1974 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Casotto

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 93 points

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  4/3/2021 - cct wrote: 93 Points

  I've not had this rare Produttori bottling before, and the bottle has been upright for weeks waiting for the right time. Some elk loin graciously gifted to me by a patient provided the right time.
  
  Double decanted in the AM, then drunk over several hours with a fantastic piece of meat.
  
  To start, porcini, decaying leaves-undergrowth, and bouillon dominate the nose. With a few hours of air time, dried rose petal, red fruited nebbiolo, and subtle balsam notes emerge.
  On the palate, it's graceful, savory and meaty to start with more bouillon, tar, and a leafiness. Over several hours, this expands on the palate with red fruited nebbiolo, tar, and terrific mature nebbiolo perfume. For certain at this stage, this is more savory than fruit driven, but that's what I would expect from a '74 right now. At its apogee, toward the end fo the evening, it's broad, yet detailed with iron, balsam, rosehip, porcini and mature lovely red fruit nebbiolo notes. Most of the tannins are resolved, just a fine grip on the back end remains. A midweighted, beautifully balanced, if not blockbuster mature nebbiolo drinking at the back end of peak for me. If you have this rare treat, drink it up. I am certain it will not improve, but if it's a well stored bottle this will be a very enjoyable, pensive, and complicated experience worth spending an evening with. This was pretty fantastic with the elk loin. There is something pretty cool about a fully mature wine being both special on its own as well as elevating its accompanying food. Usually, in this situation, I am focusing on the wine and choosing a food to be very good and elevate the wine, but mostly I want it to not get in the way. This was a rare synergistic experience where both the special wine and food stood side by side on stage building each other up in a co-starring role. Neither had to play second fiddle. This was a joyful evening of food and wine.
  
  At the end of the evening, several hours later a half glass I did not know was left had blossomed. Sappy and broad, gaining some balsam notes, more red fruits growing and eclipsing the savory tertiary notes that dominated early on. This gained both length and breadth finishing with terrific balsamic and floral notes beautifully balanced with the savory-umami notes. Old nebbiolo can be a Lazarine experience. This was one such bottle. Memorable.

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