Cristian Dezso
Cristian Dezso
Thanks to Greg, I attended a fantastic dinner on Sunday in NY with Mauro and Giuseppe Mascarello, where we tasted some of their greatest wines, ranging from 1961 to 1982.
I much looked forward to this since I have not had Barolo older than 1985, but the first signs where not auspicious.
1982 Monprivato Surely this is a great wine, I liked it a lot, but somehow I didnt fall in love with it. A little muted in the beginning but showing great balance and elegance; it slowly started to develop minty, medicinal aromas, turning then into some metallic notes. Over the course of the kept changing, showing first a nutty side, then white flowers, peach pit and towards the end some burnt matchsticks. Great range of aromas, but still somehow thin. In light of what followed, this might have been too young, or as Mauro suggested, decanted for too short a period.
1981 Monprivato More rustic than the 82, bit also more evolved. Yet, the fishy smell put me off and I could not get into paying much attention to it.
1980 Monprivato This was an easy wine and I liked it, though in a different way than the 82; milk chocolate, roasted walnuts, coconut, and coffee, veering later into boiled celery, brothy aromas.
Things got better next, but I wasnt yet fully convinced.
1979 Monprivato This was in wonderful shape, young and round, with precise strawberry notes, hints of white peaches, plums, iron and wet stones. With time this became more tannic and aggressive. Loved it.
1979 Rionda For me, this was young, tannic and did not show much. I guess my fault.
79 Rionda, 79 Monprivato, 80 Mmonprivato and 82 Monprivato
I am getting convinced that I was not mistaken in spending most of my wine money on Barolo.
1971 Monprivato For me this was 1979 with nice nutty flavors and I loved it again.
1978 Monprivato A healthy meal in a bottle some fishy, sea foody (clams?) aromas of the 1981, with some added boiled greens married with the unhealthy chocolate and nutty notes of the 1980. Reading Gregs notes, it seems like I somehow missed this wine, as I did not find it nearly as complex as him.
1970 Monprivato The first vintage of Monprivato and according to some discussions at the table made from the vines that form the Ca dMorissio parcel was in a class by itself. So far at least. This was phenomenal. Lacking the finesse of the 1982, but youthful, fleshy with ripe cherries, fennel, iron and nutty chocolate. I know that all these showed up in my other notes but I have no idea how to convey the difference between this extraordinary wine and the lesser ones we tried before, other than saying that I absolutely loved it.
Yet, nothing prepared me for what was to come.
1964 Barolo I was at a loss of words when trying it. The lightest in color, but the elegance and explosive aromas that changed over time from bandage to strawberry jam and teabags were otherworldly. I am not sure what else to say. Together with the 1970 Monprivato, the best wines I have ever had.
1961 Barolo was also among my favorites, as far as I recall, but I was simply too enraptured with the 1964 and 1970 that I have left in my glass.
My favorites, in reverse order: 61 Barolo, 64 Barolo and 70 Monprivato
And the morning after...
If you want real notes now, Gregs are here.
Cristian
I much looked forward to this since I have not had Barolo older than 1985, but the first signs where not auspicious.
1982 Monprivato Surely this is a great wine, I liked it a lot, but somehow I didnt fall in love with it. A little muted in the beginning but showing great balance and elegance; it slowly started to develop minty, medicinal aromas, turning then into some metallic notes. Over the course of the kept changing, showing first a nutty side, then white flowers, peach pit and towards the end some burnt matchsticks. Great range of aromas, but still somehow thin. In light of what followed, this might have been too young, or as Mauro suggested, decanted for too short a period.
1981 Monprivato More rustic than the 82, bit also more evolved. Yet, the fishy smell put me off and I could not get into paying much attention to it.
1980 Monprivato This was an easy wine and I liked it, though in a different way than the 82; milk chocolate, roasted walnuts, coconut, and coffee, veering later into boiled celery, brothy aromas.
Things got better next, but I wasnt yet fully convinced.
1979 Monprivato This was in wonderful shape, young and round, with precise strawberry notes, hints of white peaches, plums, iron and wet stones. With time this became more tannic and aggressive. Loved it.
1979 Rionda For me, this was young, tannic and did not show much. I guess my fault.
I am getting convinced that I was not mistaken in spending most of my wine money on Barolo.
1971 Monprivato For me this was 1979 with nice nutty flavors and I loved it again.
1978 Monprivato A healthy meal in a bottle some fishy, sea foody (clams?) aromas of the 1981, with some added boiled greens married with the unhealthy chocolate and nutty notes of the 1980. Reading Gregs notes, it seems like I somehow missed this wine, as I did not find it nearly as complex as him.
1970 Monprivato The first vintage of Monprivato and according to some discussions at the table made from the vines that form the Ca dMorissio parcel was in a class by itself. So far at least. This was phenomenal. Lacking the finesse of the 1982, but youthful, fleshy with ripe cherries, fennel, iron and nutty chocolate. I know that all these showed up in my other notes but I have no idea how to convey the difference between this extraordinary wine and the lesser ones we tried before, other than saying that I absolutely loved it.
Yet, nothing prepared me for what was to come.
1964 Barolo I was at a loss of words when trying it. The lightest in color, but the elegance and explosive aromas that changed over time from bandage to strawberry jam and teabags were otherworldly. I am not sure what else to say. Together with the 1970 Monprivato, the best wines I have ever had.
1961 Barolo was also among my favorites, as far as I recall, but I was simply too enraptured with the 1964 and 1970 that I have left in my glass.
And the morning after...
Cristian