1996 Revello Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata

Slow-o for 2 hours and then decant.  Good intensity up front and nice aromatics.  Nice depth of cherry fruit laced with hints of kirsch ... balanced gravity.  This is a good wine showing the pedigree of Annunziata. However, as the evening progressed we didn't see the momentum develop perhaps indicating that it's on the far side of the drinking window (at least for this particular bottle).

Like all good Barolo, this is a contemplative wine with enough facets to make it interesting, just not stellar.   The tannins seem to have mellowed a bit too much.  Overall, compared to the recent showstoppers from 2003 (Conterno CF) and 2004 (Borgogno Riserva Pinin), this '96 was less vibrant and fresh.  The younger ones exhibited more complexity.

It did pair very well with grilled bone-in ribeye steaks :-)