1997 Albino Rocca, Barbaresco Vigneto Brinch Ronchi, Piemonte, Italy

Decanted directly from my friends cellar and served blind to me. I guessed Italy, but then couldn’t pinpoint it. Even if I was giving clues like 97pts from Parker and the vintage – I was back to my usual self in blind guessing. The wine simply had so many herbal elements – spices, thyme and black fruits. With air it gained some sweet zone, but never ever could I have guessed it to be a Barbaresco. The taste was firm and strong with a lot of rough edges – very hard to drink without food. The last few drops was the best – more complex zone, it will need a lot of decanting if you choose to have it now. (91-93?)