TN: A little drinking downstairs

J

Jeff Grossman

Jeff Grossman
Jay and I arrived at Chelsea just after SFJoe left. Sigh. However, he did pre-charge a decanter for us:

Prod. Carema 1978 Carema - a bit over the hill, but the first moment still shows a flicker of sweet fruit (I guess 1978 was warm); later, it starts to get a bit thinner and sourer

Jay and I lay out the spread -- semolina and olive breads from Amy's, various meats (ham, roast beef, lamb pastrami, pork liver pate) from Dickson's -- and open a few more bottles:

Cappellano 1994 Barolo "Gabutti" - after a few minutes the nose really pops up all flowery and maybe a bit pinot-like, silky and suave, drinking very well now, favored by most who stopped by for a few sips

Pichon Baron 1995 Pauillac - 375ml; medium-bodied, well-bred cabernet wine, mild tobacco over dark fruit, perhaps the best wine on the table

J.J. Christoffel 2002 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese - opened because the smoke on the ham was not playing nicely with the barolo; this wine was pretty enough but I think I might be damning with faint praise

One of the cellar guys also gave us a sip into his bottle for the evening:

Moccagatta 1996 Barbaresco "Bric Balin" - a bit spirity right out of the bottle but still gorgeous fruit; it'll be better by the time he gets it home
 
Was that red label or white label on the Carema?

I have really liked the red label of my experience.

Any stars on the Auslese?
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Sigh.

The red Carema. What's the difference, Levi, do you know?
Click to expand...

The white or "dove" label is a special selection bottling. That bottling happened 3 times in the 1970's: 1974, 1975, and 1978. The confusion sets in in that 1978 was the first time the dove label was used. Before that, it used to be labelled as "Carema dei Carema," but that terminology was disallowed, so the Produttori opted instead for label color coding, with an artist's rendering on the dove.

Wasserman, from whom all this information is taken, gives 72,000 bottles as the annual production of Carema from the Produttori, with 59,000 being the regular red label, and 13,000 as the special selection (but Wasserman doesn't tell us if those production numbers specifically apply to 1978).

In the Appendix B of the 2nd Edition, Wasserman rates the wines of the Produttori thusly:
Carema DOC **
Carema DOC dei Carema ***-
Nebbiolo del Canavese *

I would point out that Italy's Noble Red Wines, 2nd Edition, copyright 1991, by Sheldon & Pauline Wasserman and dedicated in part to Edoardo Valentini, is perhaps the best single purchase I have made all year. Who knew, for example, that Ferrando once made a Donnaz (pre-1975)? I would also point out that that text is considerably more useful today than The Wines of Italy: A Consumer's Guide, copyright 1976, by Sheldon Wasserman, although it can't hurt to have that book on hand as well.

All that being said, I have had the 1978 red and dove label offerings from the Produttori, and I personally prefer the red of my experience. It is deeper, more animal, and with better development from an open bottle. The dove is more polished, and a wee bit less complex. Again, speaking of my own opinion.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Pichon Baron 1995 Pauillac - 375ml; medium-bodied, well-bred cabernet wine, mild tobacco over dark fruit, perhaps the best wine on the table
Click to expand...

This really did remind me of what I like about Bordeaux.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Pichon Baron 1995 Pauillac - 375ml; medium-bodied, well-bred cabernet wine, mild tobacco over dark fruit, perhaps the best wine on the table
Click to expand...
How good to know; I've got a magnum (gloat).
 
originally posted by Odd Rydland:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

Pichon Baron 1995 Pauillac - 375ml; medium-bodied, well-bred cabernet wine, mild tobacco over dark fruit, perhaps the best wine on the table
Click to expand...
How good to know; I've got a magnum (gloat).
Click to expand...

Hah! Well I have another 375! Which means, um, that you have more of it. So there.

I'm afraid I'm not very good at this whole gloating thing.
 
I have to say that .375ml format is great for things that get released too young, such as much of champagne.

A half of Krug the other day strummed a guitar as it strolled around the walnut groves at gloaming.
 
Was it gleaming in the gloaming? I somehow had the idea 375s were an inferior format for fizzy wine.

We should try this approach sometime, as I'm unlikely otherwise ever to taste Krug.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top