<a target="_blank" href="http://www.babbonyc.com/">Babbo</a> 

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.

&nbsp;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

The crescendo of glorious Barolos reached its climax with
two staggering wines from the 1989 vintage. Mascarello’s 1989 Monprivato was sweet, layered, gorgeous,
expressive…all of that and more. This pristine, stunning Barolo was awesome and
immensely rewarding. The 1989 Giacosa
Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda was the embodiment of utter perfection, as it
almost always is. The Grilled Guinea Hen served alongside these two gems was
absolutely delicious and seductive.

A bottle of Giacosa’s
1986 Barolo Riserva Falletto served with the cheese course was a last
minute addition. This wine has been one of my favorite under the radar Giacosa
wines for a long time. Over the years it has proven to be a more complex and
age-worthy wine than the highly praised 1985. It was terrific again on this
night, although tasting it after the 1989
Rionda wasn’t exactly fair on our part. Still, the wine showed brilliantly
and continues to offer significant upside potential. I can’t think of a more
enjoyable way to end a meal than with a glass of Jacques Selosse’s NV Rosé. An utterly sensational Rosé, it revealed
tremendous depth, purity and structure in a style that was closer to red
Burgundy than a more traditional conception of Champagne. I have never failed
to be completely mesmerized by this exceptional wine. All in all, this was
another great night of food and wine at Babbo.

Food:

Babbo Salumi and Grissini

Assorted Antipasti

Pappardelle with Morels and Peas

Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail

Grilled Guinea Hen with Radishes, Favas and Arrope Oil

Valtaleggio with Date Mostarda

Assorted Desserts

Wine: 

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 1985
 </td>
 <td>
 Dom Pérignon (magnum)
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1961
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo
 </td>
 <td>
 ?
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1982
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985
 </td>
 <td>
 Giacomo Conterno Barolo
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989
 </td>
 <td>
 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda
 </td>
 <td>
 100
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1986
 </td>
 <td>
 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Falletto
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV
 </td>
 <td>
 Jacques Selosse Rosé
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

[Photo and credit: Babbo, New York] --Antonio Galloni

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