Del Posto Ristorante

85 10th Ave,

New York, NY 10011

tel (212) 497-8090

March, 2006

A dinner at the newly opened Del Posto, the latest restaurant from the Lidia and Joe Bastianch/Mario Batali team, provided a great opportunity to enjoy several impeccable bottles from Giacomo Conterno. The dining room is dramatic and chic, with a big sweeping staircase that leads to the second floor. I especially enjoyed the comfortable spacing between tables which allowed for quiet conversation, something that is quite a luxury in New York. The tasting menu was delicious and paired beautifully with the wines. Service of both food and wines was first-rate.

We started with the 1967 Barolo. A dark red, it revealed a brooding nose followed by layers of dark fruit, cocoa, minerals and iron that opened in the glass in a powerful, deeply structured expression of nebbiolo. It was a wine I came back to often throughout the evening, as it offered an immensely satisfying drinking experience. The label on this bottle was pristine, proving that provenance is everything. Well-stored bottles should drink well for at least another decade. A great effort. Anticipated maturity 2006-2016. The 1971 Barolo displayed the pedigree of the superior vintage in its more complex tarry, earthy aromas and potent personality. Also deeply colored, it boasted an incredible combination of dark fruit, notable structure and an elegant, ethereal finish, giving the impression of being more multi-dimensional and complete than the 1967, which was no easy feat. I have enjoyed several bottles of this wine recently and those that have been stored in cold cellars will give the impression of not having peaked. It is a majestic Barolo to drink today and over the next decade, perhaps longer. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016. This bottle of the 1985 Barolo Cascina Francia was remarkable for its extraordinary nose, masses of expressive, ripe dark fruit and irresistibly seductive personality. Soft and caressing on the palate, it offered notable concentration, outstanding length and great overall balance. Although the heat of the vintage was felt in the sweetness of the fruit as well as on the finish, this was an incredibly delicious Barolo and the best bottle of Conterno's 1985 Cascina Francia I have had. It is mature and ready to drink, yet well-stored bottles will provide peak drinking for at least another 5-7 years even if the upside from further cellaring is likely to be limited. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2011. The deeply-colored 1988 Barolo Riserva Monfortino opened with a big, powerful nose showing scorched earth and leather nuances. It offered plenty of sweet prune and plum fruit with excellent persistence and richness on the palate. The presence of tertiary aromas and flavors suggest this wine has entered the early part of its maturity, and the 1988 is one of my favorite 'recent' vintages for current drinking. Given that the best vintages of Monfortino can age for 40+ years, it doesn't appear to be a wine that will be especially long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016+? Could there be a more perfect way to end the evening than with a spectacular bottle of the 1990 Barolo Riserva Monfortino? This bottle was utterly captivating, with aromas of cocoa, leather and menthol that melded seamlessly onto the palate where the wine showed multiple layers of fruit, with a profound expansiveness that is hard to fully describe with mere words. A flashy and opulent Monfortino that is nearly impossible to resist today, it came across as incredibly youthful and promises to offer a transcendental drinking experience for those fortunate enough to own it. I have always had a weak spot for the 1990 Monfortino, perhaps because it was my first Monfortino. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030.

Food:

Porcini mushroom salad with shaved fennel

Chestnut tortelli

Risotto

Braised veal

Cotechino (stuffed pig's foot) with lentils

Cheese selection

Wine:            

1967	Giacomo Conterno Barolo	94
1971	Giacomo Conterno Barolo	95
1985	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia	95
1988	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino	94
1990	Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino	97

--Antonio Galloni