I recently had the pleasure of trying (splurging!) the 2001 Cicala at Lupa (Mario Batali Italian restaurant in NYC). Got excited to try it since I had both the '89 and '90 AC Cicala earlier this year.
So: Decanted and served at the start of the meal. Clearly a young Barolo, at first tight though with a marvelous nose of red fruit and light floral elements. As the night wore on the wine opened (nose and taste) into a truly lovely Barolo. Fruity on the palate, with enough soft tannins to complement a fairly strong set of Italian dishes (pastas and roasted ox-tail). Excellent balance, with bright acids that really set off the food, but not even slightly heavy on the fruit – so led to an eat-drink-eat-drink cycle that was great. One remarkable element of this wine is its truly titanic length – just went on and on in the most delightful way. Light enough that it also went well with the cheese course – a honeyed ricotta and a medium pecorino.
Overall an excellent wine (92? 93?). How can it be big, fruity and powerful, yet light on its feet, even delicate, at the same time? Answer: Barolo. If I had a case I would be tempted to horde some for a few years at least, but would be more tempted to enjoy them now. Although I didn’t do it, I recommend decanting or slow ox’ing for at least a few hours before starting.
And btw on Lupa – one of my favorite modern/Italian restaurants in NY. Very good wine list, though not much there older than 2000.