Hi guys, Was just browsing about the local wine store today and it got me thinking. What is your go to value Barolo or Brunello? Assuming you like these Italian wines.
Barolo:
Vajra Albe
Vietti Castiglione
Brunello:
Mate (only bottle Iāve been getting under $50)
1 Like
Iād try some Langhe Nebbioloās to get a feel for Barolo/Barbaresco producers. Produttoriās Langhe and Viettiās Perbacco are good starts.
Iād seek out sangioveseās from areas like Chianti and Maremma to see if you like the flavor profile before going down the rabbit hole.
Vajra Albe and Scavino basic for Barolo
Altesino, Argiano, and Piancornello for Brunello.
Always great value and quality on the low end of the price range.
There are lots of great value Brunellos. Talenti, Ciacci Piccolomini, Fanti, Lisini, Caparzo. In good Brunello vintages, there are always lots of good value options in the $30-50 range.
Hi Jeff
Value really depends on what you are looking for. So for instance for Barolo, if itās about getting something thatās a modestly priced wine to see if itās worth pursuing an interest, then Ronās suggestions of good Langhe Nebbiolo wines make sense as a start point that is affordable and doesnāt require many years to see the wine at maturity.
Regards
Ian
1 Like
Il Poggione for Brunello for me.
Recently, Iāve enjoyed Caprili as a value play for Brunello.
If I want value Nebbiolo, I head to Barbaresco
1 Like
For barbaresco I love the ca del Baio autinbej. I was buying it for $20 a couple years ago, not sure where itās at now. A killer deal if even close to that.
For a bit of context, what do you mean by āvalueā? Do you have a financial range?
As a substitute for Brunello, I would go with Rosso di Montalcino. Many of the sangioveses from Maremma (e.g., Morellino di Scansano) are much lighter and fruitier, and Chianti styles vary all over the map, with lots of non-indigenous grapes (e.g., cabernet, merlot) mixed in. The Rosso di Montalcinos from good producers are a much more reliable proxy for Brunello in my experience.
4 Likes
I agree in learning the region, but I was disappointed with some of the Rossoās I drank years ago and have stuck with mostly CCRās in the same price range.
Tre di Berri and Palladino both make good Barolo in that range.
Brunello is much harder for me in the under $50 range. Looking forward to seeing everyone elseās suggestions there.
If I want value, I donāt bother with Barolo. I will go for the lesser appellations or a Produttori for Barbaresco.
In Brunello I often prefer the normals to the riserva as in some houses because of oak treatment. So more in my wheelhouse for the <$50 guideline.
On wine.com Carpazo would be my current rec (2016 is $42 on wine.com). Havenāt had one in a long while but Col dāOrcia 2016 is also in wine.com for under $60). But if you can Ciacci Piccolomini, they are one of my favorites. Altedino can also be found under $50.
Do you like them?
[Serious Question]
and an important one for sure e.g. is this a request for something to ādip the toes in the waterā, that is representative and wonāt break the bank?
This is an interesting read on Rossoās from a guy that posts here on occasion.
For Nebbiolo I would rec the following, all should be under $50 ish.
Roagna Langhe Nebbiolo
Oddero base Barolo
Brovia base Barolo
Burlotto Langhe Mores (Nebb- barbera blend but lovely)
Vietti Castiglione
Baudana Base Barolo
Colla Barbaresco Roncaglie
Fratelli Alessandria San Lorenzo
Sperino Uvaggio
Cogno Cascina Nuova (his least good Barolo IMO, but very good value and very enjoyable nonetheless)
Try picking up past vintage PdB riservas, they are still, even for decent to very good vintages, available for less than current release. The 11s in particular will drink well sooner and I suspect have a wide window of drinking. 08 is very fine and likely not too pricey unless you are looking at the top Crus. 04, 01 are solid. The 06 normale if you pick the correct lot with the Riservas blended in. I love 13s and 14s but may be more expensive than you would want.
Hope that helps
Brovio base barolo and F. Alessandria San Lorenzo are $60 and $65+ respectively. But yes they are good.
In the <$50 price point, I explore. I rarely drink the same bottle more than once or twice, and I value trying different subregions and producers. The expensive bottlings are where I try to limit my purchases to a few producers that I really likeā¦