1996 Borgogno Barolo Riserva with steak-n-cheese

It was the 1996 Barolo riserva from Giacomo Borgogno - one of the oldest and most-respected traditional Barolo producers. Their wines from top vintages can be enjoyed even at 50 years of age. Now a relatively lean wine but with hints of pretty, dried flowers and herbs, this 1996 still needs a few years to develop its full potential. But when paired with rare steak and freshly home-made pesto on top - it turns into a foodie comfort delight!

1996 is considered a good or "classic" vintage for Barolo, and especially in the hands of a traditional producer like Borgogno it means austere, structured, fairly unapproachable, but having all elements that make it elegant and complex with time, without overly lush fruit. 2006 comes to mind. Older vintages aren't easy to find, but WineChateau.com still has some aged Borgogno.

And of course, no other wine transitions from meat to cheese as smoothly as Barolo!
Kudos to chefs Ash and Dan for awesome cookery! Mangiare bene!