Bruno Giacosa Dinner at Bar Boulud

Bar Boulud

1900 Broadway (between 63rd and 64th)

New York, NY

Tel. (212) 595-0303

This tasting/dinner at Bar Boulud featured two of my favorite things; the wines of Bruno Giacosa and the food at Bar Boulud. It is tempting to drink Barolo and Barbaresco with regional cuisine, and while that often results in great pairings, it is also fun to stretch out a bit and try new things as well. Our menu from Executive Chef Damian Sansonetti was brilliant. Each of the dishes was absolutely divine.  I have been to Bar Boulud many times, but this was one of the best dinners I have ever had at Daniel Boulud’s casual brasserie in New York’s Upper West Side.

The gnocchi, served with duck confit, mousseron mushrooms heirloom pumpkin and brown butter was beautifully prepared and served. I also loved the Steak Rȏti; roasted Black Angus striploin accompanied by roasted potatoes, green spinach and red wine jus. Both dishes were brilliant with the wines.

And what wines they were. I tasted each and every bottle with Bar Boulud’s Head Sommelier Michael Madrigale before the dinner, and then with the food during the dinner. With few exceptions, all of the wines showed as I had expected. Bruna Giacosa was in attendance, but she was surprisingly shy about commenting on her wines. In the end, she really didn’t need to, the wines spoke for themselves.

We started with a flight of Barbareschi from the Santo Stefano vineyard in Neive. This is the one single-vineyard wine Giacosa makes from purchased fruit. Santo Stefano faces due south and sits at about 250 meters above sea level. The wines are usually quite rich within the context of Barbaresco. My favorite was the 2004 Barbaresco Santo Stefano, a wine that captured the essence of this great, explosive vintage. I also adored the 1996 for its cool, inward personality and bright fruit. The 1996 certainly looks like a modern-day version of the great wines Giacosa made during the 1970s and 1980s. The 2007 was fat, rich and opulent. It came across as needing a few years to lose its baby fat, but I loved the generosity. I will not be surprised if the 2005 Barbaresco Santo Stefano ends up exceeding expectations. It was gorgeous on this night; fresh, vibrant and full of life. The only disappointment in the flight was the 1997, which was more advanced than I had hoped.

Things kicked up several notches with a flight of Barbareschis from the famed Asili vineyard. Asili is in the village of Barbaresco, where the wines are generally more feminine than in Neive. The best wines from this site have great aromatics and fine, silky tannins. The 2004 Barbaresco Asili Riserva was off the charts. I can still remember where I was when I tasted this wine from bottle the first time. Every time I taste it I am taken back to that initial moment of thrilling discovery. The 2004 Riserva was simply beautiful in its perfumed fruit and breathtaking balance. The 1996 Barbaresco Asili Riserva was an infant, but its potential impossible to miss. Sweet, expressive aromatics and beautifully layered fruit lingered on the eternal finish. The 2001 Barbaresco Asili is one of the most Riserva-like white labels Giacosa has ever produced. It was magical on this night, with endless layers of fruit supported by firm yet elegant tannins. Giacosa’s 2003 Barbaresco Asili enjoyed a surprisingly strong showing. It was impressive, powerful and youthful. Once again, I was quite taken with the 2005. It remains a leaner wine, not unlike the 1996 in style with a feminine personality and plenty of fragrant, perfumed fruit. The balance and sense of harmony were simply impeccable. The 2007 Barbaresco Asili was once again explosive. I expect the wine will settle down nicely with further bottle age, but at this stage lots of baby fat came through.

We finished with a beautiful flight of Barolo from the Falletto vineyard in Serralunga. Not surprisingly the highlight was the 2004 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto, one of the greatest wines Giacosa has ever made. Silky tannins framed a core of elegant fruit in this sublime, emotionally moving Barolo. The 1999 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto is without question a Riserva-quality wine. Layers of fruit emerged from this structure, powerful Barolo. I have always had a weak spot for the 1999, and it was fabulous in this flight. The 2005 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto was another standout. It showed great freshness and purity from start to finish. I was surprised to see the 2003 show so well. It was terrific. The 1997 has never been one of my favorites, but this bottle was reasonably fresh and interesting, something I haven’t always been able to say about the wine.

Food: 

Charcuterie Maison

Gnocchi au Confit de Canard

Steak Rȏti

Sélection de Fromages du Piedmont

Wine:

1996	Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano	95
1997	Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano	92
2004	Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano	96
2005	Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano	95
2007	Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano	95
1996	Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili	97
2001	Giacosa Barbaresco Asili	96+
2003	Giacosa Barbaresco Asili	93
2004	Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili	98
2005	Giacosa Barbaresco Asili	95
2007	Giacosa Barbaresco Asili	94
1997	Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto	93
1999	Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto	97
2003	Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto	94
2004	Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto	99+
2005	Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto	96+

[Photo and credit: Bar Boulud, New York]

 --Antonio Galloni