2005 Giorgio Pelissero Langhe Long Now, Piedmont, Italy
The Rib and I purchased this Nebbiolo blend in June 2010 at a tasting featuring the winemaker and have been waiting (somewhat impatiently) to open one of the two bottles that remain in the cellar. So I whipped up some meat sauce and decanted this wine for two hours and sat down for an Italian-style dinner.
On the nose, the Langhe had some nice cedar, dark fruit jam/ripe black cherry notes. When I put the glass up to my sniffer, I had the sensation of opening a cigar box filled with premium tobacco.
The palate gave me some nice black cherry, slight black licorice notes, and the above-mentioned cedar. The tannins on the Langhe were smooth but held on tight through the medium-long finish. The acid structure was solid and provided a nice backbone for the strong cedar and tobacco notes. This wine got a touch raisin-y three hours in but remained super smooth.
Even nosing this wine, I thought I’d be tempted to brave the cooler temps and have a cigar with it after dinner. I gotta say, this wine drank almost like a cigar, and I settled for pairing it with a big ol’ batch of my meat sauce and pasta. The acid structure allowed the Langhe to hold up well to the savory tomato and meat sauce. I will admit that The Rib and I broke off a chunk of dark chocolate with the Langhe after dinner; it, too, paired well with this wine.
At $40-50 per bottle, this isn’t probably an everyday wine for most; however, it should be on your radar if you like Italian varietals. My purchase notes have a drinking window through 2018; I’m certain this wine will make it there and beyond. If you can find a bottle of this wine, I highly recommend it.
Cheers from the Corkpit,
Stub
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