A Memorable Evening of Barolo and Barbaresco: 1978 – 1990

It’s always a lot of fun to get together with my tasting
group.&nbsp; I knew this was going to be an
unforgettable dinner when the first wine of the evening was listed as the 1985
Sassicaia, one of the most legendary and collectible wines ever produced in
Italy. The plan also included a deep selection of classics, including three
Giacosa Barolos from 1978, a mini-vertical of Giacosa’s Barbaresco Riserva
Santo Stefano spanning 1982-1990, and a mini-vertical of Conterno’s Barolo
Riserva Monfortino covering the historic 1978, 1982, and 1985 vintages.&nbsp; We were fortunate, and indeed privileged, to
taste these wines from bottles that had been perfectly stored since
release.&nbsp; As always it would be a great
pleasure to share these wines and the animated conversation they bring out in a
small group setting.&nbsp;&nbsp; What a night lay
ahead!

We started with the 1985 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, which
was impressive for its deep color, fresh aromatics and vibrant flavors.&nbsp; It offered attractive plummy fruit, cassis
and toasted oak notes on a medium-bodied frame with excellent length and fine,
silky tannins, conveying an impression of understated elegance.&nbsp; Readers fortunate enough to own this wine can
look forward to at least another decade of prime drinking.

Giacosa: Barbaresco
Riserva Santo Stefano 1982 – 1990

An unforgettable flight of Bruno Giacosa’s Barbaresco
Riserva Santo Stefano followed and these wines were nothing short of
breathtaking for their complexity, poise and overall balance.&nbsp; These wines delivered a combination of
intellectual stimulation and sheer pleasure that is hard to fully describe, but
that places them among the finest wines I have ever tasted.&nbsp; Needless to say, comparing four great vintages
from 1982-1990 was a rare opportunity.

1982 Giacosa
Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano – Dark red.&nbsp; I was simply floored by the 1982 Santo
Stefano.&nbsp; It shows a captivating, totally
hypnotizing nose of roses and spices followed by rich sensations of bright red
cherry fruit, licorice and menthol, with extraordinary length, purity and
overall balance.&nbsp; At once delicate and
powerful, it shows the notable structure of the 1982 vintage and promises to
deliver a profound, emotionally moving drinking experience to those fortunate
enough to taste it.&nbsp; An unforgettable
wine.&nbsp; 98/drink now-2016, 02/06

1985 Giacosa
Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano – Dark evolved red.&nbsp; In keeping with the style of the vintage, the
1985 comes across as further along the aging curve in its color, flavors and
structure.&nbsp; If offers an irresistible mix
of sweet prune and plum fruit with notes of spices and licorice in a soft,
ethereal style, with notable sweetness and a warmly resonating alcoholic finish.&nbsp; Though not as complex as the very finest
vintages, this gorgeous 1985 is a superb choice for current consumption.
97/drink now-2011, 02/06

1988 Giacosa
Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano – Medium faded red.&nbsp; The 1988 is the most advanced of these Santo
Stefanos.&nbsp; It is fully mature, with notes
of leather, tobacco, beef bouillon, prunes and spices on a medium-bodied frame
with soft tannins and excellent length.&nbsp;&nbsp;
There appears to be little upside in cellaring bottles any further and I
would choose to drink my remaining bottles within the next few years.&nbsp; A second recent bottle appeared to be at a
similar stage of its evolution.&nbsp; 92/drink
now-, 02/06

1990 Giacosa
Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano – Dark red.&nbsp; The 1990 Santo Stefano remains one of the
great versions of this wine.&nbsp; It is a
rich, sensual effort, bursting with sweet fruit along with layers of rose,
raspberry, licorice and tar nuances on a full-bodied frame of great
length.&nbsp; Irresistible today, it also
appears to have the structure to age gracefully for another decade, although it
is hard to imagine that this wine could be any better than it is right
now.&nbsp; 97/drink now-2016, 02/06

Bruno Giacosa: The
1978 Barolos

We then moved on to a flight of Bruno Giacosa’s Barolos from
the historic 1978 vintage that were strategically served after the Santo
Stefanos in anticipation of their greater structure.&nbsp; This turned out to be a great call.&nbsp; I was amazed at the richness and liveliness
of color that all three wines displayed.&nbsp;
The wines were also incredibly youthful and firmly structured with big,
imposing tannins.&nbsp; These are Barolos that
will appeal to those who appreciate traditionally made wines, but the massive,
imposing tannins may not be for everyone.

1978 Giacosa Barolo
Rocche di Castiglione – Dark red.&nbsp;
The 1978 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a stunning wine.&nbsp; It opens with the perfumed, aromatic nose
that is so typical of the Rocche vineyard, with slightly evolved notes just
beginning to appear.&nbsp; On the palate it
reveals layers of macerated cherry fruit on a deceptively medium-bodied frame
with outstanding length and freshness on the finish.&nbsp; It is the most accessible of these 1978
Giacosas.&nbsp; The wine’s notable balance,
seductive appeal and overall harmony led several tasters to place it among the
top wines of the evening.&nbsp; 96/drink now-2016,
02/06

1978 Giacosa Barolo
Riserva Speciale Villero – Dark red.&nbsp;
The 1978 Barolo Villero takes things to another level, with a deep
penetrating nose and layers of sweet dark fruit, menthol, eucalyptus, and
minerals. This massively packed, structured Barolo offers outstanding purity of
expression in a richer, more concentrated style.&nbsp; It too comes across as very youthful.&nbsp; 97/drink now-2021, 02/06

1978 Giacosa Barolo
Riserva Speciale Collina Rionda – Dark ruby.&nbsp; The riveting 1978 Barolo Collina Rionda
captures all of the classic notes from this historic vineyard in a never-ending
counterpoint of aromas and flavors that seduces this taster.&nbsp; Suggestions of violets, cocoa, licorice,
iron, asphalt and vibrant sweet dark fruit are just some of the nuances to be
found in this highly compelling, monumentally structured Barolo that coats the
palate with extraordinary length and complexity.&nbsp; Like the other wines in this flight it
appears to be magically youthful.&nbsp;
Well-stored bottles will provide an unforgettable drinking experience
for another 15-20 years, and perhaps more.&nbsp;
99/drink now-2021, 02/06

Giacomo Conterno: Barolo
Riserva Monfortino 1978 – 1985

Amazingly, after all those great wines we still had one
flight left, and what a flight it was.&nbsp;
Older bottles of Monfortino can be somewhat of a crapshoot as many
bottles have been ruined by poor storage over the years.&nbsp; However, these bottles of 1978, 1982 and 1985
Monfortino were absolutely pristine, which allowed the group to thoughtfully
and accurately assess the wines.&nbsp; It was
an unforgettable flight.

1978 Conterno Barolo
Riserva Monfortino – Dark ruby.&nbsp;
Conterno’s majestic 1978 Barolo Monfortino offers a fascinating contrast
to the Giacosa Collina Rionda in its more concentrated, sweeter fruit and a
seamless purity that seems to foreshadow a modern style of winemaking that
would place more emphasis on lower yields and rounder, softer textures.&nbsp; This bottle is mind-blowing in its powerful
yet superbly well-balanced, nuanced expression, with waves of sweet dark fruit,
licorice, cocoa and leather flavors that go on forever.&nbsp; Despite the wine’s sheer size it offers outstanding
complexity in its vivid detail, with great length and enough freshness on the
finish to make me think it will last at least another twenty years.&nbsp; On most occasions, Conterno’s 1978 Monfortino
is the Wine of the Night, as it was again in this tasting….a true testament to
this wine’s stature as one of the greatest Barolos ever made.&nbsp; I have had the privilege of drinking several
bottles of this magical wine over the last year and perfectly stored bottles
are simply…perfect.&nbsp; 100/drink now-2021,
02/06

1982 Conterno Barolo
Riserva Monfortino – Medium red.&nbsp;
Another stunning Monfortino, the 1982 displays a nose that is surreal in
its detail, showing a deep, balsamic quality with slightly more mature
tones.&nbsp; It comes across as youthful on
the palate, with suggestions of leather, spices, cocoa and sweet dark fruit on
a big, structured frame of extraordinary balance.&nbsp; The more imposing tannins give the impression
of a wine that is more classic in its personality than the 1978.&nbsp; It is one of my all-time favorite
Monfortinos.&nbsp; 97/drink now-2021, 02/06

1985 Conterno Barolo
Riserva Monfortino – Medium red.&nbsp; The
1985 opens with a heady, alcoholic nose which is followed by layers of sweet
fruit and ethereal notes that offer much pleasure.&nbsp; Although the 1985 offers outstanding length
and purity it does not have the complexity of the very finest vintages.&nbsp; That said, it nevertheless delivers an
unforgettable and highly enjoyable Monfortino experience.&nbsp; It is the most approachable of these three
wines and is a great choice for drinking today.&nbsp;
96/drink now-2016, 02/06

There are few better ways to close an evening like this than
with a glass of Giuseppe Quintarelli’s Recioto, one of my favorite wines.&nbsp; Sadly our bottle of the 1979 Recioto della Valpolicella was dried out and lacking
fruit.&nbsp; Fortunately we had better luck
with a stunning bottle of Kracher’s 1999
#5 Scheurebe Zwischen Den Seen Trockenbeerenauslese.&nbsp; Its lush personality and heady, exotic
combination of apricot jam, passion fruit, lime, papaya and coconut flavors was
the perfect way to conclude a truly unforgettable evening of great wine and
conversation.

-- Antonio Galloni

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social