It's not too often that 37 year old wines from Italy's best producers are selling at our local retailers, but such is the case right now.  WineSellar and Brasserie in Sorrento Valley has a case or so of 1970 Riserva from Marchesi di Barolo.  The cork and foil appeared to be pristine, as was the label.  The fill level looked great (no ullage).  The shop manager claims the wine came from a reputable distributor.  So if old Barolo is your thing, the one seems to be a reasonable gamble.  The wine was tasted January 2007.

The bottle I tasted from was fantastic.  The wine had a brick color, as one would expect from a wine this old.  The nose had faded in intensity, but not in complexity.  Leather, fig, smoke and cranberry-raisin make up the bouquet.  There was still a splash of fruit remaining on the palate, sandwiched between the smokier layers.  Not much tannin left, and the wine finished soft and graceful.

The wine is past it's peak, but still on the upper part of the slope.  If you buy it, lay it down for a few days, then drink up.  The wine will lose the last of it's fruit in the next year or two.  If you do buy this wine, make sure the cork and fill level are good.  If there is any leakage of significant ullage, chances are that the wine will not be holding up well.

4 stars.  Available for $114 at WineSellar and Brasserie.

 

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