Memorable Bottles: Volume I

1996 Prunotto Cannubi Barolo

Welcome to the first entry in my Memorable Bottles journal. The best wine experiences I’ve ever had.

When I think about my wine journey, I have to give credit to my Dad for starting me down the path. He would typically have a glass of wine at the dinner table when I was growing up, and I can still recall the first time he told me that the reason you swirl the wine is to release the aromas. Even though I wasn't old enough to drink, he would still swirl it around and let me smell it. So I like to think I got an early start on training my nose.

Dad especially loves Italian wines, and our family has always had a close connection to Italy. My Mom's heritage is Italian and my Dad lived in Rome for 3 years in the 80's. So as I got older and started to drink wine, Italy is where I started, since that's what my Dad would drink.

Over the years, Dad and I always threw around the idea of doing a wine trip to Italy together, possibly to celebrate his retirement when the day came. It's one of those things that is fun to talk about but sometimes never ends up coming to fruition. How many times do you hear people say “Oh I've always wanted to go to ____” or “we should all take a trip to ____” but they never end up taking the trip. I strongly believe that you should always take the trip. Life is short, and at the end of your life I'm confident it won't be the material possessions you remember, or the long hours worked in the office, but the memorable experiences you had with friends and family.

4 years after Dad retired, we finally booked a trip to Piedmont together. We are both huge fans of Nebbiolo - the famous grape of the Piedmont region that makes Barolo and Barberesco. In the small town of Barolo, there is a great Enoteca called La Vite Turchese. The owner is very friendly and always has some Coravin pours of older vintage Barolo. We tried several, but I remember the best of the bunch was this 1996 Prunotto Cannubi. Barolo wines amaze me with their longevity. This was 28 years old and still youthful as ever. When you have the right combo of great winemaker + great vineyard + great vintage, you create magical wines that can age for decades. We were just enjoying sipping this and savoring the moment. A special wine for a special trip.

Overlooking Barolo vineyards in Castiglione Falletto

Wine tasting in Barberesco