Giovanni Manzone Barolo Le Gramolere Riserva de Grazia Cuvee 1990

The 1990 vintage in Piemonte rarely fails to deliver.  This is a superb bottling. Perfume, finesse and gorgeous fruit sum it up from start to finish. 140 case production from old vines. 14% alc.  Double decanted into clean bottle with slow-o for 4 hours prior to dinner.  Quite a bit of sediment. 

Really started to take off around an hour into dinner, gaining presence for the next two hours.  Intoxicating perfumed nose, sweet fruit and anise wrapped around a beautiful core of minerality with classic delicate tar and roses profile. Lovely expression of Monforte terroir.  Excellent complexity and finish on the palate ... just roll it around and get a glimpse of that elusive greatness we are always seeking in our wines.

I have to mention the cuisine at Blue Restaurant that Gene Briggs, Aaron Shaub and staff execute to perfection for dinner:
- Pan seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras over butter toasted brioche with rhubarb marmalade and toasted pistachios
- Seared scallops over succotash of fava beans, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, onion and a corn cream topped with pistachio pesto 
- Grilled lamb rack and crisp Lamb belly with potato-leek puree, grilled asparagus and salsa verde
- Cheese plate: buttery Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery (North Carolina), Humboldt Fog goat cheese (California), Gorgonzola Dolce (Italy), fig preserve, local honeycomb, candied-cinnamon toasted walnuts, Spanish olives
- Double espresso w. perfect crema