Carretta Barolo Cannubi 1996

Brick red.

More forceful nose than the Cordero - more toasty oak influence. Bottle shape conveys real information here - the Cordero is in a Burgundy bottle, Carretta in a Bordeaux bottle. Charred meat and drippings, cherry liqueur and something balsamic - smells like something I should be eating. There's a sauteed veg note here that adds to the "whole meal" theme.

Richer and fuller than the Cordero. In fact, the structure (almost) flies under the radar. This is packed, really concentrated, chewy wine. I see this improving with several, maybe many, more years in bottle.

Both of these wines are killer,though in quite different styles.


Day 2 - Both wines, especially Carretta, shut down in the mouth, totally dominated by structure. So I'd say these 2 wines have another 6-10 years in them. Certainly no rush to consume.

$60?