Barolo - Cannubi (Riserva) 1978 Alfredo Prunotto
10/95. Acquired from London Aug-95 for $70 (imported for $80 net).
Tonight for Friday night dinner that consisted of stuffed tomato and zucchini,
beef roasted in beer with fetucine, a plate of goat cheese, pears and figs. A
very rare (for me) Italian wine. Very high fill bottle. When uncorked, the
cork looked pretty good and dry. Poured immediately into glasses as I didn't
know how long this wine will last.
COLOR: Medium-deep brownish red. Definitely the color of a very mature wine,
though very homogeneous all around. Almost no paling towards the rim.
NOSE: Very very complex. Fruit and alcohol are obvious, then some 'Bordeaux
Nose', perhaps tobacco. There was something else that took me some time to put
my finger on. Now I am sure. Port! There was definitely some Port quality to
the aroma. All in all, the nose of a mature old wine. Very enticing and
pleasing, but not a nose I am familiar with. Given blind, I'd surely say this
is not (B), but perhaps would guess an old Bordeaux.
TASTE: Surprisingly vibrant on the palate. A strange mixture of delicacy and
bruteness. Excellent acidity and very discernable tannins give the impression
of a young wine. Soft fruit and silky smoothness attest to this wine's age. I
can't say the wine is extremely tasty as such (though it is certainly not
'un-tasty'), but every sip and every refill of the glass give a different
impression and perspective. A wine that hits the palate with so many layers
and dimensions. There is a harsh attack of bitter tannins at the mid taste,
but it passes towards the end of the sip. I really didn't know what to make of
the whole thing, so I just set back and enjoyed.
LENGTH: Even now as I write, some 3.5 hours after we opened the bottle, there
is still an extremely long and complex aftertaste (I still have half a glass).
TEXTURE & BALANCE: A blockbuster with soft spots of delicacy. Hefty structure
with plenty of acidity and alcohol, yet not enough 'flesh' to constitute
perfect balance. There are two separate groups of elements to this wine. The
(too?) old and mature (fruit, perfume, texture), and the almost brutal
(tannins and acidity). Very profound 'legs' too FWIW.
OVERALL: A remarkably interesting experience. An obviously great wine, that
might be a bit too old and a bit too young at the same time. I wish I had more
experience with great Italian wines. As it is, I really don't have any
relevant yardstick by which to pass judgement. One thing I am sure about, if
you happen to have a bottle - drink! It won't get any better.
MARK: Difficult. bzzzzzzz... OK - 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.
Reach Me? yak@yakshaya.com
Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.