NK 2001 Barolo & Barbaresco @ Chez Wolff, Brooklyn, NY, 10/14/2022

NK 2001 Barolo and Barbaresco Dinner
@ Chez Wolff, Brooklyn, NY, 10/14/2022

A small group gathered at the home of Jamie Wolff who generously made a delicious dinner for us.

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We all agreed to text for covid before arriving:

Tom and I were both staying near Penn Station,
so we took the subway together to Jamie's:

Champagne
Off to a great start!

NV Benoit Dehu Champagne Initiation - France, Champagne
[Disgorged 22 February 2021. Pop and pour.] Bouquet of citrus, bread dough, and bright flowers. Very dry and complex. (93 points)

First Course
Risotto with morels:

Bartolo Mascarello
A very different style from the wines that follow, but beautiful in its own right.

2001 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 1pm.] Heavenly nose of dark cherries, licorice, and a hint of brown sugar. Long, expansive, and complex. Classic CBM style. Elegant and perfumed. (95 points)

Second Course
Grilled salmon with herb sauce (parsley, tarragon, basil, oregano, mint, capers, anchovy), lentils, and yellow Romano beans and green beans cooked with tomato:

Bruno Giacosa
Clearly among the greatest vintages for Bruno Giacosa. The difference between the two Barbarescos is quite striking considering that this Rabajà plot is now part of the Asili MGA.

2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
[Double-decanted around 10am.] Nose of plums and tar. Lots of dark fruit. Complex. Still has tannins, but they are softening and there is loads of fruit to match. (95 points)
2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
[Double-decanted around 10am.] Explosive nose of licorice, tar, and black fruit. Tannin and black fruit on a super long finish. This is a gorgeous wine.
10pm: Tannins have mellowed and this is smooth as silk now. (98–100 points)
2001 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted around 1pm.] The muted nose of black fruit and tar opens slowly. After 20 minutes, the nose is vibrant and fabulous. In the mouth, this is rich, complex, and expansive. Just a wow wine. Every wine tonight was wonderful, but this is the best. (100 points)

Cheese Course
Quadrato di Bufala, La Tur, Tallegio, and others.

Cappellano
Surprisingly, at this stage, there is relatively little difference between these two great wines.

2001 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for 2.5 hours around 6am.] Massive nose of black fruit and tar. Loads of ripe fruit, but quite tannic on the finish. This is a beast of a wine. Hard to believe that this is 20 years old. Or that it is the "lesser" of their two Barolos. (96–98 points)
2001 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted for 2.5 hours around 6am.] Vibrant nose of dark black fruit with a hint of Kirsch. Grippy tannins. Loads of rich black fruit. A sleeping giant. (97–100 points)

Cookies from Saraghina Bakery for dessert:

Conclusion

We only had 6 red wines, but each one was a great example of what Nebbiolo can achieve in the hands of a great winemaker. A very special evening. Many thanks to Jamie and Perri for their hospitality.

People Pix

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.