I tasted four separate Barolos, including three single vineyard wines. Among the three single vineyard Barolos, the most expensive wine, the 1990 Barolo Cru Briccolina may be controversial, given the lavish quantities of toasty new oak apparent in the wine's spicy, smoky, vanillin-scented bouquet. The wine exhibits immensely impressive extraction of flavor, layers of full-bodied, black-cherry fruit, and a long, heady, rich, moderately tannic finish. It will easily last 20 years, but I hope the oak becomes more integrated. This is an impressive performance from Batasiolo.Batasiolo is one of the largest vineyard owners in Piedmont, owning over 250 acres, a vast empire in view of the tiny Barolo and Barbaresco estates that tend to resemble the morsellated Burgundy landscape. In the past, I have found Batasiolo wines to be straightforward and monolithic. Whether it's the quality of the vintage or an obvious effort to raise the quality level, Batasiolo's 1990s all performed exceptionally well.Importer: a Leonardo Lo Cascio selection, Winebow, Inc., Hohokus, NJ.

From bottle number 004178 (I also tasted bottle 004173 with consistent results), the 1990 Barolo La Corda della Briccolina is moving past its prime. It shows abundantly evolved aromas of leather, tobacco and dried prune that feel heavy and lacking in the deep dimension that characterizes the greatest bottles from 1990. The mouthfeel is textured and slightly gritty. The wine’s coloring is amber, garnet and golden brown. Having said that, this wine does show impressive intensity with a commendable twofold punch of dark fruit and exotic spice that drives it forward in the mouth. There’s an interesting touch of bitter chocolate on the close that I didn’t find in the other wines of this tasting. Drink: 2014-2018.

Ripe, round, rich and supple, with tarry vanilla, blackberry, black cherry and currant flavors. Seems to pick up momentum on the long finish, folding in some rose petal and anise notes. Chunky tannins pervade, but it's a blockbuster. Best from 2000 through 2005. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.??–null??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barolo Select to Add