1990 Pio Cesare Barolo Tasting

As a gift, I received a bottle of 1990 Pio Cesare Barolo. I'm a lover of Italian wines, yet they are so expensive that I rarely have an opportunity to taste a premier bottle. I cracked the bottle today and decanted, but needed to sneak a taste. The bottle had considerable sediment in the bottom of the bottle and as such I was sure to be careful while decanting. Here are my initial thoughts based on the tasting right after opening.

The wine opens with a nice bouquet of smoke and bright cherry. Displaying an earthy smell that gives an impression of a strong Cab seems low in alcohol, as would be expected with a wine of this age. Interestingly, I also get hints of hyacinth, lilac and asparagus with this wine at the early stage. I'm anxious to see what this wine is like after some time exposed to air. The velvety texture gives way to a wine that has almost a salty flavor like kalamata olives. The smoke directly complements this flavor and makes me think of a Mediterranean meal. The color of the wine is now a duller maroon color, almost fading to brown at the very edge. Otherwise, the wine appears somewhat transparent.

Overall, I'm incredibly excited to taste this wine after some time and with a dinner. I tasted this wine without food, so I'm certain it will change quite a bit.