<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ilboscaretoresort.it/pagine/eng/boscareto-resort/la-rei-ristorante-langa.lasso">Ristorante
La Rei</a>

Il
Boscareto Resort &amp; Spa

Via Roddino 21

Serralunga d'Alba (Cn)
Italy 12050 

Tel. +39 0173 613036 

&nbsp;

Wine:&nbsp; 

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines/soldera-case-basse-1975-rosso-dai-vigneti-di-brunello">1975 Case Basse-Soldera Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1971+Aldo+Canale+%26+Figlio+Barolo+Vigna+Riunda">1971 Aldo Canale &amp; Figlio Barolo Vigna Riunda</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1989+Riccardo+Fenocchio+Barolo+">1989 &nbsp;Riccardo Fenocchio Barolo Pianpolvere Soprano</a> &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines/giuseppe-rinaldi-1987-barolo">1987 &nbsp;Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines/giacomo-conterno-1970-barolo">1970 &nbsp;Giacomo Conterno Barolo</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines/cigliuti-1978-barbaresco-serraboella">1978 &nbsp;Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=1971+Vignolo+Lutati+Figli+Barolo">1971 &nbsp;U. Vignolo – Lutati &amp; Figli Barolo</a> &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines/borgogno-1931-barolo-canubbi">1931 &nbsp;Borgogno Barolo Canubbi</a>
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>Food: 

Vitello Tonnato

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1370863771524-LaRei1+-+inline.jpg"> Agnolotti al Plin<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1370863786361-LaRei2+inline.jpg"> 

Roasted Capretto (Baby Goat)<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1370863818381-LaRei3+-+inline.jpg"> 

Artisan Cheeses (not pictured)

La Rei is located in the Boscareto, one of Piedmont’s few
full-service, luxury hotels. Il Boscareto and its design continues to sharply
divide fans and foes, but it’s hard to argue with the stunning views from within the property.
Cascina Francia on one side, Ginestra straight ahead and Bruno Giacosa’s
Falletto on the right. Not bad. La Rei, Il Boscareto’s luxury restaurant, is
another highlight. Gianpiero Vivalda, owner of the famous Da Renzo in Cervere,
consults on a menu that offers both the classics as well as a handful of more
adventurous dishes.

This small, intimate dinner was a great opportunity to catch up
with old friends. Many years ago, I met Il Professore, a collector who wishes
to remain anonymous and who also happens to be the world’s greatest expert on
the traditionally made wines of Piedmont. I have drunk and purchased many wines
from Il Professore’s cellar over the years, and it is these bottles – perfect,
impeccably stored examples of the classics – that have taught me so much about
Barolo and Barbaresco. Spending time with Il Professore is always a treat.

In keeping with a theme of traditionally made Barolos and
Barbarescos, I went for the classics; vitello tonnato, agnolotti del plin and
capretto (baby goat). How can you go wrong? Well, you can’t. Our food was
terrific and the service was top-notch. But on this night, the focus was more
on wine, and what wines they were! Although all of these bottles came from our
cellars, Il Boscareto has a terrific list. On a previous visit, I enjoyed a
bottle of Le Piane’s 2006 Boca, which was priced absurdly low for a restaurant
of this level.

One of the things I love most about wine is that there is always
something new to learn. I had never tasted the 1975 Rosso dai Vigneti di
Brunello, the first
wine from Gianfranco Soldera’s Case Basse
property in Montalcino. At nearly 40 years of age, it was still going
strong, with no signs of fading, something made all the more remarkable considering 1975 was a
scorching hot vintage in Montalcino. On this night, the 1975 Rosso shows amazing
depth and density. Served in the middle of a group of Barolos and Barbarescos
it more than held its own. Another rarity, Aldo Canale’s 1971 Barolo Vigna
Riunda was both compelling and
frustrating. The bouquet alone was captivating. Classic Vigna Riunda
(note the spelling) in every way, but sadly rustic at the same time. The site
is so great, it nearly compensated for those flaws. The 1971 was fully mature,
but still intellectually fascinating. &nbsp;Aldo Canale owned what was
historically considered the best part of Vigna Rionda. Canale sold half his
fruit to Bruno Giacosa - who crafted many legendary wines from those grapes -
and vinified the rest. Aldo Canale’s son, Tommaso, passed away recently, and
left the property to his heirs Davide Rosso, Guido Porro and Sergio Germano.

Riccardo
Fenocchio's 1989 Barolo Pianpolvere
Soprano could have been an extraordinary, life-changing wine,&nbsp;but it
was&nbsp;marred by dirty barrels.&nbsp;Still, the color, depth and freshness
were all remarkable. &nbsp;After Fenocchio’s suicide in 1995, Bruno Giacosa
tried unsuccessfully to purchase Pianpolvere, which he described to me many
times as&nbsp;the single greatest site in Barolo.&nbsp;I can only imagine what
a Giacosa Pianpolvere Soprano Barolo might have been like. Valentino Migliorini
ended up with the winning bid and the vineyard. From a cold, rainy vintage, Rinaldi’s 1987 Barolo was fully mature,
yet it had gorgeous sweetness and lovely complexity. Although I found the 1987
a bit too mature for my tastes,&nbsp; a few of
my friends found more pleasure in the wine. The 1987 was made from a blend of
vineyards during &nbsp;a period when Rinaldi bottled only a straight Barolo and
a Brunate Riserva.

Giacomo Conterno’s 1970 Barolo was the undisputed wine of the night. It showed great intensity of color,
flavor and structure, all hallmarks of this overlooked Piedmont vintage. The
1970 was made from vineyards in Monforte before the family purchased Cascina
Francia in Serralunga. Renato Cigliuti’s 1978
Barbaresco Serraboella was a revelation. It was made during the estate’s early
days, when winemaking was traditional. Still deeply hued, but translucent, the
1978 was super-impressive, vibrant and just plain beautiful. It is so great to
see this benchmark property going back to making wines in this style. This was
another of my favorites. What a bottle!

Although fully mature, the 1971
Vignolo-Lutati Barolo is another wine that stood out for its textural
silkiness and polish. Sadly, I never tasted this wine when it was young, but it
was probably pretty special. From what I have been able to gather, the
then-owners of the estate, the Viglione family, made this wine from Vigna del
Mandorlo, a parcel within the Scarrone vineyard that currently belongs to
Fratelli Giacosa. What can I say about Borgogno’s 1931 Barolo Canubbi?
At 82 years of age, Borgogno's 1931 Barolo Canubbi (note the spelling) was
drop-dead gorgeous. A timeless wine. With their 2008 vintage, Borgogno is
releasing what they tell me is their first single-vineyard Barolo from Cannubi.
Well, not exactly. Incidentally, Il Professore told me there are Borgogno
bottles of ‘Barbaresco Canubbi’ from the 1940s still floating around! Such was
the fame of the Canubbi vineyard that apparently the name was used quite
liberally back then.

-- Antonio Galloni<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1408629099556-NewPhotoforOldSolderaArticle+-+Copy.jpg">

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