1993 Barolo Bussia

Surprisingly uninspiring efforts from one of my favorite Piedmontese winemakers, Aldo Conterno, the three 1993 Barolos (Bussia Soprano, Bricco Bussia Vigna Cicala, and Bricco Bussia Vigna Colonnello) display very evolved garnet colors with plenty of orange and amber at the edges. The wines exhibit hard, dry tannin, as well as a lack of sweet fruit, suggesting to me that they need to be drunk up. Moreover, the wines quickly faded after only 4-5 hours of aeration. The wines do offer some of Nebbiolo's dried cherry, faded rose petal, smoky, asphalt-like aromas, but they lack the flavor dimension, rich extract, and density found in the finest examples of this good vintage. The 1993 Bussia Soprano is the lightest wine, with the most tannic and astringent finish, making its overall balance suspect if it is aged for more than another 4-5 years. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200