Pasty Pairing 2013 Round 2

Italian fest is full swing today and the City of Iron Mountain is a buzz.  The farmer’s market is marketing. Young people stroll the streets looking for love and pasties. I imagine when they get older they will want to drink a wine that both reflects the deep Italian roots of the community and goes well with a pasty. For the final round I present two wines that may fit my pre-ramble, Damilano, Barolo (Nebbiolo) 2003 and Vietti, Lehie, Nebbiolo 2009.

Damilano, Barolo Lecinquevigne, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 2003.

 Tasting notes:

Hour 1: dark cherry, blackberry, light body, medium to short finish. Medium tannins.

Hour 2: The dark fruit is more pronounced and the tannins have evened out tremendously. A full and bountiful mouthfeel.

ABV: 14%

Cases Made:  7,500

Release Price: $4

Vietti, Nebbiolo, Langhe, Piedmont, Italy 2009

Tasting notes:

Hour 1: Bright cherry, medium-heavy tannins (nowhere near a tannic Cab, but certainly not Gammay)

Hour 2: Still a bit tannic, bright cherry, red liquorish (not in the zinfandel way though)

ABV: 14%

Cases Made: 4,000

Release Price: $25

Conclusion:

The problem here is that there are two different vintages of the same grape, country and even region. The ’09 Vietti takes a bit to open up, but the tannins bind with the protein so well that it’s hard to like the ’03 Barolo more…but it do. Less abrasive and that dark cherry note slices through the pasty, is what places the ’03 Damilano Barolo above the ’09 Vietti.  If you can’t find or don’t want to bring a $45 dollar wine to the UP, I would try to find the Vietti or in the least a Nebbiolo based wine.

I love how incorporated the tannins are in this older Nebbiolo wine. This incorporation creates a great shape in one’s mouth; it reminds me of an old, mostly deflated, soccer ball. That’s not a bad thing, an old soccer ball is pliable but not elastic. It’s easier to play with; the ball won’t fly out of your yard if you give it a little tap. When you kick it too hard, the ball just sinks into your foot and dribbles away.  The different parts of the pasty play with and against the ’03 Damilano, but neither side is keeping score.

Plan Pegau Lot 2010 Vs. Barolo Lecinquevigne 2003

That funk of the Plan Pegau was nice, but the Dark cherry and acid components in the ’03 Damilano, complemented the pasty so well that I have to declare it the champion.