TTG # 8: OLD BAROLO AND YOUNG BORDEAUX - Shunju in Tokyo (6/2/2006)

We gathered for an evening of testing whether the Utegawa "cuisine of
subtraction" idea works as well with nebbiolo as it sometimes does with
Burgundy. Short answer -- sort of. With richer fish dishes, older
wines, more time in glass one could see the possibilities. But I'm not
racing to drink young nebbiolo with sushi any time soon.

1. Bubbles to Start (and good ones at that)

*1996 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le
Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne *

Deep straw/pale gold. Beautifully pointal mousse. Heavy ripe apple and
slight horse urine (this is a scent I find in many young rich wines,
though normally more pinot driven and is, surprisingly, a positive
indication of good things to come) on the nose. With the shio-uni, a
bit of a tinny taste, but the tin goes away with a beef gelée and
potato and smoked bacon mousse. Young but not backward. Has a hidden
elegance in finish and mousee but the '96 size certainly shows. A
great combination of elegance and size that just needs time. In the
glass, a bit of welcome and refreshing lime comes out, along with the
typical minerality. Toasted yeast bread and acid are great on the
finish.

2. Roulette (aka '96 White Burgs)

*1996 Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru -
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet*

Bright fresh gold. Butterscotch on first whiff but good acid when it
hits the palate. Broad apple and a tiny tropical element drive the
palate, which also has slight bit of minerality. Revisiting the nose,
it also shows a white fruit and mineral freshness. Good rich, dry
sweetness and clay-spattered oak on the finish. Seems a bit muted, but
I'm also suffering a bit from my cold.

*1996 Michel Colin-Deléger et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers
1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet*

Deeper gold. A bit of brown apple on the nose. With another whiff the
nose just seems flattish. Drinkable and not awful, but clearly
oxidized. Again, drinkable, but why bother when there's other wine on
the table. What a shame! NR (flawed)

3. Main Event: Barolo!

*1967 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe,
Barolo*

Slight muddiness to color, but younger looking than expected. At edges,
not orange but almost there. Nose initially gives soy and old (but
clean) botte. This one takes time to open up, but begins to show gentle
wafts of flowers, tar, and ripe old plums. Somewhere deep inside one
can sense a thousand other things, but never name them. Fleeting bits
of leather and coffee and quinine and fruit. Great fun just to sit and
sniff. The palate opens with a leesy edge that quickly fades, then
moves on to classic tar and plums and maybe a suggestive hint of rose
on the finish. Throughout is good deep plum and an everpresent meaty
element. At times, there is also a whiff of VA that enhances or puts
one off, depending on one's disposition. To me, it gives that bit of
lift that always brings a new element to the nose. Finish is soft and
gentle and sweet with lingering traces of all that went before.

*1988 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont,
Langhe, Barolo*

Very young solid color. Initially a bit sweaty and butyric, but that
blows off with time. A big acid and tannin spine that still has a long
working out period to go. This needs several hours to begin to show
well, but picks up a great light, bright character, featuring some plum
but more bright cherry fruit and a game/tar/leather complexity. Time
also brings out a dark flower and tea nose. Finish is dense and
challenging but promises a lot. It really was a crime to open this. I
liked more than others, but I think at maturity it will be a star.

*1989 Valentino Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Riserva - Italy, Piedmont,
Langhe, Barolo*

Deep and dark color, with a bit of cloudiness. Nose of a bit of soy,
plum, very bright flower, bright cherry growing as it sits. Palate
shows a cloak of size and tannin, but behind is a plush roundness that
just asks for much, much more time. One can sense the smoothing and
sculpting underneath the structure and perhaps a bit of polish and
sweetness, but the flavors are all Barolo. Finish is intense and
expressive with more flowers and the earthy tar I missed on the nose.
Still needs time.

4. What, drink these now?!?! (Or, the slow training of the looking
glass elements of my palate)

*2003 Chteau Latour - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac*

Dark, dark, dark. Dense, dense, dense. The nose shows vanilla
sweetness, bright black berry fruit, some of the classic cigar and
pencil, but I'm having to close my eyes and imagine a bit as well.
Palate is huge and pretty damn rough, but also has great depths of
fruit and chocolate. I'm just not good enough to taste Bordeaux this
young and comment on much more than depth and balance. By the way, it
has both. Quite a feat when a wine this young and brawny can already
make its balance known.

*2003 Chteau Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe*

A bit more gentle than the Latour, but equally dark and also mighty
damn dense. Perhaps a bit of herbal character and clay to go with the
deep dense black fruit, licorice, and structure. Good intensity, very
rich mouthfeel, and seems in balance, but - as I said above -
Bordeaux this young is wasted on me.


There was also an old Rayas, which I much enjoyed. But a deadly
combination -- cold, cold medicine, overwork, a lack of sleep, and an
excessively demonstrated affection for the Barolo -- had bent me out of
note taking shape by then. My apologies to Steve for not taking notes
on what was a generous and enjoyable contribution.

Posted from CellarTracker
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Jim Jones
Tokyo, Japan