Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
The event is officially "World Atlas of Wine & Barbaresco Night." The admission included a copy of the newly revised and updated Atlas. Both Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson were on hand to sign autographs, and their Italian expert, Walter Speller, was there, too. Introductory remarks were kept mercifully short by one and all, though Speller held forth just a little bit about the 2016 vintage: he believes that this harvest is so good that it will mark a turning point for the region - that Barbaresco will finally assert its own identity and no longer go through life as 'Barolo's little brother.'
Perhaps he is right. A few specimens bear obvious marks of the vigneron. But more than a few remind me of the diversity in red Burgundy: yes, they're the same grape but each is inflected differently. Some show a bit of minerals, some have a bitter tweak that comes across as iodine, an herbal tweak that shows as mint or camphor, most sing in the cranberry-ish voice that is nebbiolo but with different fruit flavors as counterpoint, etc. I don't think they are as well-differentiated as in Burgundy; that could be my ignorance of what to notice, that could be regional technique still under the 'little brother' spell, that could be the bottles chosen for tonight's tasting.
One thing that is pretty common around here: tannins. In addition to the big heavy book we also have a printed booklet in which to jot notes. By the end of the evening, it was not possible to lick my finger to help turn the page. My cheeks were glued to my gums and teeth, my tongue had the texture of a gomme eraser, and puckering up to whistle came very easily. (It was all kinda funny, actually.)
There were 40 wines, self-serve, so while I did not have time to linger I did have time to re-visit. The event was held upstairs at Tribeca Grill, which provided a formidable side-table of cheese, charcuterie, and mezze.
Onto the notes. It's a walkaround event so my notes are really jots. Scoring is my usual good-better-best (which I shorthand as 1-2-3). I'd be quite happy to drink most of these wines if chosen off a restaurant list so you'll see that most rate at least '1'. And I must explain a phrase that I fell into using on this occasion: "middling and nothing," which is shorthand for "has a mild but typique bouquet, and is simple in the mouth." By way of comparison, I would consider "textbook" to be higher praise.
All wines are Barbaresco. All wines are 2016 but one. Listings are given as maker, cru, vineyard. Vanity names are in quotes. Alcohol was 14% or 14.5% on every wine. Tasted in no particular order as I just sought tables that weren't too busy.
COMMUNE OF ALBA
1 Manuel Marinacci, [commune] - generic, soft ...0
COMMUNE OF BARBARESCO
2 Fletcher, "Recta Pete" - from two crus, Starderi and Roncaglie; middling, more open when first poured ...1
3a Socrè, [commune] - lots of alcohol and lots of tannins and not much wine, this is shut-down hard ...0
3b Socrè, [commune] 2015 - this has filled-out a lot (and it's a different vintage) ...1
4 Moccagatta, Muncagota, Bric Balin - coconut and oak, DNPIM
5 Prunotto, Montaribaldi, Bric Turot - very pretty and forward nose, there's a little dairy in the mouth, overall good balance ...0.5
6 Carlo Giacosa, Montefico - rather like #8 but a tad softer ...1
7 Ceretto, Asili - noticeable redfruits with a hint of camphor and iodine, reasonable tannins ...1
8 Cascina Luisin, Asili - foursquare until the finish which is savory and makes my salivary glands run ...1
9 Ca' del Baio, Asili - tight, just barely enough wine to dress-up the 14%+ alcohol ...0.5
10 Marchesi di Gresy, Martinenga - middling and nothing ...0.5
11 La Ca' Nova, Montestefano - grippy and closed for business when first poured; later, this hints its power and austerity (the fruit is still clenched) ...1.5
12 Quazzolo, Ovello - like #14 but earthy, fruit of a darker tone, and the finish is less grippy with finer tannins; later, shows a bit of Pez ...2
13 Musso, Porra - the textbook wine: good in all dimensions ...1
14 Cascina Luisin, Rabajà - noticeably delicate, persistent tannins but persistent floral smellies stay with them, beautiful redfruit on the palate, all by itself makes the case that Barbaresco is not "a little Barolo" ...2
15 Giuseppe Cortese, Rabajà - beautiful, strong *and* graceful, likely to age well ...2.5
16 Castello di Verduno, Rabajà-Bas - first pour, very firm and ungiving; later, there is rose and camphor and an attractive translucency to the fruit ...1
17 Cascina delle Rose, Rio Sordo - middling but slightly sweet (or glyceral); it continues to open up with air ...1.5
18 Bondonio, Roncagliette - middling and (nearly) nothing ...1
19 Poderi Colla, Roncaglie - this is likable!, camphor and raspberry and just enough fingernails to claw at you; drinks like it has already had a year's development ...2
COMMUNE OF NEIVE
20 Francesco Versio, [commune] - very good: balanced, pleasant, some cherry mixed into the typical nebbiolo cran ...2
21 Fontanabianca, [commune] - middling and nothing ...0.5
22 Bruno Rocca, [commune] - strange, this does not taste like the other wines in the room, comes across as 'generic red', flawed bottle?
23 Massimo Rivetti, "Froi" - middling but a good one ...1
24 Albino Rocca, Cottà - pretty nose but a bit austere with drying tannins ...1
25 Sottimano, Cottà - vivid and grippy with prominent sandalwood (which makes me suspicious) ...1
26 Marco e Vittorio Adriano, Basarin - very full, good intensity, a late hit of Juicy-Fruit ...2
27 Barale, Serraboella - like #28 but has the finesse ...3
28 Paitin, Serraboella, Sori' Paitin - wow bottle: great perfume, great force of personality, lacks delicacy however ...2
29 Marchesi di Barolo, Serragrilli - at first, middling, light mid-palate, maybe meant to drink early; later, it starts filling-in ...2
30 Antichi Poderi dei Gallina, L'Ciaciaret - another strange one: pronounced bitterness right in the middle of the taste, ugly and off-putting ...-1
31 Ugo Lequio, Gallina - the "come hither" bottle, sweet, perfumey, ready to go right now; later, it's getting blowsy, too sweet and soft ...1
32 Oddero, Gallina - beautiful: rose and strawberry and a hint of licorice way in the back, tannins with just the right grip ...2
33 Rabaglio, Gaia Principe - sedate at first but this opens up to reveal suave structure and red cherry fruit, great ...3
34 Sassi San Cristoforo, San Cristoforo - a tad soft, again perhaps to drink early? ...1
COMMUNE OF TREISO
35 Rivetto, Marcarini - this one is practically a barolo: astringent, grippy, austere, firm; gonna wait a while for this one ...1.5
36 Orlando Abrigo, Meruzzano - good acids highlight the fruit here, as it opens it shows redder and a touch sweeter, I get a tiny whiff of sulfur, too ..2
37 Luigi Oddero, Rombone - stern, closed ...1
38 Cantina Rizzi, Rizzi - not even 'middling and nothing' ...0
39 Sottimano, Pajorè - pretty, is it manipulated? ...1
40 Molino, Ausario - and one more strange one: very bright strawberry and mint (or perhaps resin), seems more Tuscan than Piemontese ...0.5
Many thanks to Chambers Street Wines for hosting a splendid event.
Perhaps he is right. A few specimens bear obvious marks of the vigneron. But more than a few remind me of the diversity in red Burgundy: yes, they're the same grape but each is inflected differently. Some show a bit of minerals, some have a bitter tweak that comes across as iodine, an herbal tweak that shows as mint or camphor, most sing in the cranberry-ish voice that is nebbiolo but with different fruit flavors as counterpoint, etc. I don't think they are as well-differentiated as in Burgundy; that could be my ignorance of what to notice, that could be regional technique still under the 'little brother' spell, that could be the bottles chosen for tonight's tasting.
One thing that is pretty common around here: tannins. In addition to the big heavy book we also have a printed booklet in which to jot notes. By the end of the evening, it was not possible to lick my finger to help turn the page. My cheeks were glued to my gums and teeth, my tongue had the texture of a gomme eraser, and puckering up to whistle came very easily. (It was all kinda funny, actually.)
There were 40 wines, self-serve, so while I did not have time to linger I did have time to re-visit. The event was held upstairs at Tribeca Grill, which provided a formidable side-table of cheese, charcuterie, and mezze.
Onto the notes. It's a walkaround event so my notes are really jots. Scoring is my usual good-better-best (which I shorthand as 1-2-3). I'd be quite happy to drink most of these wines if chosen off a restaurant list so you'll see that most rate at least '1'. And I must explain a phrase that I fell into using on this occasion: "middling and nothing," which is shorthand for "has a mild but typique bouquet, and is simple in the mouth." By way of comparison, I would consider "textbook" to be higher praise.
All wines are Barbaresco. All wines are 2016 but one. Listings are given as maker, cru, vineyard. Vanity names are in quotes. Alcohol was 14% or 14.5% on every wine. Tasted in no particular order as I just sought tables that weren't too busy.
COMMUNE OF ALBA
1 Manuel Marinacci, [commune] - generic, soft ...0
COMMUNE OF BARBARESCO
2 Fletcher, "Recta Pete" - from two crus, Starderi and Roncaglie; middling, more open when first poured ...1
3a Socrè, [commune] - lots of alcohol and lots of tannins and not much wine, this is shut-down hard ...0
3b Socrè, [commune] 2015 - this has filled-out a lot (and it's a different vintage) ...1
4 Moccagatta, Muncagota, Bric Balin - coconut and oak, DNPIM
5 Prunotto, Montaribaldi, Bric Turot - very pretty and forward nose, there's a little dairy in the mouth, overall good balance ...0.5
6 Carlo Giacosa, Montefico - rather like #8 but a tad softer ...1
7 Ceretto, Asili - noticeable redfruits with a hint of camphor and iodine, reasonable tannins ...1
8 Cascina Luisin, Asili - foursquare until the finish which is savory and makes my salivary glands run ...1
9 Ca' del Baio, Asili - tight, just barely enough wine to dress-up the 14%+ alcohol ...0.5
10 Marchesi di Gresy, Martinenga - middling and nothing ...0.5
11 La Ca' Nova, Montestefano - grippy and closed for business when first poured; later, this hints its power and austerity (the fruit is still clenched) ...1.5
12 Quazzolo, Ovello - like #14 but earthy, fruit of a darker tone, and the finish is less grippy with finer tannins; later, shows a bit of Pez ...2
13 Musso, Porra - the textbook wine: good in all dimensions ...1
14 Cascina Luisin, Rabajà - noticeably delicate, persistent tannins but persistent floral smellies stay with them, beautiful redfruit on the palate, all by itself makes the case that Barbaresco is not "a little Barolo" ...2
15 Giuseppe Cortese, Rabajà - beautiful, strong *and* graceful, likely to age well ...2.5
16 Castello di Verduno, Rabajà-Bas - first pour, very firm and ungiving; later, there is rose and camphor and an attractive translucency to the fruit ...1
17 Cascina delle Rose, Rio Sordo - middling but slightly sweet (or glyceral); it continues to open up with air ...1.5
18 Bondonio, Roncagliette - middling and (nearly) nothing ...1
19 Poderi Colla, Roncaglie - this is likable!, camphor and raspberry and just enough fingernails to claw at you; drinks like it has already had a year's development ...2
COMMUNE OF NEIVE
20 Francesco Versio, [commune] - very good: balanced, pleasant, some cherry mixed into the typical nebbiolo cran ...2
21 Fontanabianca, [commune] - middling and nothing ...0.5
22 Bruno Rocca, [commune] - strange, this does not taste like the other wines in the room, comes across as 'generic red', flawed bottle?
23 Massimo Rivetti, "Froi" - middling but a good one ...1
24 Albino Rocca, Cottà - pretty nose but a bit austere with drying tannins ...1
25 Sottimano, Cottà - vivid and grippy with prominent sandalwood (which makes me suspicious) ...1
26 Marco e Vittorio Adriano, Basarin - very full, good intensity, a late hit of Juicy-Fruit ...2
27 Barale, Serraboella - like #28 but has the finesse ...3
28 Paitin, Serraboella, Sori' Paitin - wow bottle: great perfume, great force of personality, lacks delicacy however ...2
29 Marchesi di Barolo, Serragrilli - at first, middling, light mid-palate, maybe meant to drink early; later, it starts filling-in ...2
30 Antichi Poderi dei Gallina, L'Ciaciaret - another strange one: pronounced bitterness right in the middle of the taste, ugly and off-putting ...-1
31 Ugo Lequio, Gallina - the "come hither" bottle, sweet, perfumey, ready to go right now; later, it's getting blowsy, too sweet and soft ...1
32 Oddero, Gallina - beautiful: rose and strawberry and a hint of licorice way in the back, tannins with just the right grip ...2
33 Rabaglio, Gaia Principe - sedate at first but this opens up to reveal suave structure and red cherry fruit, great ...3
34 Sassi San Cristoforo, San Cristoforo - a tad soft, again perhaps to drink early? ...1
COMMUNE OF TREISO
35 Rivetto, Marcarini - this one is practically a barolo: astringent, grippy, austere, firm; gonna wait a while for this one ...1.5
36 Orlando Abrigo, Meruzzano - good acids highlight the fruit here, as it opens it shows redder and a touch sweeter, I get a tiny whiff of sulfur, too ..2
37 Luigi Oddero, Rombone - stern, closed ...1
38 Cantina Rizzi, Rizzi - not even 'middling and nothing' ...0
39 Sottimano, Pajorè - pretty, is it manipulated? ...1
40 Molino, Ausario - and one more strange one: very bright strawberry and mint (or perhaps resin), seems more Tuscan than Piemontese ...0.5
Many thanks to Chambers Street Wines for hosting a splendid event.
