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Marchesi di Barolo vertical from 2009-1951
Merano Wine Festival
Tasted November 8, 2013 by PanosKakaviatos with 624 views
Introduction
In honor of Barolo being named a UNESCO world heritage site this year, I (finally) post notes from a special Barolo vertical tasting reaching back to vintages from the 1950s and guided by friend and Italian wine lover expert and author Ian d’Agata at the Merano Wine Festival 2013 from Marchesi di Barolo.
It was great to meet Anna Abbona, who is president of Marchesi di Barolo and her daughter Valentina Abbona who represents Marchesi di Barolo globally, and is currently based in Shanghai. You can read the full text of this article - along with photos and a video - on my new website: http://www.wine-chronicles.com/blog/barolo-unesco-world-heritage/
Flight 1 - Marchesi di Barolo Barolo (10 notes)
Red
2009 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Cannubi
89 points
Sweet cherry aroma Liqueur of cherry. Quite pure and spicy rich, too. Christmas fruitcake aroma. A pleasure to drink but not the most nuanced or deep. Finish is medium.
Red
2005 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
90 points
Tasted after the Cannubi 2009, the nose was a bit less “evident” but there slowly emerged Blackforest cherry-chocolate cake and licorice aspects. Palate is more interesting than that of the 2009, which by comparison seemed somewhat flat. 14.5% alcohol.
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Comments (1)
Red
1999 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
90 points
Sour cherry aspect, a bit lighter and tightly wound. Should have been decanted. I prefer the corpulence of the 2005, tasted just before, as it seems to have more substance, this with 14% alcohol.
Red
1990 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
89 points
Creosote, stewed fruit, but fresh. Tar. The palate is a bit rustic however, as compared to the 1999 tasted before and it dries on the finish. A somewhat lean mid palate, too. Going back to the 1999, the 1999 opens up more, while the 1990 stays with a somewhat drying finish. 14% alcohol
Red
1985 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
93 points
Potpourri, gamey, but not barnyard. Lovely and endearing palate, a dollop of chocolate, and a great long finish. Tertiary notes but fresh and balanced, a touch of cep mushroom (Steinpilz). So you have a sense of just freshly picked mushrooms and cherry notes. One of the very best wines of the tasting. Beautiful! 13.5% alcohol
Red
1979 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
85 points
Although this wine does have substantial mid palate body, it is marked by somewhat angular tannin and soupy fruit - and finishes with a rustic metallic note that seems to augur a downward slide. 13.5% alcohol.
Red
1974 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
flawed
This was marked by band-aid aromas and brett but making abstraction of that problem, perhaps more precision than the 1979. In any case, not very memorable.
Red
1964 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
96 points
Veritably creamy, displaying spicy notes of thyme, oregano and tobacco leaf. Excellent acidity lends freshness and verve that makes it more youthful than its nearly half century old age. It seemed to have youthful tannins! Get me some Osso bucco please. This was the third and final bottle provided by the estate for this special vertical. The first bottle showed off light truffle and stewed fruit and was flat on the palate. The second bottle seemed tired and rusty. But the third proved to be the absolute charm!
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Comment
Red
1958 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
94 points
If it were not for the third bottle of the 1964, then this would have been the wine of the vertical. Certainly fruit driven in profile and fresher tasting when compared to the first two bottles of the 1964, this 1958 had a vivacious palate, with intensity on the mid palate, and orange rind like freshness, lending lift to the finish. A thoroughly delicious wine, that seems younger than its age.
Red
1951 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo
93 points
Another revelation coming after the 1958 - and the last wine to be tasted in this special series. This wine exhibited a fine espresso like nose and good sap on the mid palate, although with less exciting tension than the 1958. Still, an amazing wine for its age.
Closing
A fun tasting that makes me seek out more Barolo for my cellar :-).