I’d like to learn more about Barolo. Any input as to what online stores to look to for either older vintages or 2010’s would be much appreciated.
Vietti Barolo Castiglione is a perennial favorite for me. Consistently well made and reasonably priced at around $40.
Winelibrary.com has a great selection of Barolo. Ian Dorin from the store is both a forum member and a stand up guy. I have ordered countless wines from them with nothing but good experiences.
When you say you want to learn, are you just talking about where to find it? If so, you would probably do better by using winesearcher than looking for a store that specializes in Italian wines, because you may pay considerably more; one in particular comes to mind. But to use winesearcher, you have to know the producer that you’re looking for.
If by learn you mean that you are really starting from scratch, then you need to find producers who meet your style of winemaking preference and your price point requirements. There has been a real dirth of contemporary books regarding Barolo, but one has just been released. You can check it out here: Finally A New Book About Barolo And Barbaresco - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
R., thanks for the site. I have used them and may reach out to Ian. Michael, book ordered. Thanks for the advice. And yes, I am more or less starting from scratch. I feel like I should be taking advantage of the 2010 vintage but realize I don’t know what I am doing yet. I got lucky years ago with OR pinot when the first year I really bought was 2002 which turned out really well. I can appreciate that it was more luck than skill. Its probably also a bit of panic going on since I read about how long it takes some Barolo to hits its prime and it worries me as a 47 year old.
Since you’re near DC, there should be tastings you can go to. Barolo is quite diverse, so you need to try a bunch. MacArthur used to be very good in Italian wines, but I haven’t been there recently.
There have been a string of very good to excellent vintages since 2004. You’ll hear 2005 and 2007 as being warmer vintages, making the wines more accessible sooner. 2006 and 2008 are more structured and should age well. I’ll defer on 2009 other than to say that it’s been described as a hot vintage and choices should be made carefully. And while 2010 is being described as a really great year, a lot of the wines are going to take considerable time to be ready and prices are significantly increasing.
Ken, I bought a mixed case of Barolo and Barberesco from MacArthur’s. Great store. Sadly, its really hard for me to get to tastings with two young children.
Thanks for the input Michael. I started as a pinot fan and have been branching out the past several years. I’ve been moving more towards the less fruit forward wines over time. While the really high end Barolo producers are quite expensive, it still seems like you can get some great wines in the $50-$100 range which seems more difficult in some other regions. Thats a comfortable price point for some bottles that I can grow old with and enjoy their maturation. Maybe there is also a fear that what seems to me to be some significant price creep in Burgundy and Bordeaux will make its way to some of the Italian regions. I missed the boat on those so maybe I’m just hoping to get ahead of the game with Barolo so I can have some great (and unaffordable in ten years or so) wines to share with my kids. I also think I will be able to spend more time in Italy with family so it just seems like a good fit.
Elio Grasso has been firing on all cylinders and might be a good place for you to start in the price range that you mentioned.
First, I understand how hard it can be with the kids, but honestly your best bet is to get out to some tastings of older Barolo. What it comes down to, is that you need to learn what the style is that you really like. When I started, there was a lot of trial and error, because I was doing it all on my own. It was only when I started tasting a number of different styles against each other that I developed my own taste for it.
Now, if that not possible, then my next suggestion is to do what I did and start to buy some aged stuff from trusted retailers. Rare Wine Company and Chambers Street Wines are a great place to start. Don’t buy new release, because it’s just going to confuse you at this early time. Buy some stuff from '96, '98, '99 and open the bottles early in the day (morning) for drinking with dinner. This will give you a better idea of what to expect without paying prices for vintages like '90 and '89.
Lastly, just as you did here, ask as many questions as you like in a forum like this. We are all committed to our beloved regions and guys like me and Ken, love to share our experience in hope of helping someone on the same path we’ve found ourselves on.
One more thing, if you ever do make it to NYC, let us know–we’ll find a way to set up a tasting while you’re here.
Listen to the recommendations of the posters - purchase 4-6 bottles each of the best values from the best producers, start tasting them at ten years of age, and you are set -
Ive been buying paolo scavino for a few years now. Never had any borolo but they sound right up my ally. Cant wait to try them in about ten years.
James,
What did you get at Bassins. I am more of a Barolo dabbler than an expert but two producers I have liked are Marcarini and Produtori.
For an expert check out Eric Guido on this board
Howard,
I did exactly what I wasn’t supposed to do. We opened a few bottles then I put the rest in the mess that is my cellar. Will dig it out tomorrow and pull the corks as instructed by Tim. I will look into Marcarini and Produtori.
Eric,
Thanks for the sage advice. I will suck it up and buy some older bottles and invite over some friends.
Thanks all. Much appreciated. Looking forward to the book arriving and buying some older bottles. And of course, I won’t be able to help myself from buying some '10’s. If I get ones that I end up not liking but that hold their value, I can always swap them out for something I like or give them as gifts.
The 2010 vintage is one of greatest vintages in the last 20-25 years. Do yourself a favor and buy some of the wines. Tim is very good with Piedmont wines. Since you are new to Barolo I will offer you a seat at a dinner on Oct 21st. Hosted by Domenico Clerico. We will taste 2010 Barolo Pajana and Ciabot Mentin. Let me know ASAP.
2010 G. D. Vajra Barolo Albe is one you should seek out. Mid to upper $30s.
Gary,
Is the dinner in Richmond? I might be able to do a weeknight dinner but probably can’t travel too far. Thanks for the recommendation.
James
Yes, in Richmond.
Gary, good to see you posting!
James, that’s a great invitation. Don’t know if you’ve followed any of Gary’s posts or looked at his wine list, but you should do everything you can to attend. If I’m ever in the neighborhood I will be heading to the Enoteca, no doubt about it.
FWIW, I concur on Ryan’s Vietti Cast. recommendation. Happened to see a bottle, so picked it up to try it. Very nice at about $40. And although I don’t have a great deal of experience with Barolo, I’ve really enjoyed the Vajra wines.
Re: where to source older Barolo: I’m not sure how competitive their prices are but Chambers Street Wines is a fantastic retailer and they have bottles of and knowledge about older Barolo and Nebbiolo, in general.
Dennis:
I’ve also doing reconnaissance in Barolo (and Barbaresco) over the past half-year or so. You have a good ‘expert panel’ lined up here already, thanks go the generous spirit of the board members in this niche. In D.C., as you’ve discovered, McArthur’s Italian department is well-reputed and a pleasure to work with. For older Barolos, don’t overlook Jamie Wolfe at Chambers Street Wines, in NY, who offers knowledge and - often - an unusually good selection of older wines.
Let us know how you like the book.
By the way, I’m in the general area (Southeast in VA), if you want to go walkabout together at Gary’s enoteca in Richmond some time - I gather it’s something of a regional Mecca for these wines.
Best.