Vendemmia means vintage. Riserva speciale means that the wine was
probably aged 6 years before bottling.
http://www.epicurious.com/drinking/wine_dictionary/entry?id=7751
1971 is considered to have been a great vintage:
http://www.winereviewonline.com/barolo_barbaresco.cfm
The descriptions of the wines on this site suggests much them same,
the last one mentioned being a 1971 vintage. An earlier vintage was
considered past its prime, but that does not have to mean that a
finely made wine that has been properly kept over the decades is also
past its prime, but even great wines don't keep forever.
http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=1182
Here is a site with a description of a similar 1971 wine. Something
is definitely lost in the automatic translation, but it seems quite
complementary:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.acquabuona.it/dettagli/annosei/granbussia.shtml
Scroll down on this site for a description of Poderi Aldo Conterno:
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Feature_Basic_Template/0,2344,686,00.html
And here is the vinyard's website:
http://www.poderialdoconterno.com/gb/i_vini.htm
You can click on the bottles for descriptions of current production details.
This auction site (from when?) may give you some idea of prices for older wines:
http://www.gagliardo.it/asta/testi/lista.html
Note: the lots are for differing numbers of bottles. The first
amount is the opening price and the second, the one sold for.
It seems that you have a bottle of very fine wine, but even if you
know that it has been properly stored over the years, there is no
guaranty that it is still as good as its name - or as good as it once
was.
There are wine auctioneers that will sell your bottle, no doubt, but
you should not expect to receive a remarkable price for it (also minus
expenses).
Personally, I would drink it now on an appropriate occasion with
appreciative friends, having something else ready in case it turns out
to be disappointing.
To really appreciate it (hoping it will be great), one should serve a
similar, lesser/younger wine first, thus allowing one to recognize the
difference.
An experienced wine salesman recommended to me to decant a very old
red wine and serve it within an hour or two. Longer exposure to the
air could let it oxidize past its present optimum.
Good luck! |
