Tuesday 4 November 2014

Seven Bottles Of 1964 Barolo

These seven bottles of 1964 Barolo were drunk over dinner during the past couple of weeks. And the stock of 64 Barolo is far from depleted! :-)

1964 Barolo, Barbero
A big, round, mature nose with notes of canned mushrooms, rosehip powder, veal stock and some moist earth aromas. Fully mature and maybe a tad more than that.
The taste is mature and tight with notes of rose petals, dried red berries, red tea and earth. Soft tannins in the medium long finish. Hanging in there. A bit simple.
81p   (tasted 2014/10)


1964 Barolo, Francesco Pittatore
A smooth, mature, warm nose with notes of dried red currants, veal stock, mushrooms and some dried up balsamic vinegar. Medium bodied. Good.
The taste is big and brawny with notes of lingonberries, dried raspberries, chocolate wafers, gravel and mushrooms. A long and warm finish. Better on the palate than on the nose. Really good.
87p   (tasted 2014/10)


1964 Barolo, Zaccone
This has taken a step or two towards its downfall. The nose is big and disjointed with notes of dry lingonberries, overripe cherries, old leather and some moist cellar scents.
The taste is foursquare, big and sweet with notes of earth, sugared coffee, dog fur and rotting mushrooms. A medium long, dry finish. Still alive, barely, but not giving much pleasure.
71p   (tasted 2014/10)


1964 Barolo, Contratto
This beauty is barely mature and sports a deep, ripe nose with notes of sweet cherries, bonfire, sweet coffee and old leather. A fine note of ceps appears after a while. Deep and fine.
The taste is big and steady with notes of red and black cherries, liquorice, asphalt and dried flowers. Long, complex and mouth coating finish. Very, very good. This could be cellared until my 60th birthday!
92p   (tasted 2014/10)



1964 Barolo, Antonio Viberti
A deep, finely matured nose with notes of undergrowth, fried herbs, cherry liquor and warm road dust. A fine dried up sweetness. Some mushrooms later on in the evening. Very good.
The taste is mature and dry with notes of dried raspberries, gravel, rose petals and mushrooms. A long, dry finish with some foursquare tannins. With food, great, on its own, a bit on the dry side.
87p   (tasted 2014/10)

1964 Barolo, Fratelli Berteletti
The nose is a bit restrained, ever after two hours in a decanter, but the things I get when swirling the glass is all good; fine notes of dried cherries, rose petals, fresh mushrooms and a few tobacco flakes. Very fine. Understated and sublime.
The taste is bigger than the nose with some upfront mature cherry fruit and notes of bonfire, moist undergrowth, sugared coffee and fried mushrooms. A fine warmth. A bit of Jekyll and Hide wine when comparing the nose and taste. But very, very good all the same.
90p   (tasted 2014/10)


1964 Barolo, Schiavenza
Aaaaaah. This is soooo good! The nose just flows up from the glass, displaying its beauty. Stunning notes of cherry syrup, mushroom cream, fresh rose petals, liquorice and a touch of drying vanilla pod. A ethereal, deep nose. Just gorgeous.
The taste is still tight and concentrated with a firm Serralunga fruit, with notes of hard cherry candy, rosehips, ceps, wet asphalt and old leather. The tannins still have a good grip and perfectly follow the fruit in the loooong finish. A great wine. A perfectly aged Barolo can really be a thing of beauty.
95p   (tasted 2014/10)

4 comments:

  1. Happy to see that Schiavensa saved your '64 flight!! It is always a bargain with old barolos that they dry out if the tannins was not ripe enough when harvested.

    Contratto is also interesting. Did they own parcels in the great Cerequio in 1964?

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    1. Yes, the Schiavenza will go on for years! About the Contratto, I don´t know, but even if they did I´m sure they blended it together with anything else they harvested like almost all did back then - Fontanafredda, Vietti and Giacosa a few exceptions that bottled vineyards designated vintages from the 60´s onwards (I have a 67 Rocche from Vietti and a few 64:s from Fontanafredda)

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  2. 2 weeks ago we had 2004 Barolo Cerretta Riserva from Schiavenza.....easy 96+
    What a wine .....and what a family !!
    Just bought ;
    2010 Serralunga
    2010 Broglio ....750 and 1500ml
    2010 Cerretta
    2010 Prapo'

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    1. Interesting, thanks! Got to get me some of those! :-)

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