Two old Baroli and an old Barbaresco and one TN for shits and giggles

So three lovely old Nebs were opened today at the store today and here are some notes.

The first bottle was the 1978 Produttori del Barbaresco Asili and it was a touch tight upon opening but as typical with Produttori at any age it slowly unwound and eventually yielded a lovely bottle of Barbaresco. Nose of chestnut, autumn scents, black cherry, sandalwood and some old barrel spice. Lovely dusty yet pure aromas. I love the nose of old Produttori. Palate is concentrated and ripe but still tight with lovely dark black cherry flavors and some nice hot spices. Southern fried Barbaresco anybody? Great inner mouth aromas with a chestnut, cedar, old barrel flavor and rich 1978 cherry fruit. This still needs about ten years or four more hours in the decanter. But all in all a lovely wine with great upside.

The next bottle was the 1964 Prunotto Barolo which was much more mature than the Barbaresco but that is obvious from the numbers on the labels. Lovely nose of caramel, wet earth, tar, roses, rainwater and old barrel spice. The color is an octave lighter than the Produttori. Elegant and juicy with vivid cherry fruit and a speherical sense on the palate. Great concentration and gritty tannins. Lovely acidity. Long finish. Totally mature wine.

The final bottle was the 1978 Ceretto Barolo Brunate "Vigneto Zonchetta." This had a lovely old nose of minerals, spice, old wood but did not seem as vibrant and as alive as the previous two. A little dirty on the nose. Even some weird bacterial funk. Palate was a bit more fresh with some lovely tarry cherry notes and spice. Tannins were a bit heavy and raw but this wine just needs time. Really strong and chewy finish. Like I just ate some velvet or something.

The final wine was just put on my desk so I might as well do a TN on it. It is the 2004 Henri Gouges Bourgogne Blanc "Pinot Blanc." As the opinionated bastard that I am I think the best Pinot Blanc comes from Southern Germany but I am always interested to try other ones. This had a nose of freshly cut Granny Smith Apples, pear and not much in the way of mineral. The palate was lovely though. Wonderful mouthfeel and a mixture of rich fruit with a lovely light deft touch. This dances on your palate and I am very impressed. Not the longest finish and really only one note but it does that one note extremely well.