1970s Night at Babbo<a target="_blank" href="http://www.babbonyc.com/">Babbo</a>110 Waverly Place,New York, NY 10011Tel (212) 777-0303,
(212) 777-3365I owe special thanks to collector Bruce Fingeret for
organizing this incredible dinner, which was built around a theme of wines from
the 1970s. Thankfully the focus remained on the wines, and despite many
threats, period music and video never made an appearance! Babbo proprietor Joe
Bastianch and General Manager Colum Sheehan designed a menu that paired
beautifully with these gorgeous wines. It’s awfully hard to pick highlights as
this was one of the very finest meals I have ever had at Babbo. For starters,
the soft shell crab was an utterly brilliant contrast of flavors and textures.
The pastas were fantastic and also perfect matches for our red wines. The mixed
grill isn’t on the regular menu, and the only reason I can think that might be
the case is because it is a dish best suited to large groups. Nevertheless, the
grilled meats were spectacular, both on their own and with some of the richer
reds. I loved the lamb chops and the rare tenderloin, but everything was
absolutely delicious.We began the 1970s theme with a breathtaking set of 1976
Champagnes that was only marred by a corked bottle of Cristal. Perrier-Jouët’s 1976 Belle Epoque, from
magnum, was one of the more advanced
1976 Champagnes of the night, but it was also remarkably complete and
harmonious. The 1976 Salon combined
elements of the taut house style with an extra dimension of fatness from bottle
age. The wine was rich and energetic, with tons of length and pretty notes of
tar, smoke and licorice that lingered on the finish. The 1976 Krug Vintage was spellbinding. The wine’s signature warm,
toasty creaminess was beautifully balanced by vibrant, bracing acidity. It was
a great Champagne. The 1976 Dom Pérignon,
from original wood case, was even better. In fact, it was staggering. Delicate
and floral, the wine revealed incredibly precision and detail in a perfumed,
sublime style. Sweet candied Pinot notes wafted on the ethereal, sensual
finish. What a wine!The next two bottles were served blind. The 2002 Ambonnay Rouge from Jacques Selosse was a wine I had never
tasted, and it was totally delicious. The next Champagne was intriguing. It was
definitely 50+ years old. A number of us arrived at a creamy, supple style that
clearly spoke of Pol Roger. So far, so good, but that was as far as we would
get. The wine turned out to be Pol
Roger’s 1947 “Wedding Cuvée” so named because this batch was disgorged in
1981 for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. It isn’t every day one
gets to drink a piece of history, and this bottle was simply divine.Domaine Dujac’s 1972
Clos St. Denis was simply beautiful. This delicate, mid-weight Burgundy
offered up a captivating array of red cherries, flowers, autumn leaves and
flowers in an ethereal style. The wine continued to open up beautifully in the
glass, revealing the many shades of its complexity. This bottle of the 1972 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
was easily the finest of the three I have tasted recently. Tar, incense,
truffles and deeply spiced, perfumed fruit were all woven together in a rich
fabric of notable detail and class. Rousseau’s
1976 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques was remarkable for the purity and
integrity of its fruit, even if didn’t have the complexity or sheer pedigree of
the 1972s.Guigal’s 1972
Côte-Rôtie La Mouline was somewhat focused for this wine, but it revealed
gorgeous suggestions of dark fruit, minerals and bacon fat in an energetic,
exceptionally pure style. The 1974
Côte-Rôtie La Mouline was decidedly fat, over-ripe and not particularly
interesting.I was thrilled with the showing of these wines from Bruno
Giacosa, all of which I purchased from what is without question the world’s
finest collection of traditional Piedmont wines. Giacosa’s 1978 Barolo Riserva Speciale Villero flowed with spices,
flowers, menthol and dark fruit. This focused, powerful and pure Barolo is one
of the finest wines of this extraordinary vintage for Piedmont’s reds, and this
particular bottle was one of the most young, backward examples I have ever
encountered. It was magnificent. The 1971
Barolo Collina Rionda was pretty much at peak. Sweet, floral layers of
perfumed fruit caressed the palate in a sensual, silky style. While the 1971
Collina Rionda lacks the pedigree of the finest vintages, it is a beautiful
bottle perfect for near-term enjoyment. The 1971 Barolo Riserva Rocche di Castiglione is one of the rarest of
Giacosa’s 1970s Riservas. This bottle was simply beautiful. Silky, soft tannins
framed a core of delicately spiced, perfumed fruit. The Rocche was all finesse
and elegance. Totally Rocche and totally Giacosa. In a word: Awesome.Food:Babbo Salumi and Grissini Soft Shell Crab with Watercress, Favas and Sweet and Sour
Pepper VinaigretteGoat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Wild Fennel
Pollen Pansoti with Walnut Sauce Mixed Grilled Meats with Rapini and Roasted PotatoesAssortment of CheesesAssorted Cookies and BiscottiWine:<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Roeder Cristal
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Salon
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Krug Vintage
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2002
 </td>
 <td>
 Jacques Selosse Ambonnay Rouge
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1947
 </td>
 <td>
 Pol Roger “Wedding Cuvée” (disgorged 1981)
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1972
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1972
 </td>
 <td>
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1976
 </td>
 <td>
 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1972
 </td>
 <td>
 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1974
 </td>
 <td>
 Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1978
 </td>
 <td>
 Giacosa Barolo Riserva Speciale Villero
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971
 </td>
 <td>
 Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971
 </td>
 <td>
 Giacosa Barolo Riserva Rocche di Castiglione
 </td>
 <td>
 96</td></tr></tbody></table>

































































[Photo and credit: Babbo, New York]--Antonio Galloni

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