Distant Dreams.
The second chapter of the epic journey from Kuala Lumpur to Luang Parbang and back. The first of the Bangkok tastings can be found here – 2006 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand Turckheim
Great wine can be found anywhere if you know where to look. Bangkok is no exception. Dig deep enough and you can find anything. The key in these hot, humid Southeast Asian countries is a climate-controlled room. These are a gold mine for the wine drinker. Without them, the odds are stacked against you.
When I find these places I can lose hours. Digging for wine gold is about the only ‘shopping’ I enjoy. This La Spinetta Barolo was just sitting in a pile of Chinati in a backroom air-conditioned cellar. I am convinced it was incorrectly priced. The Zind -Humbrecht in the same room.
There is nothing like striking gold.
2008 was a good vintage in Piedmont. Both the Barolo’s and Barbaresco’s from this year are still drinking well, some will last decades. Predominately from the South facing Garretti Vineyard, this La Spenetta has become one of our favourite Barolos, consistently producing an excellent expression of the Nebbiolo variety.
The wine sees some one-year-old French oak during malolactic fermentation and a further twenty-month of ageing. A few months in stainless before bottling without filtration or clarifying. Finally, the wine has twelve months in the bottle to round out the four years of aging before release.
No decanter poured straight to the glass.
Vibrant red in the glass with a clearing bronze rim. Concerns the wine was aging prematurely were put at ease on the nose. Cherry dominates the nose with savory herbs and pretty flowers in the background. There is no oak on the nose, but a lingering spice indicates it may be present, but subtle. The palate, while showing some age, is still youthful. Medium acid provides structure and medium tannins deliver a pleasant dusty finish. The primary fruit is dark cherries but the savory aspects now dominate. The flowers are potpourri, not fresh.
This wine is in a pleasant place for my palate. While it might improve with age, I would be drinking it now.
Drink now – 2025.
91 pts.
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| Somewhere in Laos |
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| Tough going. |