Del Posto Ristorante

85 10th Ave,

New York, NY 10011

Tel (212) 497-8090

This recent dinner at Del Posto was so amazing I hardly know where to start. The collection of wines we tasted was mind-boggling. Our initial theme was a complete vertical of Bruno Giacosa’s mythical Barolo Collina Rionda, which we managed to pull off, save the 1968. All the reason to make another attempt in a few years’ time. Before we knew it, a desire to taste a few older Champagnes turned into a full-fledged second theme of 1970s Dom Pérignons. The food and service were both superb and fully befitting of Del Posto’s recent 4-star rating by The New York Times. In particular, I adored the wood-grilled lobster (always outstanding here) and the stinco di vitello. On this night, the service was especially stellar. As readers can see by the number of wines we opened, ours was not an easy table to take care of, but Del Posto anticipated our every need (including a sprained ankle I sustained earlier in the day) with the highest level of professionalism.

The 1990 Dom Pérignon Rosé, tasted from magnum before dinner, was breathtakingly beautiful, with superb definition, depth and purity to its rich, textured mousse. It provided yet another reminder of just how much Champagne excels in large formats. This was a fabulous bottle I came back to often throughout the evening. It never failed to make a lasting impression.

The first grouping of Dom Pérignon Œnothèques, shipped over from the estate specifically for this tasting, was spectacular. Soft, voluptuous, creamy and fully resolved, the 1969 Œnothèque flowed with sensual tropical fruit layered into more advanced notes of toffee and caramel. The 1969 showed unusual concentration, the result of a small crop created by a spring frost. Simply put, it was magical. The 1971 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque (magnum) was powerful, fresh and tightly wound in its intricate fruit, with superb length and fabulous overall balance. As delicious as the 1971 Œno was, it came across as not fully expressive. The estate’s 1973 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque (magnum) was flat-out incredible. A rich, textured Champagne, the 1973 impressed for its expansive, broad-shouldered personality, depth of fruit and opulent finish. Gorgeous hints of smoke and ash lingered on the impeccable finish. The 1975 Œnothèque (magnum) was even better. It showed surreal elegance and clarity in a vibrant, mineral style laced with the essence of smoke, ash and crushed rocks. Simply put, the 1975 was spectacular, even if it was a bit tight owing to its recent disgorgement. A transcendental bottle of the 1971 Dom Pérignon (original release) followed. It revealed gorgeous warmth in a round, enveloping style that was captivating. Hazelnuts, caramel and toffee are some of the nuances that emerged from this beautifully balanced DP. The interplay of more advanced tertiary tones and the minerality of the vintage was stunning. Once again, I found myself preferring the original release over the Œnothèque.

Our four 1973 Dom Pérignons were sublime. A bottle of the 1973 original release, from the famous Litchfield cellar, showed gorgeous inner sweetness in its apricots, flowers and spices, with phenomenal length and stunning overall balance. It was a breathtaking bottle. The 1973 Dom Pérignon (Recently Disgorged, 1995) came across as soft, simple and not particularly interesting. A bottle of the 1973 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque (1999) revealed terrific body and volume, and took things to another level entirely, with gorgeous, expressive layers of radiant fruit and phenomenal overall balance. A magnum of the 1973 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque (magnum, 1999) showed terrific energy and focus, along with the opulence and fatness that is the hallmark of the vintage. Despite its irresistible appeal, in this flight it was a bit overshadowed, although there is little doubt that in its own it would have been more rewarding. 

The 1975 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque showed great purity but it has now begun to put on weight and develop a more burnished personality since it was disgorged in 2007. Still, it was gorgeous. The 1975 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque Commande Speciale, is the same wine as the regular Œnothèque, but this bottle offered more depth, volume and creaminess, with a long, textured finish that was exceptionally beautiful. I loved the 1976 Dom Pérignon, one of my all-time favorite vintages. Tasted from magnum, it revealed marvelous depth, with a rich baritone voice and hints of smoke, ash and licorice that lingered on the finish. It was simply magnificent. Sadly, the 2003 disgorgement of the 1976 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque was corked.

Vigna Rionda, in Serralunga, is one of the world’s greatest vineyards. Bruno Giacosa crafted some of this most monumental wines from these soft, undulating hills. Oddly, Giacosa never owned vines in Rionda, rather he purchased the fruit from the grower Canale, an arrangement that produced a stunning set of wines until 1993, after which Giacosa shifted most of his attention to his own vineyards. In its finest vintages (and even in lesser years) Giacosa’s Rionda has the ability to capture the entire spectrum of Nebbiolo’s unique qualities, from exquisite aromatics to dense, powerful structure.

In 1967 Giacosa released both a Riserva and non-Riserva Collina Rionda. Both are exceedingly rare today; in fact I had only previously tasted the Riserva once and had never even seen the non-Riserva until I stumbled across a bottle recently in my cellar, thinking it was the Riserva! The 1967 Barolo Collina Rionda (white label) was initially the better of the two 1967s but over time it faded a bit, while the Riserva got better and better once some initial awkwardness blew off. The 1967 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda was initially so closed in on itself I thought it was flawed, but sure enough, over several hours the fruit emerged gradually and it eventually surpassed the white label by a wide margin. Dark red fruit, iron, leather, licorice and tar were among the many nuances that came to life in this surprisingly muscular Barolo. What a magical wine!

The next flight was awesome. The 1969 Collina Rionda, from a very poor vintage, was beautifully intact though delicate in its ethereal prunes, licorice and dried flowers. The 1969 was phenomenal, particularly for its overall sense of balance. Vintage 1969 is among the most poorly regarded of all time, but that didn’t stop Bruno Giacosa from making gorgeous wines from top to bottom. The 1970 was a touch faded but still showed surprising density and a touch more body than the 1969. Mint, leather, truffles, underbrush and prunes were some of the many notes that emerged from the glass. The 1971 was the freshest and most vibrant wine in this grouping. Still powerful and dense, I found a compelling array of violets, exotic spices, mint and tar wrapped around an intense, deep frame. Well-stored bottles of the 1971 continue to deliver the goods. The 1974 impressed for its grace and fine sense of harmony although nothing beyond that stood out in particular. It was flat-out delicious, though.

Both the 1975 and 1980 are now very rare and hard to find, but they showed beautifully in this set of often overlooked Riondas. The 1975 wasn’t particularly complex, but it impressed for a level of richness and concentration that will allow it to drink beautifully for another 15 years or so. The 1980 was very similar to the 1975, although it came across as little more delicate and Burgundian in personality. Here, too, I was struck by the wine’s freshness and balance. Not bad for a vintage that is now virtually forgotten. The 1985 was radiant, rich and powerful, very much in the style of the vintage.  Generous dark fruit, leather and licorice came together beautifully in a Barolo whose weight and glycerol could be felt on the palate. It was another of the wines that continued to improve over several hours. I still have fond memories of perfect bottle of the 1985 going toe to toe with the 1985 Monfortino a few years ago and not missing a beat. Along with the 1971, the 1985 is the best white label Rionda Giacosa ever made. The 1993 reveals shades of greatness in its sublime inner perfume. Mint, flowers, spices swirl around in the glass, adding complexity to the dark fruit. Over time the wine faded a bit, but it was absolutely singing for the first 30 minutes or so.

We finished with a stunning flight of red labels. The 1978 Riserva and 1982 Riserva were flat-out great examples of these legendary Barolos. The 1978 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda was utterly spellbinding from start to finish. What a wine! A powerful, virile wine at 32 years of age, the 1978 flowed with layers of dark fruit, mint, flowers and spices, all wrapped around a seriously intense frame. This bottle of the 1982 Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda was the finest I had ever had, once again leading me to question how wines sold in the US were treated during transport. A Barolo of stunning richness, the 1982 flowed from the glass with seductive layers of perfumed fruit all the way through to an eternal, hypnotic finish.

After many, many tries I can say I have finally tasted a bottle of the 1990 Riserva that lives up to its reputation. Silky tannins framed core of perfumed, expressive fruit in the rich, open style that is typical of the vintage, with superb inner sweetness and fabulous overall balance. We also tasted the 1990 Riserva ‘black label’, a wine I had never seen. The cork appeared authentic. What was in the bottle did not, and the label was very....shall we say sketchy. This bottle of the legendary 1989 Riserva was very good, but not monumental. On its own, I am sure it would have shown just fine, but the other bottles in this flight made for very tough competition. Such is life. We basked in the glow of the radiant 1978, 1982 and 1990, all of which were mind-bending.

Three vintages of Roagna’s Barolo Vigna Rionda continued the Rionda theme to the present day. It’s great to see another producer making important wines from this site; the fruit is just too precious to be squandered in the hands of unambitious producers. The 2003 showed terrific balance in the forward personality of the vintage, with lovely inner perfume and terrific balance. The 2004, tasted from magnum, impressed for the silkiness of its tannins and the purity of its fragrant, expressive fruit. The 2005, from magnum, also enjoyed a strong showing, with plenty of that fleeting, mesmerizing Rionda fruit that makes the wines from these hillside vineyards so compelling

Ponsot's 1990 Clos de la Roche showed its typically rich, massive fruit but less freshness than the best bottles. The 1990 Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti can be a phenomenal wine, but this bottle was a touch fleeting, with not quite enough fruit to balance its tannic heft. Guigal’s 1978 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne was a fake. That was soon forgotten when the 1921 Chateau d'Yquem was poured. What can I say? It was a wine I will remember forever because it was a legendary wine served at the perfect moment, and that is all anyone can ask from a wine at this profound height of achievement.

Food:

Carne Cruda with Truffled Salsa, Parmigiano-Reggiano & King Oyster

Ricotta Pansotti with Wild Asparagus & Black Truffle

Risotto alla Primavera

Wood-Grilled Lobster with Artichokes, Almonds & Basils