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Posted

promised to put up the list of wines from last week.

day 1 was a formal tasting with franco conterno and some aussie winemakers.

day 2 was a bunch of mates, including a few winemakers. we all contributed a wine or two and set up a tasting. i put the brackets together as best we thought.

franco joined us, which was great fun. then we had lunch (it is entirely possible that there were a few more wines at lunch - things were just a smidge blurry by the end).

two fantastic days.

day 1.

2013 Prunotto Dolcetto D’Alba DOC
2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Masante Langhe Dolcetto DOC
2012 Prunotto Barbera D’Alba DOC
2010 Poderi Aldo Conterno 'Conca Tre Pile' Barbera d'Alba DOC
2011 Sperino Uvaggio Coste della Sesia DOC
2012 Fletcher Minion Nebbiolo
2009 SC Pannel Nebbiolo
2006 Joseph Nebbiolo
2005 Pizzini ‘Coronamento’ Nebbiolo
2008 Arrivo Nebbiolo
2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Colonnello' Barolo DOCG
2008 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Colonnello' Barolo DOCG
2007 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG
2006 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG
2005 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG
2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Cicala' Barolo DOCG
2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Romirasco' Barolo DOCG
2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sperss’ DOC
2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sori Tildin’ DOC
2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sori San Lorenzo’ DOC
day 2.

1967 Fonanafredda

1997 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate

1999 Luciano Sandrone, Barolo, Cannubi Boschis

2010 Giaconda Nebbiolo (blind wine tossed in).

1997 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto

2.

1986 Pio Cesare Ornato

1988 Pio Cesare Ornato

1989 Pio Cesare Ornato

1990 Pio Cesare Ornato

3.

1978 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1995 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1997 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1998 Gaja Conteissa

4.

1997 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

1998 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

2001 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

2000 Clerico Per Cristina

5.

1971 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1996 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1998 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1998 Aldo Conterno Cicala

lunch -
Taittinger Millennium Magnum 2000
de Souza Blanc des Blancs ‘Cuvee de Caudalies’ NV
Terton ‘Vorberg’ Riserva Pinot Bianco 2009 Magnum
Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Auslese 2007 Magnum
Raveneau Butteaux 2006
Giaconda Chardonnay 2010
Olek Bondonio Barbera 2012
Brokenwood Nebbiolo 2013
Mouton Rothschild 1985
Azienda Agricole ‘Suber Daino’ 2010 (Sicily)
Rippon ‘Emma’s Block’ Pinot Noir 2008 Magnum
Posted

Man you're drinking well Ken! Fantastic selection there. Are you simply tasting or actually drinking? It would be hard to spit out a majority of those wines.

What was the most memorable wine of the two days?

The Aldo Conterno vertical tasting must have been a treat (same with the Ornato vertical). I really like that wine and to taste it across those excellent years...did you pick-out any vintage characteristics? Was the 2006 the best?

I've had the pleasure of drinking many Gaja Costa Russi and the 1997 is a very memorable wine for me. How was the 1978 Costa Russi? Great vintage and I think the first for Costa Russi, was Angelo adding Barbera to the wine back then?

BTW, I have some 2006 Raveneau in the cellar. Not my vintage of choice but the only stuff I could source, but even in "fat" vintages, Reveneau does well.

Posted

That is one incredible list of Italian wines!

Ken, I'm curious what you thought of the Pio Cesare vertical tasting and also the Elio Grasso?

Thanks for sharing,

Posted

guys, the pio C's really impressed though sadly the 89 corked. only corked wine of the lot. the 88 the star. one of the best of the day.

re the grasso, of the first bracket on day 2, the two 97s were the top wines. came down to the more powerful grasso or the more elegant monfalletto. i marginally preferred the latter but the crowd was split.

the first day was the 'working with wine' program, so it was very much just tasting.

the second day i organised - we do an annual lunch/tasting with mates, some of whom are winemakers. everyone brings something to fit the theme and then we all toss in lunch wines (at least we have learnt that you can't do 20 plus vintage ports and then have everyone bring a magnum for lunch). so one can taste or drink as one wishes.

the first one, we kicked off with taylors VP's a few years back. all started as i had a '48 i wanted to drink with a few mates. everyone kept saying 'well, i have a xxx' and suddenly we had a vertical back to 1924. following year was musigny. last year was rhone. next year, we are doing bordeaux. one of the blokes was keen and he promised to kick off the pool by throwing in a magnum of 1955 latour and three other 55's. so couldn't refuse.

plenty of stunning wines. on the first day, the picks were the 06 colonnello, 09 romirasco and the gaja 06 sori san lorenzo.

lots of mixed opinions on day 2. most of us went with the 78 gaja as the superstar. lots of competitors. 96 granbussia. also the 98. the perchristina. 01 clerico.

as for the lunch wines, getting a smidge blurry by then (not enough spitting - and kudos to those who then drank a bucketload of beer, then went to a bar and then went to the footy - beyond me). the two fizz were fabulous. so too the german and both of the chardies. also the mouton and the rippon.

top couple of days.

and you can imagine how great to have franco there to discuss vintages, sub-regions and all sorts of little things we would otherwise never have known.

Posted

Man you're drinking well Ken! Fantastic selection there. Are you simply tasting or actually drinking? It would be hard to spit out a majority of those wines.

What was the most memorable wine of the two days?

The Aldo Conterno vertical tasting must have been a treat (same with the Ornato vertical). I really like that wine and to taste it across those excellent years...did you pick-out any vintage characteristics? Was the 2006 the best?

I've had the pleasure of drinking many Gaja Costa Russi and the 1997 is a very memorable wine for me. How was the 1978 Costa Russi? Great vintage and I think the first for Costa Russi, was Angelo adding Barbera to the wine back then?

BTW, I have some 2006 Raveneau in the cellar. Not my vintage of choice but the only stuff I could source, but even in "fat" vintages, Reveneau does well.

jut to add, i don't believe he was adding barbera then but not certain. as a general vintage comment, franco was hugely positive on 2006 and also 2010.

love raveneau!

Posted

The Pio Cesare has always been one if my favorite Borolo's. Sounds like a great tasting.

Posted

Thanks indeed for sharing your experiences Ken. Can't imagine how pleasurable it must have been.

I am looking to expand my 2010s for laying down. Any snippets of insider barolo / barbaresco info? Given that you have been sitting with one of the greats..

Posted

Thanks indeed for sharing your experiences Ken. Can't imagine how pleasurable it must have been.

I am looking to expand my 2010s for laying down. Any snippets of insider barolo / barbaresco info? Given that you have been sitting with one of the greats..

i've missed most of the early release '10s which is a big mistake. franco believes the top vintages should be drunk after around 10-15 years. the truly great ones - the 78s, 89s, 01's, 06's and '10s need longer. 20-30. completely agree. though well cellared 'top' ones should go at least that long.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I've never been a huge wine drinker, but I've always been drawn to Barolos. I'm a simple wine drinker, so my tastes aren't really developed.. I just know I like them. Some tend to remind me of something between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Port. I'm sure that's a terrible simplification, but oh well. smile.png

Two years ago I picked up a case of the Pio Cesare Ornato 2007. The reviews I read mentioned that it was quite tasty when released (I think that was in 2012, shortly before I bought the case I'm guessing), but was likely to be insanely awesome in another 15 years or so. I opened one of the bottles last year and it was pretty good, but the rest of the case is going to age for another 10 years to see how it goes. I had actually forgotten about that case until I saw this post. smile.png

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

PioCesareOrnato2007-vi.jpg

Posted

I've never been a huge wine drinker, but I've always been drawn to Barolos. I'm a simple wine drinker, so my tastes aren't really developed.. I just know I like them. Some tend to remind me of something between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Port. I'm sure that's a terrible simplification, but oh well. smile.png

Two years ago I picked up a case of the Pio Cesare Ornato 2007. The reviews I read mentioned that it was quite tasty when released (I think that was in 2012, shortly before I bought the case I'm guessing), but was likely to be insanely awesome in another 15 years or so. I opened one of the bottles last year and it was pretty good, but the rest of the case is going to age for another 10 years to see how it goes. I had actually forgotten about that case until I saw this post. smile.png

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

PioCesareOrnato2007-vi.jpg

a terrific buy. i think you'll be very happy. wouldn't leave it quite that long. try another in a couple of years and see how they are travelling. always better to drink them too early than too late.

Posted

So drink more sooner? Ken... I like your style, man. :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Posted

So drink more sooner? Ken... I like your style, man. smile.png

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Ken; a name, a style.... peace.gif

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

What am awesome time - sounds like a blast was had by all - hats off to you Ken for organizing!

promised to put up the list of wines from last week.

day 1 was a formal tasting with franco conterno and some aussie winemakers.

day 2 was a bunch of mates, including a few winemakers. we all contributed a wine or two and set up a tasting. i put the brackets together as best we thought.

franco joined us, which was great fun. then we had lunch (it is entirely possible that there were a few more wines at lunch - things were just a smidge blurry by the end).

two fantastic days.

day 1.

2013 Prunotto Dolcetto D’Alba DOC

2011 Poderi Aldo Conterno Masante Langhe Dolcetto DOC

2012 Prunotto Barbera D’Alba DOC

2010 Poderi Aldo Conterno 'Conca Tre Pile' Barbera d'Alba DOC

2011 Sperino Uvaggio Coste della Sesia DOC

2012 Fletcher Minion Nebbiolo

2009 SC Pannel Nebbiolo

2006 Joseph Nebbiolo

2005 Pizzini ‘Coronamento’ Nebbiolo

2008 Arrivo Nebbiolo

2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Colonnello' Barolo DOCG

2008 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Colonnello' Barolo DOCG

2007 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG

2006 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG

2005 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia ‘Colonnello’ Barolo DOCG

2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Cicala' Barolo DOCG

2009 Poderi Aldo Conterno Bussia 'Romirasco' Barolo DOCG

2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sperss’ DOC

2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sori Tildin’ DOC

2006 Gaja Langhe ‘Sori San Lorenzo’ DOC

day 2.

1967 Fonanafredda

1997 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate

1999 Luciano Sandrone, Barolo, Cannubi Boschis

2010 Giaconda Nebbiolo (blind wine tossed in).

1997 Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto

2.

1986 Pio Cesare Ornato

1988 Pio Cesare Ornato

1989 Pio Cesare Ornato

1990 Pio Cesare Ornato

3.

1978 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1995 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1997 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco

1998 Gaja Conteissa

4.

1997 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

1998 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

2001 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

2000 Clerico Per Cristina

5.

1971 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1996 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1998 Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia

1998 Aldo Conterno Cicala

lunch -

Taittinger Millennium Magnum 2000

de Souza Blanc des Blancs ‘Cuvee de Caudalies’ NV

Terton ‘Vorberg’ Riserva Pinot Bianco 2009 Magnum

Zilliken ‘Saarburger Rausch’ Riesling Auslese 2007 Magnum

Raveneau Butteaux 2006

Giaconda Chardonnay 2010

Olek Bondonio Barbera 2012

Brokenwood Nebbiolo 2013

Mouton Rothschild 1985

Azienda Agricole ‘Suber Daino’ 2010 (Sicily)

Rippon ‘Emma’s Block’ Pinot Noir 2008 Magnum

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