Costa Russi 1988 150cl

Aromas of raw meat and ripe fruit, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, rich finish. This is outstanding, but proves that Barbaresco made outstanding- not great-wines in 1999. Best after 2006. 890 cases made. ?JS

The full-bodied 1988 Costa Russi reveals a purple tinge to its color, as well as a straightforward, rich nose of black fruits and new oak. At present it is more monolithic than the other single vineyard Barbarescos. All of Gaja's 1988 Barbarescos are backward, reserved wines. Even after sitting four days with the corks pulled they exhibited no signs of oxidation. While they should be uncommonly long-lived, I did not see quite the flesh and richness possessed by such vintages as 1985 and 1982.