What are your thoughts on this wine-maker and Barolo.
A local place is selling some older ones - 94’ 98’ 01’ under $50 per bottle. (big n big, la roul and the basic)
I’ve had experince with this wine makers Quatr Nas and Pinot Nero and found them very backward (these were 99’ and 00’) and only opened up after a day or two in bottle. Both bottles were heavy on the oak treatment, which worries me.
Thoughts, advice - should I buy and decant?
And as an add-in - this is a Robert Chadderdon import and have noticed a lot of his wines becoming available. They used to hard to find, but they seem to be popping up in quirky places. What are your thoughts on his portfolio? Safe buy?
I had the 99 Santo Stefano last weekend. It’s a very nice wine – fairly fleshy and very oaky, but the oak is nicely integrated. Totally modern in style, but well done. The drawback, if you lean toward traditionally styled Barolo, is that you could mistake this for a Super Tuscan or a Ribero del Duero, I think. Not much nebbiolo character there. But it was very popular at the dinner where I served it.
Thanks John. Hmmm. The super Tuscan/Ribera comment is worrisome. I imagine it was good and enjoyable, but am looking for more traditional type Barrolo’s. My gut is this producers wines need a lot of time to come around. Did you feel it was at an optimal drinking window or could improve with age?
I would generally agree with John, with the caveat that some of these wines have had an uncanny ability to integrate their oak over time. Time being 20 or more years. When young these are relatively rich, plush, oaky red wines, and there is an argument to be made that the wines that makes it into barrique today is not the wine that made it into barrique in 78 or 82 and subsequently blossomed so beautifully.
Of what you have access to 94 is particularly weak, the 98s are better but it was an irregular vintage., while the 01 is a very fine vintage.
Galloni loved the 2001 Manzoni Vigna d’la Roul, didn’t he give it 95 pts?
I’ve never had it, but a friend who loves traditional barolo said this is a great wine and that the 1978 is just rounding into form! So, I bought a few bottles last year figuring $45 for an ex-chateau 10-yr old, 95-pt Barolo is hard to beat (even if it needs 20 years to peak!).
I scored some of the 2001s from SFWTC at $30/btl last year, my guess is that they’ve parted ways with Chadderdon. The 1996 Bricco Manzoni was $20 and is drinking quite well. All the remarks about oak are spot on, but the '96 was not as overtly oaky as the others.
I figure on sitting on them for a while, but at $30 per I could not resist picking some up.
I’m definitely in the traditonalist camp, but this was a nice, balanced wine, and I think it will be better in 5 to 10 years. The oak was prominent, but also balanced with the fruit. It was potent enough to mask the varietal characteristics, but I respected this wine a lot. This is not a case of over-oaking and over-extraction.
Chadderdon is in the process of retiring and folding tents, so a lot of producers he imported are either with different importers now (a la Huet to RWC) or it seems they are in the process of putting older stocks on the market while Chadderdon’s connections in the U.S. are still good. Rocche dei Manzoni in particular seems to keep a good library, and I have bought more classic vintages like 96 when offered. My Barolo customers who purchased and opened the 96 were quite happy. I bought a few for myself, but am waiting for age 20 or so.
Thanks for clarifying. I’m apt to buy a variety of these. I think the producer is solid and has a long track record, so probably worth picking some up. The Quatr Nas is a very nice wine. Also, the Pinot Nero was very unique and I enjoyed. One of the oakiest pinots upon first opening and then after giving plenty of air was downright incredible. I have one left from 2000 and am waiting for some other wine geeks to share this with
Gregory - thanks for the vintage advice - I think I’ll steer away from the 94’ - good to know.
