Enzo tried using native yeasts for several years, and didn’t like the results as much as using cultivated yeast, so he switched back, rationally enough. As long as people aren’t using yeast to add flavors, I have absolutely no objection to it.
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I can’t remember the name of the person I met, but it was definitely “grandpa.” He was quite a character and took the chill off bottles in front of a huge fireplace.
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Hi Chris- for what it’s worth my favorites are
Burlotto- have loved 18-20 and just purchased the 21
Elvio Cogno Montegrilli- the 22 is sublime
Vietti Perbaco
Cavallotto
F Alessandria
I need to try Oddero, Trediberri and some others.
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I had a very good 2019 Elio Sandri last night. And Vajra goes without saying.
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Vajra might be the best value out there. The Sandi is getting up there towards Classico pricing. Did you detect a lot of oak in the 19 ? I did on the 18.
Oak? No, I didn’t. Sandri uses old botti. BTW, Sandri is still less expensive than Cavallotto.
Add Roagna
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Off the top of my head, I like the LNs from:
Produttori
Roagna (pricey now though)
F. Alessandra
Ca’ Nova
Vajra
E. Grasso
Cavalotto
G. Negri
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I like the Tredoberri okay but it definitely struck me as a light and simple style. Fresh, but borderline anonymous.
Yep, i meant Sandrone Nebb Alba, wrong producer. Will have to try the Sandi.
Yes, have only had the 16 and it was excellent but based on price I tend to compare it to Barolo normale when making purchases.
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Do you and Chris mean Elio Sandri?
I looked up Sandi but didn’t see anything.
I believe he does and that’s what i realized. Sandri very classical producer but have not had the wines. Very different from Sandrone.
Interestingly, Kevin O’Keefe says not to decant Barolo, but Wine Enthusiast says it is a “strong candidate” for decanting.
Yep. Typo on my part.
For those who have had the Elvio Cogno Montegrilli, since it only sees stainless steel, how does it show compared to the typical usage of botti? I see some 2019 available for around $28.
Kerin is the more accurate imo. Her point is not that the wine doesn’t change with air, but that she wants to experience the evolution. Decanting means risking missing out on a ton of its flavors and aromas.
As I see it
Decanting for aeration - you risk a lot with mature Nebbiolo. I think it depends on the age though. I no longer decant Nebbiolo from 1970s or older. Ideally, I won’t not decant younger Nebbiolo as well, but I am much less finicky about it, and if I am short on time at a restaurant, I will decant if I think it will be consumed before it even gets to its ‘peak’.
Many older Nebbiolo will change for much longer than 4 hours of air. A few months back I had a 1967 Prunotto Barolo Riserva Bussia di Monforte d’Alba. It was opened and gradually consumed between hour 6 to 9 alongside the standard 1967 Prunotto Barolo Riserva. Neither were finished that night, and on day 2, the Bussia had improved significantly, while the standard Riserva had declined slightly.
As for decanting for sediment, if the bottle will be moved around or poured by others, decanting for sediment becomes much more important. If you are sitting with the wine yourself, and you can prevent sediment from stirring about in the wine, I think you can do as she says, and simply not pour the last bit. I often decant for sediment, even older Nebbiolo, but I do so quickly, and I do not swirl the wine around in the decanter.
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Many good replies and top info here already. I would also add that its relevant to understand the different zones within Barolo. Some areas have sandier soil/less clay and vice versa, some vineyards are 250 metres ASL and some 500 ASL. All the variables contribute to different wine profiles.
Try to find a few from each ‘zone’ and compare them before buying a ton of wine. As a generalisation, the areas further West, La Morra Verduno Novello, show more red fruit and are often earlier drinking types, whereas go to the East, Serralunga, Baudana, you have darker broodier more tannic wines. These are often the ones that need a longer time to mature. The areas in between, such as Barolo, Castiglione Faletto, perhaps unsurprisingly, seem to fall inbetween these two profiles.
When i started buying Barolo I bought many classic wines from Serralunga and Monforte. Whilst they will be wonderful when the time is right, I regret not buying some fresher and earlier maturing wines from La Morra in those early days. Personally i really appreciate the western zones for summer drinking and prefer the tannic brutes of the eastern zones at winter with wild meats, roasts…
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Useful insight Alex 
I’ll also mention that La Morra esp. Annunziata, was something of an epicentre for the emergence of the modernist movement, with the likes of Elio Altare, Roberto Voerzio and Fratelli Revello, and plenty of others who were / are modernist leaning. There are a number of traditional producers there, not least Accomasso, but it definitely seems to still lean more modernist than other villages.
Hi Chris- I’ve only had the 22 recently in NY. It is a beautiful wine. I was really surprised by how lightweight and transparent it was. It picked up a bit of weight in the glass but never lost that overall impression. I was super impressed. It reminded me a bit of Burlotto but even a bit lighter in weight. Looks like I bought the 19 from the same retailer you may be looking at. I completly forgot about that until your note prompted me to check CT.
I have the 21 on tap for this weekend and will circle back.
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