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| Passion Investments: Wine & Spirits |
Tuscan Sons
Tara Weingarten
11/01/2004
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Piedmont also boasts some highly collectible new vintages of wines made
using old-world, well-aged methods. Giacosa Santo Stefano Barbaresco, a rich,
silky wine with fragrant red berries on the nose, has a highly desirable 1999
vintage selling at about $116. Traditional artisanal producer Bartolo Mascarello
ages its Barolos 40 years and beyond, using the same large casks year after
year, until virtually no wood flavors are detectable in the wine. Instead, look
for truffle, rose and violet aromatics. The 1999, which is extremely hard to
find, currently costs only $78.
The pedigrees of these highly affordable
wines virtually assure a future in which they will fetch lofty auction prices
similar to the finest Burgundies and Bordeaux. As investors, we should be
prepared to constantly monitor our collection for the most opportune moment to
sell, because these modern wines will most likely not have the decades-long
aging power of their traditionally made cousins. Closely examine auction prices
every seven to 10 years to sell at peak maturation.
Oenophiles who love a treasure hunt should ask their favorite dealers to comb
the cellars everywhere for a few exceptional—and exceptionally priced—Italian
wines from a group of promising small vintners. For those of us lucky enough to
find them, these bottlings, produced in miniscule batches, are the kind of
bonanza that carries a rich promise of high returns and makes the search for
rare vintages so addictive.
Galardi Terra di Lavoro
This extremely small producer (10,000 bottles)
from the volcanic region of Campania uses the indigenous Aglianico grape, called
the Nebbiolo of the south, in a blend to endow its wine with age-worthy
properties. The complex wine requires at least a decade in the cellar. 2000,
$340
Quintarelli Alzero
Amarone-like in its raisin flavor from a predominance
of Cabernet Franc, this rustic, old-world-style blend from the Veneto’s most
acclaimed winemaker comes from very mature vines. Here, tradition carries all
the way to the handwritten labels. 1996, $340
Dal Forno Amarone
A modern take on a traditional blend, the rich, ripe
flavors of cherry and spice mingle with aromas of raisins and port. The very
limited production—650 cases a year—makes this a difficult find. 1998, $335
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