1978 Barolo
This past tuesday a large gathering was held to sample the fruits of the 1978 vintage in Piemonte. Mark Golodetz organized the event which went off very well indeed and had a stunning lineup of gems.
The food at Vespa was very good and a fine accompaniment to the wines. The dinner was a quick one, just under four hours, so I didn't get to spend quite as much time with each wine as I would have liked to put was able to put together the following notes.
The wines were decanted before dinner so they had between 1 and 4 hours of air before we got to them.
Produttori Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva - Stunning color, as many of the wines had - very youthful nose of macerated cherries, dried flowers, limestone, powdery, dusty, more lilac than rose, dried pine cones, a bit of dried porcini, some citrussy acidity peaks out after the wine sits - the entry is fairly sweet, exhibits great balance in a youthful way with good acidity and rich tannins, black fruited entry with licorice, fruit is lovely, perhaps not as ripe as expected, the fruit is fading a bit in intensity while the structure is still strong, an evolutionary case of the the strucute not keeping pace with the fruit, still a fine wine ***/5 and WOTF
Guasti Clemente & figli Barbaresco- similarly youthful color with less gradation - older more evolved nose showing more ripeness, power, and warmth, shows some menthol, anise, a bit leathery, some dried spice notes, and a bit of seawood after sitting in the glass, loses impact on the nose - very expansive in the mouth showing greater richness than the Produttori with better fruit-structure balance but decidedly simpler, the tannins are a bit softer, the wine seems riper with a chewier profile and nice plumpness of fruit which follows through on the finish ***/5
E. Pira barolo - dirty nose, evolved, leathery, chocolately, dusty, madiera like, for me too evolved as the mouth offered like characteristics 0/5
Pio Cesare riserva - on the nose the wine is spicy and crisp with fine notes of sottobosco and mushroom framing sweet raspberry notes - in the mouth the wine is dense and chewy with good fruit, the tannins are fairly resolved with pronounced yet balanced acidity, lovely sweet red berries on the finish, a complete but unexceptional wine, interestingly wasserman says this was aged in barrique ***/5
Aldo Conterno Cicala - a wonderful nose showing bright red berries, menthol nuance over strong sotobosco, a bit of VA, a bit of seashell minerality, strawberries, wonderfull nose featuring a wide spectrum of primary, secondary, and terthiary notes - the entry is a bit tight, youthfull structure supports gorgeous fruit, great integration here, the wine feels very cool and fresh, probably harvested earlier than some of the other wines, very red berried with some spice notes, perhaps dried cinnamon, amarena cherries, very long finish features a re-appearance of strawberry with lurking tar notes and hints of dried orange peel, a great showing for Aldo and a wine of superb character ****/5 WOTF
Aldo Conterno Bussia Soprana - drying out on the nose with lots of dried beef and dried herbal notes - nice mouthfeel but thinning out with the strucutre poking out all over the place, short finish, I have always felt the bussia soprana to be a wine best enjoyed in it's youth and this supports my view. */5
Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo - warm and truffly nose, notes of menthol and pine bark add complexitiy to a very ripe nose that has a confiture of cherries edge to it, quite rich yet a bit simple, some notes of dried beef and iodine - the entry is a bit diffuse, the bright red berry fruit has a tinge of rustiness to it, a bit hollow on the midplate, actually the wine in the mouth reminds me of grenache with it's big ripe presence lacking a center, the finish is juicy and ripe with notes of menthol and orange skin, for me this wine is a tad too ripe and simple but it was certainly more appreciated by others at the table. ***/5
Cantina Mascarello ( Bartolo) - the nose is subtle, almost tight, but is constantly evolving and revealing new facets that ran the gamut from dahrjeeling tea, old fireplace, dried hay, white mushroom, spicy nuances of cinnamon and lemongrass, angelica root, red apple skin, peach pit, lots of smoky nuances a repeating theme - lovely mouthfeel here, perfumed and elegant in the mouth with juicy and spicy red berry fruit, a bit of pink peppercorn, notes of rye, some baking tones, light and lovely notes of red stone fruits, a really compelling wine that is very different from all the others tasted tonight for its dynamic aromatics and wonderfull feminine presence ****/5 and co-WOTF
Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato - perhaps a bit closed at first with notes of concrete dust, opens up richly, perhaps a tad hot, great spice notes, some seashelly limestone, great depth to the nose, old bones, nettles, tarry, good base of terthiary notes adding complexity to the brooding fruit, notes of fresh and dried mushroom, dried flowers, a lifting note of VA - in the mouth there is power, a very rich and complete wine, lovely rope of fruit over a tightly coiled structure, sinewy and rippling, this is not ready, the finish is a bit clipped, very perfumey for monets with sapid acidity , tarry and black anisy with nice note of strawberry and strawberry seeds, wow this is fantastic, equal to the Bartolo in quality but a completely different model of a wine, absolutely masculine wine co-WOTF ****/5
Vietti Rocche - the nose is a bit flaccid, warm and indistinct plummy fruits, cedary, a bit of cooked celery root, flowers in alcohol, concrete dust, quite beefy, a bit advanced, some espresso foam - good entry with nice balance, menthol and black mineral notes add complexity to the midpalate which leads into a finish with blach cherry/blackberry fruits, good aplitude in the mouth but leaner and more evolved than the last bottle I had, even that would have difficulty competing tonight, the finish is a bit lean and attenuated **/5
Marcarini La Serra - again we find more mariera like qualities though not as bad as the Pira, old woody, nutty, some amarena cherry, a bit fleshy - note as advanced in the mouth, still nicely structured, delicate with fading fruit, dried flowers, dried spice, medium length finish, I'ld drink this if I had to */5
Valentino Rocche dei Manzoni Riserva - very deep cherries on the nose, bloody, high toned menthol notes, meaty and black with some cough syrup notes, really very ripe yet with no sign of over-ripeness, very crisp and clean in fact - rich and sweet with a lovely core of black fruits and spice, structure is well concealed, beautiful tea notes add support to the juicy black cherry fruit on the midpalte which could use a bit more depth, the long finish is fairly mineraly and still quite grippy, lovely ***/5
Bruno Giacosa Rionda Riserva - very strong limestone aromatics, zingy red berries with light undertones of game and black fruits, amarena in alcohol, intense rose note with nuances of face powder, wood smoke, roasted pheasant and perfumy floral notes - the entry is soft, very minerally, great structural elements, bitter minerals and tar dominate the palate, very espansive in the mouth without much weight or power, real inner mouth energy but ultimatly lacking fruit and depth, probably over decanted which is both surprising and a shame, then again at this age only great bottles ***/5
Giacomo Conterno Monfortino - superb bright fruits, fresh nettles, gun powder, penetrating green tones, fruit shows a roasted edge, leathery, decidely higher alcohol on the nose than the others - really richly fruited in the mouth with a sweet entry that features wild rasberry and orange peel notes, nutskins, leather, flowers in alcohol, and mineral notes frame the mid-palate, lurking black spices lengthen the finish, perhaps a bit underwhelming structurally but such a bright and fresh mouth feel, really has everything in balance, superb *****/6 My WOTF and WOTN.
My top 4 wines were
1 Monfortino
2 Monprivato
3 Bartolo Mascarello
4 Aldo Conterno Cicala
The food at Vespa was very good and a fine accompaniment to the wines. The dinner was a quick one, just under four hours, so I didn't get to spend quite as much time with each wine as I would have liked to put was able to put together the following notes.
The wines were decanted before dinner so they had between 1 and 4 hours of air before we got to them.
Produttori Barbaresco Montestefano Riserva - Stunning color, as many of the wines had - very youthful nose of macerated cherries, dried flowers, limestone, powdery, dusty, more lilac than rose, dried pine cones, a bit of dried porcini, some citrussy acidity peaks out after the wine sits - the entry is fairly sweet, exhibits great balance in a youthful way with good acidity and rich tannins, black fruited entry with licorice, fruit is lovely, perhaps not as ripe as expected, the fruit is fading a bit in intensity while the structure is still strong, an evolutionary case of the the strucute not keeping pace with the fruit, still a fine wine ***/5 and WOTF
Guasti Clemente & figli Barbaresco- similarly youthful color with less gradation - older more evolved nose showing more ripeness, power, and warmth, shows some menthol, anise, a bit leathery, some dried spice notes, and a bit of seawood after sitting in the glass, loses impact on the nose - very expansive in the mouth showing greater richness than the Produttori with better fruit-structure balance but decidedly simpler, the tannins are a bit softer, the wine seems riper with a chewier profile and nice plumpness of fruit which follows through on the finish ***/5
E. Pira barolo - dirty nose, evolved, leathery, chocolately, dusty, madiera like, for me too evolved as the mouth offered like characteristics 0/5
Pio Cesare riserva - on the nose the wine is spicy and crisp with fine notes of sottobosco and mushroom framing sweet raspberry notes - in the mouth the wine is dense and chewy with good fruit, the tannins are fairly resolved with pronounced yet balanced acidity, lovely sweet red berries on the finish, a complete but unexceptional wine, interestingly wasserman says this was aged in barrique ***/5
Aldo Conterno Cicala - a wonderful nose showing bright red berries, menthol nuance over strong sotobosco, a bit of VA, a bit of seashell minerality, strawberries, wonderfull nose featuring a wide spectrum of primary, secondary, and terthiary notes - the entry is a bit tight, youthfull structure supports gorgeous fruit, great integration here, the wine feels very cool and fresh, probably harvested earlier than some of the other wines, very red berried with some spice notes, perhaps dried cinnamon, amarena cherries, very long finish features a re-appearance of strawberry with lurking tar notes and hints of dried orange peel, a great showing for Aldo and a wine of superb character ****/5 WOTF
Aldo Conterno Bussia Soprana - drying out on the nose with lots of dried beef and dried herbal notes - nice mouthfeel but thinning out with the strucutre poking out all over the place, short finish, I have always felt the bussia soprana to be a wine best enjoyed in it's youth and this supports my view. */5
Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo - warm and truffly nose, notes of menthol and pine bark add complexitiy to a very ripe nose that has a confiture of cherries edge to it, quite rich yet a bit simple, some notes of dried beef and iodine - the entry is a bit diffuse, the bright red berry fruit has a tinge of rustiness to it, a bit hollow on the midplate, actually the wine in the mouth reminds me of grenache with it's big ripe presence lacking a center, the finish is juicy and ripe with notes of menthol and orange skin, for me this wine is a tad too ripe and simple but it was certainly more appreciated by others at the table. ***/5
Cantina Mascarello ( Bartolo) - the nose is subtle, almost tight, but is constantly evolving and revealing new facets that ran the gamut from dahrjeeling tea, old fireplace, dried hay, white mushroom, spicy nuances of cinnamon and lemongrass, angelica root, red apple skin, peach pit, lots of smoky nuances a repeating theme - lovely mouthfeel here, perfumed and elegant in the mouth with juicy and spicy red berry fruit, a bit of pink peppercorn, notes of rye, some baking tones, light and lovely notes of red stone fruits, a really compelling wine that is very different from all the others tasted tonight for its dynamic aromatics and wonderfull feminine presence ****/5 and co-WOTF
Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato - perhaps a bit closed at first with notes of concrete dust, opens up richly, perhaps a tad hot, great spice notes, some seashelly limestone, great depth to the nose, old bones, nettles, tarry, good base of terthiary notes adding complexity to the brooding fruit, notes of fresh and dried mushroom, dried flowers, a lifting note of VA - in the mouth there is power, a very rich and complete wine, lovely rope of fruit over a tightly coiled structure, sinewy and rippling, this is not ready, the finish is a bit clipped, very perfumey for monets with sapid acidity , tarry and black anisy with nice note of strawberry and strawberry seeds, wow this is fantastic, equal to the Bartolo in quality but a completely different model of a wine, absolutely masculine wine co-WOTF ****/5
Vietti Rocche - the nose is a bit flaccid, warm and indistinct plummy fruits, cedary, a bit of cooked celery root, flowers in alcohol, concrete dust, quite beefy, a bit advanced, some espresso foam - good entry with nice balance, menthol and black mineral notes add complexity to the midpalate which leads into a finish with blach cherry/blackberry fruits, good aplitude in the mouth but leaner and more evolved than the last bottle I had, even that would have difficulty competing tonight, the finish is a bit lean and attenuated **/5
Marcarini La Serra - again we find more mariera like qualities though not as bad as the Pira, old woody, nutty, some amarena cherry, a bit fleshy - note as advanced in the mouth, still nicely structured, delicate with fading fruit, dried flowers, dried spice, medium length finish, I'ld drink this if I had to */5
Valentino Rocche dei Manzoni Riserva - very deep cherries on the nose, bloody, high toned menthol notes, meaty and black with some cough syrup notes, really very ripe yet with no sign of over-ripeness, very crisp and clean in fact - rich and sweet with a lovely core of black fruits and spice, structure is well concealed, beautiful tea notes add support to the juicy black cherry fruit on the midpalte which could use a bit more depth, the long finish is fairly mineraly and still quite grippy, lovely ***/5
Bruno Giacosa Rionda Riserva - very strong limestone aromatics, zingy red berries with light undertones of game and black fruits, amarena in alcohol, intense rose note with nuances of face powder, wood smoke, roasted pheasant and perfumy floral notes - the entry is soft, very minerally, great structural elements, bitter minerals and tar dominate the palate, very espansive in the mouth without much weight or power, real inner mouth energy but ultimatly lacking fruit and depth, probably over decanted which is both surprising and a shame, then again at this age only great bottles ***/5
Giacomo Conterno Monfortino - superb bright fruits, fresh nettles, gun powder, penetrating green tones, fruit shows a roasted edge, leathery, decidely higher alcohol on the nose than the others - really richly fruited in the mouth with a sweet entry that features wild rasberry and orange peel notes, nutskins, leather, flowers in alcohol, and mineral notes frame the mid-palate, lurking black spices lengthen the finish, perhaps a bit underwhelming structurally but such a bright and fresh mouth feel, really has everything in balance, superb *****/6 My WOTF and WOTN.
My top 4 wines were
1 Monfortino
2 Monprivato
3 Bartolo Mascarello
4 Aldo Conterno Cicala