Saturday, October 24, 2009

Two 1990 Ceretto Barolos- The Test Of Time




Over the years, one of my favorite Barolo producers has been the Ceretto estate- "old school" Nebbiolo crafters. I have had the pleasure of experiencing their 1978. 1979, and 1982 vintages from various vineyards (please see this succinct description offered by my friends at Italian Wine Merchants in New York City). I had been able to purchase some of their 1990 vintage back in the mid-nineties. I laid them down in my upstate wine cellar and tried them in 2001 (11 years old). I wrote reviews of them back then and was sure that more cellar time would reap more sublime benefits. So I purposely opened the two heavyweights (Bricco Rocche Brunate and Prapo) on 10-21-09, without even looking at my previous 2001 notes. So now, these wines were just under 20 years old. I will now write up my tasting notes from both periods:
Brunate
6-1-2001 Notes#26106
Brick red (mature); some browning (even on the edges)
Smoky, peppery fruit (mature)
Steely fruit, with some spice; tannins slightly apparent- dusty, with a charcoal/mineral/sulphur component
Stylish and ready now or within the next 5 to 10 years.
10-21-2009 Notes#26156
Brick red (mature) some rim browning
Stewed fruits, wild field mushrooms, some tar/smoke, "textbook" mature Barolo spices, faint flower and ripe dark plum
Lush fruit (dark berries- black/boysen), still some silky tannins (balance), dark chocolate/licorice, wild game/animal notes; moderate finish
Prapo
6-1-2001 Notes#6482
Darker, deeper red than Brunate; pale brownish near the rim
Spicy, leather, aftershave, game, forest floor, mushroom; rich Nebbiolo fruit w/tannins still present; tar, licorice,plum- complex; mineral/sulphur; more concentrated than Brunate (although not an advantage or detriment); built for longevity (10-15 maybe 20 years), although accessible (some sediment). *
10-21-2009 Notes#6308
Slightly more youthful color than Brunate- less browning, pale rim
Tobacco, menthol, then violets; dark cherry with a medicinal note
Tar/leather/tobacco/zippy berries (raspberry)- no real cherry or dried fruits; moderate tannins (not overbearing); liqueur-like finesse; apricot; elegant
Eplogue
So as you can see, there were some consistencies across the years- these wines probably have the 25-30 year lifeline- a testament to the Ceretto estate and the vintage.