WTN: Two Prunotto Nebbiolos...What Did I Do Wrong??

Tried these Fri night w/ dinner:
1. Prunotto Occhetti DOC: Nebbiolo d'Alba (14%) 2004: Med.light color; pleasant light floral/violets/lilacs light tarry slight meaty/earthy nose; rather hard/tannic/tight/unyielding light floral/violets rather tart/acid slight pungent/tarry flavor; med.short tannic/bitey/hard/austere slight lilacs/violets finish; pleasant enough nose but hurts on the palate. Not pleasant to drink at all. $33.00
2. Prunotto Occhetti DOC: Nebbiolo d'Alba (13.5%) 1989: Med.light rather morky color w/ some browning; very attractive fragrant/floral some tarry/pungent rather complex slight funky/old Nebb nose; smooth/elegant light floral/violets/lilacs/dried rose petal light tannins slight pungent/tarry/meaty/earthy quite complex flavor; quite long dried rose petal/floral/lilacs/violets light tungent/parry very smooth/elegant/polished very complex finish. $9.49
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And the usual BloodyPulpit:
1. So I splash decanted the '04 about 6 hrs ahead of dinner. And tried it another 6-8 times over the next two days. The nose never did start to open up or intensify like Nebbs are supposed to do. The palate just seemed to get harder & more tannic and the fierce tannins just never seemed to soften and mellow like tannic wines are supposed to do. What did I do wrong??
The '04 was a hurtey wine to drink (that tongue between the jaws of a vise thing). The nose was pleasant/Nebb enough but I could find no redeeming qualities in the wine that would even remotely make me thinking of buying a btl to lay down. OTOH, the '89, though slightly boyond its peak I would guess, was a genuine pleasure to drink...a gentle/refined old lady who still shows her class and upbringing.
So...as I still struggle to understand Piedmontese Nebbiolos... I'm being told that if the Nebb is fragrant and likable and pleasurable to drink young, then it will develop into a great old Barolo/Barbaresco. OTOH, if the wine is shy & not pleasurable to drink young, then we know that it will develop into a great old Barolo/Barbaresco. Apparently.... as I'm being told...Piedmontese Nebb is a wine that could not/would not/should not be a pleasure to drink young, unlike, say, RedBordeaux, and only be a pleasurable drink when it has some age?? I'm about ready to give it up and stick to Valtelline and Calif Nebbiolo.
Tom

Tom
I'm definitely not in the 'drink nebbiolo young' camp. When made to drink young, I find it lacking - either in body or aromatics (the latter being key). When made in more sturdy style I find it needs many years. In some instances it never quite matures, but reaches senility first. When it does mature well it offers something special I don't find in many other wines (in simplistic terms - a big relaxed smile on the drinker!).
Will the 2004 come round? Who knows - but if you have any more, then 5-10 years in the cellar shouldn't be a gamble over and above what you're getting out of it now.

regards

Ian

Tom -

I've had 2 Prunotto's from 1990 before and wasn't that impressed with them. Didn't find it fiercely tannic, nor floral, but then, this is a rather modernist estate. I like nebbiolo with age on it, after 12 years is a sweet spot, but then I've had some 98's (Pio Cesare, Giacomo Conterno) which are ready-to-go, but this was an accessible year. Conclusions? Guess each to his/her own taste interplaying with the vintage and producer, and, like wine everywhere, you have such diversity it is difficult to make generalizations. But you've been in the fields long enough to Know that!

I have 3 1990 Prunotto Barolo Cannubi bottles in my cellar. Just curious, has anyone sampled this wine recently?

[David M. Bueker]

2. Prunotto Occhetti DOC: Nebbiolo d'Alba (13.5%) 1989: Med.light rather morky color

Na-noo, na-noo

2. Prunotto Occhetti DOC: Nebbiolo d'Alba (13.5%) 1989: Med.light rather morky color

Na-noo, na-noo

must... stop....hands... reaching... for....keyboard
shazbut
damn