Paolo Scavino - Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Riserva 1996 (5L)

Rocche dell?Annunziata is the Barolo Riserva of the Scavino family. An historical, prestigious ?grand cru? from La Morra village purchased in 1990. Rocche dell?Annunziata is all about finesse, details, weightless elegance. It?s a symphony of ethereal aromas with harmonic motions. Rose petals, violet, lilac, tar, sweet red cherries, mint, minerals are some of the hallmarks of this beautiful cru. In the texture silk veils, layers that overlap with extraordinary grace yet offering intensity.

The 1996 Rocche dell'Annunziata (3-liter) shows the darker, more masculine side of this wine's personality. It is a deep, brooding Barolo with notes of smoke, tar, licorice and dark fruit that gradually emerge from the glass. Like Scavino's other 1996s, the Rocche is just starting to show tertiary nuances and it promises to offer immensely rewarding drinking for years to come. 95/Anticipated maturity: 2006-2018. While Scavino may be most famous for his Barolo Bric del Fiasc, to me his Riserva from the Rocche dell'Annunziata vineyard is his finest wine. With its typically perfumed nose, silky fruit and fine tannins, it is the most elegant and refined of Scavino's Barolos. In general the Rocche dell'Annunziata is a wine with a broader drinking window, as is typical of Barolos from La Morra, although judging by the 1990 its early drinkability does not seem to compromise the wine's aging potential. Several recent bottles of the 1998 and 1999 have been immensely enjoyable

Delicious, with loads of rose petal, raspberry and passion fruit on the nose and palate. Full, round and soft, caressing the palate. Very tight and reserved. Just starting to come around.--1996 Piedmont retrospective. Best after 2008.