1961 Scarzello Giorgio & Figli: Barolo (Piedmont, Italy).
Old Barolo is a rarity in the wine world. It can be magical, depending on provenance and how it is handled. I stood up this pristine bottle for 24 hours to allow the sediment to settle before opening it. Popped and poured, 13.5% alcohol, original short and dense cork. The dark pink colour is typical of this wine in this vintage, as I have tried it a number of times. The nose begins with soft aromas of herbs and dry game. The mouthfeel is delicate, fresh and fine, with a hint of dried fruit. The transformation that takes place over three hours is reassuringly positive. The nose gains weight, with a cooked meats and saucisson mixed with herbs becoming stronger. The palate gains richness and sweetness, though the wine has a soft dry finish. It paired beautifully with authentic Greek Cypriot pork kebabs and sheftalies, all cooked on charcoal.
I always enjoy your posts. From this one, the Barolo sounds a littly shy to me. But apparently have had many; is this always how it drinks, even with more air?
Hello Joshua,
Thank you for your kind words. This Barolo has never been flamboyant and I was pleased with the showing of this bottle. A previous bottle was sipped over 5 hours and reached a perfectly good plateau. I have more often than not found that too much air, for example with decanting old Baroli, can have a negative effect. I know this is a debatable point, but I prefer to see constant evolution in my glass and not miss it with decanting.
