The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
In 1998, just a few years into the new regime, Scavino brought the Slavonian oak back, abandoning the sole barrique protocol for a more balanced approach—one year of aging in barrique, followed by one year in cask. He didn’t merely reinstate it, however, having come to believe that the wine that is Barolo requires both barrique and cask. He also extended the maceration period for his Barolos by two to three days. In effect, this transitional stage in Scavino’s production philosophy reduced the vigilant attention that had previously been accorded the cellar. With the cellar no longer serving as the pivotal focus of the process, heightened attention was directed towards the vineyard, resulting in Scavino’s practice of extreme yield restriction.
While this modified take on modernism has been in effect for a significant period, the estate may continue to reach back further yet. For her initial solo venture—a 2006 single-vineyard Barolo (representing Via Nuova Vineyard), Paolo’s daughter Elisa opted for manual pumping over and punchdowns rather than rotary fermentation, despite the fact that her father privileges this method’s user-friendly properties and ability to extract a more substantive degree of polyphenolic material than the older approach. She also referenced the more recent past in her use of 100 percent new Taransaud oak.
Vuosikerta 1998
Italy/Barolo/Barbaresco/Excellent to Exceptional – A vastly underrated vintage, 1998 had the misfortune of being sandwiched between 1997 (a vintage that was overrated) and the stellar 1999. 1998 offers everything you want in a manual Barolo or Barbaresco – nice concentration, firm tannins and precise acidity. In fact, it is the acidity of these wines that, in my opinion, carries these wines, keeping a wonderful freshness and elegance to these wines. This is not the most concentrated vintage of the last decade (1999, 2001 and 2004 produced much more powerful wines), but there is admirable depth of fruit and great balance and finesse. Most of the best Barbaresco bottlings as well as many 1998 Barolos drink beautifully now, while some of the best Barolos will provide another 10-12 years of enjoyment.