Catching up on my posting from some tastings from two weeks ago…
My brown-bag group normally has no theme. Every gathering is a hodge-podge, depending on members’ contributions. But two weeks ago the host said he felt like he was out of touch with Italian wine and asked that everyone bring something Italian.
It turned out very well.
2019 Aldo Conterno “Conca Tre Pile” Barbera d’Alba: I contributed this, which I’ve had several times before. With the price of Giacomo Conterno’s barbera through the roof, this is a pretty good substitute ($33 versus $70+) in a similar, ripe, dark-fruited, juicy style. This has archetypical barbera earthiness with black cherry on the nose and on the palate. Lovely rich fruit without overripeness. (14.5%) Just a very satisfying wine that goes beautifully with anything tomato-ish, and probably with lots of other things if I put my mind to it.
In the past, I believe this wine was aged in barrique. But today it’s aged in steel and, for a short time, in oak casks, according to the winery’s website, and, indeed, shows no signs of oak. 90-ish points
2004 Vittichio Prunaio IGT: Today this is labelled as a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, and is advertised as Super Tuscan in style. It’s 100% sangiovese from Brunello clones, so it didn’t qualify as Chianti under the 2004 rules. Lovely earthy and vague fruits on the nose. Earthy on the palate, too. Tannins fully resolved in the midpalate and silky, but the wine remains very fresh. Some tannins peak through on the finish. This faded a bit in the glass, and wasn’t “detailed” — the price you pay for this international style – but it was very pleasurable in the way that Super Tuscans so often are. 90+
2008 Giuseppe Mascarello, Barolo – Santo Stefano di Perno (near Monforte): Surprisingly dark hue. Classic nebbiolo rose hips on the nose. Great concentration and fruit on the palate. Drinkable now but lots of life ahead, with structure and oodles of concentrated fruit, perfectly balanced. Both masculine and elegant, like an Italian man in a fine suit. Really classic, with a strong Monforte signature. I was only surprised that a 2008 showed so well at this age. This caused me to dig out and tee up my bottle of the ’98! 93+ -ish
2013 Roagna, Barbaresco - Paje. This was quite tight and ungiving, as I’m told many 2013s are now. (I haven’t touched mine.) The fruit was strangely sweet compared to the Mascarello, and more evolved, but hefty tannins walled off everything else. This was purchased recently, so perhaps the storage was not ideal somewhere along the line. That could explain why this tasted older than 10 years. But perhaps the fruit was just quite ripe. 89/90/???
