1998 Barbaresco
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Tasting notes
100% Nebbiolo from 14 different vineyards. 40-year-old vines on limestone and loamy soil. All 14 parcels vinified separately in stainless steel. After three weeks the wine is aged in large wooden barrels for 12 months, then blended, then aged for another 12 months. Very hot vintage from June to August, and then a rainy harvest. Tasted in magnum. Fully evolved and tarry. Really confident. Dry end, tangy, a very pure expression of Nebbiolo. Some luscious fruit. Transparent. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Half bottle. Immediate hit of Nebbiolo on the nose. Palate shows more evolution, with some milk chocolate/malty notes. Hints of barbecued banana (similar to his Langhe Conteisa 1997). The tannin is characteristic yet very stage-managed – a modern interpretation. But not a grand, complex bottle. (AH)
The 1998 Barbaresco is a beautiful effort displaying fleshy, oaky, deep black cherry, raspberry, tar, and truffle scents with subtle new oak in the background. Dense, voluptuously-textured, and full-bodied, with gorgeous overall symmetry, and beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol, and wood, it will drink well for 15 or more years. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000
The 1998 Barbaresco is a beautiful effort displaying fleshy, oaky, deep black cherry, raspberry, tar, and truffle scents with subtle new oak in the background. Dense, voluptuously-textured, and full-bodied, with gorgeous overall symmetry, and beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol, and wood, it will drink well for 15 or more years. Oct 2001, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Gaja has been at the forefront of the Piedmont wine scene for many years and is Barbaresco’s most decorated producer. The winery has received a record number of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards – the highest accolade from Italy’s leading wine publication.