Soldera Brunellos and 1979 Champagnes at Alto

Alto [Closed]

11 East 53rd Street,

New York, NY 10022

Tel: (212) 308-1099

April 2008

This amazing dinner was built around two themes: the Brunellos of Gianfranco Soldera and a retrospective of the 1979 vintage in Champagne. I am not quite sure how these two groups of wines came together at the same dinner, but the combination worked. Along the way, we also enjoyed a number of superlative Burgundies, Barolos and more Champagne. Chef Michael White created a delicious menu to match the wines. All of the courses were superb, but the Poached Egg was truly monumental. Wine Director Eric Zillier and his staff did an amazing job keeping track of a multitude of bottles and glasses throughout the evening. All I can say is, what a night!

This collection of Soldera Brunellos was by far the most comprehensive I had ever tasted in one sitting and provided a fascinating overview of this producer’s development. Readers who want to learn more about Montalcino’s most iconic producer and his wines may want to take a look at my recently published article in the Italy Report section of eRobertParker.com

Soldera’s 1977 Brunello di Montalcino opened with promising, ethereal aromas of worn-in leather, spices and dark fruits, but it was less exciting on the palate. The 1979 Brunello di Montalcino was sweeter and riper than the 1977 in its generous notes of tar, licorice, dark cherries and spices. The 1981 Brunello di Montalcino was not quite as opulent as the 1979 but it offered notable harmony and elegance in a very refined, complete package. With the 1982 Brunello di Montalcino we tasted the first wine that is clearly recognizable Soldera in style. This Brunello was superb and on a totally different level from the preceding wines. Still quite fresh, vibrant and layered, it was a masterfully sculpted, pure Sangiovese with at least another decade of prime drinking ahead of it. Stylistically, it reminded me of the great Barolos and Barbarescos of that vintage, which is hardly surprising given Soldera’s passion for those wines. The 1983 Brunello di Montalcino was drop-dead gorgeous. It showed superb inner perfume and a full-bodied, ripe and opulent expression of fruit. The contrast between structured and fruit-driven vintages was one of the themes that would emerge over the course of the evening. Overall, this was a very fine flight, and all of the wines were perfectly intact, which is quite an accomplishment for a producer who was very young at the time these wines were made.

The 1984 Brunello di Montalcino was one of the smaller-scaled wines of the night, but it showed terrific balance and harmony in a fully mature style. Some tasters liked this wine less than I did. Unfortunately, we didn’t do too well with our 1985s. The 1985 Brunello di Montalcino was corked, while the 1985 Intistieti was volatile and oxidized. The consistently disappointing performance of the Intistieti bottlings was another point of discussion during the evening. The 1986 Brunello di Montalcino was similar in style to the 1982, in its full-bodied, structured expression of Sangiovese. This was a great bottle.

Soldera’s 1988 Brunello di Montalcino was all about finesse. A delicate, elegant wine, it revealed layers of fruit that opened in the glass with remarkable purity. The wine remained fresh and vibrant from start to finish. The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino presented a more opulent, seamless expression of ripe fruit with compelling balance and superb drinkability. The 1990 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva was the wine of the night. This wine had it all; sensual, inviting aromatics melded into a sweet, expansive palate as the wine opened to reveal the breadth of its profoundness. Despite its fruit-driven style, there was plenty of structure underneath providing balance. This was very nearly a perfect wine. The 1991 Intistieti was deeply flawed and impossible to evaluate, but the 1991 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva was better. It was a pretty wine, but revealed some hard edges and an advanced, forward expression of fruit. The 1992 Intistieti was still fresh and intact, but it offered very little fruit, which gave the wine an angular, hard-edged personality.

The estate’s 1993 Brunello di Montalcino was one of the more forward wines of the night. Made in a feminine style for this producer, it came across as a fairly advanced wine to drink sooner rather than later. The 1993 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva was better than the regular bottling, with riper fruit and a more intense, vibrant expression of Sangiovese. The 1994 Brunello di Montalcino lacked the stuffing to stand up to its structural components. It came across as angular and lean, with drying tannins on the finish. The 1995 was the finest of the Intistietis in this tasting. Full-bodied, ripe and sweet, it revealed outstanding persistence and plenty of style. The 1995 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse took things to another level entirely. It was a big, massive Brunello loaded with dark cherries, smoke, licorice and tar. There was a purity and sheer beauty to this wine that was absolutely irresistible.

The 1996 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva was either cooked or very evolved. Either way, it was impossible to assess this wine with any degree of accuracy, so judgment is reserved. Soldera’s 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva came across as a modern-day version of the 1983 and 1990. The wine offered tons of super-ripe fruit that filled out its structured frame with notable opulence. It was superb. The 1999 Brunello di Montalcino was gorgeous, perfumed and delicate. I have experienced significant bottle variation with this vintage, but this bottle was among the finest I have ever tasted. Soldera’s 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva was monumental. Made in a layered, gorgeous style, it showed tons of depth in its fruit and awesome purity. The 2000 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva revealed a very ripe expression of fruit, but it lacked the elegance and complexity of the finest vintages.

It was time for a break, and what better way to cleanse the palate than with a few Champagnes? I have had mixed experiences with Dom Pérignon’s 1982 Rosé but this bottle was quite pretty. It offered enticing aromatics and a delicate expression of fruit that never completely lived up to the promise of the bouquet. The 1975 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque was extraordinary. Smoke, mint and mineral-infused fruit flowed from the glass in a focused and perfumed wine of superb balance. This was a very pure, fresh and intact wine, but then again, these recent rereleases from the estate have often been nothing short of sublime.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to taste this group of 1979 Champagnes. Almost all of the wines showed brilliantly and continued to develop throughout the evening. The 1979 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill revealed gorgeous aromatics that melded into a soft-textured, pure palate. This wine offered superb length and an engaging, generous personality. The 1979 Roederer Cristal was initially rather disappointing and unexpressive. I didn’t really get the wine until I tasted it at the end of the night. By that time it had opened beautifully and its perfumed, silky-textured fruit was on full display. It showed remarkable freshness and a delicate, feminine personality. The 1979 Charles Heidsieck Cuvée Charlie was one of the more forward wines in this flight, but it offered pretty aromas and flavors in an understated style. The 1979 Piper Heidsieck was not especially complex, but it more than compensated for that shortcoming with exquisite overall harmony and balance. Taittinger’s 1979 Comtes de Champagne revealed a very sweet, almost liqueur-like expression of fruit in generous, unctuous style that some tasters appreciated more than others. The 1979 Dom Ruinart may have suffered by being placed after the Taittinger. It came across as rather lean and focused, but it still showed outstanding balance and plenty of personality.

The 1979 Krug was breathtaking. There was so much going on in the glass, this wine commanded my full attention as it constantly changed, revealing new sides to its personality with each sip. Elegant, finessed and superbly beautiful, it revealed layer after layer of flavor and a finish that lasted forever. The 1979 Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque enjoyed a very strong showing, especially considering the wines that came before and after it. This was a very pretty, small-scaled Champagne of exquisite balance. The 1979 Salon was unquestionably the showstopper here. It was easily the freshest of these wines, with its signature taut, focused personality in full bloom. This Champagne came across as incredibly youthful and vibrant. It was truly mesmerizing. The 1979 Deutz came across as one-dimensional, but it was still intact. The 1979 Diebolt Vallois and the Ayala were questionable, at best.

We had mixed success with a flight of older Barolos. A bottle of Giacomo Conterno’s 1955 Barolo Riserva Monfortino was cooked, while a bottle of his 1961 Barolo was freakishly flawed despite its pristine color. We did better with the next two wines. The Conterno 1958 Barolo Riserva and 1958 Barolo Riserva Monfortino were both intact and good, but not great, examples. Ponsot’s 1980 Clos de la Roche was big, chunky and somewhat rustic, yet immensely rewarding. As the evening wound down I re-visited most of the Champagnes and all of the top wines had improved over the course of several hours. I couldn’t resist another taste of my favorites; the 1979 Cristal, Krug and Salon, along with the 1975 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque were all truly magic in a glass.

Food: 

Poached Egg, Double-Cooked Pancetta, Asparagus, Black Truffle, Parmigiano Crema and Grilled Pane Rustico

Braised Morel Mushrooms Filled With Black Truffle Mousse, Wild Arugula and Parmigiano

Piedmontese Duck Ravioli, Lentil Puree and Black Truffle

Whole Roasted Guinea Hen, Asparagus, Ramps and Black Truffle

Artisan Cheeses

Wine:

1977	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	90
1979	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	93
1981	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	93
1982	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	95
1983	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	96
1984	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	91
1985	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	?
1985	Soldera Intistieti	87
1986	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	94
1988	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	94
1990	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	95
1990	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	98
1991	Soldera Intistieti	?
1991	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	88
1992	Soldera Intistieti	89
1993	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	90
1993	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	92
1994	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	89
1995	Soldera Intistieti Riserva	90
1995	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse	95
1996	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	?
1997	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	95
1999	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino	93
1999	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	96
2000	Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva	92
1982	Dom Pérignon Rosé	92
1975	Dom Pérignon Oenothèque	96
1979	Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill	94
1979	Roederer Cristal	95
1979	Charles Hiedsieck Cuvée Charlie	93
1979	Piper-Hiedsieck Cuvée Rare	91
1979	Taittinger Comtes de Champagne	94
1979	Dom Ruinart	91
1979	Krug	96
1979	Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque	91
1979	Salon	97
1979	Deutz	89
1979	Diebolt-Vallois	86
1961	Giacomo Conterno Barolo	?
1958	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva	93
1958	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino	93
1955	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino	?
1980	Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vielles Vignes	95

--Antonio Galloni