1962 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva- Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (12/21/2018)
Open in bottle for an hour, then carefully poured in a decanter for another hour before dinner. Served with 3-finger thick ribeye, employing the sous vide reverse sear (finished on a fiery hot charcoal Weber kettle).
Floral aromas explode from the bottle upon opening. The first pour into the decanter is nearly transparent, eventually settling for a translucent brick-red. Initial impressions are musty and oxidized, with an underbelly of dried flowers. As the wine sits in the decanter, the musty blows off and it seems to put on weight. Dried lilac and rose compete with talc and pretty, perfumed cherry. There is certainly a hint of old leather, and even a little smoke, but the floral red fruit with a small grating of orange peel steals the show. The final glass (at 3 1/2 hours decanted) is by far the best of the bottle.
I’ve a '64 that I’m looking to open very soon and it sounds like the 1-hour pour into a decanter is a good way to do it after, I presume, a very extended stand-up period.
I normally go about a week stand up (I actually keep it in a decanting basket, like 45 degree angle), open the bottle about 6 hours prior, decant for the last hour. gotta be really careful on the decant because even with the long stand up that sediment is really fine
Oftentimes, I go longer than a week of stand up, especially for aged Nebbiolo and, yes, very fine sediment presents difficulty with the last 1/3 of the bottle.