1999 Barolo Bric del Fiasc

Scavino's 1999 Barolos are magnificent. With the exception of the Cannubi, I tasted all of the 1999s from magnum, which of course makes a difference, but I was nevertheless super-impressed with these wines. Readers fortunate enough to own the 1999s are in for a real treat. Enrico Scavino was one of the first producers of the modern school to recognize the drawbacks of relying too much on French oak. By the time he made his 1999s, Scavino had moved to a combination of French oak barriques and cask. At the end of the day, though, what matters most is the quality of the land. Scavino owns a number of choice parcels, the pedigree of which come through in nearly all vintages.

We then moved into a deep selection of vintages of Scavino's most famous Barolo, Bric del Fiasc, which was first produced in 1978. The vineyard is located in Castiglione Falletto and the wines from this plot are generally the biggest and most structured of the estate's lineup. In important vintages Bric del Fiasc requires at least several years of cellaring. Today vintages 1989 and 1990 appear to still be fresh and youthful and my guess is that recent vintages will age at least as well given that they were made from lower yields and with a much greater sense of awareness towards other factors affecting quality.

“The vintages between 1996 and 2001 are all so excellent I personally have a hard time picking a favorite,” says Enrico Scavino. “Just think, we used to have one, maybe two important vintages a decade, so six great vintage in a row is unprecedented. Sure, you can argue that some vintages are superior to others, but these are small differences that build off a very high starting point. Of these vintages perhaps 1997 remains the most variable. After the commercial success we had with our 1990s, we all wanted another similarly ripe vintage and 1997 was the first vintage to come along after 1990 that had that potential. Seeking the ultimate level of ripeness we, like many producers, probably left our fruit on the vines a little too long. With what we know now, and with similar conditions, today that fruit would be harvested 5-6 days earlier. Vintage 1999 on the other hand is very complete. The wines are just beginning to show their potential. They are complex, well-balanced Barolos with slightly higher acidities, and should age well. For current consumption today I like my 1998s a lot as they are drinking well right now.” “Beginning in 1998 we changed our philosophy a bit. We began to focus more on the vineyards, taking our yields lower. At the same time we also sought a more balanced approach in the cellar. We extended our fermentations by 2-3 days and now do about 10 days of fermentation for our Barolos, with the initial phase at a temperature of 32-33 ̊C (89.6-91.4 ̊F), after which we lower the temperature to preserve color. I still prefer rotary fermenters as they allow for a greater extraction of polyphenolic material and they are much more convenient to use. The wines do their malos in barrique, where they also age the first year, after which they are racked into large casks for the second year of oak aging.” While this is a beautiful set of wines from Scavino, my overall impression is of a producer caught in a moment of transition. This estate's continued pursuit of excellence would ultimately pay greater dividends in the 2000 and 2001 vintages. For the 2002 vintage Scavino is releasing just one Barolo, and it is the wine from his newest acquisition in the commune of Roddi. The Bricco Ambrogio vineyard was not hit by hail, and this Barolo is made from the most well- exposed and best-draining upper part of the hill. Scavino is fiercely proud of this wine. After a recent tasting at the estate Scavino served his 2002 Bricco Ambrogio with the main course at dinner....and that was after guests had tasted deep verticals of Carobric, Bric del Fiasc and Rocche dell'Annunziata, with wines going back to 1985. If that doesn't take guts, I don't know what does. I will have complete notes on that very special evening in Issue 8.