and more:
• Alfredo Roagna's 96: Worth an Extra Look
• Exceptional QPR from 1996
• Vintage 1996 Six-Pack Sampler

A Note from Sergio

In the past few years, the wine industry has begun to realize-slowly, finally-that it as a whole has contributed to the demise of artisanal wine over the past 30 years. What was once a tiny, specialized business has become a global market-and that market demands wines that are ready to drink immediately upon their release.

The wine trade is obviously an inventory-based business. As such, it must rotate inventory in order to maximize profits. Vintners, importers, retailers, and restaurateurs alike therefore try to sell their newest inventory as quickly as possible. Most sellers, then, need an easy way to make a pitch-and what better way to convince a potential buyer than showing him written proof that the product he's buying is good? This mentality has, in essence, multiplied the power of the media and has allowed it to become the driving force behind how wine is made, marketed, and consumed worldwide.

Initially, wine journals and magazines began to rate wines in order to simplify a seemingly complex, inaccessible subject. Readers reacted enthusiastically and it soon became clear that they were more likely to purchase a publication if it rated new vintages well-these novel vintages were exciting, and high numbers were flashy. As well, most people new to drinking wine were prone to prefer big wines, which are easier to comprehend and enjoy than their more subtle counterparts. So writers desperate to simultaneously create a favorable reputation for themselves and sell their journals took to tasting a wine immediately after it had been bottled or the ridiculous practice of rating them while still in barrel and-if it was ready to drink, full of fruit, undemanding-slapping 98 points on it. Using this method, a writer could convince his readers of his genius: he says it's good, people buy it, drink it, and indeed, like it!

Retailers looking for an uncomplicated tool to pitch wine to their customers bought those 98 point wines and touted them as high scorers. Winemakers, who needed to increase their cash flow or risk getting left behind, decided that they had best start producing moneymaking wines that could be contenders for an A+ grade. This meant that they needed to create drinks that were ready to be drunk as soon as they were bottled. They mixed together their easy, bold wines; the journalists approved; readers bought magazines; the stores and importers advertised the highly-rated wine; and the cycle continued-and continues.

The problem is that as the authenticity of winemaking is replaced with purely commerce-driven production, everyone gets cheated out of rewarding experiences. While a fruity young wine may give its drinker instant gratification, an elegant old wine will provide far more. The ability to age well, as I have said many times before, is the greatest indicator of quality. Most often, the truly remarkable wines are those that have proven themselves by holding up-and getting better-over time. Some of you may even remember when the fun of collecting came from contributing to the care of a wine until it reached its peak age and performance.

Today, I am making an offer to my clients, who appreciate the gifts that come with patience. The 1996 vintage in Piemonte was without a doubt— regardless of what scores more "ready" vintages earned—the greatest of its decade. The wines I've chosen today are well-kept bottles of some of these gloriously-structured wines--among them the Giacosa Asili riserva, a wine that I consider to be simply as good as it gets.

My best,
Sergio Esposito

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Three Important Wines from Bruno Giacosa

Bruno Giacosa 1996 Barolo Falletto Ris - Red Label $299.00*
Bruno Giacosa 1996 Barolo Falletto Ris - Red Label $625.00 (1.5L)*
For more than sixty years, Bruno Giacosa, the Langhe’s most consistent producer, has made some of Italy’s greatest Barolos and Barbarescos in the traditional Piemontese style. His success is based on his painstaking selection of grapes; in poor vintages, Giacosa sells his fruit in bulk; in exceptional vintages, he honors the wine with the coveted red label riserva as he has done here. The Falletto Riserva includes grapes from the famed Rocche del Falletto plot (a small area of old vines on top of the Falletto slope), making it particularly attractive to collectors. The 1997 vintage marked the debut of the well-known Rocche del Falletto label that comes exclusively from this four block plot.

Bruno Giacosa 1996 Barbaresco Asili Riserva - Red Label $299.00*
Bruno Giacosa 1996 Barbaresco Asili Riserva - Red Label $640.00 (1.5L)*
While Giacosa’s much-lauded Santo Stefano is his signature Barbaresco (and often the region's most heralded wine), his Asili is the only red-label riserva Barbaresco made from the historic 1996 vintage—a bottling that may in fact be able to match the longevity of his legendary 1971 Santo Stefano. The wine—the first vintage of which was the 1995—is made of grapes picked from the first vines he purchased. The grape selection in the Asili vineyard (made famous by Ceretto and Produttori del Barbaresco) is so strict that his entire 10 hectares yields just 250 cases. Giacosa macerates the Asili for more than three weeks, as he does with the Santo Stefano. He then ages the wine both in the barrel and the bottle for slightly less time than he does the Santo Stefano in order to expose more fruit. While it may be tempting to uncork this Asili now, patience will reward.

Bruno Giacosa 1996 Barbaresco Rabaja $189.00 (limited availability)
This historical bottling marks Giacosa’s debut from the Rabaja site, one of the most celebrated plots in Barbaresco. Giacosa’s knowledge of the terrain enabled him to select prime parcels from the large vineyard (several estates produce wine from its fruit), resulting in a masterful Nebbiolo that delivers both elegance and finesse. This Barbaresco undergoes an extended maceration period but is generally more approachable than the Asili and the Santo Stefano.

*These wines are sold as future arrivals.

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More Cellar Staples from 1996

Bartolo Mascarello 1996 Barolo $96.90
This cuvee, the Mascarello estate’s single bottling, is perhaps the world’s finest Barolo. The winery’s approach to production is simple: pick ripe fruit from Barolo’s best, low-yield vines and blend. The result is a line of consistent, gorgeous, harmonious wines that can stand the test of time—the acidity and tannins of this ten-year-old Mascarello Barolo are firmly braced by noble structure and exquisite balance.

Aldo Conterno 1996 Barolo ‘Bussia Soprana’ $67.50*
In the early 1960s, Aldo Conterno and his late brother Giovanni worked with their father at the Giacomo Conterno estate, where they created some of the world’s most long-lived and highly regarded Barolo. But while Giovanni was an unwavering traditionalist, Aldo was interested in experimentation. So in 1969, Aldo split off from his father’s estate and founded the Favot cellar. From the Bussia Soprana vineyard site in Monforte d'Alba, this is the most classic of Aldo’s cru normale Barolos. While more approachable than Conterno’s Granbussia, it takes on the power, structure, and concentration that are characteristic of Monforte. Young tannins are balanced by keen acidity.

Aldo Conterno 1996 Barolo Granbussia Riserva $187.50
Giacomo Conterno’s 'Monfortino' Riserva and Aldo Conterno’s Granbussia Riserva are among the two greatest Barolos produced today. This wine—Il Favot’s special reserve bottling produced only in such great vintages as the structured 1996—is the quintessential cellar trophy. The grapes are selected from the prime Bussia plots of Cicala (15%), Colonnello (15%), and Romirasco (70%), which impart the classic Monforte profile of depth, structure, power, and concentration. This IWM favorite is a wine of patience that will continue to improve with proper cellaring.

Clerico 1996 Barolo Percristina $179.98* (limited availability)
Domenico Clerico, a leader in the Langhe’s modernist movement, demonstrates his belief in the integrity of the grape and the terroir through his concentration on single-vineyard wines. This riserva, named for Clerico’s daughter who died at age seven, is the rarest and most powerful of his Barolos—an explosive, modern drink with generously extracted fruit and a long finish. The wine is produced from selected grapes grown in the Mosconi vineyard in Monforte d’Alba, which gives it unusual structure and tannin.

Gaja 1996 Langhe Sperss $395.00 (1.5L)
Angelo Gaja’s inventive vineyard and cellar practices consistently break new ground, often stirring controversy among the local cognoscenti. For example, he recently dropped the appellation name of his single-vineyard Barolos and Barbarescos in favor of adding a touch of Barbera to achieve higher acidity and freshness. This is the case in the Sperss, a name that means “nostalgia” in the local dialect and refers to a particular vineyard in the Marenca- Rivetta area of Serralunga. The Gaja family purchased grapes from this site until 1961, when they began producing wines exclusively from their own vineyards. Angelo eventually came to covet the quality of fruit previously purchased from the area and bought the plot in 1988 and the rest is winemaking history.

*These wines are sold as future arrivals.

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Alfredo Roagna's 96: Worth an Extra Look

Roagna – I Paglieri 1996 Barbaresco $29.98 (375ml)*
Four generations of the Roagna family have crafted wines at the I Paglieri estate. Today, Alfredo Roagna runs the winery with the help of his wife Luigina and son Luca. Roagna adheres to an ultra-traditional style of winemaking, concentrating on the varietal character and terroir, and offering his products at reasonable prices. This classic Barbaresco from the Pajé site exemplifies the estate style in the way it firmly conveys the singular character of the Nebbiolo grape. Equally important is the way that the vineyard brings out macho tannins yet also shares in the finesse found in Asili and Rabajà (refer to the wines of Giacosa).

Roagna – I Paglieri 1996 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé $59.95*
È l’espressione massima della nostra cantina, è tradizione allo stato puro—“It is the greatest expression of our estate, it is tradition in its purest form,” is the Roagnas’ description of their Barbaresco Crichët Pajé. The wine was created when Roagna sought to design a wine that went a step beyond the excellence of the riserva. This superlative bottling is made only in the best vintages—on average, just one or two years in a decade will meet Roagna’s strict standards—and production is limited to 400 cases. The huge, strong tannins imposed by the Pajé vineyard epitomize the traditional, age worthy expression of Nebbiolo. The wine’s character and structure are nurtured by its unusually long 75-day maceration—a process that prepares it to age for decades to come.

Roagna – I Paglieri 1996 Barolo La Rocca e la Pira $44.95*
Roagna – I Paglieri 1996 Barolo La Rocca e la Pira $29.98 (375ml)*
Roagna’s Barolo La Rocca e la Pira is an expression of the historic Pira vineyard (once known as Rocca) in Rocche di Castiglione Falletto. The estate’s stalwart focus on the expression of the Nebbiolo and the terroir shines through in this wine, with substantial vanilla tannins and a rich bouquet. Like all Roagna wines from this vintage, La Rocca e la Pira has been long withdrawn and is just now starting to reveal itself—an indication of its superb capacity for aging.

*These wines are sold as future arrivals.

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Exceptional QPR from 1996

Paitin 1996 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin $47.50*
In 1796, Benedetto Elia (Paitin) purchased a two-hectare vineyard in the famous Serraboella; thirty years later he acquired two more hectares, a house, and a cellar. In 1893, Elia’s grandson Giuseppe restructured the cellar and started to bottle Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. Today, the historic estate has shed its traditional approach and has begun to experiment with barrique aging and international varietals. Still, the Nebbiolo remains at the heart of these wines—especially the estate’s cru Barbaresco, Sori Paitin. The intense drink, made from fruit grown in the eastern Neive vineyard site, is one of the region’s best values.

Produttori del Barbaresco 1996 Barbaresco $39.50*
Produttori del Barbaresco defies the commonly-held stereotype of the cooperative as the maker of sub- par wines. Instead, the winery has distinguished itself as a top producer of one of Italy’s most renowned wines. The excellence of their wines derives from a selection process that relegates lesser quality grapes to a simple Nebbiolo bottling and separates the most distinctive batches for cru wines. Most of the high quality fruit is then blended to make this model Barbaresco, which shows the classic character of the DOCG by harmoniously melding the attributes of the various vineyards.

G.B. Burlotto 1996 Barolo Monvigliero $44.95*
G.B. Burlotto, who founded his estate in the mid-nineteenth century, is widely considered a local visionary for his ability to anticipate the demands of the modern wine market. The estate, which is currently owned and operated by Burlotto’s great-granddaughter Marina and her family, is located in the commune of Verduno in Barolo. The Monvigliero, the estate’s signature wine, comes from 45-year-old vines (the estate’s oldest) spread over two hectares at 380 meters above sea level. The south-facing site is composed of moderately impacted chalky soil and limestone. After being aged for 30 months in French and Slovenian oak casks, the wine matures in the bottle for 24 months.

G.B. Burlotto 1996 Barolo Neirane $44.95*
Verduno, one of the eleven communes that make up the Barolo DOCG, produces Barolo that ages effortlessly. The Savoy court held wines from Verduno in especially high regard, which may have encouraged bottling in this region at a time when most winemakers in the Langhe were using demijohns and casks. Although their soil composition and altitude are similar to that of Monvigliero, the vineyards that produce Neirane are oriented toward the west rather than the south. The vines are also younger—they average 25 years—and their grapes produce wines that are slightly more approachable.

G.B. Burlotto 1996 Barolo Cannubi $44.95*
Cannubi, also known as Cannubio, is derived from the Italian word for union, which best describes the rare hybrid of Barolo’s two distinct soil types - Tortonian and Helvetian - marrying their respective characteristics of perfume and elegance with structure and concentration. The prestigious Cannubi vineyard lies where three communes of the appellation converge: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, and La Morra. The Cannubi vineyard extends north and eastward, overlooking the commune of Barolo. The reputation of the vineyard has become legendary, as the label of the oldest remaining bottle of Piedmontese wine bears the name Cannubi 1752.

Anselma 1996 Barolo Adasi $372.90 (3.0L)
Maurizio Anselma is an emerging force in Barolo. Today, the university-trained Anselma is determined to turn the winery that his mother and father founded into a first-rate, quality-centered business. Anselma, who has a keen respect for history, vows that his estate will make only Barolo and never single vineyard wines. The Adasi is a riserva crafted to evolve and improve with time—a powerful, elegant drink that shows great balance and structure.

*These wines are sold as future arrivals.

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Vintage 1996 Six-Pack Sampler

This is a historic offering of tremendous quality at exceptional prices (some of which we’ve left unchanged since the original years of release). These difficult-to-find wines include a classic cru, ‘Bussia Soprana,’ from Monforte d’Alba, the backbone of Barolo’s muscle; a classic cuvee from the venerated producer Mascarello; a great value Barbaresco in ‘Sorì Paitin’; and another that defies the cooperative stereotype; the double- named, single-vineyard Barolo, ‘La Rocca e La Pira’; and finally, the ultra- traditional Barbaresco ‘Crichët Pajè,’ only made once or twice a decade.

Aldo Conterno 1996 Barolo Bussia Soprana**
Bartolo Mascarello 1996 Barolo
Paitin 1996 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin**
Produttori del Barbaresco 1996 Barbaresco**
Alfredo Roagna 1996 Barolo La Roccha e La Pira**
Alfredo Roagna 1996 Barbaresco Crichët Pajè**

IWM Vintage 1996 Six Pack: $356.30
IWM Vintage 1996 Case of Twelve (Two of Each): $712.60
*Free delivery in Manhattan
**These wines are sold as future arrivals.

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