1999 Barolo Cannubi

The 1999 Barolo Cannubi is a big, big wine. Cloves, cinnamon, dried cherries and dried flowers all jump from the glass. The 1999 is a decidedly large-scaled, powerful Barolo indelibly shaped by the 100% new French oak barrels that Chiara Boschis used at the time. The 1999 is also still a bit youthful, but unlike so many wines made in the same style, it has aged evenly and gracefully. I wouldn’t wait too long however, as tertiary aromas are right around the corner and at some point the fruit will start dropping out.

Dark ruby. The 1999 Cannubi remains quite youthful, with a perfumed aromatic nose redolent of spice and toasted oak aromas and plenty of vibrant sweet dark fruit, although the finesse of this great vineyard is somewhat overwhelmed by the new oak. It will require a few more years to integrate and settle down after which it should drink well to age 20. On this day it comes across as much more austere than when last tasted, proving once again that the evolution of Barolos is extremely hard to predict. It remains a captivating wine, however, and a bottle I left open was still fresh and full of life nearly a week later.

The 1999 Barolo Cannubi, a fine garnet/ruby, combines fine florals, tar, and a light spiciness on the nose with a substantial, well concentrated, elegant and velvety palate, prototypically Cannubi in its balance of strength and finesse. I was delighted with this version of Chiara Boschis’ wine, much more balanced in its use of oak. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907