Ooook.
So you are the best and you get all the wines at the best price. Enjoy
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It has nothing to do with “being the best”. Michael’s post above mine said he pays low $200s. The pricing for Barolo in Italy is already generally pegged to the US market, because the Piedmontese understand where their exports go. I expect you assumed that Americans would find this price a huge bargain, but it’s not really true.
The last time I was in Piedmont I heard a number or complaints from Swiss visitors that the cellar door prices they were being offered were higher than their prices at home.
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We were just discussing about this with a fried who told how he used to visit Rinaldi who had multiple vintages of Barolo available because, for some reason, the wines didn’t sell that well back then - and the Barolos cost the same as their Langhe Nebbiolo today, even if the secondary market prices were already much more expensive back then.
Now it’s virtually impossible to buy any wines straight from Rinaldi just by visiting them, but as my friend now visited several other producers, he was baffled how the wines they were selling seemed to be as expensive as the wines available at the local wine shops. I remember him telling how Elio Sandri’s Perno cellardoor price was 52€ while the same vintage was 55€ at the wine shop in Alba. Some other producer was selling some of their Barolo at prices even higher than the local market price. Things have changed quite considerably.
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This has also been my experience. I wasn’t bragging about getting amazing pricing for Bartolo, there’s just a lot less arbitrage (to use a somewhat unkind word) for Americans on wines in Piedmont than there is on burgundy and (to a lesser extent) champagne and northern Rhone in France.
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I’m sorry if i misunderstood Greg, but what you and Otto are sayng is a normale trade policy for many producers. And many distributors ask to keep the prices in line with their prices as well
No apologies necessary! This is very much not how the market for French wines operates in the US, so it’s a natural assumption to make. I agree that it’s a very fair price for the wine on the list.
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With Langhe transforming towards more of a tourist destination with an eco system of various connected industries, low cellar prices is inevitable becoming a thing of the past…
Italian restaurants have mostly quite modest markups, so that will at least hopefully remain the case in the future for Langhe as well.
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Great thread. lot of good ideas +1 for aged Bartolo Mascarello
a real bucket list trip for me is going to Abruzzo and drinking the “declassified” Valentini Sfuso wines for a few euros from local places
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I’m going to throw a couple out from the same address.
Fattoria Le Pupille Poggio Valente
Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi
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When was visiting regularly in the late 90s and early 2000s, the store prices in Alba were typically the same as the price from the cantine.
Indeed much has changed in that time, from the level of tourism, through the level of interest/hype/trophy hunting and the resultant impact on prices.
When I was visiting Piemonte in the 2010’s, the prices were higher compared to the cellardoor prices. For example PdB was something around 17-18€ at the winery, 23-25€ at the wine shops in Alba and 28-29€ in elsewhere Europe and internet shops.
While the numbers were a bit different for each winery, they usually followed this pattern; you could find the wines at lower prices at the winery compared to the wine shops and usually the online prices were either at the same level or higher than at the local vinotecas.
Of course I might’ve visited the place at a time when such pricing was an aberration.
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I’ve recently been to a few producers where prices were considerably higher than in e.g. Germany
Obviously Soldera has been mentioned which is ethereal and really unlike any wines from Tuscany.
For me, the best regular BdM by far is Poggio di Sotto which rips even in off vintages. Burgundian, dynamic and built to age, they are gorgeous and effeminate. The 2016 at 200 bucks is an absolute steal vs other regions in the world and in 5-10 years will rip. If you can find back vintages, the 2010 regular and riserva are ridiculous as are the 01 and 04.
Barolo has been covered well in the thread, though I actually think there is more label chasing these days there than BdM. I really am not a fan given prices of recent Gaja and Giacosa, but B Mascarello is almost always top class and I really like the wines from Roagna and Scavino with age.
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Looks like there’s a pretty nice restaurant with a large wine list right near where we are staying in Alba. Prices look to be on the reasonable side if not necessarily cheap. I imagine we might find our way here more than once.
Would love any thoughts on what you guys would pick from the Italian wines?!
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The problem with the list is that while it’s fairly comprehensive in terms of producer, it is also on the young side in terms of vintage (speaking only of the Barolo section of the list here).
That said, given the pricing, if I was dining there, I would be checking out some of the Fenocchio wines.
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Perhaps either of the 2008 Sandrones?
Should be approachable now.
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Wow, what a list and prices are very attractive. While young plenty of good 15,16 and 18 options in Barolo. They also have outstanding Barbera selection. So many great wines to choose from across multiple price points.
Chances are some could be shut down so check current CT notes
2016 Vietti Ravera
2015 Vietti Rocche
2016 Scavino Bric del Fiasc or Monvigliero
2016 Oddero Rocche- great price
2014 o2 2012 Massolino Riserva Vigna Rionda- the 12 will probably be drinking the best and might be the wine I would order if I was only picking one.
2016 Cavallotto Bricco- love this wine
2018 F. Alessandria Monvigliero- this was outstanding last year when we tasted during a visit.
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Anything worthwhile to check out on this vintage list? Price don’t seem fabulous, but willing to splurge for something special.
No prices aren’t great, but a rarity like ‘89 Accomasso Rocche could be a worthwhile splurge if sound.
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