Musso Bricco Rio Sordo Barbaresco, 1996

For my 83rd birthday, I wanted a mature wine that is still full of life. This Barbaeresco, from one of the great Piedmont vintages, met my standards and then some. The label looks old; the wine inside is youthful.

Medium garnet, mature Nebbiolo.Classic scents and flavors: red raspberries, cherries, dried roses, cinnamon and darker tones of black licorice. Good body with legs that cling to the inside of the glass. The flavors are all there--intense and haunting with a long, mellow finish. Acid and tannin in perfect balance. Barbaresco at its finest, and if I had another bottle I would feel comfortable keeping it for at least another five years.

I  paid $21 at auction in 2015 for this 1996 Rio Sordo Barbaresco. The current vintage, with its non-smudged label, sells for $45 to $50 plus two or three decades of patience.