1998 Barolo & Barbaresco – A 20-year retrospective

What a place to start. By default, the Barbaresco flight was put out first, expecting the wines to be more giving and ready, but it was only when they were placed in front of me that I realized we had stacked the deck against ourselves. How does one go up from a group of wines like this?

• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  The ‘98 Asili lifts up from the glass with a highly expressive and wonderfully pretty mix of earth tones and fruit, as rich black cherry came together with sweet spice, hints of olive, dusty soil and crushed stone. It washed across the senses like a veil of silk, lifted by its pure red fruits and zesty acids, as hints of brown spice and well-resolved tannin set upon the palate. The finish was long, showing tart red berries, sweet herbal tea, and pretty inner floral tones. This was so amazingly beautiful and in a perfect place for drinking right now.

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• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Rabajà 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  While the Asili was the vibrant and immaculate beauty, the Rabaja was the dark and muscled stallion. Here I found a slight restrained dark fruited bouquet with black cherry and hints of plum lifting from the glass, as dusty soil and mineral tones emerged. On the palate, it was rich and spicy, showing mineral-inflected black raspberry and tart cherry, while hints of slightly unresolved tannin settled on the senses. The finish was long and earthy with saturating black and red fruits, lasting minerality, and hints of tannin holding strong.

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• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  In a way that only Santo Stefano seems to be able to achieve, the ‘98 was all at once impeccably balanced, wonderfully pure, amazingly floral, and sweetly spiced. The nose showed dusty dried roses with confectioners’ spice, fresh crushed cherries, and hints of floral undergrowth. On the palate, I found textures so soft that they seemed to envelope all of the senses, yet seeming almost weightless at the same time, as notes of dried cherry and spice gave way to inner florals, with brisk acidity adding vibrancy. Hints of tannin arrived through the long finish, yet only enough to provide a bit of grip, as notes of sweetly-spiced cherry and rosey florals tones lasted throughout.

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• 1998 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajé 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  The nose was dark and earthy, opening with crushed stone, dried roses and undergrowth, but then evolving to show spiced cherry and masses of dried florals. It was wonderfully soft upon entry, displaying fleshy black cherry and plum with saturating earthy mineral tones and a wave of balanced acidity. The finish was long, as the Chichet Paje flexed its remaining structural muscle with hints of grippy tannin, saturating tart cherry, and a lingering note of bergamont. What an amazing wine.

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This represented a flight of highly pleasurable wines that showcased the inner-fruit sweetness of the vintage, as well as how wonderfully the wines are drinking today. There were no losers in flight two.

• 1998 Vietti Barolo Brunate 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The ‘98 Vietti Brunate was my surprise of the tasting, knowing that even Luca speaks of this time period as a moment of experimentation, some of which he was unhappy with. I can assure you, he would not be unhappy with the Brunate today. Here I found a gorgeous display of dark, rich black cherry with sweet herbs, tobacco, dried roses and earth, as hints of dark chocolate and olive lingered in the background. On the palate, I found enveloping textures, which were perfectly offset by brisk acidity, as grippy dark red fruits washed across the senses with ease, leaving hints of brown spice and a balsamic twang toward the finale. The finish was long yet fresh and floral with dried cherry and spices lingering on. This is considered a modern-styled wine yet its perfectly resolved, drinking beautifully and an immediate contender for wine of the night.

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• 1998 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose was restrained, dark and brooding, with notes of crushed red berries giving way to minerals and hints of cedary spice. On the palate, a soft wave of dark textural red fruit flooded the senses, as sweet spices and hints of baker’s chocolate emerged. The finish was long, showing tart black cherry, hints of gruff tannin, and the slightest twang of residual heat.

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• 1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose was gorgeous with dark red and black fruits giving way to soil tones, with lifting dried florals and dusty minerality. On the palate, I found velvety textures but with vibrant acidity creating a juicy and fresh expression, as balsamic spiced cherry and sweet herbs swept across the senses, leaving perfectly resolved tannin in its wake. It was long on the finish, lingering on fresh cherries, and with the slightest hint of residual tannin tugging at the cheek. The ‘98 Rocche dell’Annunziata was remarkably pretty, firmly in its drinking window, and perfectly balanced.

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Our Monforte flight was the most difficult to work through due to an extremely odd performance from our Granbussia and the iron vault that is Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra.

• 1998 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia 84 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  It’s always a shame when a Granbussia is off, something that has happened to me too often in my time as a collector. The ‘98 was muddled, showing dark moist wood with balsamic spices, hints of mint, and sweet herbs. On the palate, I found a soft expression yet lacking focus, with fleshy cherry and sweet herbal tones. The finish was medium-long, resonating on bitter herbs, balsamics and hints of gruff tannin. Whether it was the bottle or the vintage is hard to determine here, as the wine is drinkable, simply not very enjoyable.

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• 1998 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Here I found a restrained expression, which opened over time to reveal blackberry, raspberry and dried florals giving way to a cooling mix of menthol and mint. On the palate, I found silky, dark, cool-toned textures with a polished sheen, as ripe black cherry washed across the senses, leaving a mix of minerals, savory herbs and youthfully grippy tannin in its place. The finish was spicy, resonating on dark fruits, tannin and the slightest hint of heat, yet throughout, the ‘98 CMG came across as beautifully refined, still quite young, and balanced.

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I expected Serralunga to be the most structured but also most focused of the flights, and in most cases I was correct. While Cascina Francia didn’t deliver its best performance, there was still a lot to like, and the combination yet complete opposite performances of the Bruno Giacosa and Massolino left me in awe.

• 1998 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The ‘98 Cascina Francia showed well, yet I still find myself looking to recapture the image I had years ago of what I thought this wine would mature into. The nose was dark and earthy with mineral-infused black cherry and sweet dusty florals, as dark soil tones emerged along with hints of tobacco. On the palate, I found silky textures, contrasted with zesty acids and cherry tones, as saline-minerals came forward and hints of tannin slowly set in. The finish was long, shaking off its structure to reveal herbal cherry and earth. I enjoyed every sip of the ‘98 Cascina Francia, as it’s firmly in its drinking window.

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• 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The nose showed spicy cherry and sweet florals with textbook Giacosa confectionery spice, contrasted by notes of undergrowth and hints of animal musk. On the palate, I found soft, juicy textures with energizing acidity, as fleshy spiced cherry and sweet herbs washed across the senses, leaving a hint of round tannin. The finish was long, displaying light tannin with tart red fruits and inner floral tones in a moderately structured, yet perfectly open expression.

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• 1998 Massolino Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  At first the bouquet was restrained, showing only crushed stone and a hint of animal musk, yet with time in the glass, notes of dried strawberry and roses with dusty soil tones and undergrowth began to waft up from the glass. On the palate, I found a cool, classic, savory and refined expression, with dark red fruits and hints of balsamic spice giving way to saline-minerals and unbelievably youthful tannin. The finish was long and structured, showing mineral-laden black cherry, balsamic spice, and earth tones. The ‘98 Vigna Rionda was amazingly classic, years away from its drinking window and full of potential.

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• 1998 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito 87 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The ‘98 Lazzarito has seen better days. The nose was dark, a bit murky, and muddled, showing ripe red fruits, sweet herbs, spice, and a hint of olive. On the palate, I found a soft, plush expression with fleshy cherry fruit, brown spices, and quirky acidity. The finish was medium-long with dark cherry tones and earthy minerals. I would like to think this was just the bottle, but it’s not the first time that I’ve experienced the ‘98 Lazzarito aging unevenly.

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