Rocche dei Manzoni, Bricco Manzoni 1989

Rocche dei Manzoni Bricco Manzoni 1989 is a landmark Langhe red that helped redefine Piemonte in the late 20th century by daring to blend Nebbiolo with Barbera. This mature, cellar‑worthy cuvée showcases how the estate’s innovative approach can deliver a wine that still feels vibrant and intricately layered more than three decades on. From a classic vintage and a prized southwest‑facing single vineyard, this 1989 is now a rare bottle for serious collectors and lovers of aged Italian wine.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 1989 Bricco Manzoni shows a deep, evolved brick‑red core with garnet and orange hues at the rim – a textbook color for a well‑stored, mature Langhe red. The nose is wonderfully complex, opening with dried roses and potpourri before moving into ripe and macerated cherries, forest floor, tobacco leaf, worn leather and a subtle balsamic lift, all framed by sweet spices and a hint of truffle. On the palate, the wine is silky and harmonious, with tannins that have melted into a fine, velvety texture yet still offer gentle backbone. The Nebbiolo brings structure, savory nuance and length, while Barbera contributes juicy, red‑fruited depth and a lively, persistent acidity. Flavors of sour cherry, dried plum and blood orange intermingle with notes of cedar, underbrush, cigar box and earthy spice in a long, layered finish. This bottle is fully mature and in its optimal drinking window; while top examples from 1989 can still hold, further aging is more about preserving its current elegance than gaining additional complexity. Enjoy now to 5 years from now, depending on storage and your preference for tertiary character.

Production
The fruit for Bricco Manzoni 1989 comes from the high‑lying, southwest‑facing Bricco Manzoni vineyard in the Langhe, benefiting from abundant afternoon sun and cooling Alpine breezes. The soils are rich in calcareous marl, a classic Piemontese terroir that naturally limits vigour, concentrates flavor and imbues the wine with marked minerality and aging capacity. Grapes were harvested by hand, with careful selection in the vineyard to ensure only perfectly ripe Nebbiolo and Barbera clusters were used. Each variety was vinified separately in stainless steel, with a long maceration on the skins to extract color, aromatics and fine tannins. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 24 months in small French oak barriques, followed by extended bottle aging before release, allowing the components to knit together and laying the groundwork for decades of graceful development.

Food & Serving
This is a refined, mature Langhe red that shines with classic Piemontese dishes such as braised beef (brasato al Barolo), veal shank, truffle‑topped tajarin, wild mushroom risotto and aged cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano or mature Castelmagno. It also pairs beautifully with game birds, slow‑roasted lamb, or earthy vegetarian dishes featuring porcini, lentils and root vegetables. Serve at 16–18 °C (60–64 °F), and decant gently 2–4 hours before serving to let the wine fully open and to separate it from any natural sediment that has formed over time. Use large Burgundy‑style or generous Bordeaux glasses to highlight its aromatic complexity.

Producer
Rocche dei Manzoni, founded in 1974 by Valentino Migliorini in Monforte d’Alba, has long been considered one of the pioneering estates of the modern era in Piemonte. The winery was among the first in the region to experiment seriously with French oak barriques and innovative blends, bringing together Nebbiolo and Barbera in cuvées like Bricco Manzoni at a time when such wines were something of a revolution in Langhe. Over the decades, Rocche dei Manzoni has helped shape the conversation around high‑quality, terroir‑driven yet forward‑thinking Piemontese reds, earning critical acclaim and a loyal following among collectors. Today, the estate is recognized as a benchmark producer in Monforte d’Alba, known for combining traditional vineyard practices with a precise, quality‑focused cellar to craft long‑lived wines of character and finesse.

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