Barolo tasting

Tonight Pasanella & Son had their inaugural tasting dinner in the new back room featuring the wines of Franco Martinetti. Dinner was a decent buffet, but as usual the focus was on the wine:

Flight 1:
2004 Sine Cura (Barbera/Cab Sauvignon) light, pleasant, well made- a good picnic wine
2004 Barbera "Bric Dei Banditi" nice toasty almond nose, fresh

Flight 2:
Montruc Barbera:
1998 well made, a bit austere, but elegant
2003 beautiful nose, much riper and rounder- almost southern Rhône with roses and truffles

Flight 3:
Sul Bric Barbera/Cab Sauvignon
1996 wet earth nose, bell pepper, then sour cherries with chocolate and coffee
1998 peaking- floral and herbal nose, then truffles and cherries- the 2 grapes fused nicely
2003 riper, fruit and flowers, black cherries, sweeter

Flight 4:
Barolo "Marasco"
1998 licorice, coconut, violets and black cherries with velvety soft tannins
1999 leather and licorice- classic and mighty, yet elegant. Very complex.
2001 young and tannic, but strawberries and cherries emerge. Needs time

These guys are making Barolo which straddles the old and new styles, getting structure and character from the old but with some of the color and power from the new. Everything they do is well-made, and the better wines are something special.