Just got back from NY last night but last Friday we had an incredible dinner at Il Barilotto in Fishkill NY with some wonderful friends, including Jurij Fiore, winemaker of Il Carbonaione for the family owned winery Poggio Scalette in Greve in Chianti.

1990 Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc
Probably one of the finest champagnes I have had. Citrus and toast and nuts. Beginning to end very refined but powerful.

1998 JM Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Champ-Canet
Big and rich and very juicy. Lemon, pineapple and soft malo on the mouth.

1999 Kistler Kistler Vinyard Chardonnay
Over the top complex and intense wine. Big lemon finish. Very minerally.

2000 Planeta Chardonnay
Very big oaky structured chard. You need food with this and the butter poached lobster was a perfect match. Still my favorite Italian chardonnay.

1998 Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera d'Asti
This was served with the most amazing gnocche I have ever tried. Perfect match. Big and spicy with black cherry, mushroom and meat. Fine tannin made it drink beautifully.

1989 Chateau Talbot (magnum)
This St. Julien had a great nose and has mellowed into a very elegant wine with fully resolved tannins. The full fruit is just beginning to fade. Coming in between the Barbera and Barbaresco made it more difficult to stand out but a wonderful wine.

1990 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco
What can I say? Absolutely pure nebbiolo nose with a hint of oak. The palate is incredibly deep with a combination of red and dark fruits along with mushroom/vegetable and spice. Very long finish. Went great with the fresh (butchered the day before) roasted partridge done with a fresh chantrell and black trumpet mushroom sauce. I was sure this would be the wine of the night but...

1988 Sassetti Permatali Brunello di Montalcino
What was WS thinking about when they reviewed this one. This wine was huge and dark. The nose was penetrating with dark fruit, earth and grain. Fruit and tannin were perfectly balanced with a satisfying bite on the finish.

1977 Warres Vintage Port
A bit hot but wonderfull flavor and a wonderful match with the 8-9 different deserts we passed around the table.

Grappas and coffees finished us off.

Ciao

How long can the 88 Brunello still last? Is it at peak currently?

Doc

Doc,

The Sassetti has lost nothing and may even improve a bit with more time. Stunning wine.

Ciao

Welcome back, Eno. You were missed.

Thanks Board-O. I have been on the road for what seems like forever.

Ciao

Enoselsa,

I was reading your TN's when I suddenly came out laughing so loud that I feared I had woken up the rest of the family (it's 1:30 AM in Italy), when I read:

"1998 Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera d'Asti
This was served with the most amazing gnocche I have ever tried. Perfect match."

Actually, the correct spell for that pasta is "gnocchi", and this is not funny at all; but if you put an "e" at the end instead of the "i", you'll have one of the most "expressive" ways to indicate young good looking girls that we have in Italy, naming, well... the part for the whole, let's say so. And it's not even singular, it's plural!

Furthermore, and here comes the best part, Uccellone in Italian means "big bird", and I think you won't have difficulties in getting the possible double sense, here.

When you finished by adfirming in the coolest way "Perfect match.", well I didn't have any doubt about this!!!

The most funny post I ever read (after JS's report on 1997 BdM, obviously ), thank you very much.

kistler and planeta chard? i am sooo jeolous!

MassMess,

If only I was so clever! That really is funny.

Ciao