Fourth Annual White Truffle Charity Dinner

<a target="_blank" href="http://delposto.com">Del Posto</a>

8
Tenth Avenue 
New York, NY 10011 
(212) 497-8090

WINE: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1969
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barbaresco
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1970
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barbaresco Santo Stefano
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barbaresco Montefico
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1962
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1964
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
 (disgorged 1999)
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon
 (original release)
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1975
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
 (disgorged 2007)
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1967
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco
 Riserva Asili
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1964 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco
 Riserva Santo Stefano
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo
 Riserva Special Rocche di Castiglione Falletto
 </td>
 <td>
 99
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1975 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo
 Riserva Speciale Bussia di Monforte
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1978 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo
 Riserva Villero
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Rosé
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Rosé
 (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996 
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon Rosé
 (jeroboam)
 </td>
 <td>
 98+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1970 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1978 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1990 
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa
 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1945 
 </td>
 <td>
 Comtes de Vogüé
 Musigny
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1947 
 </td>
 <td>
 Borgogno Barolo
 (original release)
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982 
 </td>
 <td>
 Giacomo Conterno
 Barolo Riserva Monfortino
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982 
 </td>
 <td>
 Domenico Clerico
 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

&nbsp;

FOOD:

Warm
nuts, roots and fruits, robiola fonduta, puntarelle salad and quince cider

Del Posto veal agnolotti
with white truffles, Tyrolean speck and Grana Padano brodetto

Vacca
Rosa risotto with white onions and white truffles

Wood-grilled
lobster with artichokes, hazelnuts and basil

Broiled
veal chop with prosciutto-wrapped Scorzonero and Rossini sauce

Pecorino
Fresco with warm honey and saffron 

Coffee
with biscotti assortiti

Del Posto’s Gattinara Room was the
setting for my White Truffle Charity Dinner, an annual event that seems to have
taken on a life of its own. This year’s dinner raised $45,000 for The Mount
Sinai Hospital. Executive Chef Mark Ladner and his team did a great job with
the menu, which included some of my all-time Del Posto favorites such as the
agnolotti, risotto, wood-grilled lobster and broiled veal chop. All of the
courses were generously topped with white truffles, one of the truly profound
pairings with Barolo and Barbaresco. Wine Director Jeff Porter took excellent
care of our wines, never an easy job with this group. Readers may also want to
take a look at the <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/piedmont-icons-from-bruno-giacosa-may-2012">short
video</a> I shot just before dinner, as well as a <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/fourth-annual-white-truffle-charity-dinner-highlights-may-2012">companion
video</a> that includes my thoughts on some of the best wines from this magical
evening of great food, wine and friendship.

Bruno Giacosa’s 1969 Barbaresco has long been one of my
favorite of his under the radar wines. The 1969 isn’t a blockbuster, but it
always impresses for its overall balance, as it does again on this night. It is
a wonderful wine that sets the stage for what follows. The 1970 Barbaresco Santo Stefano shows notable muscle and depth, with
layers of dark, balsamic infused fruit and fabulous overall balance. The 1971 Barbaresco Montefico, from one of
the all-time great Piedmont vintages, captures the pedigree of the year in its
superb structure and delineation. Hints of pine, menthol and eucalyptus added
complexity to the intense fruit. What a gorgeous wine!

Four fabulous Dom
Pérignons follow. The 1962 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
is insanely beautiful. Hints of lime, white flowers and crushed rocks linger on
what seems like an eternal finish. This is a totally hypnotic Dom Pérignon. The
1964 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
(disgorged 1999) is quite a bit richer and deeper than the 1962, with more of a
roasted, honeyed character that is striking in its beauty. The 1966 Dom Pérignon is now fully mature,
but it is dazzling. Clean veins of minerality introduce an element of freshness
to the notes of smoke, caramel and hazelnuts that develop in the glass. In most
vintages I am a huge fan of the original release of DP. This bottle of the 1996
is stellar. I have always adored the 1975
Dom Pérignon Oenothèque for its silkiness and total finesse, qualities that
are on full display tonight. The 1975 Oenothèque is rare and very expensive,
but for those who seek and can afford the best, it is a must-have.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1378348999659-Truffles+-+Vinous.jpg"> 

Giacosa’s 1967 Barbaresco Riserva Asili has reached its peak. Although still a beautiful
wine, it is starting to fray just a touch around the edges. All things
considered it has held up beautifully. Most winemakers would be thrilled to
have made such a gorgeous wine, but it is time to drink up. Readers fortunate
enough to own the 1964 Barbaresco
Riserva Santo Stefano are in for a real treat. The silkiness and supple, refined
tannins support a highly expressive core of fruit in this stunningly beautiful,
perfumed Barbaresco. The 1964 Santo Stefano remains one of the towering
achievements in Bruno Giacosa’s stellar career. If I could only choose one
Giacosa wine from the late 1960s and early 1970s to drink it would probably be
the 1971 Barolo Riserva Speciale Rocche
di Castiglione Falletto. It boasts remarkable depth and richness for a wine
of its age, with plenty of 1971 structure and extraordinary balance. Layers of
dark fruit saturate the palate on the intense, nuanced finish.

The 1975 Barolo Riserva Bussia di Monforte
hasn’t convinced me on the few occasions I have had it, and this is no
exception. It may have been beautiful when first released, but I have only
known the 1975 Bussia as an older wine. This bottle is overly volatile and
rustic. On more than one occasion Bruno Giacosa told me he thought Bussia, and the
Pianpolvere Soprano section in particular, was the single best site in all of
Piedmont. Things get back on track quickly with the 

1978 Barolo Riserva Speciale Villero, an epic Barolo that captures all of the pedigree
of this great vintage. Firm, classic 1978 tannins support massive fruit,
spices, leather and licorice in this icon of Piedmont. Wow! What a showing. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1378348918644-CharityWines+-+Vinous.jpg"> 

The 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé is one of my
all-time favorite Champagnes, but I have never tasted it this way, nor has
anyone else in the room. Three bottles of the 1996 Rosé are lined up; a
standard fifth, magnum and jeroboam. We are all quite curious to taste the
three wines, as they were all released at different times. It is quite common
for Champagne houses to vary the level of dosage according to the bottle size
and release date, but DP is notoriously tight-lipped on such matters, so it is
impossible to know for sure. The jeroboam is opened first. It is tight as a
drum. Over the course of several hours, the wine opens up beautifully and by
the end of the dinner it is clearly the most intriguing and complete of the
three. I wish I owned more of these, but this is the last. The magnum is great
right out of the gate. I adore the magnum format for all wines, but Champagne
in particular. This is a fabulous showing. The straight fifth is also
surprisingly closed at the outset, but then blossoms quickly. At the first
tasting, it is the most impressive of the three bottles but as time passes
there is much less development here than in the big bottles. What a fascinating
comparative tasting.

A small vertical of
Giacosa’s legendary Barolo Collina Rionda follows. The most
impressive vintage on this night is the 1982
Riserva, which captivates all of the intellectual and hedonistic senses
with its striking perfume, fabulous length and stunning overall balance. The
1982 isn’t a huge Rionda, but it is arguably the most refined after the 1989.
Another perfect bottle from a collection I purchased years ago. Thrilling. The 1978 Barolo Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda
isn’t too far behind. This is a tremendous example of a legendary wine from one
of the great all-time Piedmont vintages. While the 1982 won’t be at its peak
forever, it appears that well-stored bottles of the 1978 might not have arrived
yet! The 1989 Barolo Riserva Collina
Rionda is strikingly beautiful and seductive, but, sadly, not quite the
temptress it can be. Giacosa’s 1990 Barolo
Riserva Collina Rionda, on the other hand is fabulous. I have had very
mixed experiences with this wine over the years, but not tonight. The 1990 is
rich, powerful and supple from start to finish. In other words, it is a pure-bred
1990. The 1971 Barolo Collina Rionda
is the only wine of this evening that is flawed. It happens. Better here than
elsewhere. The 1970 Barolo Collina
Rionda is now fully mature, but is a gorgeous early example of Bruno Giacosa’s
genius with this great site in Serralunga. Hints of autumn leaves, spices and
worn-in leather linger on the delicate finish.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1378349047529-LambChops.jpg"> 

The 1982 Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino, the last bottle from a lot
I purchased some years ago, is drop-dead gorgeous. I have always loved the
1982s, and the Monfortino is one of the greatest wines of that year. Tonight,
it is thrilling. I go back to the 1982 Giacosa Collina Rionda, from a gently
sloping, hillside side, not too far from the Conterno family’s Cascina Franca.
What a privilege it is to taste these two Serralunga icons next to each other.
Domenico Clerico’ s 1982 Barolo Ciabot
Mentin Ginestra more than holds its own in this flight of 1982s, which is
high praise indeed. The wine is worth all of that admiration, and more. In the
early 1980s Clerico worked with very rustic means. The wines were made in an
outdoor shack outside Clerico’s house. The 1982 did is malolactic fermentation
in used casks Clerico purchased from Aldo Conterno was aged in reconditioned
beer barrels that were common in Piedmont at the time. But Ginestra is a great
site, and aside from meticulous farming, it doesn’t need much, as this wine
clearly attests. Still in fabulous shape, Clerico’s 1982 is a monument of the
greatness of Barolo. Wow!

The 1945 Musigny from Comtes de Vogüé is by far the most controversial wine of the night.
It is of course beyond rare, and frightfully expensive. Is this bottle real? A
fake? Reconditioned? It is impossible to tell for sure, but regardless, this is
not a great bottle. For fun, I decide to open the 1947 Borgogno Barolo, a much, much humbler wine, but one I thought
would be interesting to taste next to the de Vogüé. The Borgogno had one
previous owner, and the condition of the bottle is remarkable. It isn’t a great
wine, but there is a purity and frankness to the fruit that is striking in its
beauty.

A final taste the 1996 Dom Pérignon Rosé, from jeroboam, shows
that wine to have a tremendous future. Readers who can find the jeroboams
should absolutely not hesitate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

-- Antonio Galloni

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social