1979 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 91 points

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  2/12/2015 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points

  The wine has a translucent and rather pale red color with a luminous Campari hue. The nose isn't that expressive, but instead very elegant and attractive with nuanced aromas of dried cherry, orange peel, some oxidative nutty notes – even borderline hints of bread – and dusty earth with a slightly funky animal undertone. On the palate the wine feels full-bodied, smooth and rich with rather modest acidity and ripe, mellow tannins. The flavors are starting to veer into that rather sweet, aged fruit territory, revealing interweaving nuances of red berry marmalade, dried figs, some sweet spiciness and hints of sour cherry bitterness. Just like the nose, also the flavors are quite subtle and mellow, lacking the youthful intensity. The finish is quite soft and round as well, yet lengthy enough, with flavors velvety, slightly sweet flavors of cherry marmalade, allspice, some leather and a hint of dried figs.
  
  Compared to some of the other vintages tasted in this vertical, the 1979 vintage was obviously lighter and more delicate in flavor, yet showing really lovely, aged complexity. I guess this is the kind of vintage some people would love to describe as "feminine" – it is more delicate and mellow than many of the other vintages tasted. Although the wine shows lovely balance and captivating flavors, it is reaching the far end of its peak and probably will fall apart – probably sooner than later. As the structure has resolved itself to the point of feeling very soft and round, this wine is obviously one to be enjoyed on itself, not with any dishes requiring wines of great structure.

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  6/10/2009 - dbkitc wrote: flawed

  (at Cinghiale – Baltimore) Dead…

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  1/10/2009 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:

  Brownish brick in color. Nice nose of mushrooms and smoked meat. Poured off a few ounces and let sit open for 4 hours. Glass evolved over that time finally opening up fully just as roast beef with mushroom sauce was served. Drank beautifully with dinner as food released remaining acid and produced nice finish. Thoroughly enjoyable. Needs to be drunk now.

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