Brezza, Giacomo - Barolo - Castellero vineyard - 1990
bottle no. 1,669 of 6,500. 14,5% alc.
1990 single vineyard Barolo - holy grail of grails! When my mom told me she was making brasato (big chunk of fatty beef cooked slow for 4 hours in red wine) with mashed potatoes (not the instant kind) I figured this was an opportunity to break out a rarity. Of course we all know how rarities are; expectations are high so sometimes the fall is hard. I've had plenty of nebbiolos that were disappointing for various reasons - you never know when to open these suckers. Sometimes you wait years and find that the fruit seems to have dissipated but the tannins remain, and you thought the opposite was supposed to happen. But you're not always sure if that is indeed the case or if the fruit is just hiding in a compressed state until further notice.
I'm happy to say that this Barolo - from a respected but not hyped producer - did not disappoint. Full of life after 18 years with the classic "tar and roses" nose, plenty of fruit, long finish. Classy and almost velvety smooth. Indeed a good drink, product of patience, good cellaring and luck. The million dollar question now is: when should I open those precious single bottles of 1990 Bruno Giacosa Villero Barolo and Santo Stefano Barbaresco?
Cheers
Agostino