1999 Poderi Aldo Conterno (Bricco Bussia) Barolo Vigna Cicala
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Tasting notes
Medium ruby. Owing to its poor soils, Cicala always gives the firmest wines, and this 1999 is no exception. It offers attractive mineral, menthol, and tobacco aromas, along with plenty of sweet fruit on a deceptively medium bodied frame of great length. It should drink well to at least age 25.
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
My personal favorite in the Conterno line has always been the Barolo from the Cicala vineyard, though it is always the most tannic in its youth, and the latest to come around. The 1999 Barolo Vigna Cicala is no exception. Ruby/garnet, potent on the nose with varietal Nebbiolo scents of roses, wild cherries, tar, and minerals, it is long and intense on the palate, full-textured and with a notable tannic punch which adds density and length to the flow. Still backward and with a smoky, mineral, and licorice close, this is a wine which will repay patience. Drink between 2006 and 2025. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200
Bright full red. Highly aromatic, minerally nose of raspberry, spice and underbrush; less open today than the Colonnello but very pure and noble. Wonderfully sweet on entry, then considerably less evolved in the middle palate. A powerful, penetrating wine with superb acidity and grip. Firmly tannic, tough and long, but the tannins are nonetheless buried under explosive fruit. The Colonnello is gentler and sweeter on the back today, but this rather masculine Barolo has uncanny persistence. One of the stars of the vintage. The Conterno 1999 Barolos all say 14% alcohol on the label, but the actual level is even higher, according to Franco.