Full, deep red-ruby. Pungent floral/spicy aromas of black raspberry, tar, dark chocolate and marzipan. Juicy and very intensely flavored, with brilliant acidity giving the wine brightness and grip. Superb fruit really expands in the mouth. Boasts superb backbone for this bottling, which I almost referred to as Gaja basic Barbaresco. Very long, vibrant aftertaste.

The 1998 Barbaresco is a beautiful effort displaying fleshy, oaky, deep black cherry, raspberry, tar, and truffle scents with subtle new oak in the background. Dense, voluptuously-textured, and full-bodied, with gorgeous overall symmetry, and beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol, and wood, it will drink well for 15 or more years. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000

Wine Advocate October, 2001 The 1998 Barbaresco is a beautiful effort displaying fleshy, oaky, deep black cherry, raspberry, tar, and truffle scents with subtle new oak in the background. Dense, voluptuously-textured, and full-bodied, with gorgeous overall symmetry, and beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol, and wood, it will drink well for 15 or more years.

100% Nebbiolo from 14 different vineyards. 40-year-old vines on limestone and loamy soil. All 14 parcels vinified separately in stainless steel. After three weeks the wine is aged in large wooden barrels for 12 months, then blended, then aged for another 12 months. Very hot vintage from June to August, and then a rainy harvest. Tasted in magnum. Fully evolved and tarry. Really confident. Dry end, tangy, a very pure expression of Nebbiolo. Some luscious fruit. Transparent. (JR)