To round out our summer wine outings four of us joined together on August 22nd to try out Upper West Side newcomer Corvo Bianco, the latest from acclaimed chef Elizabeth Falkner. Despite an overly harsh—especially for a new restaurant—newspaper review a few days earlier, we found ourselves thoroughly enjoying the evening, including a range of well-crafted dishes shared family style. A number of standouts follow below.
Though I must confess the Cocoa Nib Romesco Prawns (with heads) and the Carrots Raw and Roasted were so colorful, vibrant and flavorful that I completely forgot to take photos of them. No doubt the very interesting and slow to unfold 2011 Ischia Bianco Pietra Brox (Biancolella and Forastera grapes), which paired very well with the Crispy Fried Sweetbreads, was a contributing factor too. The Ischia Bianco was from their eclectic and reasonably priced wine list, while the other wines mentioned below we brought with us.
The beautiful and airy rustic elegance of the main dining room at Corvo Bianco. From their homepage at www.corvobianco.com. © 2013 Corvo Bianco
1985 Mastroberardino Taurasi (Aglianico grape). This was the star wine of the night (if you don’t count the Madeira). Beautifully fragrant bouquet of plum, dried rose petal and cinnamon. Even more compelling on the palate: bright, balanced and smooth with nuances of ash and black earth, capped by a long finish of chewy, ripe plum tannins. A superb bottle of aged Mastroberardino, standard bearer of Taurasi. © 2013 Justin Berlin
The Maltagliati with chanterelles, walnuts, figs, black truffle and parmeggiano was both earthy and nutty. Its mushroom flavors blossomed with the Taurasi. © 2013 Justin Berlin
The rich, meaty and supple Pappardelle with Short Rib Ragu paired even better with the Taurasi. © 2013 Justin Berlin
2000 E. Pira Barolo Cannubi. It was velvety, but also reflected the typical shortcomings of the vintage: lack of tannic structure and acidity. Although pleasurable with ripe fruit and integrated oak tones up front, the finish was short and the wine ultimately incomplete. © 2013 Justin Berlin
1999 Silvio Grasso Barolo Giachini. A much more complete wine than the 2000 Cannubi, showing the more classic depth of this powerful vintage. A few musty tones off the top, maybe this bottle a little less than perfect. But underneath a core of ripe, rich plum flavors with hints of vanilla, smoke and spice. Very savory with fine tannins softened by age. Excellent with the roast pork and beef dishes. © 2013 Justin Berlin
Rabbit Cacciatore with Black Eyed Peas, Carrots, and Hibiscus agrodolce. Succulent, savory and very tasty. A little overpowered by the Baroli. © 2013 Justin Berlin
NY Strip Tagliata Salmoriglio, a sauce of lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and here with roasted garlic. Very flavorful beef, expertly prepared. A cinch with the 1999 Barolo. © 2013 Justin Berlin
1958 D’Oliveiras Madeira Boal. The second outstanding wine of the night. A simply stunning Madeira. Very youthful, but still very intense. Explosive on the palate with great depth and layers of caramelized flavors and a deep shot of lemony apricot acidity under the semi-sweet tones. © 2013 Justin Berlin
“In The City” with mascarpone cheesecake crema, blueberry violet gelato, graham crumbles and blueberry paper. Both lively and refreshing berry flavor combinations. © 2013 Justin Berlin
Grilled Peaches with brown butter almond cake, salted corn gelato and anise hyssop. Lovely with the Madeira. © 2013 Justin Berlin
Tartufo with gianduja semifreddo, caramel and chocolate sausces, cocoa nib sbrisolona and roman hazelnuts. Very rich, chocolaty, nutty and good. My favorite of the desserts. © 2013 Justin Berlin
Please note that we made arrangements to bring our own wine prior to our arrival.
Corvo Bianco
446 COLUMBUS AVE (btw 81st and 82nd STs)
NEW YORK, NY 10024
(212) 595 2624
www.corvobianco.com
About Author
Justin is a Co-Founder of Vino247 and has been a wine professional for more than 12 years. He has a background in filmmaking, print and web publishing. But his passion for wine led him to move professionally to the wine world. First at one of the top retailers in the US, where he cut his teeth learning the wine business, honing his palate and writing about wine. Later he co-founded importer Spanish-Wine-Exclusives. He is also a regular taster on Wine & Spirits Magazine’s industry tasting panel.
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