A little midweek Barolo. Not a blockbuster but you can still find something less this for well under a c-note, particularly at auction. This is a particularly youthful bottle showing the elegance of Cannubi with nary a trace of the vintage. rather long and elegant, it’s the perfect Nebbiolo fix to tide me over to the weekend, though i may not be able to wait that long. Not quite at the level of the 89, though about par with the 71, 78, and 82. Classic tough old birds that just keep going and going and going.
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1990 Tenuta Carretta Barolo Cannubi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (1/6/2015)
Quite soil driven on the nose and decidedly dusty with a sweet underlay of red fruit. The aromas build in the glass with slightly medicinal and candied tones of licorice, old wood, and dried herbs adding detail. Air brings out some necco wafer and rich floral tones with a hint of fruit cake as a nod to the vintage. A bit lean in the mouth and nicely acid driven with rusty minerality early on the palate followed by cherry and dried raspberry fruit framed with subtly leathery edges and more dried herbal, almost minty though more pine balsam-like notes on the palate and through the finish, which is bright and fresh, almost citrusy with the snap of tart strawberry fruit lingering In the mouth. While still moderately tannic this is well integrated and juicy. Lacking a little midpalate richness, particularly in light of the vintage,and complexity, this none the less does show fine freshness and persistence, making it quite attractive. At early maturity and capable of lasting for any more years, though I’m not sure this will improve much, if any. (90 pts.)
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