Ca' Rome' Romano Marengo Barbaresco, 1995

This is my second go at an aged Barbaresco from this estate. The other was from the 1999 vintage. Both were excellent expressions of Barbaresco.

The orangish tints that appear when the wine is first poured give the impression that it may be overly mature. But that is typical of traditionally made Nebbiolo after a decade or two in the bottle. The bouquet that I expect from Barbaresco is somewhat muted, too, on the first impression. It opens beautifully, though, with passive aeration over an hour or two. Oh, yes. Cherries and rose petals. Now some anise seed. Subtle at first, then gathers momentum. By the end of the meal, I find myself going back for sniff after sniff. Those Nebbiolo traits are blended together nicely in the flavors and are lovely from the very beginning. Very intense. Sweet but with enough acid to make it dance on the tongue. Excellent.

This is the regular cuvee of Ca' Rome' Romano Marengo Barbaresco. Grapes from the most favored vineyards go into the Maria Brun cuvee, named after the owner's mother and made only in top vintages. My goal is to find a mature Maria Brun at a reasonable price.