Reporting from our third - and final - tasting sessions on Produttori del Barbaresco’s single vineyard Riservas. The focus of this tasting was on the youngest vintages and you can find the older tasting reports from here:
Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva vertical, pt. 1: 1978-1961
Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva vertical, pt. 2: 1988-1982
There’s probably nothing special to add that I wouldn’t have discussed in the earlier threads. As for the overall quality, it was probably the highest in this tasting! Although the best wines in the tasting pt. 1 were probably as great as they come, I was still pretty much stunned by the best wines we had here as they were not that far behind from the quality perspective. Most of the wines were still super youthful and lightyears away from their peak maturity. Furthermore, we didn’t have nearly as many duds as in tastings pt. 1 or pt. 2 - basically the only disappointment was the 1989 Ovello, which seemed to be somewhat off. Unlike in the previous two sessions, not a single bottle here was past its peak and only a tiny handful of wines seemed to be now at their plateau of maturity.
We also had two extra blinds (I brought that Bricka bottle) but I’ve no idea where that Librandi bottle disappeared, so it’s not featured in the lineup photo!
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2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Montestefano vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #5709 of total 11853 bottles. Lot number L8.156. 14% alcohol.
Luminous and moderately translucent cherry-red color. The nose feels ope, dark-toned and somewhat sweetly-fruited with quite intense aromas of ripe black cherries, some jammy black raspberry tones, a little bit of juicy red plum, light perfumed notes of violets and crushed rose petals, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of licorice root. The wine feels ripe, juicy and silky yet firm on the palate with a moderately full body and quite savory flavors of sour cherries and crunchy cranberries, some gamey notes of meat, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light nuanced of old leather, a hint of tart lingonberry and a sweeter touch of ripe red berries. The overall feel is pretty structured and sinewy with its high acidity and still rather grippy and quite unresolved tannins. The finish is long, dry and rather grippy with a quite intense aftertaste of wild strawberries and sour cherries, some rough gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light licorice root nuances and a hint of old leather.
A fine, quite stern and still pretty youthful PdB Riserva that shows quite a bit of power and intensity, but surprisingly little development and resolution. Even though the wine is almost 20 years old, its flavor profile is still relatively youthful with surprisingly little tertiary complexity, and the tannic structure still remains pretty unyielding, although not excessively so for a wine of this caliber. With some aeration, this wine is perfectly enjoyable right now, but knowing how these PdB Riservas age, this is a mere baby. I'd let the wine age for another decade or two. Good stuff, but more about aging potential than immediate charm. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages.
(93 points) -
2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Rabajà vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #6663 of total 8840 bottles. Lot number L8.150. 14% alcohol.
Luminous and somewhat translucent garnet color. The nose feels open and fragrant but also quite dry and savory with expressive aromas of brambly black raspberries and black cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of wild strawberry, light floral notes of violets, a hint of tar, a sweeter touch of dark plummy fruit and a whiff of dusty old wood. The wine feels juicy, silky and relatively light on its feet with a medium body and precise but a bit restrained flavors of sour cherries and crunchy cranberries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of ferrous blood, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a hint of tar and a touch of licorice root. The wine shows good sense of substance without any excess weight. The structure relies more on the high acidity, although the moderately grippy medium-plus tannins do add quite a bit to the wine's firmness. The finish is dry, long and somewhat grippy with a savory aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherries, some gravelly mineral notes, a little bit of tobacco, light licorice root tones, a hint of fresh red plum and a touch of brambly black raspberry.
A tasty, attractive and harmonious PdB Riserva. Feels both a bit lighter and slightly more reticent than the 2004 Montestefano that was tasted alongside, but otherwise feeling very similar in style. Just as 2004 Montestefano, also this Rabajà feels still super youthful with very little sense of evolution - even if the wine is almost 20 years old! Structurally the wine doesn't seem to call for much aging, as the rather tannins come across as pretty supple and approachable, not too tough and gritty; however, aromatically, the wine could really benefit from additional cellar time. I would happily leave the wine to age for another 10 to 15 years, just to get the wine develop some additional tertiary complexity. All in all, a fine wine; expect the score to go up as the wine ages.
(92 points) -
2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Asili vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #4,911 of total 10,000 bottles. Lot number L8.158. 14% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry-red color. The nose feels open, fragrant and very slightly funky with aromas of ripe cherries and pipe tobacco, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of strawberry, light fragrant aromas of orange rind, somewhat evolved hints of raisiny fruit and balsamic VA, a touch of licorice and a faint bretty whiff of bretty leather and phenolic spice. The wine feels ripe and concentrated yet dry on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of black cherries, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of crunchy red plum, light metallic notes of rusty iron, a hint of leathery funk and a slightly bitter touch of phenolic spice. The wine feels quite tightly-knit with its medium-to-moderately high in acidity with assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is juicy. dark-toned and grippy with an intense, lengthy aftertaste of ripe black raspberries, some stony minerality, a little bit of tart red plum, light metallic notes of rusty iron, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of leathery funk.
After 2004 PdB Montestefano and Rabajà, this Asili feels slightly different in nature: it feels slightly more ripe and darker-toned in nature, showing lower acidity and more pronounced tannins than the other two wines (the contrast is especially stark after the supple, approachable tannins of Rabajà). Although I like my Nebbiolo with high acidity, this still could've been a very lovely and impressive Barbaresco - if it weren't for the slightly metallic taste that peeks through the fruit every once in a while, distracting from pleasure. I suspect it has something to do with the faint touch of brett that lends a slightly leathery and subtly bitter phenolic feel to the wine (something that Montestefano or Rabajà didn't show). This is still a terrific and enjoyable wine that is still very youthful, showing good potential for further aging - but it feels that in 2004 Asili wasn't a complete success; although I'm sure there must be some bottle variation going on, since you really can't trust a wine showing a little bit of brett to be identical to another bottle of the same wine...
(90 points) -
1996 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Asili vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #6,675 of total 10,020 bottles. Lot number L0.173. 13,5% alcohol.
Translucent, slightly evolved pomegranate color with a subtly maroon hue. The nose feels a bit restrained but still wonderfully nuanced and attractive with classic Nebbiolo aromas of sweet black cherries, some strawberry tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light floral nuances of violets, a hint of sour cherry and a touch of tar. The wine feels dry, firm and sinewy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe cranberries and gravelly minerality, some tobacco, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light sweeter nuances of wizened red plums, a hint of old leather and a touch of developed earthiness. The overall feel is still pretty firm and muscular with the high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tannic and slightly evolved with a long, complex aftertaste of sour cherries and tart cranberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of crunchy red plum, light earthy nuances, a hint of tobacco and a touch of old, dry leather.
A fine, serious and still remarkably tightly-knit vintage of PdB Asili. The wine shows some evolved undertones but the overall feel is still quite youthful and full of life energy. As the tannic structure shows very little resolution and there's still quite a bit of fresh fruit left in the wine, it's easy to say the wine isn't close to its peak yet. It is definitely in its drinking window at the moment, expressing both youthful fruit notes and some mature Nebbiolo aromatics along with a very stern structure, but there's still a ton of room for further evolution here. Drink or keep. This is superb stuff.
(94 points) -
1996 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Rio Sordo vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #10,795 of total 11,740 bottles. Lot number L0.167. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark and still relatively youthful black cherry color with a faint, slightly evolved pomegranate hue towards the pale rim. The nose feels sweetish, somewhat tertiary and quite complex with aromas of wizened cherries, some beef jerky, a little bit of tar, light smoky tones, hints of dried flowers and potpourri and a mushroomy touch of dried chanterelle. The wine feels evolved, firm yet silky in texture and quite dry on the palate with a medium body and layered flavors of wizened sour cherries, some ripe red plums, a little bit of beef jerky, light smoky notes, a hint of tart lingonberry and a touch of tar. The overall feel is quite structured and sinewy, thanks to the high acidity and still quite grippy, over-steeped tea-like tannins. The finish is dry, quite grippy and somewhat evolved with a rather lengthy aftertaste of sour cherries, some tart red plums, light evolved notes of beef jerky and a little bit of smoke, a hint of farmhouse funk and a touch of tar.
A very nice, sophisticated and still surprisingly tightly-knit vintage of PdB's Rio Sordo. Aromatically the wine is starting to feel somewhat tertiary, but definitely not too old; instead structurally the wine shows relatively little resolution. I probably wouldn't age this wine for an extended period of time, since the fruit department is starting to feel like the wine is now at its plateau of maturity, but since I suspect the wine is not going to fall apart anytime soon, some additional aging might help in softening those tannins - although I doubt a few years are not going to do much if anything. Drink or keep - and be prepared to have something with this wine, just to tame some of that stern structure. Highly recommended.
(93 points) -
1996 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Rabajà vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #13,951 of total 15,090 bottles. Lot number L0.175. 13,5% alcohol.
Luminous, quite deep and moderately translucent blackish-red color with a still relatively youthful garnet hue toward the rim. The nose feels fragrant, dark-toned and slightly funky with nuanced aromas of ripe red fruits, some bretty notes of leather, a little bit of cigar, light sweet notes of juicy black cherries, a hint of brambly black raspberry and a touch of wilted violets. The wine feels focused, quite tightly-knit and a bit funky on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of sour cherries and some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of blood, light bretty notes of leathery funk and phenolic spice, light nuances of tobacco, a hint of gravelly minerality and a sweet touch of ripe strawberry. The overall feel is firm and quite structured with the high acidity and firm, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is savory, quite grippy and slightly funky with a long, dry aftertaste of fresh cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some leathery notes of bretty funk, a little bit of ripe black raspberry, light tart notes of lingonberries, a hint of tobacco and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A firm, somewhat funky and still surprisingly youthful vintage of PdB's Rabajà. Considering how Produttoris tend to be quite clean and not particularly rustic wines, this vintage showed surprisingly much bretty funk. Not too much, mind you - actually just enough to lend a nice, leathery touch to the nose and flavors - but definitely more than what you'd expect from a Produttori. Furthermore, the wine was also surprisingly youthful for its age, not really showing any tertiary qualities and even the tannins felt largely unresolved and pretty gritty. The 1996 Asili and especially 1996 Rio Sordo we tasted at the same time seemed more developed than this Rabajà, promising volumes on its aging potential. All in all, this was a pretty lovely iteration of PdB's Riserva that is still going uphill. Although the wine can be enjoyed now, I feel there is still a lot of room for further evolution; expect the score to go up slowly over the following decade or two. Highly recommended.
(93 points) -
1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Rabajà vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #14,254 of total 14,865 bottles. Lot number L4.125. 14% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent blackish-red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The fragrant nose feels savory, somewhat evolved and not particularly fruity yet still wonderfully complex with layered aromas of gamey meat and smoky notes of cigar and tar, some sweeter notes of wizened strawberries, a little bit of earth, light perfumed nuances of dried roses and potpourri, a hint of turmeric and a touch of ripe black cherry. The wine feels ripe, dry and wonderfully complex on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of ripe sour cherries and lingonberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of wizened raspberry, light nuances of tobacco, evolved hints of prunes and balsamic VA and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine still retains impressive sense of structure, thanks to its high acidity and still quite assertive and moderately grippy tannins that show only a little bit of resolution. The finish is dry, moderately grippy and slightly warm with an intense, layered aftertaste of sour cherries and tart lingonberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tobacco, light gamey notes of savory meatiness, a sweeter hint of ripe raspberry and a touch of licorice root.
A fantastic, harmonious and moderately evolved vintage of PdB Rabajà that is starting to show some aged complexity but at the same time retains enough fruit and structure to be able to develop even further for many years more. The nose suggested that the wine was at a very evolved phase, showing mainly just tertiary aromatics and relatively little fruit, but on the palate it became clear that the wine was still far away from its apogee: there is still lots of vibrant fruit left in the wine and the structure has resolved quite little, retaining still lots of firm grip and muscle. This is a terrific example of middle-aged Riserva Barbaresco that can be enjoyed right now, but patient people will be rewarded if they can keep their hands off of this wine for at least another decade. Drink or keep.
(94 points) -
1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Pora vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #17,955 of total 19,560 bottles. Lot number L4.151. 14% alcohol.
Luminous, quite translucent and still relatively youthful ruby-red color with a faint, slightly evolved dried-blood hue. The nose feels sweet-toned and quite fragrant with perfumed aromas of ripe black cherries, some anise, a little bit of developed meaty character, light lifted peppermint nuances, a hint of balsamic VA, a touch of dried roses and a whiff of pipe tobacco. The wine feels ripe, quite juicy and somewhat round on the palate with a moderately full body and rather dark-toned flavors of sweet black cherries and wizened dark plums, some gamey notes of meat, a little bit of balsamic VA, light fragrant nuances of anise and peppermint, a hint of licorice and a touch of forest floor. The structure relies more on the still relatively grippy tannins than on the somewhat soft medium tannins. The finish is long, ripe and quite grippy with a rather dark-toned aftertaste of sweet black cherries and plummy dark fruit, some balsamic tones, a little bit of old leather, light lifted minty notes, a hint of licorice and a savory touch of meaty umami.
A nice, somewhat tightly-knit and relatively dark-toned vintage of PdB Pora that shows more ripeness and power than Produttoris typically do. The ripeness not only seems to make the normally rather red-toned flavors come across much brooding and darker-toned in nature, but the wine also feels relatively modest in acidity for a Produttori as well; in our tasting of 1989-2004 Produttori Riservas, this wine must've been the one with the lowest acidity - or at least it felt like it. The wine shows good intensity and depth of flavors with some slightly atypical minty nuances adding a nice touch of complexity and cooling lift to the wine. With higher acidity this could've been a really superb wine, but now the wine comes across as somewhat soft, round and mellow, despite its quite stern tannins. Although the wine shows some age, it doesn't really come across as particularly evolved - in the contrary, it is relatively youthful for its age - so here's to hoping that additional aging might make the wine drop some of its rich body and weight so that the acidity could move a bit more to the front. All in all, this is a fine and thoroughly enjoyable wine, but I admit I like PdB Riservas when they show a bit less ripeness and more acidity.
(91 points) -
1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Montestefano vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #8,492 of total 21,565 bottles. Lot number L4.175. 14% alcohol.
Moderately deep, somewhat translucent and still relatively youthful garnet color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels somewhat dry and slightly evolved but at the same time wonderfully fragrant with attractive aromas of brambly black raspberries, some wizened dark fruits, a little bit of beef jerky, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of ripe red cherry, a hint of wood tar, a touch of pipe tobacco and a whiff of smoke-cured meat. The wine feels juicy, silky and moderately ripe on the palate with a full body and a taste that doesn't seem young anymore, nor particularly old either; there are intense flavors of dark fruits, some leather, a little bit of ripe black raspberries and strawberries, light crunchy notes of fresh, slightly tart dark plums, a hint of earth and a developed touch of beef jerky. The overall feel is quite firm and muscular, thanks to the quite high acidity and still rather assertive and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is ripe, richly-fruited and quite grippy with a long, dry aftertaste of tobacco and brambly black raspberry, some leathery tones, a little bit of sweeter-toned dark fruit, light strawberry tones, a hint of fresh black cherry and a touch of earth.
This was a rather impressive effort, coming across as slightly bigger and more substantial than most other bottles in our 2004-1989 Produttori Riserva vertical, yet not any softer or sweeter than any other wine - this is through-and-through a textbook Produttori with some age. Compared to some other wines of similar age, this didn't feel as youthful, but the wine isn't fully mature, either. There are some evolved earthy and meaty tones, but there is still a lot of room for further development - both in structure and in the fruit department. All in all, this is a fantastic example of Montestefano that drinks beautifully right now, but will potentially get even better over the next decade or decades. Very highly recommended.
(95 points) -
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Moccagatta - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Muncagota vineyard (the historic name under which the current vintages of this wine are bottled). Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #2,754 of total 13,850 bottles. Lot number L3-140. 14% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent blood-red color with a pale brick-orange rim. The nose feels open, fragrant and very attractive with complex, somewhat tertiary aromas of dark plummy fruit and salty liquorice powder, some red cherry tones, a little bit of old leather, light sweet notes of dark forest fruits, a hint of licorice root, a touch of gravelly minerality and a whiff of pine tar. A thoroughly classic aged Nebbiolo nose. The wine feels sinewy, moderately concentrated and even somewhat dense on the palate with a quite full body and intense, ripe yet savory flavors of fresh dark fruits, some tobacco, a little bit of licorice root, light aged notes old old leather and wizened red fruits, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of blood. The tannins feel very ample but also ripe and quite resolved, so they contribute more to the rich, densely textured mouthfeel, while most of the structure relies on the quite high acidity. The finish is long, savory and somewhat grippy with a complex and quite intense aftertaste of ripe red fruits, some licorice root, a little bit of old leather, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of dried dark berries and a touch of tar.
A very impressive, wonderfully complex and eminently attractive Nebbiolo with quite a bit of tertiary action. However, the wine doesn't feel at all old and it doesn't suffer from any oxidative elements - only some of the fruit flavors have evolved into that more savory, earthy and leathery end of the spectrum. Also the tannins seem to have resolved quite wonderfully, yet contributing quite a bit to the firmness and chewy texture of the wine, without making it tough or noticeably grippy. In our vertical of 2004-1989 Produttori Riservas, this was easily among the most impressive wines we tasted - but also among some of the most evolved wines as well. Even if many wines felt like they could keep on aging for years - decades, even - it feels like the potential for further development here is quite limited. However, I have no doubts this wine is going to go anywhere in a long time. It's possible the wine can still evolve a little bit more, but more likely the wine is now at its plateau of maturity and it is going to stay there for another decade or two. Drink or keep, this is an absolutely gorgeous wine either way. Very highly recommended.
(96 points) -
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montefico - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Montefico vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #3,439 of total 4,430 bottles. Lot number not discernible. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep, dark and luminous black cherry color that permits rather little light through. The nose feels a bit restrained with layered yet somewhat reticent aromas of crushed red berries, some ripe cherry tones, a little bit of licorice, light nuances of bog bilberry, a hint of hot iron and a touch of pipe tobacco. The wine feels ripe, juicy and quite open-knit on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant, somewhat tertiary flavors of sweet dark fruits, some meaty notes of umami, a little bit of wild strawberries and ripe cranberries, light red licorice tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of pipe tobacco. There's also a faint touch of minty lift towards as the wine glides towards the finish. The alcohol shows a little bit through. The overall feel is balanced and quite silky yet still pretty structured with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and moderately grippy with a long, dry-ish aftertaste of wild strawberries and crunchy cranberries, some tobacco, a little bit of wizened red fruit, light perfumed nuances of dried roses and other wilted flowers, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A very tasty, harmonious and elegant vintage of Produttori's Montefico. Although the appearance was that of a more youthful wine, this bottling was more or less as evolved as all the other 1989 Produttori Riservas we tasted at the same time (Moccagatta, Ovello, Pora and Pajè). While a lovely wine in its own right, this didn't feel as impressive as Moccagatta or Pajè in comparison - mainly due to the slightly more closed and subdued nature of this particular wine (or even bottle). Nevertheless, this was still a superb Nebbiolo with some age on it. I'd say this is pretty close to its apogee; most likely this wine will keep for many, many years more, but as its potential for future improvement seems pretty negligible, there's no real need to age this wine any further. Very highly recommended.
(94 points) -
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Ovello vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #3,725 of total 15,780 bottles. Lot number nor alcohol discernible, but most likely 14% alcohol.
Translucent, somewhat tertiary pomegranate red color with a developed maroon hue. The nose feels odd, somewhat funky and even slightly green-toned with aromas of vaguely tequila-like vegetal character, some tilled damp soil, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light sweet notes of wizened dark berries, a hint of dried flowers and a touch of tar. The wine feels dry, evolved and somewhat vegetal on the palate with a medium body and odd, green-toned flavors of white tequila, freshly turned moist soil and unwashed beets, some sweeter notes of wizened dark fruits, a little bit of tar, light notes of hay, a hint of dark plummy fruit and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is still quite structured and tightly-knit with its rather high acidity and still pretty grippy tannins. The quite long finish is dry, grippy and slightly vegetal with an intense aftertaste of sour cherries and tart cranberries, some vegetal notes of white tequila and tilled earth, some notes of tar, a little bit of dried dark fruits and a hint of hay.
This vintage of Ovello had a weird, noticeably green-toned streak both in the nose and on the palate, lending it an odd, white tequila-like note along with more classic geosmin notes of freshly turned earth and unwashed beets. I guess the wine must suffer from a bit of geosmin, but I don't know whether that was only a problem of this particular bottle, or the whole vineyard. What I do know is that no other 1989 Produttori Riserva we tasted (Moccagatta, Montefico, Pora, Pajè) showed any of this character, but it also seems that there are several TNs in Cellartracker saying the bottle was off for some reason or another. I don't know whether they had the same problem as we did, but it seems Ovello is a much more iffy Cru in 1989 than the others. Although there seem to be a good number of great bottles as well, I still might steer clear of it, just in case. Leaving the wine unrated because it doesn't seem to be in pristine condition, but based on the fruit intensity and sense of structure, this wine is still far off from its apogee. At least the wine isn't going to fall apart anytime soon. -
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Pora vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #6,179 of total 14,870 bottles. Lot number L3.155. 14% alcohol.
Translucent, somewhat tertiary brick-red color with a developed maroon hue. The aged nose feels quite expressive but also rather tertiary with aromas of earth and some balsamic richness, some sweet notes of wizened raspberries, a little bit of old leather, light raisiny nuances, a hint of tar, a touch of oolong tea and an oxidative whiff of soy sauce. The wine feels juicy, evolved and savory on the palate with a full body and dry flavors of wizened raspberries, some oxidative notes of soy sauce, a little bit of tobacco, light salty notes of beef jerky, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of old leather. The structure relies more on the bright, high acidity than on the ripe, supple and quite resolved tannins. The finish is long, savory and very gently grippy with a dry, layered aftertaste of beef jerky, some sour cherry, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of salty soy sauce and a touch of pine tar.
An aged, rather tertiary and fully resolved Produttori Riserva at its peak. The wine is yet to go downhill, but it is obvious this wine has been on its plateau of maturity for some time, based on the slightly oxidative aged qualities. The tannic structure feels very resolved and gentle and even if the wine retains quite a bit of fruit character, most of it is on the aged dried-fruit territory. I have no idea whether this bottle is representative of the vintage or if we had a bottle that was more evolved than would be expected of '89 Pora, since the wine felt somewhat more aged than the other four 1989 Riservas we tasted at the same time (Moccagatta, Montefico, Ovello, Pajè). Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable effort with good sense of depth, harmony and complexity. Maybe not at the level of the best bottles we tasted, but a fine wine all the same.
(92 points) -
1989 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pajè - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (25.4.2023)
The fruit is sourced from the Pajè vineyard. Released only after a minimum of four years of aging. Bottle #1,073 of total 8,385 bottles. Lot number L3.153. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep, luminous and slightly translucent crimson color with a faint evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels sweet, fragrant and very attractive with nuanced aromas of cherry marmalade, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of pipe tobacco and pine tar, light smoky phenolic nuances, a sweet hint of ripe black raspberry, a touch of dried flowers and a faint funky whiff of bretty leather. The wine feels silky and wonderfully textural on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe black raspberries and wizened cranberries, some bretty notes of leathery funk and phenolic spice, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light licorice root tones, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of tar. The wine is still impressively structured with its high acidity and ample, chewy tannins that are still pretty grippy in nature. The finish is dry, complex and quite grippy with a long, savory aftertaste of wizened cranberries and sour cherry bitterness, some dried flowers, a little bit of leathery funk, light gamey tones, a hint of tar-flavored licorice candies and a touch of meaty umami.
A wonderfully complex, textural and seductive Produttori Riserva with good sense of age and development yet enough intensity of vibrant ripe fruit to keep it from tasting fully mature. Unlike in most other Produttori Riservas we tasted at the same go, this vintage of Pajè showed a tiny bit of bretty funk. The wine didn't come across as super funky, but there was definitely a tiny bit of rustic complexity and phenolic spice lurking underneath the fruit, mainly adding to the complexity rather than obfuscating the purity of fruit. The structure is still pretty tightly-knit and most likely could take on some additional aging, but the fruit department is in such a great spot that it doesn't seem to call any further cellaring. I'd say the wine is very close to its plateau of maturity, but there's still a tiny bit of room for further development; drink now or somewhere during the next few decades - this will keep just fine if need be. Very highly recommended.
(95 points) -
1999 Librandi Val di Neto Magno Megonio - Italy, Calabria, Val di Neto (25.4.2023)
100% Magliocco from IGT Val di Neto, located on the southern coast of Calabria. Fermented and macerated with the skins for two weeks, aged in barriques. Tasted blind.
Quite deep, moderately translucent and somewhat evolved pomegranate color with a pale brick-orange rim .The nose feels savory, somewhat funky and moderately evolved with aromas of leathery funk, some chopped button mushrooms, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light licorice root tones, a hint of tar, a touch of earth and a sweeter whiff of toasty mocha oak. The wine feels dry, dense and quite tightly-knit on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of gamey meat and sour cherries, some earthy tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light evolved notes of wizened dark berries, smoky speck and beef jerky, a hint of mushroomy funk and a sweet, dark-toned touch of toasty oak spice. The wine is surprisingly stern and sinewy with its rather high acidity and still quite assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is evolved, savory and pretty tannic with a long, dry aftertaste of meaty umami and mushroomy funk, some sweeter notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of earth, light toasty notes of mocha oak, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of woody oak.
A surprisingly stern and structure-driven Calabrian red at its peak, reminding me quite a bit of Taurasi or some other Aglianico-based red with some age. It feels the wine must've been quite oaky in its youth as it still retains some toasty mocha tones even though the overall feel is quite evolved and somewhat tertiary. The tannins could use a lot more aging before they start to resolve and soften, but based on the rather developed overall feel of the wine, I suspect the fruit department isn't built to last much longer before oxidation starts to creep in. Drink now or within the next five-ish years. At just 6-7€ this has been a steal.
(90 points) -
2021 Jérémy Bricka Étraire de l'Aduï Pont de Brion - France, Rhône / Savoie, Isère (25.4.2023)
100% organically farmed Étraie de la Dhuy (although Bricka prefers the original name, Étraire de l'Aduï) hand-harvested from 3 to 7 yo vineyards on 19th of October, 2021. The fruit is partly destemmed (75%), then fermented spontaneously with partial carbonic maceration over ten days. Aged for eleven months in old, neutral fûts. Bottled with minimal SO2 (<30 mg/l). Total production 1112 bottles. 12% alcohol.
Deep, youthful and luminous ruby-red color that permits relatively little light through. The nose feels pretty open and very juicy with aromas of crushed cranberries and raspberries, some reductive notes of flint smoke, a little bit of strawberry, light flatulent notes of reduction, crunchy hints of bilberries and crowberries, a touch of sauvage lift and a candied hint of bubblegum-y primary fruit. The nose feels youthful, fruit-forward and still very primary with vibrant flavors of bilberries and crowberries, some candied notes of sweet primary fruit, light flatulent notes of reduction, a little bit of wild funk, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of reductive smoke. The overall feel is quite soft and supple due to the medium-to-moderately high acidity and almost complete lack of tannic structure. The finish is juicy, soft and fruity with a medium-long aftertaste of bilberries and crowberries, some ripe black raspberry tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light lifted notes of wild funk, a candied hint of carbonic primary fruit and a touch of tart cranberry.
A nice, fruity and slightly wild little Savoie red. The overall feel is still somewhat too youthful and primary for my preference, and I do have to admit I would've liked the wine to show a bit more freshness and structure. The overall feel is quite balanced, but without any tannic grip the wine really could've used a bit more acidity in the structure department - now the wine feels a bit too soft and supple, lacking in cut and length. Furthermore, the wine is still so youthful that the reductive qualities and somewhat sweet-toned notes of candied primary fruit are pretty much to the fore. I can see this wine benefiting greatly from a few extra years in a cellar - just to help the wine lose those bubblegum-y primary fruit flavors and some of the reduction. All in all, a nice wine, but nothing too memorable. At the moment this wine was more enjoyable than the 2021 Douce Noire, but I have a feeling that with enough age that Douce Noire might turn out to be the more interesting wine of these two. Maybe a bit pricey for the quality at 24€, but not excessively so.
(88 points)
Posted from CellarTracker