Wine Vault: Piemonte: Marco de Grazia 1993 Barolos and Miscellaneous Barolos and Barbarescos, 1955-1990
1993 is a very good, medium-term vintage for Barolo. The wines, while not possessing the majestic depth, power, and tannin of the 1989s and 1990s, are still excellent wines that will offer fine complexity and medium-full personalities as they hit their apogees over the next four to eight years. During this time, the vast, vast majority of the 1989s and 1990s will remain in deep hibernation, making the 1993s wines that will nicely fill a void for those of us who do not have adequate supplies of the 1978s, 1982s, or 1985s. These wines were first tasted as barrel samples in October of 1996. After their arrival in the spring of 1997, I have been able to go back and taste a number of the wines out of bottle. During the six month period between the barrel sample tasting and their subsequent arrival here in the US, the wines show more weight out of bottle in the mid-palate, and seem to show more tannin as well. Out of barrel, my initial impression was that the wines would be drinkable on release, and have a life expectancy of a decade or so. After tackling a number of these wines out of bottle, I realize that they will almost all need a bit more time in the cellar. I have adjusted the projected windows of drinkability accordingly.
The appendix of assorted Barolo and Barbaresco tasting notes represent bottles I have crossed paths with over the last eighteen months. Some of the notes can also be found in the miscellaneous tasting note sections of the website; I have included them here as well for ease in locating them. As the size of this website continues to grow, I am struck by the need to somehow ease the search for notes on specific wines. A database would work perfectly, but unfortunately, my host informs me that it would have to cover the entire Artisans on Web location, and it is not something that the vast majority of AOWEB residents have need of. I am working on a site-wide index that will address at least a few of these problems.
The Wine List:
1993 Barolo- Silvio Grasso
1993 Barolo- Elio Altare
1993 Barolo "Rocche"- Mauro Veglio
1993 Barolo "Bricco Luciani"- Silvio Grasso
1993 Barolo "Ciabot Manzoni"- Silvio Grasso
1993 Barolo "Vigna Giachini"- Corino
1993 Barolo "Rocche"- Corino
1993 Barolo "Brunate"- Marengo
1993 Barolo "Vigneto Arborina"- Elio Altare
1993 Barolo "Gabuti"- Boasso
1993 Barolo- Revello
1993 Barolo- Parusso
1993 Barolo "Mariondino"- Parusso
1993 Barolo "Bussia-Munie"- Parusso
1993 Barolo- "Bussia-Rocche"- Parusso
1993 Barolo- Alessandria
1993 Barolo "La Gramolere"- Manzone
1993 Barolo "La Villa"- Seghesio
1993 Barolo "Ginestra"- Clerico
1993 Barolo "Pajana"- Clerico
1993 Barolo "Cannubi"- Pira & Figli
1993 Barolo "Le Vigne"- Sandrone
1993 Barolo "Cannubi Boschis"- Sandrone
1993 Barolo- Azelia
1993 Barolo Riserva "Bricco Fiasco"- Azelia
1993 Barolo "Cannubi" Scavino
1993 Barolo "Bric del Fiasc"- Scavino
1993 Barolo Riserva "Rocche dell'Annunziata- Scavino
Miscellaneous Barolo and Barbaresco, 1955-1990
1955 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
1964 Barolo- Bartolo Mascarello
1967 Barolo Monfortino- Giacomo Conterno
1978 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
1978 Barbaresco "Costa Russi"- Gaja
1979 Barolo Monfortino Riserva Speciale- Giacomo Conterno
1982 Barbaresco "Costa Russi"- Gaja
1982 Barbaresco Santa Stefano Riserva- Bruno Giacosa
1982 Barolo Vigna Colonello- Aldo Conterno
1982 Barolo Monprivato- Guissepe Mascarello
1982 Barolo Cannubi Boschis- Sandrone
1985 Barolo Vigna Collonello- Aldo Conterno
1985 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
1988 Barbaresco Santa Stefano Riserva- Bruno Giacosa
1989 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
1989 Barolo Cascina Francia- Giaicomo Conterno
1990 Barolo Cascina Francia- Giacomo Conterno
1990 Barolo Rocche- Vietti
1990 Barolo Riserva "Rocche dell'Annunziata- Scavino
Marco de Grazia 1993 Barolos
1993 Barolo- Silvio Grasso
A classic example of the 1993 vintage: very pretty and stylish, with medium-body, moderate saturation, and just a bit of tannin on the finish. The nose is quite stylish, with scents of red cherries, forest floor, roasted chestnuts, and notes of saddle leather. While this wine will not make old bones (not that we are desperate for wines to lay down for a decade after the troika of 1988, 1989, and 1990!), given a year or two in the cellar, it will make a very attractive and complex middleweight. 1999-2006. 87.
1993 Barolo- Elio Altare
It is in vintages such as 1993 where I am struck by how Burgundian many of the Piedmont's top producers wines can be. In bigger vintages in the Piedmont, it often takes a good decade or two before the aromatic and flavor similarities between these two regions become noticeable. Here is a perfect example of fine intensity of flavor without undue weight, with excellent balance and focus, a juicy core of fruit, and fine length on the finish. The nose is classic, seductive Altare: sweet cherry, strawberry, woodsmoke, coffee, and just a touch of vanillin oak. Already quite round and fairly approachable on the palate, it is only on the finish that some substantial tannins make themselves felt (the tannins built with air). While this wine is certainly drinkable now with decanting, I would opt for tucking it away in the cellar for at least another couple of years to let the secondary and tertiary layers of flavors emerge. Qualitatively, I would rank this along the lines of the 1982- perhaps not quite as deep, but with and even surer winemaking hand. Tasty juice. 2002-2015. 90.
1993 Barolo "Rocche"- Mauro Veglio
This is a producer with which I have no previous experience. The bouquet seems quite advanced, with more evolved, autumnal nuances already in ascendancy over the red cherry, herbs, saddle leather and smoke notes on the nose. On the palate the wine is medium-full, with some good fat fruit on the attack, but with some old-fashioned, slightly astringent tannin poking through the fruit on the finish. It is certainly a solid effort, but it lacks just a bit of polish to elevate it to the level of serious interest. 2000-2010? 85.
1993 Barolo "Bricco Luciani"- Silvio Grasso
This is a very idiosyncratic wine that may well find its strong admirers. The oak treatment seems quite aggressive (and off target) to me, with a strong note of bourbon on the nose and palate from the heavily-charred oak. Aromas of black cherry and orange rind vie with the bourbon to be heard. Medium-full, deep and quite concentrated on the palate, with the bourbon notes again carrying through to the moderately-tannic finish. The wine tastes like an "Old Fashion" mixed drink, and yet, I like it! The fruit is sweet, the tannins well-integrated, and the balance is quite good, if one does not mind the taste of bourbon. 2000-2012. 84-88? (How do you feel about bourbon?)
1993 Barolo "Ciabot Manzoni"- Silvio Grasso
This is clearly Grasso's most serious bottling in 1993. Much deeper and sweeter than his "Bricco Luciani", the bouquet offers up an excellent melange of sweet black cherries, licorice, game, forest floor notes, and a dollop of toasty new oak. Deep, full and beautifully-etched on the palate, with a solid core of black cherry fruit, excellent length, and a long, complex, fairly-tannic finish. A fine, serious, stylish Barolo that should drink well for up to two decades. 2002-2015. 90.
1993 Barolo "Vigna Giachini"- Corino
I know that other reviewers have preferred Corino's "Rocche" bottling to the "Vigna Giachini" in both 1990 and 1993, but I have always had a strong preference for the sweeter, and more elegant Giachini over the more powerful, tarry Rocche. In 1993 the Vigna Giachini offers once again a beautifully perfumed, sweet and enticing bouquet of black cherry, sous bois, grilled nuts, venison, licorice and a hint of vanillin oak. Unlike a few of these 1993s, Corino's Giachini has nicely eaten up whatever percentage of new oak barrels that it has seen. Medium-full and quite intensely-flavored on the palate, with layers of fruit, great balance, and a very long, complex, intensely-flavored finish. There are some substantial ripe tannins on the finish that argue for a few years cellaring, but this is already a very tasty wine with an hour in decanter. Impressive stuff. 2001-2015. 91.
1993 Barolo "Rocche"- Corino
Certainly Corino's Rocche bottling is his bigger wine, but I do not find the same style and intensity of flavor here as I do in the "Vigna Giachini" bottling. The nose offers up a more sauvage expression of black fruit, gamey notes, plenty of saddle leather, and quite pronounced notes of underbrush. Full-bodied and quite powerful on the palate, but without the sweet kernel of fruit in reserve that the Giachini possesses. More volume than substance. Here the substantial tannins are less well-covered. Still an excellent wine, but my cellar gets the Giachini. 2002-2020. 89.
1993 Barolo "Brunate"- Marengo
This wine displays a very exotic, almost citric quality on the nose. Scents of pomegranate, cherry, orange rind, leather, road tar, and earth swirl from the glass. On the palate the wine is reasonably full and long, but quite austere and tannic on the finish. Not my favorite style of Barolo, I would like to see it offer more mid-palate flesh and sweetness of fruit to stand up to the tannins. 2002-2012? 86.
1993 Barolo "Vigneto Arborina"- Elio Altare
Altare's top cru is once again lovely in 1993. The bouquet is wonderfully complex and polished, with scents of cherry, quince, coffee, licorice, forest floor, herbs and a judicious note of vanillin oak. This wine always underscores the aromatic similarities between Burgundy and Piemonte wines. Medium-full and very tightly-knit on the palate, with beautiful delineation and focus. The finish is long, moderately-tannic, and quite complex. Always one of my favorite Barolos, Altare's Arborina is once again one of the stars of the vintage. 2002-2015. 93.
1993 Barolo "Gabuti"- Boasso
Boasso is located in Serralunga, and his '93 Gabuti is a bigger, more brawny styled wine than the wines of producers such as Altare. The nose here is excellent: deeply-pitched with scents of plum, black cherry, black licorice, smoke and truffles. On the palate the wine is quite full and powerful, with a great core of fruit, fine balance, notes of road tar and chewy tannins on the finish. The style here is a bit more rustic and old fashioned than many of the producers in Marco di Grazia's portfolio, but certainly Boasso is a producer of serious intentions. Patience will be required, but it will also be rewarded! 2005-2030. 91+.
1993 Barolo- Revello
Revello's 1993 Barolo is a bit old fashioned as well, with full body, plenty of tar on the palate, and big, chewy tannins on the finish. The nose offers up an intriguing herbal/floral component, as well as scents of black cherry, leather, anise and sous bois. This is certainly not a bad wine, but I have had my share of older Barolos that never were able to shed the tough tannins that this wine displays. I would much rather opt for a few bottles of the Boasso in the cellar than rolling the dice with the Revello. Definitely cut for those who like their wines big and plenty chewy. 2005-2020? 87+.
1993 Barolo- Parusso
Parusso has done a fine job in 1993, and this "regular" bottling is an excellent value. The nose is pretty and perfumed, with scents of cherry, quince, coffee, herb tones, minerals, roses and a bit of toasty new oak. On the palate this is a lovely, stylish middleweight, with fine shape and length, a juicy core of fruit, and a long, complex, moderately tannic finish. Certainly approachable out of the blocks, and capable of evolving nicely for a decade. 1999-2010. 89.
1993 Barolo "Mariondino"- Parusso
Surprisingly, this cru from Parusso is less interesting than the normale. Is this young vines? The nose lacks both vibrancy and sweetness vis a vis the regular bottling, with scents of cherry, herbs, minerals and a touch of oak. Medium-full and solidly built on the palate, with some tannin, this wine just lacks flavor interest in comparison to all of Parusso's other bottlings. If this is a representative bottle, I would pass. 2000-2015. 86.
1993 Barolo "Bussia-Munie"- Parusso
Now, here we go! Parusso's Bussia-Munie is excellent, with a lovely bouquet of herbal notes, cherry, plum, licorice, tar, sous bois, and a fine coating of toasty new oak. Fuller and more complete than the normale, with excellent balance, firm tannins, fine length, and a lovely note of licorice on the finish. Classy juice. 2002-2020. 91.
1993 Barolo- "Bussia-Rocche"- Parusso
This is Parusso's top wine in a strong lineup of '93s. The nose is very complex and Burgundian, with scents of ripe plums, coffee, herb tones, chocolate, minerals and toasty new oak. Stick this in with a flight of 1993 Clos Vougeouts in a few years. Full and beautifully etched on the palate, with excellent depth and structure. The ripe, substantial tannins are buried in fruit on the finish. This is a very, very successful bottle. 2002-2020. 92+.
1993 Barolo- Alessandria
This is one of the more backward, chewier renditions of the vintage. The nose is packed with vibrant fruit, with scents of black cherry, coffee, road tar, minerals, and a note of anise. Full and tough on the palate, but with plenty of underlying fruit to carry the tannins, with good balance and a long, complex finish. I like this wine quite well, but it will need quite a few years in the cellar. 2004-2025. 89+.
1993 Barolo "La Gramolere"- Manzone
Manzone is another of the "old school" of Barolo, turning out wines of with plenty of depth and power, but more tannin than I can get enthusiastic about. The nose is somewhat unclean, with meaty/herbal notes laying atop tarry and resinous aromas. This style of wine may have its admirers, but I am certainly not one of them. Full, chewy and inelegant on the palate, this is, to my taste, ultimately a pretty pedestrian wine. I have to mention that I did not appreciate the 1990 bottling either. 2004-2020. 84.
1993 Barolo "La Villa"- Seghesio
This is a wine that would have benefited dramatically from a lower percentage or less time in new oak. The nose is quite dominated by new oak, with scents of cherry, herb tones, minerals, lead pencil and plenty of new oak. Medium-full and a touch dilute on the palate- I do not get the same depth and core of fruit that the best of these 1993 Barolos have to offer. The finish tails off a bit with wood tannin getting the last say. A modestly endowed wine awash in a sea of oak. I would opt for drinking it sooner, before the fruit falls further behind the new wood. A swing and a miss... 1997-2001. 84.
1993 Barolo "Ginestra"- Clerico
Clerico's Ginestra is always one of the more austere, classically structured young Barolos in the Di Grazia portfolio. However, I have never been disappointed with a mature bottle of this wine. The 1993 looks to be another fine success. The bouquet offers up scents of cassis, black cherry, underbrush, licorice, tar and a faint whisper of new oak. Full-bodied and well delineated on the palate, with this wine's typical firmness, but with a long, stylish, ripely-tannic finish. The aromatics on this wine seem a bit more advanced than in vintages such as 1989 and 1990 (not surprisingly), so I would suspect that it will begin to shed its tannin cloak in four or five years, and drink well for the next dozen. As always, a fine bottle. 2001-2015. 90.
1993 Barolo "Pajana"- Clerico
1990 was the first vintage where I had seen Clerico's Pajana bottling. I assume that the '90 was the first release of this reserve cuvee, but I am not certain. As in 1990, the '93 Pajana is a significant step up from the Ginestra bottling. The nose is deeper and finer, with scents of black cherry, plummy fruit, grilled nuts, coffee, tobacco and cedary wood exploding from the glass. On the palate the Pajana displays great depth and length, with a huge core of fruit, ripe tannins, and a long, complex, stunning finish. This is clearly one of the stars of the vintage. 2002-2015. 93+.
1993 Barolo "Cannubi"- Pira & Figli
This is quite a high-toned wine, with scents of red cherry, fennel seed, woodsmoke, herb tones, and a coating of toasty barrique wafting from the glass. On the palate the wine is medium-full, supple and stylish, with good concentration, moderate tannins, and a long polished finish. I would like to see just a touch more concentration and dimension in the mid-palate, but there is certainly very sound winemaking hand behind this wine. In a bigger year, this is a wine to definitely look out for. 2000-2015. 89.
1993 Barolo "Le Vigne"- Sandrone
This is the first vintage in which I have seen this bottling from Sandrone. It is a combination of three separate holdings, all located within the commune of Barolo. It tastes as if these parcels are comprised of younger vines than the "Cannubi Boschis" vineyard, where Sandrone's holdings average 35 years of age. The nose is very perfumed and red fruity, with scents of cherry, strawberry, toffee, minerals, rose petals and toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full and quite marked by the oak, round and quite lush, with a surprisingly forward palate impression, good, not great depth of fruit (atypical of Sandrone), ripe tannins, and a long, complex, stylish finish. It is very possible that this wine will put on weight with bottle age, but based on this showing I would plan to drink this very classy bottle of wine over the next decade, while giving the "Cannubi Boschis" (see below) a half dozen years in the cellar to evolve. 1997-2010. 91.
1993 Barolo "Cannubi Boschis"- Sandrone
In contrast to the "Le Vigne" bottling from Sandrone, the "Cannubi Boschis" is typically deep and liqueur-like in 1993. The gorgeous nose explodes from the glass with scents of black cherry, licorice, toast, sous bois, minerals, roses, and a fine coating of vanillin oak. Unlike the "Le Vigne", the greater depth of fruit has eaten up most of the new wood, giving this bottling a much finer integration to the oak component. On the palate the wine is full, lush, and kirsch-like, with a very strong (and appealing) note of licorice carrying through as well. The finish is very long, complex, and ripely tannic, with great delineation, and laser-like focus. While this wine lacks the dramatic power (as well as backwardness) of the twin legends of 1989 and 1990. As always seems to be the case, one of the top couple of wines of the vintage. 2002-2020. 94.
1993 Barolo- Azelia
Azelia's house style is for slightly more old-fashioned, meaty Barolos. The '93 Normale offers up scents of modest cherry, herbal notes, venison, and woodsmoke on the nose. Medium-full and four-square on the palate, with a slight rusticity, some chewy tannins, and a solid finish. Certainly this suffering a bit from having to follow the Sandrone wines in this lineup, but I still do not see a wine that is anything more than a solid effort. 2000-2010. 85.
1993 Barolo Riserva "Bricco Fiasco"- Azelia
Not surprisingly, this is a much more serious effort for Azelia. The nose is deep and black fruity, with scents of black cherry, leather, road tar, herbal notes and woodsmoke. Here the traditional house style comes across in a positive light. Full-bodied and tarry on the palate, with good depth, chewy tannins, and a long, complex finish. At this point, this is a well-made wine that ultimately lacks finesse. However, that may well come with time, and there are certainly plenty of Barolo fanciers who prefer their wines in this style. 2001-2015. 89+.
1993 Barolo "Cannubi" Scavino
I can think of no successful and serious producer in Barolo that has embraced the "new world" style of supple fruit and the strong taste of barrique more than Scavino. His 1993s are certainly very successful wines, but they are cut for those who really enjoy their wines oaky. The Cannubi offers up beautiful bouquet of black cherry, autumnal tones, licorice, road tar and plenty of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is very full and quite tarry at the present time, with a much more closed and reticent personality than most '93 Barolos, with firm tannins, fine depth, and a long, complex finish. This wine may ultimately rate even higher as it evolves with a half dozen years cellaring. 2002-2020. 90+.
1993 Barolo "Bric del Fiasc"- Scavino
In the 1990 vintage, I preferred the more fruit driven Cannubi to the Bric del Fiasc, but I have my ranking reversed in 1993. This bottling is even more marked by the new oak than the Cannubi, but offers up a bouquet with greater depth and more obvious signs of extraction as well. The nose is quite plummy, with scents of herbs, plenty of minerals, grilled nuts and toasty oak supporting the beautiful plummy fruit. On the palate this wine is showing much more mid-palate dimension and potential opulence than the above, with beautiful balance, ripe, well-integrated tannins, and a long, complex, very classy finish. A beautiful wine. 2002- 2020. 93.
1993 Barolo Riserva "Rocche dell'Annunziata- Scavino
I had been quite disappointed by a recent showing of this wine from the 1990 vintage (see below), but was blown away by the spectacular 1993! This is a domaine that is still in the learning process in terms of use of oak, so these wines can only get better! This wine explodes from the glass with scents of cassis, black cherry, licorice, forest floor, coffee, lead pencil, herb tones, minerals and a stylish coating of vanillin oak. Deep, full and lush on the palate, with a huge core of succulent fruit, beautifully integrated tannins, and a long, complex, utterly profound finish. This stunning wine begs for three to six more years of cellaring. This is the exalted quality level that I expected from the 1990! 2002-2020. 95.
Miscellaneous Barolo and Barbaresco, 1955-1990
1955 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
The various Rinaldi wines that appear here were tasted with Steve Tanzer after an extraordinary Clos Ste. Hune vertical tasting (reported on elsewhere in the site). He had tasted the wines the day before, and then hit them with a bit of nitrogen to keep them fresh for the Hune panel. A couple of the wines did not show as well as hoped for (see below), which may be the inherent style of the wines, or difficulties with having been opened earlier. On the other hand, the 1955 really showed quite fine. A superb nose of licorice, cherry, herb tones, grilled nuts, roses, game and cedar is quite captivating. Full-bodied and quite well focused on the palate; this has length, poise, and style. The tannins are a bit old fashioned (as is the house style here), but they are well covered by fruit. Delicious stuff at its apogee, but with plenty of life ahead of it. 1997-2005. 92.
1964 Barolo- Bartolo Mascarello
Unfortunately, this wine was already on the decline. A patron at Tommasso's Restaurant (one of Brooklyn's great treasures; home of lovely Italian homecooking and one of the most extraordinary cellars brimming with bottles of mature Piedmont wines at remarkably fair prices), sent this bottle over to our table. It was an extremely generous gesture, which unfortunately met with a tired old bottle. Notes of oxidation poured forth over scents of cassis, truffle, forest floor, oregano, tar, and cedar. Really quite tasty and full on the palate still, but this bottle (at least) is in serious decline. I am not sure if it is just this particular bottle, or if the wine itself has seen its best days.
1967 Barolo Monfortino- Giacomo Conterno
This is the only example I have had of this wine. The fill, cork and color on this wine were impeccable, so my assumption is that this particular bottle is representative of the wine. Don't get me wrong, this bottle showed marvelously well: totally at its apogee, with spectacular complexity and a round, silky mature palate. The bouquet is stunning old Barolo: very autumnal and spicy on the nose, with scents of cherry, plum, woodsmoke, anise, truffley tones, forest floor, minerals and spicy, cedary wood. Rich, elegant and fabulously complex on the palate, with beautiful delineation and focus, soft, melting tannins, and a long, complex finish. Very Burgundian in its autumn notes, delicacy and haunting complexity. While nowhere near the edge of decline, the '67 Monfortino is not going to improve from this magical plateau, and is best drunk over the next ten years. For me, this is quintessential Nebbiolo, and...why we wait. 1997-2010. 95.
1978 Barbaresco "Costa Russi"- Gaja
In my experience, it is only with the 1982 vintage that Angelo Gaja really settled on the suave, elegant, and intensely flavored style of winemaking that is his calling card today. I remember attending a tasting seminar hosted by Monsieur Gaja a number of years ago, where he talked of his goal to manage the texture of the Nebbiolo's tannin to produce more harmonious wines. Tasting the '78s and '82s alongside each other on a few occasions has demonstrated how much finer and better-integrated his tannins are today than they were in the late 1970s. That said, I would drink this wine again in a nanosecond. The nose is excellent, with scents of ripe plums, coffee, clove, truffles, venison, herb tones, underbrush and a hint of new wood. On the palate the wine is a point, with a medium-full palate impression, beautiful mature flavors, excellent balance and complexity, and a long, softly-tannic finish. The tannins will always retain just a hint of hardness to them, but they will never threaten the abundant quantities of fruit. Fine stuff at its peak. 1997-2008. 92.
1979 Barolo Monfortino Riserva Speciale- Giacomo Conterno
I have to confess to drinking the first half dozen or so bottles of Monfortino without knowing how special this wine really is. Fellow tasters who had been collecting much longer than I would pour this cherished bottle for me, and I would be unaware of what a fine gesture they had made. I would always be impressed by the wines, but today I would really understand! In any event, thanks to all those who were kind enough to open those cellar treasures to an uncomprehending neophyte. Now that I realize what I had missed, Monfortino comes by much more seldom. The 1979 is superb stuff, but still quite a few years away from its apogee. The nose offers up scents of sweet black cherry, licorice, tar, herb tones, minerals, violets and cedary wood. On the palate this wine is still quite a few years away. Deep, packed with fruit and flawlessly delineated, it is only on the finish that the wine shows a firm spike of serious tannin and acidity to let one know that 'now is not the time". With another four or five years, this will be a stunning bottle. 2002-2025. 92+.
1982 Barbaresco "Costa Russi"- Gaja
Overall, the 1982 Costa Russi delivers a much more opulent and polished impression than the 1978. The nose on the 1982 has not yet evolved into the autumnal stage that the 1978 is now in, offering up more fruit-driven scents of sweet cherry fruit, plummy tones, grilled nuts, coffee, game, minerals, and toasty new oak. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced on the palate, with a juicy core of fruit, excellent focus, and a long, complex, ripely-tannic finish. Still a couple of years away from its absolute peak, the '82 Costa Russi is eminently drinkable right now, and should delight the palate for a couple more decades. 2000-2020. 93+.
1982 Barbaresco Santa Stefano Riserva- Bruno Giacosa
I had been cellaring this wine since release, wanting to have a mature tasting note one day. After pulling the cork recently (the wine is still not into its apogee), I now realize that it is not a mature tasting note that I want, but rather a mature case of the wine! An outstanding showing. This wine showed extraordinary promise in its youth, and it is fulfilling that potential marvelously at age fourteen. The nose is stunning: exploding from the glass with scents of truffle, sweet cherry, raspberry, forest floor, grilled nuts, meaty tones, rose petals, herbs, minerals, and cedary, spicy wood. Deep, complex and beautifully balanced, with layers of ripe fruit, marvelous length and balance, and tannins that are just beginning to melt away on the finish. A magical Nebbiolo that will drink beautifully for the next twenty years. 1996-2016. 94+.
1982 Barolo Vigna Colonello- Aldo Conterno
One of Barolo's traditional producers, Aldo Conterno has turned out a stunning bottle in 1982: the nose is a penetrating melange of cherries, saddle leather, roses, tobacco, tar, minerals, herbs, and cedary spicy wood. Very pure and bright on the palate, with a huge palate impression, great depth of fruit, and a long, complex, moderately tannic finish. While this wine shows a bit of "old-styled" tannin on the finish, with air it really softened and showed superb balance. A really fine bottle. 1996-2010. 92+.
1982 Barolo Monprivato- Guissepe Mascarello
Always one of my favorite Barolo producers, this was another stunning bottle: a tremendously complex, Burgundian nose of cherry, plum, forest floor, coffee, woodsmoke, grilled nuts, herbs and cedary wood wafts from the glass. With air, this wine showed a very penetrating note of sweet, candied cherry fruit and a licorice topnote. Full-bodied, suave, and very, very complex on the palate, with a rounder, more subtle palate impression than the Aldo Conterno, but with just as much length and power. A great, great Barolo that is just creeping into its age of maturity. Stellar stuff. 1996-2010. 94+.
1982 Barolo Cannubi Boschis- Sandrone
A very youthful, but deep and profound nose of dried cherries, plums, licorice, coffee, tobacco, truffles, woodsmoke, saddle leather, roses, minerals, and a touch of toasty oak. Where the two wines above showed approaching resolution, this wine is amazingly young and primary in its aromatic development still. Huge, tightly-knit, and impeccably-balanced on the palate, with wave after wave of super-ripe fruit, great focus, and plenty of youthful tannin still to be resolved. If the Aldo Conterno is L'Evangile and the Mascarello is Trotanoy, this is Petrus. Years to go before this one hits its apogee, but when it gets there, stand back, this is going to be as good as Nebbiolo gets! 2002- 2025. 96+.
1985 Barolo Vigna Collonello- Aldo Conterno
The two Conterno domaines, Aldo and Giacomo, are my favorite producers in what is often called the "traditional" style of Barolo winemaking. I have a hard time choosing a preference between the two, as both houses turn out dramatic wines of great breed, complexity, purity and excellence. Just reaching its apogee, Aldo Conterno's 1985 Collonello offers up a classic, penetrating bouquet of pure cherry fruit, licorice, herb tones, woodsmoke, minerals, roses, road tar and cedary wood. Deep, full and beautifully delineated on the palate, with layers of fruit, fine tannins, and a long, complex, stunning finish. This is a big boy that has everything in perfect harmony. 1997-2015. 93.
1985 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
This is not a particularly distinguished bottle. The nose is deep, but a bit muddled and inelegant. Scents of plum, earth, loads of tariness, and herbs waft from the glass. However, there is an inkiness that reminds me of some of the Bichot burgundies. Full-bodied, but again mostly ink and tar on the palate; tough, old style tannins stick out on the finish. A bit pedestrian. 1996-2002. 85.
1988 Barbaresco Santa Stefano Riserva- Bruno Giacosa
This vintage of Santa Stefano Riserva is a surprisingly light pale ruby in color. However, the nose alleviates any fears of a disappointing bottle: red fruit tones of sweet cherry, quince, coffee, herb tones, saddle leather, grilled nuts, and cedary wood jump from the glass. Bright, complex and medium-full on the palate, with a solid core of fruit, fine balance, and a long, fairly-tannic finish. Not as powerfully constructed as the 1982 or 1985, but still a very serious wine. 2002-2015. 91.
1989 Barolo "Brunate"- Rinaldi
This and the 1955 Rinaldi are clearly the class bottles of this handful of Rinaldis. A lovely, classic nose of cherry, plum, grilled nuts, herbs, earth and cedar. None of the inkiness that plagued the '78 and '85 is apparent here. Really fine depth and sweetness of fruit. Medium-full and already quite approachable on the palate, with fine, ripe tannins, excellent focus, and a long, complex finish. This is the finest young wine I have ever tasted from this producer. Serious stuff. 1996-2006. 90.
1989 Barolo Cascina Francia- Giaicomo Conterno
This is one of my favorite producers in all of Piemonte, and his 1989 is as stunning as one would expect. While the 1990 Cascina Francia is very Burgundian in terms of its aromatic profile and texture, the 1989 seems to be cut more in a more powerful, Bordeaux style. Could Conterno's decision to not make a Monfortino cuvee in 1989 have given this wine even more structure and backbone? The nose is stunning: tarry, tobaccoey tones vie with sweet, liqueur-like cherry tones, licorice, herbs, coffee, minerals, and cedary wood as the aromas churn from the glass. With time, this wine will become quite autumnal. Big, backward, and quite profound on the palate, with layers of fruit, fine acidity, and plenty of firm, chewy tannins on the finish. A good twelve years away from drinkability, but destined to be a legendary bottle of Barolo. You take Gaja, I'll take Giaicomo, and we'll see who's still playing in October! 2005-2025. 94.
1990 Barolo Cascina Francia- Giacomo Conterno
This is a step up from the fine 1989! The nose is supernal, with great sweetness, focus, and complexity. Scents of sweet, candied cherries, roses, hints of game, tar, spices, tobacco, minerals, and cedary wood soar from the glass. Much more Burgundian (Musigny-like?) than the more obviously powerful 1989, this wine is full, packed with sweet fruit, long, complex, and showing plenty of flawlessly-integrated, ripe tannin on the finish. As fine a wine as is the 1989, this wine leaves is even a step up! One of my favorite wines of this legendary vintage. Can't wait for 1990 Monfortino! 2005-2030. 95.
1990 Barolo Rocche- Vietti
Really lovely complexity in the nose, with scents of sweet cherry fruit, game, forest floor, coffee, minerals, woodsmoke, chestnuts, oregano, and cedary wood. Will be quite truffley with age. Full-bodied and quite pure on the palate, with layers of fruit, fine focus, a solid core, firm tannins and a long, complex, chewy finish. This wine should develop along the lines of the wines of a Guiseppe Mascarello Monprivato, albeit, not at quite the same level of quality. A really lovely, stylish Barolo. 2002-2020. 90.
1990 Barolo Riserva "Rocche dell'Annunziata- Scavino
Having tasted the 1993 bottling of this wine a few months before this wine, I would never have guessed the 1990 version of this wine for the bottle sitting there in the decanter. Here is a wine that is so clearly, so fatally over-oaked as to be virtually impossible to drink. I am sure there was plenty of raw materials underneath it when it began its sojourn in oak, but now the only thing raw left is the wood. Scavino's other 1990s are stunning successes, so this just has to be put down to inexperience with the wood. However, if it were me, I would never have released this wine at the heady tariff at which it was released. The nose offers up some fruit and soil resistance to the oak, with scents of red cherry, plum, herb tones, coffee fighting in vain against the ocean of barrique. Medium-bodied and already drying out on the palate, with reasonable depth lost among the trees. hard tannin from both wine and wood overwhelms the finish. I hate to say it, but drink up, as this wine's fruit is already losing the war. 1997-2000? 80-85 (depending on one's tolerance).
