1999 Barolo: Brilliance, Intensity and Class

A light snow fell as I drove up the winding hillsides of La Morra on a dark, shrouded evening in March 2003. I had never seen snow at that time of the year in Piedmont, but fortunately it wasn't too bad. A business trip in Genoa that week provided a good excuse to escape to La Morra for the night. I was more than happy to make the two and half hour commute each way just to spend some time in these magical hillsides.

Elio Altare's Insieme group was putting on a tasting of the 1999 Barolos at the Cantina Comunale in the center of town. I had already tasted many of the wines on previous trips, but this was my first large tasting of the 1999s. As I walked from table to table I was blown away by what I tasted. The 1999 Barolos were simply stunning. I just loved the energy and tension of what I sampled. The wines were so alive. I knew right then that 1999 was going to be a great vintage for Barolo.

Barolo as seen from the Ravera vineyard in Novello