Grapelive Wine of the Week

By Kerry Winslow

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1996 Rocche dei Manzoni “Bricco Manzoni” Langhe Rosso, Piedmonte, Italy.
This stunning wine tastes young, fresh and vibrant, can it be really 15 years old? Yes it is and getting better by the minute! Sampling this wine was a pleasure and interesting to see it progress as the evening came and went, it just got better and better with air and still had remarkably pure color, almost showing no signs of age. This was like a classic vintage Barolo, rock hard and tight with earthy leathery edginess to start, then opening into a beautiful and complex wine with grace and elegance gathering strength over the course of an hour or so. Pretty floral notes took a long time to come forward, but did so with style and perfume to go with layers of fruit, sour cherry, blackberry, currant, plum and fig. The background of tea spice, celery root, truffle, minerals and subtle wood all add to the heady mix, making for a very special wine. ($45 Est.) 93-94 Points, grapelive

Available at www.sfwtc.com ($39.95)

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