Today is the first day of a five day weekend for me, so I have the leisure time to pull a cork on Thursday afternoon
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Color is a translucent ruby, with a primary nose featuring sweet cherry fruit and cool menthol.
Wow, is this tannic on the palate! That’s what I get for opening a bottle from a traditionally-oriented producer in what looks to be a very classic year. MId-weight with prominent acidity enveloping the fruit right now, and that wave of tannin cascading on the finish. Only for real masochists right now - I’ll save a glass for my better half and put the remainder back in the cellar, but off this sample, this might be young enough to not bother revisiting until Saturday, although I will probably still sneak a “day 2” look tomorrow.
If you have it in your cellar, I’d say another five years minimum.
I have only 2003 and 2004 vintage in the cellar. 2004 looked great at release and surprisingly the 2003 also looks elegant for the vintage.
48 hours since I opened this, and it is much better now.
The nose hasn’t really changed much, still quite primary with sweet cherry fruit front & center.
But it is so much more pleasant on the palate today - you can still sense the tannin, but it is integrated into the wine and no longer carries much of that drying astringency on the finish. For a very reasonably priced normale, this is going to be a very long-lived wine. Off this look, I’m sure it will still be drinking nicely for a couple more days, but I don’t think I’ll be tempted to open another bottle for a while (2020 sounds like a good guess).
No wonder you own so many.
Why is it SVD Barbarescos seem to take forever to come around?
Enjoy your evening. ![cheers [cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif)
RT
Rich, I think in this case it’s just the combination of an ultra-traditionalist producer and a climatically classic vintage - his '98, while still a young wine, is much more accessible.
Is it bubbly or Oregon pinot on tap for tonight in the Trimpi household?
Don’t think I’ve ever had a properly aged Roagna. So I can look forward to checking in on my 05 Montefico and 04 Rocca a le Pira in say 2025?
Out of '98 Barbaresco, so I’ll be bringing both bubbly and Pinot to a small party of oen-thusiasts. Franciacorta tonight at the Hughes?
RT
The 1990 Roagna barbaresco riserva is an amazing wine.