And while not Barolo, I popped a 21 Giuseppe Cortese barbaresco over the weekend and flat out loved it. Delicate and perfumed with tons of high toned red fruits. So delicious.
How was that bartolo mascarello?
Last night cracked a 2021 Luigi Baudana Barolo Serralunga d’Alba.
Pure cherry pit, pomegranate and cherry fruit. At the moment it is rather tight and elemental (of course :)) and not as fleshy in the mid as some other 21s that I have consumed. Needs to be left alone which I will do with the rest of the Baudana 21s.
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One of the most open Bartolo’s I have ever had, not in the same league as the Burlotto or Rinaldi, as the Bartolo was the most rustic of the 3, but was quite drinkable. Lighter and more lithe than typical Bartolos, full of floral and tea notes, with the firm yet drinkable tannins. Will this be better in 15 years, yes, but will it be a pleasurable bottle at 190 EUR in a restaurant? Also yes.
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Tom, Massolino’s Classico is still a blend from its vineyards in Serralunga, although the precise identities are not disclosed. A consistent favorite of mine for Barolo Classico. Azelia is another one. Azelia blends grapes from all 7 of their vineyards into their Classico.
And 2023 was a weird, difficult year, so I would expect the wines generally to be atypical, perhaps in part because of what winemakers had to do to cope with what was going on in the vineyards. Here’s what Jancis Robinson has on her website:
A challenging vintage. Late spring and early summer were wet and fungal pressure was high. A heatwave followed with 10 days at more than 40 °C (104 °F) creating issues with sunburn and shrivel. Many vines shut down in the extreme heat, which resulted in the extension of the growing season into late October to try to ripen grapes fully. Alcohols and acid levels are expected to be lower than normal.
The Rabaja? These consistently punch well above their weight.