1997 Luigi Einaudi Barolo. I've posted notes on this before but it's been a while. I still have a few left from a case purchased on release. I opened last night with grilled veal chops and creamy polenta with white truffle butter. Dark red in the glass with just a faint hint of brick (I think many Barolos are normally a bit brickish in color) Typical Barolo nose of roses, tar, a bit of black tea and ripe black plums. Fairly ripe on the palate showing dense black cherry, plums, a bit of espresso and leather. Interesting sweet ripe fruit notes at the front with a fairly high toned acidity on the finish and fairly aggressive tannins. The wine could still use a few more years. "B+"
I bought it directly from the distributor on release. My cellar is a constant 55F (measured with a bottle probe not the air temp) with 70% humidity. I find that many of my wines are drinking "younger" than many of their counterparts from different cellars. Before building the cellar 15 years or so ago, I found that my basement was actually cooler in the summer than in the winter since I air-conditioned the house in the summer the cool air would sink to the lower level and keep the cellar quite cool yet in the winter the heat from the furnace would actually increase the temp in the basement storage area to higher than the 62F that it was in the summer.
I don't thik the '97's are long term agers either but 20 years for Barolo isn't extraordinary. I find it hard to judge by the color given tat to me Barolo is already a bit brickish. The tannins in the "97 Einaudi were still firm although my recollection is that Einaudi is generally perceived as an "old style" producer.
Actually the Cannubi seems to cross the line between the two. It's quite firm and tannic yet quite ripe and lush with fruit. Sorry about typos in previous post...I am typing on a cell phone.
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