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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.


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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.