This hasn't been the greatest week for me. My father-in-law arrived last week, promptly came down with a superflu-like virus that really knocked him for a loop. Within a couple days, I had joined him in the '"maybe dead would be more pleasant" category. So no wine for me over the weekend. During the weekend, my parents and my mother-in-law arrived, for a planned 50th anniversary celebration for my in-laws Monday night. Since Bob (FIL) was still really sick Monday, we canceled the restaurant and had a family dinner for 12 at our place. I went to the doctor that day, he put me on antibiotics (felt chest had bacterial infection). No wine with the antibiotics. Which was irritating, because I had a bottle of 1955 Vallana Spanna I had gotten specifically for the anniversary party. I debated whether to save it, but the whole point was the 1955 for the 50th. So at the end of dinner I pulled the cork (intact, soaked most of the way through). Quiet nose, but pleasant. I decanted - light but with decent color depth for the age, a little orange tinge but no brown. Still a bit closed, after about 20 minutes I poured for everyone (including myself, with a spit cup nearby).
Within about 15 minutes in glass this really blossomed. Amazingly young tasting fruit- mostly Bing cherry with some red plum. Nose of tar, flowers, and mushrooms. Fairly light-bodied, with slightest hint of tannins and rather bright acidity. Fun to share this 50-year-old wine (which tasted more like a teenager) with my in-laws, but damn I wish I could have really drunk this. A bit of a shame really- my brother-in-law was only person actually drinking who's into wine at all. But even the non-wine-lover types found it quite nice.
I kept going back for sniffs and sip-and-spits during cleanup, 3 hours after opening this wine was still going strong. Some leather and sandalwood aromas, fruit vibrant till the end. Supposedly Vallana mixed wines from the South with the Spanna(Nebbiolo) to get this kind of backbone. All I know is this is the fourth Vallana from 50s & 60s I've tried, not one seemed over-the-hill.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency