Monprivato Vertical @ Chez Goldberg, NYC, 2/4/2023

Monprivato Vertical Dinner
@ Chez Goldberg, Greenwich Village, NYC, 2/4/2023

This was the Saturday evening of La Festa del Barolo. As has become a tradition, Ben and Wendy hosted a group of friends for a wonderful meal and wine dinner. All the food was prepared from scratch by Ben & Wendy (ecxcept where noted) and was wonderful as always.

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The table is set:

Starter

NV Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
[Disgorged 23 July 2008. Pop and pour.] Gold color. Appealing yeasty, cheesy nose. Delicious, long, complex. Subtle. (94 points)

The gangs all here and sippin' Champagne:

Course 1
Steve's homemade country paté and liverwurst, along with store-bought salumi (prosciutto, speck):

Served with Ben's homemade baguettes:

Flight 1

1971 Filippo Sobrero & Figli Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Predominantly from Monprivato. Double-decanted at 4:30pm.] Complex nose of forest floor, tar, and sour cherries. Lovely and elegant in the mouth. Juicy, long finish. Really a stunning wine, still in superb shape. (95 points)
1974 Filippo Sobrero & Figli Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about noon.] Weird nose. Not a good bottle. (NR)
1971 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[This was a leftover from the Gala of La Festa del Barolo the night before. Not sure when it was decanted, but it had been open at least 24 hours.] Lovely, complex perfume. Elegant and expansive in the mouth. A beautiful wine seemingly at its peak. Amazing. (95 points)
1988 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about noon.] Beautiful! Dark and rich. Lots of fruit. So uncharacteristic of the 1988 vintage in Barolo. Surprise of the evening for me. (94 points)

Course 2
Homemade pappardelle with mushroom sauce is so delicious:

Flight 2

1989 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Corked. [sad] (NR)
1990 Fratelli Brovia Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 4:30pm.] Lovely and elegant. Doesn't have the power of the Mascarello. More elegant in style. Lovely. (93 points)
1990 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 3pm for an hour.] Wow! Complex and delicious. What a wine to drink tonight. Beautiful. (96 points)

Flight 3

1996 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about noon.] Big bouquet of black fruit, tar, and roses. Still, a huge, young wine, with many years ahead. Seems younger than the last time I had it. A wow wine with a great future. (95–97 points)
1996 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Ca d'Morissio Riserva Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 3pm for 2 hours.] OMG, I thought the regular Monprivato was big. This is massive. Loads of black fruit on the nose and palate. It's just as well that I don't own this, since I won't live to taste it at its peak. Tasted again around 11pm. Slowly opening more and more. What a monumental wine. (97–99 points)

Course 3
Braised short ribs with polenta, haricot verts is perfect with these wines:

Flight 4

1997 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about 1pm for 4 hours.] Lovely nose of red fruit, menthol and spice. Lots of sweet fruit and tannin in the mouth. Stunningly long finish. Very impressive for what I've found to be a hit and miss vintage for Barolo. (94 points)
1998 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Opened around 3:30 pm and double-decanted around 6:30pm.] The most forward wine since the 1990. Sweet fruit and spice in the nose. Sweet and spicy in the mouth with delicious long fruit finish. Time to start drinking these. (93 points)

Flight 5

1999 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about noon.] Gorgeous nose of tar, roses, and loads of fruit. Long, complex. Another wow wine from 1999. (96 points)
2000 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Opened around 4pm, then double-decanted around 7pm.] Muted black fruit nose. Long and tasty, but not the depth or complexity of the last 5 or 6 wines. Still, a tasty beverage to drink over the coming decade. (92 points)
2001 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double-decanted about noon.] Another great Monprivato. Still big and tight. Needs another decade to fully show its stuff. Cherry nose. Long, sweet, juicy finish. A great way to finish the evening. (95–97 points)

Dessert
Wendy's fabulous key lime pie:

People are happy:

Conclusion

Another glorious evening of great food, friends, and wine. Monprivato is unquestionably one of the Grand Crus of Barolo.

All the red wines:

My tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.