Another interesting tasting last night w/ the HK Wine Society, this time Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco's Cru Monopole Martinenga 1985 - 2001 w/ cellarmaster Jeffrey Chilcott...
The property is described as "one of the most consistent producer in Barbaresco" by Antonio Galloni & High Johnson & Jancis Robinson rank them among Giacosa & Gaja as the most evolved wine makers of the Appellation.
Martinenga is an amphitheatre shaped vineyard at an altitude of 220 to 280 meters & south-west facing giving it some of the best conditions to ripen Nebbiol, a difficult grape to work with.
Martinenga is not only a cru vineyard in the Barbaresco area, but it has also been a monopole (meaning that only 1 owner produce wines from its vineyard) owned by the Grésy family since 1797.
My favourites last night were as below. To my estimation offering tremendous potential for further development & become aboslutely gorgeous sleeping beauties... A revelation was the 1988 Camp Gros Martinega (magnum). Beautifully succulent w/ a seductive silky & supple texture. The wine displayed wonderful complexity w/ notes of tar, forest undergrowth, dried roses, & spices. All in delicay & finesse. A lovely, lovely finish w/ lip-smacking intensity!
The 2006 Camp-Gros Martinenga, was my favourite of the evening. Still typically firm for a Nebbiolo but already silky & in balance w/ a density of fruit promising great things to come. Wonderfully deep red fruits w/ earthy & floral notes w/ a deep color & think rim. Keep!
The 2001 Gaiun Martinenga showed wonderfully for a middle-ager...medium garnet w/ delightfullly open nose w/ teasing dried rose petals, leather, and forest undergrowth, wild straberries & spices. Nice juicy texture w/ a silky finish. Still w/ much potential!
The 2006 Gaiun Martinenga, firm & silky, raspberries, floral, elegant perfumes. An ironfist-in-a-velvet-glove of a wine, certain w/ much structure to age for a long long time & develop absolutely beautifully...
Highly recommended producer!
