WTN: 98 Vietti Rocche

Vietti 1998 Barolo Rocche. Purchased at a tasting with Luca Currado in Chicago in about 2001 or 2002. I think we bought two bottles of this and tried the first one a decade ago, which was much, much too early. Now this wine is in early maturity; ruby with an orange rim; some roses on the nose but still pretty tight and tannic, so we decanted it, which helped it relax into something burly but seductive. Bitter cocoa, flowers, a bit of waxy truffle, plenty of tart cherry fruit remaining, and a touch of volatility. Not singing, exactly, but humming melodiously. A very satisfying pairing with a ribeye with a red wine and morel mushroom glaze.

[David M. Bueker]

Yum.

I did not start buying Nebbiolo based wines in any quantity until the 2004 vintage, so I have a few years to wait.

I still don't buy Nebbiolo more than intermittently and in very modest quantities -- but every time I have a bottle like this, the quantities get a little bigger...

Sounds great.
'98s are surprisingly approachable