Vintage Retrospective: The 1978 Barolos and Barbarescos

For most observers 1978 occupies a hallowed place among the legendary vintages in Piedmont.  From a purely historical perspective 1978 is also a fascinating vintage to study because it is the last important vintage in which the wines were largely made with traditional methods, both in the vineyards and in the cellar.  These wines pre-date the arrival of the more modern style of winemaking which in the 1980s would begin to change the way many estates vinified and aged their wines.   A recent dinner in New York with a group of die-hard Nebbiolo fanatics provided a great opportunity to re-visit many of the vintage’s benchmark wines.

As often happens, extraordinary vintages are the result of unpredictable and unexpected climatic conditions.  “1978 was a very strange year,” says Mauro Mascarello.  “The spring was quite damp, which resulted in a delayed and irregular flowering.  The plants were carrying only about one-half of their normal amount of fruit.  We basically had no summer, as the weather remained cool, rainy and foggy all the way through August.  It really looked like it would be a terrible vintage.  Then, all of a sudden, on the first of September the weather turned, and we had uninterrupted heat all the way through to October, with our harvest taking place in the second half of October.”  The hot weather fully ripened the little fruit that remained and the naturally low yields gave some of the most concentrated, memorable wines ever made

These 1978s show the extraordinary longevity that the best Barolos and Barbarescos offer.  I was amazed at how youthful the wines were, an opinion shared by most, if not all, of the other tasters.  Many wines displayed a lively, healthy color and appeared to be still full of life.  Critics of traditionally made wines would say that the 1978s are an example of how these wines are never really ready to drink, and certainly the wines have required a great deal of patience.  However, after having tasted more than twenty wines from this vintage over the last few months I can only conclude that the 1978s have proven to be well worth the effort of waiting.   Well-stored bottles will provide the emotionally moving drinking experience that only a few of the world’s great wines can offer.  The wines were decanted several hours prior to serving and were tasted non-blind.  While researching this article I had the opportunity to taste several other 1978s and also I include notes on those wines.

1978 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano—Lively red.  A great way to kick off the evening.  The Montestefano comes across a youthful, with notes of spices, minerals, and dark cherry fruit, with a somewhat tight, structured personality.  Although it is a wine of modest complexity, it is very enjoyable now and promises excellent drinking for another 5-10 years, perhaps more.  Without question one of the best wines I have tasted from this top-notch producer.  I can only hope current releases will age this gracefully.  92/drink now-2010, 11/05

1978 Guasti Clemente e Figli Barbaresco—Medium red.  The first wine I have tasted from this producer.  More evolved than the Produttori, the Clemente is a soft, supple effort that shows mature aromas of tobacco and leather, with perfumed, sweet fruit and an accessible, pretty personality.  It is a wine to drink now and over the next few years.  90/drink now-2008, 11/05