We had dinner last night at Sale e Pepe on Marco Island. Northern
Italian cusine very well done. We started off with a bottle of Nino
Franco Rustico Prosecco with our amuse of cherry tomato stuffed with
smoked gulf shrimp followed by a salad of Burrata topped organic
tomato and field greens, fresh lemon with evoo and aged balsamico.
The Prosecco had a lively mousse and nose of honeydew melon and wet
gravel. It was bright on the palate if not just a tad too fruity
although the soft acidity seemed to accentuate the fruit giving the
impression of residual sugar. Next we had gnocchi with porcini
mushroom and mint. We ordered a bottle of 2000 Bruno Giacosa Barolo
Falletto with the gnocchi and mushrooms. The gnocchi were light as a
feather and went well with the wine which we finished with our roasted
veal tenderloin. The wine was medium bodied and almost cherry red in
the glass. Lots of tar on the nose with an abundance of rose petals.
A bit of red raspberry, mushroom and tart cherry on the palate with
plenty of tannin but they softened in the glass and with the food. I
would put the Giacosa somewhere in the middle of old and new style
Barolo and it should drink well over the next 5-8 years.