WTN: Sad end for a Barolo

[David M. Bueker]

1999 Paolo Scavino Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (2/23/2018)
Drink up. This is fading fast, though given the confected flavors, I am not sure it ever had a prime time. Sad that Barolo would be turned into a caricature with no capability to mature into something complex and interesting.

Bummer!

What a shame when older vintages are still singing! The 90 still drinks very well, for instance.

[David M. Bueker]

The '90 predates their turn towards modernism.

I suppose - when did they change style? My 93s are still old style.

[Jenise]

I own 97's which are fantastic. Didn't notice them tasting 'modern'.

Scavino was a fairly early modernista, and was using some new oak by '89 (at least on the Bric del Fiasc), but it still showed as Barolo, and a bottle of the '89 a few years ago was quite good, if not one of my fave '89s. But I think by 1995 or so they were full on modern- all in barrique (lots new), rotary fermenters, late picking etc. Extracted wines that don't seem like Barolo to me. My guess in a blind tasting of a '98 Bric del Fiasc a few years ago was modern/international Bordeaux. Now I'm admittedly a poor blind taster, but still....
I've heard in this century Scavino has pulled back a bit, but not experimenting on my own dime.

[Jenise]

My inability to note the difference probably has a lot to do with the fact that I taste so many young American wines which are in effect all modern, though some more traditional than others, that by comparison almost any 20-30 year old Italian wine showing well is going to come across to me as "not modern". Though I get your point, and can see the difference in group tastings. Just don't get to do that many!