The Queen to Piedmont's King; Time To Talk Barbaresco

I often talk about Barolo, and I am quick to add in a Barbaresco note or bottle to a tasting whenever I see fit. However, what you will hardly ever see in these pages is a tasting centered around Barbaresco. The reason for this, much like the reason why Barolo is more well-known than Barbaresco, is that as collectors get to know the region, there has always been a certain bias against Barbaresco, placing Barolo in their minds as the better wine. First, let’s put that idea out of our heads, because it simply isn’t true, but unfortunately it took me many years of tasting–and something of a paradigm shift–to realize it.

The change started over many years of tasting, as once in awhile we would throw a Barbaresco into a blind Barolo lineup. It didn’t take long to realize that these wines were finishing with top ranks. Keep in mind that I’m not just talking about Gaja and Bruno Giacosa. Produttori del Barbaresco and their portfolio of Riserva wines have long been the Barolo collectors’ secret love affair with Barbaresco, and they are perfect examples of how affordable a great Barbaresco can be and how well they can age.

What we’ve also seen in the last decade is an awakening of producers in the region. Some producers who had contributed their grapes to the Produttori parted ways to start their own labels and perfect a unique style, while others suddenly realized that the ground beneath their feet was worth showcasing, and they decided to clean up their cellars or take new oak out of the picture. Cigliuti, Paitin and Sottimano quickly come to mind as a new breed of winemaker that is changing what people think about the region.

Speaking of producers, it also pays to note that compared to Barolo, Barbaresco is more dominated by small family-run wineries (many of which contribute to the Produttori del Barbaresco), and these families produce only a small amount of wine. What this means for collectors is that we see much less Barbaresco in the market, giving Barolo yet another leg up and much more facetime with consumers.

There is one other important point, and that is how the wines mature. For the longest time, Barbaresco was thought of as a softer version of Barolo, and one that couldn’t age as well. While I will agree that the tannins in Barbaresco generally require less time to mature than the average Barolo, the fact is that they can age just as well. Much of this has to do with terroir, which shares many similarities with Barolo but also a few drastic differences. The soils in both regions are mainly calcareous marls, yet in general, the soils of Barbaresco are richer in nutrients, and in some locations, they contain deposits of sand. There’s also the moderating effect of the Tanaro river, which is one of the key elements thought to be responsible for the superior wines produced by Gaja, whose vineyards benefit directly from the river’s warming breezes by day and cooling breezes at night. Lastly, there’s the required aging regimen in wood, 18 months for Barolo versus 12 months for Barbaresco, yet you’ll find many of the region’s producers aging their top wines longer.

What it all comes down to is that Barbaresco is not just worth a Barolo lover’s attention, it should be required, and anyone who ignores these wines is simply doing themselves an injustice. Barbaresco provides all of the classic flavor and aromatic profiles that we love from Nebbiolo, often maturing a little earlier, but also lasting in the cellar for decades–and all of this at what is often a better price.

This brings us to our most recent tasting at RiverPark in New York City. The theme was simply Barbaresco, but the producers were the top names of the region. Produttori del Barbaresco, Gaja, Bruno Giacosa and Roagna all filled the table. As is usually the case with this group (a bunch of Barolo lovers who met and organized on Antonio Galloni’s Vinous forums), the big gun always come out. The best part is that it’s never about showboating or trying to one-up each other; with this group it’s simply about sharing great wine with good friends.

On to the Tasting Notes:

Our first flight was originally intended to be a showcase of older wines, but due to a corked bottle of ‘65 Cappellano, it turned out to be more of a Produttori del Barbaresco flight. What is there to say? This was the flight for the true lover of mature Nebbiolo. Both bottles were completely mature, and unfortunately the Ovello was a bit over the hill (possibly not a perfect bottle). With that said, I still enjoyed it. As for the ‘67 Pora, it showed all the hallmarks of perfect maturity and an unexpected richness and meatiness that made it the wine of the flight. I simply love mature Barbaresco.

1967 Produttori del Barbaresco Pora Riserva Speciale – At first, the nose was dark, damp and almost moldy, yet the ‘67 Pora came around quickly in the glass to reveal dried flowers, strawberry, hints of mint, forest floor and minerals. On the palate, it displayed a dark and meaty character with savory, almost salty minerality, dark red fruits and hints of smoke. It finished on dried berries and plum, with a touch of light tannin. (93 points)

1971 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello – The ‘71 Ovello was completely resolved and on the decline, yet I still found something to like with its bouquet of dried roses, cinnamon, orange peel, and amaro. On the palate, I found light textures with hints of strawberry and a zing of acidity, which added much-needed liveliness. It finished short on dried fruit and flowers. (NA)

The Gaja Flight was a real treat. The best part about it was to see just how enjoyable the entry-level Gaja Barbaresco can perform and mature. No Gaja is ever cheap, but it is a breath of fresh air to see the most affordable wine showing this well with age. Both ‘82s were gorgeous, and you could sense the stamp of the producer between the two of them. However, in the end, the Costa Russi simply had a depth that the ‘82 normale couldn’t touch. That said, I’d take either wine any day of the week. Then there was the ‘85, which was so pure and wonderfully drinkable in its maturity that it stopped me in my tracks. Lastly, the ‘89, one of my top three wines of the night, was simply gorgeous. I strongly urge readers to pay attention to these wines when they show up in the market, because they represent great relative value.

1982 Gaja Barbaresco – Tasting this next to the ‘82 Costa Russi was a fantastic experience, as the vintage and Gaja style was evident between the two of them. Granted, once I moved on to the Costa Russi, it was hard to come back, but I absolutely adored this wine all the same. The nose was dark and rich with sweet herbs, moist soil and minerals. On the palate, I found silky textures lifted by vibrant acidity, as pure red fruits gave way to savory mineral tones. It finished on dried cherry, red florals and a bite of lively acidity. (92 points)

1982 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi – The Costa Russi took everything I loved about the ‘82 Barbaresco tasted next it and took it up a notch. Here I found masses of depth in its dark, rich red fruits with sweet spices, undergrowth, and minerals. On the palate, I found silky, almost chewy textures contrasted by zesty acidity with notes of black cherry and dark chocolate, which slowly morphed into a savory expression of dried inner florals, minerals and earth. The finish was wonderfully long and vibrant with spicy sweetness and dried strawberry. (95 points)

1985 Gaja Barbaresco – What a beautiful and pure expression of Barbaresco! The ‘85 was in a perfect place on this night. The bouquet was a mix of crushed cherry and strawberry with hints of sweet tea leafs and herbs. With time, a savory mineral note came forward, adding even more depth. On the palate, I found a vibrant and fresh expression with zesty acidity adding verve to its dried cherry fruits. Inner florals and earth tones lingered through the finish, along with dried wild berries. (93 points)

1989 Gaja Barbaresco – Showing all of the hallmarks of this great vintage–dark, deep and still reticent–there’s still so much going on beneath the surface. The ‘89 Barbaresco displayed the most inviting bouquet of pine nettles, menthol, sweet herbs, spicy dark red fruits, and brown spice. On the palate, I found deep silky textures with dark red fruits, iron-born minerality, tea leafs, brisk acidity and lingering fine tannin. It finished firm and youthful with dark red fruits, sweet herbs, and hints of tobacco. I can imagine that another five years will put this in a perfect place for drinking. (96 points)

The Bruno Giacosa flight was, as always, highly anticipated and quite a revelation. I must note that I added my note for the 1970 Santo Stefano, which was not at this original tasting, but was tasted only days later with the same preparation as all of our other bottles. In this flight, I witnessed the feminine elegance of Santo Stefano first-hand. The ‘98 was a gorgeous wine and, in the end, the wine of the night for me. To be able to taste the ‘70 only days later and revel in the similarities of the two of them was also a great opportunity.

We also had the controversial ‘11 Asili, which I found to be a good wine, but far from what I’d expect from a Giacosa Barbaresco. Lastly, the 2000 Asili, a wine that I believe needs more time to truly show its virtues. In the end, this was a tremendous flight.

1970 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano – What a treat. The nose on the ’70 Santo Stefano was much richer and darker than you’d expect, with smoky sweet herbs, dried strawberry, exotic spice, orange peel, and crushed flowers. On the palate, I found lifted, feminine textures with brisk acidity enlivening mineral-infused dried cherry with wonderful inner sweetness. It was shorter than I hoped, but how can you hold that against this 47 year-old wine–it is simply stunning. (94 points)

1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva – Wow… simply wow. The ’98 Santo Stefano is pure beauty, grace and elegance on this night. Lifted and feminine with a complex mixture of dusty spice, dried flowers, minerals and a dark and savory hint of undergrowth. On the palate, it was soft and caressing to the senses with a stunning mix of brisk acidity and saturating red berry fruit. Fine tannin lingered on the finish, but this wine is so enjoyable already, as the overall expression is fresh, lifted and spicy. (97 points)

2000 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva – The nose was dark and rich with earth tones offset by brown spice, as crushed strawberry and rosy floral tones mingled. On the palate, I found velvety textures lifted by balanced acidity with notes of dried black cherry, ripe strawberry and crunchy minerals, yet it lacked the depth of the best vintages. The finish showed a light coating of fine tannin with remnants of dark fruit lingering. (94 points)

2011 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva – The nose was intense, yet seeming more new world than old, showing sweet spices and a toasty quality to its cherry and raspberry fruit. On the palate, I found textures of weighty velvet ushering in floral-tinged red fruits and hints of dried orange with tannins that were almost completely enveloped by its fruit. The finish was long, with dark fruits lingering along with a coating of fine tannin. Others at the same tasting enjoyed this more than I did, and in some cases they have more experience with the wines. Personally, it’s hard for me to imagine the ‘11 maturing into a great Giacosa Red Label. (92 points)

The Roagna flight was most memorable for just how different yet equally enjoyable the ‘96 Paje was from the ‘96 Crichët Pajé (made from vines at the crest of the Pajé cru with extended time in barrel and late release). From the collector’s and wine lover’s standpoint, I couldn’t be happier about this, as the former costs a quarter of the price of Crichët Pajé. However, neither wine was better; instead they were simply completely different. Numerically, I scored them nearly the same, but in the end I had only a small preference for the Crichët Pajé, and mainly because it possessed more richness, while the straight Pajé was all about energy.

1996 Roagna Barbaresco Pajé – This was an outstanding showing for the ‘96 Pajé, especially served next to the Crichët Pajé of the same year. The nose showed sweet herbs, savory earth tones, smoke, brown spices and crushed strawberry. On the palate, I found zesty, grippy, energizing textures with vibrant acidity giving way to pure red fruits, minerals and hints of orange peel. It finished long, with dried berries and hints of tannin, yet energetic and spicy. (94 points)

1996 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajé – Much more approachable than I would have expected, the ‘96 Crichët Pajé showed a bouquet of dried roses, sweet crushed berries, moist soil, exotic spices, and dark wood tones. On the palate, I found silky textures offset by zesty acidity with tart red fruits, exotic spice and mineral tones. It finished long with saturating red fruits and youthful tannin, but much less than I would have expected. It was gorgeous, but served next to the ‘96 Pajé, it shows the aging regiment over the vibrant fruit. (95 points)

Article, Tasting Notes, and Photos by: Eric Guido

Making the Case–for Barbaresco

It’s time to put away the preconceptions and admit to the fact that Barbaresco can be just as great as Barolo.

I’ve been a fan of Barolo for as long as I’ve been into wine. It’s just something about its imposing nature and how Barolo makes you wait for it to blossom. There’s a challenge in loving Barolo, as you have to study and pay close attention to truly enjoy it. You don’t just open a bottle on a whim; instead you spend time deciding which bottle would be best at the moment and for the occasion. When you make the right choice and give Barolo the proper amount of air (in bottle, not decanter), you’re rewarded with an otherworldly experience. Barolo is in many ways about chasing those experiences. You won’t always find euphoria, and oftentimes you’ll be let down, but when you open a great bottle, it’s worth all the effort.

1998 Bruno Giacosa Asili

However, what I failed to understand is that the same experience can be found with Barbaresco, usually for less money and without having to wait as long as we do for our precious Barolo to mature. So you question if it can age as well as Barolo, and my response is a definitive YES! What it took to open my eyes was my involvement with a tasting group of friends who are all Barolo enthusiasts. Often, the evening would call for a blind tasting, and in each of these a Barbaresco would manage to find its way in. Would it surprise you to know that in almost every instance, the Barbaresco came out on top?

To continue reading and for tasting notes and photos, 

visit my new Blog: The Cellar Table

1989: Barolo Retrospective

By Eric Guido

The "Epic" '89 Cascina Francia
With no Monfortino in '89,
this wine turned out to be a
masterpiece.

2004 was the year that I really got into wine, and from that moment forward it has been a continuous learning experience on a topic that is constantly evolving. In that time, there are specific “truths” that I’ve come understand. One is that price doesn’t always dictate quality. Another is that there will always be another “greatest vintage ever,” according to somebody, only a few years down the road. And then there’s 1989 Barolo; and the truth is that it’s the best, classic vintage of Barolo in the last 35 years.

Let’s call a spade a spade. I understand that farming practices have improved, that wineries work cleaner and more efficient, and that global warming has given producers more good vintages to work with. But here's another truth; because of all of these changes and improvements, the Barolo being made today will never become the wines of yesterday. Granted, they might become something totally different, which in retrospect may be considered better. But we won't see another 1974, '78 or '89. The fact is that all the technology today is simply trying to recreate what a great vintage provided us in years like 1989.

We're talking about a time when there were great vintages once a decade, and it was the result of what Mother Nature gave them. Green harvesting wasn't regularly practiced in 1989; instead a wet, cool spring resulted in irregular flowering. What's more, severe hail in June left its mark on many vineyards. The summer was warm, but not hot, and temperatures dropped near the end of the growing season with wide fluctuations between day and night. The result was a late harvest with perfectly ripe grapes.

Setting up our blind tasting at i Truli.  An amazing tasting
complimented by a Piedmonte inspired menu.

When I think back to the first time I tasted an '89 Barolo, even at an early point in my journey to understand wine, the quality struck me. All of the other vintages I had tasted, '95 through 2000, seemed to pale in comparison. They were rich in fruit and powerful, yet bright and focused with a structure that I can best describe as "noble". They weren't ready to drink yet, which at the time (2006) intrigued me greatly. However, even though the structure of these wines dominated, you could still sense the tension of fruit that was just waiting to bloom. So here we are, eight years later, and these wines are even closer to peaking, but not quite there yet. Enjoyable? Absolutely. Yet, you can still sense that there's something more waiting down the road, and I won't be surprised if we are still enjoying the best of them 40 years from now. God, I love '89 Barolo.

These 25-year old corks look fantastic, unfortunately
a few them work cork-taint time bombs.

The following notes are from a recent tasting, which included 14 bottles of Barolo and 2 of Barbaresco. One issue I witnessed was a problem with cork taint (3 out of 16 bottles), which is another issue on the decline these days. Also, out of all of these wines, one was obviously heat damaged, a concern when trying to procure these wines on the market today. My advice, if you have the means, is to buy '89 Barolo, because the prices will only go up as the wines continue to peak. However, if you are a buyer, make sure you are getting them from a reliable source. Many of these wines will cost a pretty penny (my Wine of The Night is retailing at $595), but that doesn't mean you can't find deals if you look hard enough. '89 Produttori Ovello is a perfect example.

On to the notes:

Flight #1 was something of a let-down, yet in no way the fault of the vintage. The unfortunate reality of older wine is the possibility of it being damaged from mistreatment or issues with cork. Thankfully corks have improved drastically in the last decade. However, there was a silver lining in the form of a Produttori Barbaresco that showed beautifully. What would a Barolo tasting be without a Barbaresco inserted as a ringer, which pans out to be a winner?

1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Ovello – What a pretty and feminine wine that may not have shown as well next to a larger-scaled Barolo or Barbaresco, yet on it’s own was magical. The nose was still youthful, showing dusty red fruits with minerals and rose petals. On the palate, it showed silky textures interlaced with veins of structure and acidity. Bright cherry was joined by notes of earth and inner floral tones, which lasted into a long, staying finish. The Ovello was elegant and finessed, showing the undeniable qualities of Produttori yet again. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Roagna Barbaresco Riserva – Sadly, the ’89 Roagna Barbaresco Riserva was slightly corked, and what a shame that was, because what I did find in the glass tempted my curiosity. Dried red fruits pushed forward on the nose with notes of soil, gravel and old parchment. On the palate, it was tart with red berry and herbal notes, yet turned muddled. Dried red berries lingered on the finish with a zing of acidity. (N/A) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo – The nose was dark, showing roasted meat, mushroom, moist leaves and beef stock. On the palate, it was still youthful yet meaty, with red fruits and earth tones. The finish was long, yet the wines acidity seemed to dry out the wine, leaving only traces of citrus peel and minerals. (87 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Cavallotto Barolo Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva – You could sense the greatness in this wine, yet it was apparently mistreated at some point in its life. The nose was earth personified with porcini mushroom, soil, mineral, herbal tones and a hint of French onion soup. On the palate, it showed tart red fruits and citrus peel. The finish was dank and muddled with notes of earth and stewed fruit. (N/A) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Flight #2 really took things up a notch and relieved any fears that flight #1 may have stirred. Monforte d’Alba was the theme of the flight, and these wines came through in spades. What really impressed me was how impossibly young they all seemed.

1989 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala – The nose was classic, showing dusty red fruits, dried flowers, sandy soil, minerals and beef broth. It showed great depth on the palate, with tart red berries saturating the senses in waves of velvety texture, followed by notes of herbal tea and minerals. The finish was staying and seemed to wrap the palate in warm, radiant fruit. Other tasters seemed to prefer the Colonnello, but for me it was the Cicala that showed best. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini – The nose was earthy and complex with dark red fruit, mushrooms, dried flowers, hints of citrus rind and dusty, dried cranberries. On the palate, it was still young and structured with tart red fruit, inner floral tones and hints of citrus. The medium-long finish lent a sweet and sour effect as red berry and citrus intermingled. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello – The nose was wonderfully expressive with dark red fruits, dried flowers, spices and beef stock. On the palate, it was smaller-scaled, yet silky smooth and juicy with round red fruits and herbal tones. The finish turned darker and lingered. Other tasters found this to be much more interesting than I did. It’s a beautiful wine that’s drinking well now, but it was lack of depth on the palate that soured my view. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Riserva – The nose was modern and forward, showing ripe black cherry with balsamic tones, spice, licorice and a whiff of vanilla oak. On the palate, it was surprisingly clean, focused and finessed with cherry, sweet spice, dark chocolate and earth tones. The finish was soft and juicy with dried red berry notes lingering long. (88 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Flight #3 was marked by the biggest disappointment of the evening, a completely corked Brovia Rocche and Bruno Giacosa Villero. Luckily, the two wines that did show were incredible! So began the battle of the two ’89 Vietti…

1989 Brovia Barolo Rocche – Corked

1989 Vietti Barolo Rocche – The ’89 Vietti Rocche was stunning. The nose was forward, yet elegant and finessed, showing beautiful floral tones, cherry, potpourri, roses, balsamic hints and spice. On the palate, it was still youthful and structured; yet even still, the most focused red fruit ran deep, enveloping the senses and contrasted by inner floral notes. The finishes lingered on and on with hints of structure tugging at the senses while crystalline red fruit slowly faded away. This wine was seamless. (96 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Vietti Barolo Villero Riserva – The nose was bright and explosive with sweet red fruits, spice, rose petal, potpourri and hints of menthol. On the palate, it was round with velvety red fruits, yet persistent and focused, as sweet spice and hints of citrus danced across the senses. It finished focused and clean with dried red berries and hints of spice, which lingered on and on. It was gorgeous. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Villero – Corked

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, along came Flight #4. Out of the 16 bottles we originally assembled, what wasn’t revealed to the tasters was that a 1989 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Frania had been entered into the tasting. It was great listening to the chatter around the table as everyone put their nose to the glass.

1989 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia – The nose was deep, rooted in the earth with iron and minerals, yet dark and imposing as rich black cherry, licorice and dried roses gave contrast to rock dust and black soil tones. You could sense that as much as this wine was willing to give, there was still so much more being held in reserve. On the palate, balsamic notes gave way to dark fruit and inner floral perfumes, yet the wine’s muscle and girth seemed to be working hard (yet in a futile manner) to try and keep it all concealed. The finish was filled with strawberry, tar and tobacco notes in a long, youthful expression. This is a wine that anyone who considers themselves a fan of Barolo must taste at one point in their lives. (97 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Cascina Bruni Barolo Vigna Batistot – The nose was beautiful and quite unique, with spicy, candied tones leading to Bing cherry, celery seed and candle wax. On the palate, it showed velvety textures with dark red fruit and a hint of bitters. The finish was staying with red berry and licorice lingering on the palate. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Prunotto Barolo Cannubi – The nose was dark, and at first reticent; yet as it opened in the glass, a bouquet of red berry, floral perfumes, herbs, minerals and a hint of spice came forward. On the palate, focused red fruits gave way to earth, minerals and stone with a still lively structure. The finish was clean and refreshing with a note of dried cherries. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1989 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Riserva – The nose showed red fruit, which was a bit stewy, with mushroom, herbs, tar and parchment. On the palate, dried red berries, spice and fall leaves coated the senses, yet the sense that this wine was holding back edged on my thoughts. The finish showed notes of red fruit and old cedar with a drying structure, which cut it short. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!


Related Links: 
Words from fellow wine writers and bloggers who attended this tasting. The following links are a great way to get an in-depth understanding of these wines and the vintages.
Greg dal Piaz of Snooth: PIEDMONT’S GREATEST VINTAGE?
Ken Vastola of "The Fine Wine Geek": 1989 Barolo and Barbaresco

1999 Barolo and Barbaresco: Right on Track

One of the most common discussions among Barolo drinkers are which vintages from the 1995 through 2001 vintage streak will rise to the top. It’s a debate that has been going on for years, and for quite some time, ’99 seemed to be a big question mark--until recently.

A recent experience with a '99 Aldo
Conterno Colonnello, truly peaked
my interest in revisiting these wines.

This time last year, I would have worried about opening a ’99 Barolo. It was a fear that it would be too broad yet too tannic and far from maturity. I’d say you should be drinking ’95, most ‘97’s, and some ’98’s. I would have gone on to say that ’96 was more structured but classic with fruit that would last the test of time. Then I’d explain that ’01 was still a baby in need of more time, but that it appeared to be a great vintage in the making. But with ’99, I had feared that it wouldn’t come around while the fruit was still intact. However, Barolo has a way of surprising you, and ’99 has done just that.

1999 had a great start, being a year that saw favorable conditions throughout the entire region. A warm summer with cool nights lent the grapes that much needed push and pull of heat to ripen, and a break at night retained balance and added aromatics. Maybe I was at a disadvantage, having never tasted these upon release. For me, most of these bottles were at least seven or eight years old before my first taste and may have been in a dormant stage. However, after this tasting, I can see that they are right on track.

Most of these wines are just entering their drinking window. I wouldn’t put them in the same league as ’96 for ageability, yet I would say there’s at least a decade of improvement in store for the majority of wines we tasted. What was troubling was the number of bottles that appeared to be suffering from unusually high amounts of volatile acidity. Lastly, there was the revelation that our wine of the night wasn’t a Barolo—It was a Barbaresco.

In my opinion, ’99 is a vintage to sample over the coming years--and buy, if the price and provenance is right.

On to the notes:

La Morra and Barolo

1999 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate / Le Coste – The nose was highly expressive with black cherry and raspberry fruits, followed by soil, slate dust and earthy minerals with a hint of V.A. On the palate, it was silky with a full body, showing rich red fruits, sweet spice and saline minerals. It’s structure seemed to creep in with the second sip as drying tannin coated the palate, yet still managed to close with flavors of cherry and wild herbs. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio – On the nose, I found cherry fruit with oak influences of sawdust, cinnamon with an odd note of raw beef. On the palate, it was soft and juicy with sweet red fruits, coffee notes and spice. The finish was staying with red fruit, cinnamon spice, inner floral notes and cheek-puckering tannin. (89 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Brezza Barolo Cannubi – The ’99 Brezza Cannubi was a gorgeous Barolo with crushed red berries, roses, mineral dust, and tobacco on the nose. On the palate, it was elegant and finessed with ripe cherry fruit and minerals, which turned darker and more dramatic over time to reveal sweet balsamic notes. The finish showed red berries made tart by cheek-puckering tannin. This wine was youthful, with many years of development ahead of it. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Barbaresco

1999 Produttori del Barbaresco “Torre” – The ’99 Barbaresco “Torre” from Produttorri del Barbaresco makes a serious case for the quality of their normale. The nose showed cherry fruit, dried roses and earth tones of soil, a bit of green stem and raw chestnut. On the palate, a rush of intense red berry fruit was followed by earth and mushroom with a chewy texture that gave way to tannin. The finish showed dried red berries with gruff tannin that was fine on this night but may one day overpower the fruit in this wine. (90 points) Find in on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Produttori del Barbaresco Moccagatta Riserva – The Produttori Moccagatta was classic in every way, and having tasted it blind, was easily confused for being a Barolo. The nose started out muted, but with a short time in the glass, a bouquet of dried cherry, potpourri, menthol and dark, dark chocolate filled the senses. On the palate, intense tart cherry washed across the senses with notes of cedar but was quickly subdued by fine tannin. Penetrating red fruits stayed through the finish in good balance against this wine’s tense structure. The Moccagatta was dark, mysterious and truly seductive on the nose with a truly classic feel on the palate. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano – The nose showed spiced red fruits, cherry pipe smoke and notes of acetone. On the palate, it showed an abundance of aggressive acidity with ripe red berries that coated the palate yet seemed to drop off in the middle. The finish was drying with penetrating red fruits. It would appear that this bottle was flawed. (NR) Find it on Wine-Searcher!


Monforte d’Alba (Important to note that the ’99 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello was tasted separatly but with similar treatment before tasting.)

1999 Attilio Ghisolfi Barolo Bricco Visette – The nose was unexpectedly advanced, showing damp soil with cherry, herbs, floral rose and minerals. On the palate, it was soft with ripe cherry and hints of iron like minerals. Stern tannins showed through on the finish with notes of cherry and cedar staying through the close. (87 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello – The nose was dark and seductive with cherry tobacco, plum, dusty potpourri a hint of musk and medicinal herbs. On the palate, it was velvety and perfectly balanced with masses of fruit. Sour cherry sauce and a hint of cedar filled the senses and warded off the silky tannins that were still present but not out front. On the finish, the fruit turned dry yet still intense with hints of sweet spices. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! 

Castiglione Falletto

1999 Giuseppe Mascarello Barolo Monprivato – The nose showed sweet dark cherries and roses with spice and licorice. On the palate it was balanced and feminine with ripe cherry and spices, all driven by juicy acidity that brightened up the palate and nearly masked its underlying structure. The finish was fresh and juicy with inner floral notes lingering throughout. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

Serralunga

1999 Massolino Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva – The nose was restrained, yet found its center with time in the glass, showing a bouquet of bright spiced cherry, tobacco, sandy soil and saline minerals. On the palate, it was lean in body, showing notes of dried cherry, earth and mushroom with teaming acidity and a broad structure that took control and lasted throughout the finish. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Schiavenza Barolo Riserva – The nose showed intense cherry but was followed by sweet acetone and plastic notes. On the palate, it showed tart cherry, minerals and rust with drying tannin that dominated the finish. This wine was marked by V.A. (NR) Find it on Wine-Searcher!