1996 Fontanafredda Vigna La Villa Barolo, Italy

“Vigna La Villa” is one of several prized single vineyards farmed by Fontanafredda. It is part of the larger cru called “Paiagallo,” in the village of Barolo, which, like most Barolo crus, has an east/southeast orientation—exposing it to gentler morning sun and producing slightly softer wines than those from vineyards in the estate’s home base in Serralunga, for example. But again, this is ’96 we’re talking about, and when you take your first sip of this wine you’ll immediately project backwards and imagine what a beast it must have been when first released. It was aged first in small barriques, then larger casks, for two years, followed by a year in bottle before its initial release—but in the case of this library release, it enjoyed decades of undisturbed rest in Fontanafredda’s dark, cool cellars. Both the bottles we opened had corks that were in excellent condition, but be careful when opening your bottle(s) nonetheless, and don’t be afraid to decant the wine before service, watching out for sediment (which is minimal). This wine, unlike so many wines of this age, does not fall apart once opened—in fact, mine was still singing on day two!