TN: One Bordeaux man's exploration of Italian wine

[sdr]

Some time last year, I asked for advice about what to buy/drink in Italian wine. I had very little experience with it and didn't much care for it anyway. Too thin, too acidic, I said. I set some limits, such as price no more than $100 and nothing that takes decades to become drinkable.
I got much excellent advice from our resident Italian wine experts. The conclusion was 1) avoid Super Tuscans; too pricey, not representative of Italy 2) go for Brunello, both for good to excellent quality at the right price and approachable with just a few years of bottle age, but capable of lasting well beyong that time.
I followed the excellent advice explicity - for about 15 minutes. I found I liked nebbiolo more than sangiovese and I enjoyed the young ones more than I expected. The self-imposed price limit went out the window as soon as I wrapped my lips around some Bruno Giacosa Barbarescos.
Since I did not need a whole lot of bottles ( I drink it only at Italian restaurants), I brain washed myself into thinking I was better off with a few fancy Giaciosas than a whole bunch of stuff I merely liked but didn't thrill me.
So here's a much delayed year's worth of TNs I have been remiss in not sharing.
Now you guys can tell me what mistakes I made.

• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (4/15/2010)
  This is so good and drinkable now I don't know how it will improve over the next decade. Relatively pale and orange compared to other 9 year old Babarescos but the color belies the amazingly sweet cherry and plum liqueur fruit with a dash of minerals. Mellow tannins. Beguiling, subtle and stylish. Great vintage, great vineyard, great producer = great wine. (95 pts.)
• 2004 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (4/15/2010)
  There's something special about Rabaja compared to it's brothers, Asili and Santo Stefano that I find extremely appealing. More refined than SS and fuller and wilder than the demure Asili, although all are wonderful in the hands of Giacosa. It's loaded with plummy fruit, intense, harmonious and long. Drinking very well now and surely will gain complexity in 10 or 20 more years. (93 pts.)
• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (3/13/2010)
  I like the originality of this wine. Still youthfully tannic, but the tannins are
  well integrated and friendly. Dark plum, leather, intense. Yes, it really does complement Italian food better than any other type of wine. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (1/16/2010)
  Another clear success. Although just a baby, these Giacosa Barbarescos give plenty of pleasure already. Medium crimson red; modest nose of cherry and earth. Slightly coarse texture which seems to be a characteristic of the Santo Stefano site. But the flavor is excellent, fruity and earthy in equal parts. This has the personality of nebbiolo which is an excellent foil for Italian cuisine whether traditional or modern. Surprisingly layered for age six and I'm sure it will become more interesting over the next decade or two, but it's just fine right now. (91 pts.)
• 2004 Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore (1/10/2010)
  Rather impressive with a bit more bottle age. It's powerful, full throttle Cabernet Sauvignon that could easily be taken for a good California version with the oak completely in check. Really quite good but nothing Italian about it. (90 pts.)
• 2006 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT (1/9/2010)
  I did this one for Greg blind and he guessed it was a Priorat. This new release is still showing a lot of new oak (vanilla and toast and creamy texture), so it's hard to see the sangiovese underneath. But based on the development of the 2004, I'm confident this vintage will be a great success as well. There's no doubt about the impressive concentration of black fruit, but it is somewhat anonymous at this early stage. (90 pts.)
• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (1/2/2010)
  Astounding brilliance in Barbaresco. As good as the '01 Asili and Santo Stefano were, the Rabaja Riserva was a clear notch up. Somehow combining the best attributes of both (the power and energy of the Santo Stefano and then delicatre elegance of the Asili) and adding new notes of balsamic and brown sugar. I had no idea young Barbaresco could be this luscious. No need to wait; this is fabulous now. (97 pts.)
• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (1/2/2010)
  Superbly elegant Barbaresco with a flat out beautiful nose of strawberry and light cherry. Soft and velvety on the palate and lingerting on the cool, fruity finish. It is generous and pretty at age 8 or 9. The tannins are integrated with the bright fruit. Obviously a treat to drink now. The polar opposite in Barbaresco to the '01 Giacosa Santo Strefano we compared it to. (93 pts.)
• 2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (1/2/2010)
  Interesting, unapologeticly traditional Barbaraesco from the master. Relatively modest in color; bricky edge. Meaty and earthy aromas introduce a powerful young wine with somewhat coarse tannins. Perfect for a cold night with traidtional Italian food. I wonder if this wine will become smoother in years to come. (90 pts.)
• 1995 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Ca d'Morissio Riserva Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (1/2/2010)
  This bottle was a good start to our all-Italian wine dinner at Osteria del Teatro. Big and burly, "masculine," uncompromisingly traditional. Some cherry could be coaxed from the nose and felt in the mouth. The tannins were coarse but not overpowering, probably due to bottle age and the relatively modest vintage. This wine is about muscle, not complexity and it resembles no wine from France, California or Spain. (88 pts.)
• 1995 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Ca d'Morissio Riserva Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (12/8/2009)
  This Barolo was showing very well at age 14. Nicely fragrant with notes of cherry and strawberry and very approachable on the palate. The tannins were subdued but the balance was excellent and I would judge it just about ready now. There's a hint of fig flavor as well. Smooth in Barolo terms and easy to underdstand and easy to like. The intensity is not there for "great" but the complexity more than compensates. (92 pts.)
• 1997 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella (12/8/2009)
  My first ever taste of Amarone, from an excellent producer and vintage. I had feared it would taste like sweet raison juice but it was not so. Instead, although there was definitely a very distinctive note of date and fig, there was enough else going on to make it really quite interresting. Full bodied but not too tannic and very good acidity provided the frame it needed. I would most definitely like to try some more examples of this unique wine. (90 pts.)
• 1985 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/8/2009)
  Very pleasant indeed and my first experience with a fully mature Barbaraesco. Delicate but a lovely aroma of strawberry and Maraschino cherry is inviting. On the palate, it's as light and soft as the nose suggests and the tannins have essentially melted away. Fortunately, there's adequate acidity to give it a much needed bit of lift and structure. I'm not sure I would peg this as nebbiolo; instead I would guess a successful pinot noir from the Cote de Beaune. (89 pts.)
• 1990 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (12/8/2009)
  Others may like this more than me, but although not flawed, the overpowering one dimensional note of liquid asphalt on both nose and palate was not pleasant. It's powerful and bold, but I can't imagine what food would complement this flavor. Too much "tar" and not enough "roses." (85 pts.)
• 1980 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/8/2009)
  Barry was hoping to impress us with this old Giacosa from an off year which had pleased him in the past. There was a very singular potent smell at first, something like gravel and licorice but over the next ten minutes it became clear the bottle was corked and undrinkable. NR (flawed)

[stefan]

Maybe you should be giving lessons about Italians, Stuart!

Where did you source the older bottles?

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks for notes Stuart - I was drooling and slobbering like a Pavlovian dog as I read them...Giacosa surely is the pinnacle of Piedmont wines...more so than Gaja perhaps...it is a shame that the crimson labelled riservas are so expensive but they seem a step up from the white labels...my other favourite producer is Cappellano, the Godfather of barolo, and his wines tend to fly under the radar...you should try his 99, 01 and 04 Pie Rupestris and Pie Francos...other good producers to try would include Rocche Dei Manzoni - esp his Vigna cappella di S Stefano (00, 01 and 04 are all terrific) and Roagna, the new kid on the block - try his 03 Barbaresco Paje - it is a stunner. Then of course there are the Conternos...Aldo for elegance and Giacomo Montfortino the King of barolo, which takes an age to mature. Sandrone is also a great producer in a more overtly modern style...his 1996 Cannubi Boschis is stunning, but the 99, 00 and 01 are good too.

[Tom In DC]

The self-imposed price limit went out the window as soon as I wrapped my lips around some Bruno Giacosa Barbarescos.

I haven't read beyond this line, but I laughed out loud at this point in my reading and just felt the need to say so!

[Ramon_NYC]

You sure made up for whatever lost time you had with nebbiolo … and found a heck-of-a-way to do it. Thanks for the notes and looking forward to your notes on your future forays with Italian wines (or any other region, for that matter).

Since we’ve delved here into preferred nebbiolo producers, my current has been Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia, whose top line wines, the Monfortino, I’ve never tasted and which Ian has referred to above as the King of Barolo. However, the Conterno Cascina Francia are traditional style barolo and the ’96 and ’98 are starting to be in good drinking phase, but they are getting harder and harder to find, especially at prices that I’m comfortable with.

[sdr]

stefan -

The sourcing for the older wines was easy - I have a friend who has been collecting Italian wines for years, albeit, mostly at the more modest (sane) level.

Ian -

Thanks for the reccos. I'll keep my eyes open for these producers.
Yeah, the Giacosa red label Barbs are incredible, as are their prices.

Stu

[JCNorthway]

Stu,

I like your kind of "exploration." Great notes, as usual. And great wines. I tend to drink from the lower end of the Barolo food chain, and I find them very enjoyable. It's hard to imagine how wines of this quality must taste. Hope I have a chance someday to find out.

[DavidG]

That was a fun read, and educational too. Nice descriptions - I'm surprised that some of the young ones are drinking so well already. I am not much of an Italovinophile. Tom has tried to further my Italian education on a couple of occasions. I keep flunking. I think he suspects I'm doing it on purpose just to repeat the Giacosa course.

[Blanquito]

Thanks for sharing, Stu. Piedmont (and Tuscany) are gobbling up a higher percentage of my wine budget each year.

There's something about Nebbiolo. I've had some mind-blowing Bordeaux First Growths... but I've also been unmoved by many a First Growth (albeit usually from so-so years)... But I've never had a Giacosa (now up to 5 times) that didn't truly wow me. We had a Barbaresco show down in Fort Collins, two great Giacosas vs. two great Gajas, and Bruno ran away with the contest, at least for my palate.

For more reasonably priced Piedmontese wines, I go with Roagna. The 1990 Roagna Barbaresco has been really terrific each time I've tried it. I've been dabbling in Produttori, but I haven't had an aged riserva, so judgment is deferred.

[aimeedogdogdog]

Giacosa seems always ready, no matter at what age they are. The provenance is so important that I tried a few from the '80s but they were just so-so, except an '85 which was great but no better than a '96 a few years ago we had a dinner chez David and Nancy. Nebbiolo could be great. i prefer it to... Burgundy. It's the only wine which could compete with Bordeaux, for my taste.

Do I see a pre-Saturday Giacosa and Conternos dinner coming up at the BWE convention 2011? I have a few from the mid-late '90s. The barolos are porbably still too young but the barbarescos could be ready. There is an italian restaurant where the chef constantly puts out wine dinners. I tried their white truffle dinner last year so far and it's great with their house-made pasta. Unfortunately it's 30 minute drive from SF, or else we could plan a dinner there at their cellar room. I am sure we could find a great place in the city too.

Werner

[JonoB]

Those, Giacosa's are brilliant but some have stated they won't buy anything from the 07s on, will report back if I can find out why.

There are so many great producers, and even the so-called modern v traditional is more based in the historic past, not even Giacosa could claim to being 100% traditional, but more on that another time. Many modernists are also making great wine, and if you can find these people as well as those that Ian has mentioned, you won't go wrong. Bruno Rocca post 99, Albino Rocca post 95, Cascina Bruciata, Pira e Figli (Chiara Boschis) from 96 onwards, Fratelli Allesandria, Elio Altare, Gianfranco Allesandria, Giovani Manzone (gramolere in particular), Nada Giuseppe, Filippo Gallino, Fabrizio Battaglino, Bartolo Macarello, Gianfranco Bovio (also the owner of Ristorante Bovio), Crissante Allesandria (far more traditional, but he played with modern techniques for a while), Bartolo Mascarello (no Berlusconi no barrique), Eugenio Bocchino, Cerreto (Bricco Rocche & Bricco Asili wineries (not Monsordo)), Andrea Oberto, Mauro Veglio, Cascina del Monastero (very classically styled but good value).

That is just a few, many are only available in Italy, but if they are of interest, I can find out how to get them to you.