WTN: Barolo plus whites

Cristian said something about wanting to drink Barolo, so we gathered together Bob Semon, Maureen Nelson, Craig and Beth Potts, and we were off….

While we were still catching our breath and looking over the menu, Craig opened a lovely bottle of 2001 J.J. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkapsel. I expected something a bit difficult and perhaps backwards but this was friendly the entire way through. Broad full and light all at the same time, with a delicate foamy frothy texture yet still firm and increasingly golden and succulent as it aired. There were reports this didn’t go as well with the shrimp and pancetta as expected. But it went pretty darn well with itself.

The 2004 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Privat was a different ballgame, both more forceful and more delicate than the Prüm, in its own way. The flavor components are all very soft delicate floral nice and gentle, but then the spine is fully coiled and sturdy. Apparently this went well with the tripe, but I wasn’t eating that either…

Our first red wine was the 2000 Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero which needed a lot of attention but was well worth the effort. A tender little soft square of fruit with slightly spicy band-aid brett. Yet despite the soft structure it was respectably firm to stand up to all of our food. This was a very nice gem of a wine that required focus but offered plenty of subtle joy in return.

Speaking of respectable, the 1997 Brezza Barolo Sarmassa was a slutty floozy but one that you still had to respect. Deep and dark, bloody and juicy, the easiest Barolo to enjoy but with plenty of herbal spice notes underneath to make it interesting and quasi-complex. Fun fun fun.

Hopes were high for the 1971 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate which apparently started off nice when it was first poured but then quickly shut down into a hard acid shell. A few hours later we managed to coax out some of the secrets and by the end of the meal it began showing some very nice aged florals with fuller fruit in the middle. An interesting experience and if only we had a few more hours to give to it!

For dessert we opened the 1996 Baumard Quarts de Chaume which was showing its Moscato Passito di Pantelleria side. Succulent cooked apples and plums with lots of sweet brown fruit that went very well with my vanilla ice cream and cooked peaches dessert. Unfortunately this was not what the wine was supposed to taste like as it was ‘obviously’ heat damaged. Still, we salvaged what we could and soldiered on…

Not a bad way to dine…

Finishing the Nigl at home and it is a fine golden pleasure. The fruit gets richer but within the sturdy, firm, and oh-so finely-pointed framework. Good stuff.

C`mon Rahsaan. Tripe is good for the soul!

Tripe rules! Although I guess if Rahsaan was to fall off pesce-vegetarian wagon, offal probably wouldn't be first stop.

I had the '05 Privat GV recently, loved it. Have one '04 left.

Too bad about the Rinaldi, since I own a bottle.

[David M. Bueker]

I have not been buying the Nigl Privat much in recent vintages (spending a lot of my Austrian dollars on Schloss Gobelsburg), but older vintages have aged really well. The '95 is singing now.

I am shocked at how well the Prum showed for you, but nevertheless I will resist and leave my bottles where they are (crammed into a Bordeaux box at the bottom of a stack of Bordeaux boxes - excavation tools will be required).

C`mon Rahsaan. Tripe is good for the soul!

Perhaps, but as Dale notes, I don't eat meat so it will have to wait for another soul

Too bad about the Rinaldi, since I own a bottle.

I wouldn't say anything was too bad about it, just a matter of timing. And of course bottle variation.

I don't know if Bob is going to post here, but he bought six bottles a few years ago and this was his fifth. Apparently three of them showed kind of rusty and iron-ey but still with pleasure, one was glorious, and this was the second best. Last night, the best thing would have either been to rapidly drink all of it in the few minutes after opening or to have given it a longer decant. Unfortunately we didn't have that time last night but I believe Bob is pretty optimistic for his last bottle. Whenever he gets around to opening it.

I am shocked at how well the Prum showed for you, but nevertheless I will resist and leave my bottles where they are...

Sounds like a good strategy. It gave us all pleasure but it was nowhere near 'fully formed' and I can imagine it will only be more sublime in the future.

I wouldn't say anything was too bad about it, just a matter of timing.

I realized that you thought it was coming around at end. But I was thinking of pouring it for my wine group along with another 71 that is drinking well, makes it less attractive. I could of course decant hours in advance, but with older wines that can be fraught with danger too. Thanks for "data point"