Wine Tasting Report

Parusso 1993 Barolo Bussia "Vigna Munie" ($22.99)
I love Bordeaux, Burgundy, big Rhones and just about every other form of robust, ageworthy red wine. But sometimes I think if I had to take just one style of red wine to stock a desert-island cellar, I'd have to choose Barolo. It certainly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's other great wine styles, and not only does its flavor profile appeal to me but so does - in most cases outside a few "cultish" names and vineyards - its still relatively affordable price.

This one's an inky ruby color, with characteristic tarry and smoky Barolo aromatics over rich black fruit. Big, mouth-filling fruit flavors are appropriately tart and tannic. Good now but will really benefit from cellar time. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Cincinnati. (Jan. 21, 2000)

FOOD MATCH: T-bone alla diavola.

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