Babbo

110 Waverly Place,

New York, NY 10011

Tel (212) 777-0303, (212) 777-3365

April 2008

I always look forward to dinner at Babbo, one of New York’s top destinations for great food and wine. The plan was to focus on wines from the great 1980s vintages; 1982, 1985 and 1989. Along the way we added a few wines to round things out. General Manager Colum Sheehan designed a delicious menu to match our Barolos and Barbarescos. As always, food, wine and service were truly exceptional.

We enjoyed a glass of the 1985 Dom Pérignon from magnum in the cellar while we admired the restaurant’s impressive collection. The 1985 is a delicate, perfumed Dom Pérignon, although it lacks the complexity of finest vintages. Our ravenous group devoured the delicious assorted antipasti in no time. Giuseppe Mascarello’s 1961 Barolo was the only wine of the night that didn’t show well. It was likely the victim of less than ideal storage at some point.

 Bruno Giacosa’s 1982 Barolo Falletto was simply tremendous. It was a sweet, layered Barolo with tons of balsamic notes wrapped around a solid core of dark fruit. This was as great a bottle of this wine as I have ever had. The 1982 Falletto is a huge over-achiever for a mere “white label” in this vintage, a year which remains one of Giacosa’s most monumental harvests. The 1982 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano was also extremely beautiful, even if this wasn’t a pristine bottle. Perfumed, open aromatics led to an expansive core of fruit that unfurled on the palate with exquisite grace and elegance. Both wines paired beautifully with the Pappardelle with Morels and Peas, a dish that perfectly captured the essence of early spring.

Next up were two colossal wines from 1985, one of my favorite vintages for drinking today. Conterno’s 1985 Barolo Cascina Francia is one of the standouts of the vintage. It was awesome again on this night, with tons of ripe fruit beautifully balanced by Serralunga tannins. The 1985 Mascarello Monprivato was a touch better balanced than the Cascina Francia, although that is splitting hairs at this level. Both Barolos were incredibly delicious and exquisite with the richly-flavored Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail