless you're really into it); mine said, "Happy Birthday!"
Wines are poured by Scott & Anne-Marie and your humble scribe, so you know there will be vino!
We commence the all-Barbera tasting with...
---
Now we have three wines together. Scott announces that this is a horizontal (same year, two makers) from vineyards that are walking distance from each other in the East-to-West direction! We decide to taste them all and then start guessing.
...#3 - camphor, cola, cranberry, "Sizzly-ness" -Don, this is textbook good nebbiolo, a little austere
...#2 - "Cherry Sucrets and a little sweatsock" -Melissa, not quite so potent as #3, there is some meaty/funky thing in here
...#1 - very different! tannins are much finer, less volatile, herbal (tending towards basil), is a French oenologist involved?
A map of Barbaresco vineyards comes in handy about now: click.
OK, all tasted. We're ready and, after a few preliminary guesses, Seth is suddenly all over it:
"#3 is very classic... Produttori?"
Yes.
"Reserva?"
Of course.
"Asili?"
Yes. We're all agog.
"2004?"
Yes. What's after agog? It turns out that Seth had the 2016 of this wine last week and recognized it. Bravo!
My turn:
"#2 has a savory/salty chicken broth scent to it... Rabaja?"
Yes.
Nobody gets #1.
The wines:
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Riserva "Asili"
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Riserva "Rabaja"
Sottimano 2004 Barbaresco "Cotta"
---
Back to the Banana Splits show:
Now we have two wines together. This is a vertical (same maker, same vineyard, different years). One year was hot/ripe and the other was "classic". Which years are they?
Although Scott and I did not coordinate ahead of time, this evening turns out to be a Barbaresco tasting:
Luigi Voghera 2007 Barbaresco "Basarin", 14.5%
Luigi Voghera 2008 Barbaresco "Basarin", 14%
---
Last wine from me: Warning, it's old, so while it was good this morning, who knows now:
---
Last wine of the evening: A really beautiful nose, like essential oils in a perfume; alas, a lot less exciting to actually consume as it's spirity and dull; French, yes, but it's getting late so we call for the reveal: Ch. Rayas 1995 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 14%, we're surprised at the underwhelming performance.
DAY 2
Following up on a few wines that I managed to keep aside:
1: classic, moderate tannins sharpened by good acidity, flavors dark and pure, umami kinda like good tomato paste
2: similar but also meaty, a little funky, call it Worcestershire
3: fine furry tannins all over my mouth, acidity a little less pointed, fruit is redder (though not all the way to strawberry)
Bingo: between 1 and 3, classic mouthfeel and structure, fruit a compromise of black and red fruit
