One of the tastings I arranged last year. I had a bunch of Barolo from the terrific vintages 2013 and 2016 and I wanted to see how they were coming up, so I decided to build a tasting around the theme.
So the core of this tasting was a 4 vs. 4 tasting of 2013 and 2016, but I also had a “pick the odd one out” blind of 2013s as a starter and finally filling the remainder with a small handful of a few other young vintages.
But, as if these wines were not going to be enough, a bunch of attendees brought some extra blinds with them. We had three of these before the tasting and another three afterwards.
Anything I learned from tasting these Barolos? Well, firstly, most of these 2016s and 2013s are just way too darn young at the moment. I love high acidity and grippy tannins, but some of these wines were just ridiculously tough - up to the point of being aggressive and forbidding. But, hey, that’s what you get when you are drinking traditionalist Barolo way too early! Unsurprisingly, most of these wines feel like they are really built for the long haul - they are still a decade or two away from their plateau of maturity and they will keep for ages. Lots of promise here.
And that one 2017 only consolidated my view that this vintage isn’t really my cuppa.
Finally, I was baffled how so many bottles were either corked or premoxed. Trying to find the odd one out from three blinds turned into a game of checking which bottle is drinkable! 
Fortunately all the 2013s and 2016s were in great shape.
The three random blinds
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2018 Roagna Langhe Bianco - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (29.10.2022)
A blend of Chardonnay (90-95%) and Nebbiolo vinified without the skins (5-10%). 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful yellow-green color. Aromas of mealy apple and some hay, a little bit of wild waxy funk, light nectarine-driven notes of yellow stone fruits, a hint of creamy richness, a sweet touch of volatile lift and a whiff of ripe banana. The wine is broad, ripe and full-bodied on the palate with slightly sauvage flavors of waxy richness and ripe apricots, some slightly bitter notes of chalky minerality and pithy grapefruit, light creamy tones, a hint of mealy yellow apple and a touch of banana. At first the wine feels quite soft and round, only medium in acidity, but the acidity comes in on the backbeat, granting the wine better sense of freshness and structure with a little bit of delay. The finish is lively, somewhat wild and maybe a bit dull with flavors of waxy funk, some woolly tones, a little bit of mealy apple, light bitter nuances of pithy grapefruit and a touch of herbs.
A quite nice, characterful and even slightly wild Langhe white. The overall feel is quite broad and round; even though the acidity ultimately seems somewhat higher than it initially feels like, the wine could still use a bit more freshness and precision. This is a nice and enjoyable wine, but I could use a bit more freshness and less breadth.
(87 points) -
2020 Blomidon Estate Winery Baco Noir - Canada, Nova Scotia, Annapolis Valley (29.10.2022)
100% Baco Noir from Nova Scotia, aged in American oak barrels. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, inky purplish-black and fully opaque color. The nose feels youthful, sweet and primary with aromas of blueberries and juicy blackcurrants, some vanilla tones, a little bit of allspice, light sweet notes of clove-driven Christmas spices, a hint of crunchy lingonberry and a touch of savory wood. The wine is sappy, juicy and slightly green on the palate with a medium body and very youthful flavors of tart lingonberries and crowberries, some bilberry tones, a little bit of herbaceous leafy character, light oaky notes of vanilla and cloves, a hint of dark brambly fruit and a touch of savory wood. The wine is noticeably high in acidity with very silky, light tannins. There's still a somewhat austere streak of bitterness, perhaps an unintegrated note of oak tannins? The finish is youthful, tart and somewhat lean with a rather long aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sweet notes of cloves and vanilla, a little bit of leafy greenness, light juicy notes of ripe blackcurrants and a sweet hint of toasty oak spice.
A ripe yet somewhat lean, high-strung and rather awkward Canadian red that suffers from both borderline under-ripe greenness and excessive use of sweet, obfuscating oak character. The wine feels both herbaceous and sweet at the same time, which makes it feel both contradictory and quite unpleasant. Although thoroughly drinkable and structurally pretty balanced with quite nice, fresh acidity, this is aromatically completely out of my wheelhouse. Although the wine might become more balanced and interesting with some aging, in the hopes the wine would lose some of its sweetness as the primary fruit notes disappear, I still doubt this is ever going to be a particularly balanced or interesting a wine.
(80 points) -
2009 Clos de Trias Ventoux - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ventoux (29.10.2022)
A blend of Grenache (80%), Syrah (5%), Carignan (5%) and Cinsaut (5%). Labeled as Clos de T. due to problems with a local co-operative that produces a wine called Terre de Trias - the wine is labeled as "Clos de T." for the French market and "Clos de Trias" for the export market. The wine is made by a Norwegian-Coloradan Even Bakke, who took over the 80-yo vineyards in 2007 and started farming them organically. The wines are made in a hands-off approach, fermented spontaneously, aged for several years in old foudres and concrete tanks and bottled unfined, unfiltered and with a minimal dose of SO2. 15% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dark, brooding and almost fully opaque reddish-maroon color with a rusty, evolved hue. The nose feels rather old and somewhat tertiary with sunny aromas of wizened red fruits, some raisiny tones, a little bit of old dry leather, light lifted notes of ethery VA, a hint of licorice root, a touch of ripe blackberry and an odd green whiff of herbaceous leafy character. The wine is broad, juicy and rather solar on the palate with a full body and juicy flavors of raisins, wizened blackcurrants and some prunes, a little bit of meaty umami, light earthy notes, a hint of leafy greenness and a touch of ripe blackberries. The structure relies more on the extracted, assertive tannins than on the soft medium acidity. The finish is juicy, moderately warm and rather tannic with quite tertiary flavors of raisins, some prunes, a little bit of meaty umami, light meaty tones, a hint of blackberry jam and a green touch of birch leaves.
A decent, powerful and surprisingly tough and tannic Southern Rhône red. The wine does suffer a bit from the hot vintage, resulting in a rather alcoholic wine with quite modest acidity, but based on the intensity and purity of fruit, I certainly think this could be a lovely wine in a cooler vintage. This particular wine didn't impress me much - I prefer wines with more acidity and less alcohol, and the slightly odd, leafy overtones didn't help much either - but I might still need to remember the producer's name if I happened to come across a cooler vintage of the same wine. I'd say this 2009 won't benefit from any additional aging and is best drunk sooner rather than later.
(86 points)
Pick the odd one out (2 x 2013 Barbaresco, 1 x 2013 Barolo)
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2013 Bersano Barbaresco Mantico - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (29.10.2022)
Aged for 12 months in large botti casks. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark and only slightly translucent cherry red color. The nose feels dull, dusty and quite earthy with vague cherry nuances in somewhere in the background. The wine is dull, dry and rather heavily bitter on the palate with understated flavors of sour cherries, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of dusty attic and light metallic notes. The wine is high in acidity with tough, grippy tannins. The finish is dull, dusty and short with a hard, tannic aftertaste of dusty earth, attic and sour cherries.
A slightly corked bottle. There are no obvious TCA notes apart from those dusty nuances, but there is very little to no fruit remaining and the wine is stripped of all flavor. This is basically a tough, tannic skeleton of a wine.
(NR/flawed) -
2013 Roberto Sarotto Barbaresco Riserva - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (29.10.2022)
The producer website does not say anything about the winemaking for this wine, but their Barbaresco Currà Riserva sees 10 days of maceration followed by 2 months of aging in stainless steel, 15 months in oak casks, blending together, 6 months of marrying in stainless steel and finally another 6 months in bottles before release. I guess this wine must be vinified somewhat similarly. 14% alcohol, 3 g/l residual sugar, 5,2 g/l acidity.
Somewhat translucent and slightly evolved pomegranate red color. The nose feels quite polished and sweet-toned with aromas of marmaladey cherry, some vanilla oak, a little bit of strawberry jam, light oaky notes of mocha and cloves, a hint of pipe tobacco and an evolved touch of leather. The wine feels ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with a rather full body and somewhat brooding flavors of sweet black cherries, some oaky notes of vanilla and cloves, a little bit of strawberry, light peppery tones and a toasty touch of mocha. The acidity feels moderately high and the ample tannins come across as gentle and silky smooth, contributing a little bit to the firmness and more to the lush texture of the wine. The finish is juicy, somewhat warm and quite sweet-toned with lush flavors of vanilla, some ripe strawberry tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light spicy notes of cloves and savory wood, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of tobacco.
I had hoped age might've turned this wine into something more interesting, but it seems obvious that three years did really nothing to this wine. The overall style might be ever so slightly more evolved than when I tasted this wine last time 3½ years ago, but the style is still rather soft, polished and anonymous for a Barbaresco. I find it really weird how people say this is tough and tannic, because in my books this is not just a very soft and mellow effort for a Nebbiolo, but also quite easy for a normal red wine. In our tasting of a dozen or so Nebbiolos, this had by far the softest tannins, only emphasizing the sweet, crowdpleasing quality of the fruit. This might get better with enough aging, but most likely the wine needs another decade of aging before all that toasty oak disappears. Many people in the tasting seemed to like the wine, but to me, this is a simple, polished and easy Barbaresco that most likely caters to people who find traditional Nebbiolos too dry and tough, but comes across as quite anonymous to me. For a modern, polished wine the wine might show quite good value at 23,09€, but as the wine isn't made in a style I enjoy, this will be a hard pass in the future.
(87 points) -
2013 Collina Del Sole Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Luminous and moderately translucent rusty-red color with an aged mahogany hue. The nose feels pungent, old and rather raisiny with aromas of sharp, nutty rancio, some pruney tones, a little bit of sweet VA, light soy sauce nuances and a hint of cherry marmalade. The wine is dry, touch and quite full-bodied on the palate with aged, tertiary flavors of sour cherries and wizened cranberries, some oxidative notes of soy sauce and rancio, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light pruney nuances, a hint of beef jerky and a lifted touch of sweet VA. The wine is high in acidity with ample, grippy tannins.
For some reason this wine had oxidized prematurely and was on its way down. I have hard time believing a 9-year Barolo should be this much past its peak and turning oxidative - especially when it is so impressively structured. Most likely we just had a dud bottle with a cork that had permitted some oxygen into the wine. The bottle cost 33,90€.
(NR/flawed)
The two random vintages
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2017 Fratelli Serio and Battista Borgogno Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
100% Nebbiolo, sourced mainly from Novello. Macerated with the skins in oak vats for 2-3 weeks, depending on the vintage. Aged in 2500-to-5000-liter Garbellotto oak botti. 14% alcohol.
Moderately translucent raspberry-red color with a deeper blood-red core. The nose feels somewhat sweet-toned but also slightly reticent with sunny aromas of black cherries, some red-toned marmaladey notes, a little bit of juicy strawberry, light red licorice nuances and a hint of dried flowers. The wine is broad and ripe yet dry on the palate with a full body and somewhat tough, clumsy overall feel. There are flavors of sour cherries, some austere earthy notes, a little bit of extracted sour cherry bitterness, light gravelly mineral notes, a hint of old leather and a touch of licorice root. The fruit department feels very muted and understated, letting the assertive, tightly-knit structure and savory, earthy non-fruit flavors take the lead. The wine is moderately high in acidity with quite tough and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dry, tough and austere with noticeably grippy tannins and a medium-long aftertaste of earth, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light leathery nuances and a sweeter hint of marmaladey red fruit.
This felt like a very tough, unbalanced and awkward Barolo that was all about astringency, bitterness and non-fruit flavors. Seeing how 2017 was a hot and dry vintage and in many parts the grapes were very small and thick-skinned with very low juice-to-pulp ratio, it feels as though this wine didn't have enough stuffing to fill out the structure. At least for the moment drinking this wine is as fun as chewing on old leather boots - and this comes from a person who loves Nebbiolos, Sagrantinos, Tannat wines and all kinds of tough and noticeably tannic wines! However, as the wine is still super young - merely 5 years old, which is not much for a Barolo - I'm willing to give this wine the benefit of the doubt. It might just be that the bottle was opened way too early and the wine will flesh out much better as its tough tannic structure resolved with age. I'm not holding my breath, but I still have one bottle left in my cellar, so maybe we'll see how things turn out. I wouldn't say the wine was worth the price at 26€, but at least it was very affordable for a Barolo.
(83 points) -
2015 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
Normally the grapes are sourced from three vineyards: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. However, since this is an inexpensive Albe purchased from Systembolaget, I suspect it has seen quite a bit of purchased fruit as well. The maceration is carried over during the fermentation, which normally takes 25-40 days. Aged for 30 months in 5000-7500-liter Slavonian oak botti casks. 14% alcohol.
Moderately translucent and quite pale blood-red color. Somewhat dull, dusty and earthy nose with very little if any fruit, just some vague metallic nuances. The wine feels ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and quite full-bodied but also rather dull on the palate with understated flavors of dusty earth, some licorice root, light medicinal nuances and juicy nuances of red-toned fruits. The wine is high in acidity and as the fruit department feels completely muted, the tough and aggressive tannins are very much to the fore, making the wine feel very grippy. The finish is dull, understated and somewhat dusty with a short, earthy aftertaste and no fruit flavors to speak of.
A mildly corked bottle. The wine is sort of drinkable, because there are no notably unpleasant aromas or flavors - however, as the wine is merely a shadow of what it should be, it really doesn't offer much consolation. Unfortunately this bottle was 24,80€ down the drain.
(NR/flawed)
The 2016s
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2016 Marcarini Barolo Del Comune di La Morra - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
100% Nebbiolo sourced from multiple vineyards planted between 1978 and 2001 in the township of La Morra. Macerated with the skins for around 4 weeks. Aged for a minimum of two years in stainless steel tanks and Slavonian oak botti. 14% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent cherry-red color with a faint rusty-maroon hue. The nose feels somewhat restrained but also very attractive with perfumed aromas of fresh red cherries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of pine tar, light juicy notes of dark berries, a hint of fragrant, savory spices and a touch of tobacco. The wine feels dry, maybe very slightly sweet-toned yet still quite tough on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of fresh dark berries, rather pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some wild strawberry tones, a little bit of sour dark plum, light earthy nuances, a hint of tar and a faint touch of savory old wood. The wine is high in acidity, but it feels its tannins are more unresolved and bitter-tasting than aggressively astringent at the moment - but that is not to say this wine wasn't tannic, because it still packs a healthy amount of tannic grip as well. The finish is juicy, long and moderately grippy with a dry aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness, some earthy tones, a little bit of sour red plum, light gravelly mineral nuances, a hint of tart lingonberry and a faint touch of Play-Doh or something.
A sophisticated, enjoyably tough and unapologetic young Barolo. The overall feel is still quite austere and the fruit department is somewhat masked away by the structure, but you can taste the style here is pretty much on point with quite a bit of stuffing and nothing in excess. Although this wine represents "only" the entry level of Marcarini Barolo range, this is nevertheless a very serious and quite complete wine that is just way too young for consumption. Sure, it is drinkable now - especially if paired with some hearty fare - but it's obvious that the wine doesn't show much of its full potential at the moment. I'd let the wine wait for at least another 10 years or so, but I can see it keeping just fine for several decades more. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages. A great purchase at 33,50€.
(90 points) -
2016 Ferdinando Principiano Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
100% Nebbiolo from organically farmed vineyards in Serralung d'Alba. The grapes are crushed in whole bunches by foot and then fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, macerated with the skins for a month and then aged for two years in large Slavonian oak botti. A small dose of SO2 is added only after MLF is finished. 13,5% alcohol.
Moderately deep and somewhat translucent dark ruby red color. Sweet and subtly lifted nose with quite intense aromas of juicy red cherries, some fresh redcurrants, a little bit of wild strawberry, light volatile notes of nail polish, a perfumed hint of wild flowers and a mineral touch of sun-heated rocks. The wine is juicy, clean and surprisingly airy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of red cherries, some fresh and tart red plums, a little bit of strawberry, light sweeter nuances of raspberry jam, a floral hint of rose petals and a lifted touch of ethery VA. The wine is firm yet wonderfully silky in texture, thanks to its rather high acidity and ample yet ripe and quite gentle medium tannins. The finish is clean, ripe and juicy with relatively modest tannic grip and a vibrant aftertaste of cherries and sweet black raspberries, some sunny notes of dark plums, light lifted notes of ethery VA, a little bit of rocky minerality and a floral hint of roses.
A youthful but very harmonious and accessible Barolo that is obviously cut from a different cloth than most of the contemporary, tough and structure-driven Barolos. Stylistically this is very old-school, made with long maceration times and aged in large oak casks that don't impart any wood flavors, but you can really see the producer is not aiming for maximum flavor concentration or extraction. Instead the overall feel is very airy and delicate, yet not at all dilute or underwhelming - after all we tasted this wine among a dozen other Barolos and Barbarescos, and it performed really well among its peer, even if the style was somewhat different from the others. Although the wine is not as tough and structured as many Barolos, I still feel this wine has no problems in aging for many, many years more. At the moment the wine is still very youthful and it feels like it will keep on aging and improving for a long time, even if it is drinking mighty well right now. A great purchase at 36€.
(92 points) -
2016 Vietti Barolo Castiglione - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
100% Nebbiolo made with fruit sourced from all the Barolo Crus in which Vietti has holdings, vineyard ages ranging from 9 to 42 years. All the Crus are vinified separately. Aged for approximately 30 months in a combination of barriques and botti casks. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep, translucent cherry-red color with a faint rusty hue. The nose feels fragrant with seductive red-toned aromas of cherries and wild strawberries, some ripe red currant tones, a little bit of licorice, light tobacco notes, a brooding hint of dark-toned oak spice, a touch of asphalt and a whiff of pine tar. The wine is dry, firm and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of cranberries and sour cherries, some rough gravelly tones, a little bit of tobacco, light notes of asphalt, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of wild strawberry. Although the tannins feel quite ample, the structure relies more on the high acidity - the tannins seem quite ripe and relatively gentle, contributing more to the texture and lending a slightly bitter edge to the taste rather than making the wine feel particularly tough and grippy. The finish is dry, firm and gets rather grippy as the tannins coat and dry the gums. The aftertaste feels dry and long with flavors of sour cherries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tobacco, light cranberry nuances, a hint of earth and a sanguine touch of iron.
Although the wine isn't forbidding and austere, the overall feel is still quite tough and tightly-knit, offering more aging potential than immediate enjoyment. Despite the faint woody undertones, the overall feel is still wonderfully traditional here - the wine is unapologetically dry and structure-driven with great emphasis on classic Nebbiolo aromatics and savory non-fruit flavors. The wine might be wonderfully perfumed right now, but otherwise I really don't feel the wine is going to offer its best anytime soon. My score might be on the conservative side for the moment, but I have no doubts this excellent vintage will improve greatly as the wine ages. For those who think Vietti is on the modern side of things when it comes to Barolo - no need to afraid; this is a stern, classically styled wine that is going to age wonderfully for years, if not decades. Priced according to its quality at 48€.
(91 points) -
2016 Elio Sandri Barolo Perno - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
100% organically farmed Nebbiolo from the Perno township in Monforte d'Alba. Fermented spontaneously in oak fermentors, aged for at least two years in old botti casks. Bottled unfiltered. 14% alcohol.
Luminous, translucent and quite deep garnet color with brick-red highlights. The nose feels juicy, fine-tuned and ever-so-slightly sauvage with quite intense aromas of sweet red cherries and raspberry marmalade, light lifted notes of sweet VA, a little bit of dusty sour cherry, a hint of pouch tobacco, a touch of licorice root and a whiff of wizened dark berries. The wine is juicy, firm and open-knit on the palate with a medium body and dry, intense flavors of black raspberries and pipe tobacco, some licorice root and pipe tobacco tones, a little bit of crunchy redcurrant, light dusty sour cherry nuances, a hint of gravelly minerality and a sweeter touch of wizened dark fruits and berries. The overall feel is firm and structured with its rather high acidity and ripe yet ample tannins that pack a healthy amount of grip - yet the wine doesn't come across as tough or aggressive. The finish is firm, moderately grippy and somewhat tightly-knit with a juicy and enjoyably complex aftertaste of black cherries and ripe raspberries, some floral notes of roses, a little bit of earth, light sauvage notes of lifted VA and subtle funk, a hint of tobacco and a fine touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A wonderfully harmonious, tasty and seductive Barolo that shows quite a bit of power and structure, yet never once comes across as too tough or lean in character. The wine might be a bit too youthful at the moment, but is still very accessible already and showing quite wonderful complexity for the age. There's also a subtly funky edge along with faint overtones of volatile lift, but these qualities just add to the complexity instead of obfuscating any fine nuances. I'd say the wine might enter its optimal drinking window at around 10-12 years of age, but most likely the peak is still far, far away - there's enough stuffing here for the wine to keep on aging and evolving for decades more. Priced according to its quality at 50€.
(94 points)
The 2013s
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2013 Azienda Agricola Elvio Cogno Barolo Cascina Nuova - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
The entry-level Barolo of Elvio Cogno. The grapes are crushed and fermented in stainless steel. After the maceration is over, the grape skins remain in the must for another month before the wine is transferred into large Slavonian oak botti casks for aging. The wine is aged in botti for two years before it is bottled. 14,5% alcohol.
Dark, only somewhat translucent and quite deep brick-red color. The nose feels fragrant and quite perfumed with rather youthful, fruit-forward aromas of purple-toned berries and plummy fruits, some cherry tones, a little bit of pine tar, light floral notes of roses, a hint of strawberry and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine feels dry, firm and somewhat dark-toned on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite intense flavors of earthy spices and fresh blackcurrants, some crunchy notes of chokeberries and fresh red plums, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light umami notes of raw meat, a hint of pine tar and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is high in acidity and the tannins feel quite sparse yet relatively rough and gritty at the same time. The finish is dry, earthy and quite tannic with crunchy, savory flavors of chokeberries and quite prominent sour cherry bitterness, ferrous notes of blood, some peppery tones, a little bit of tar, light meaty nuances of umami, a hint of cigar and a sweeter touch of bilberries.
A firm, structured and even a bit tough Barolo where the fruit department feels a bit more polished and darker-toned that what I'd expect from a Barolo - even if the wine isn't modern or toasty, the fruit profile has this sweeter bilberry-blackcurrant thing going on that made this wine stand apart from the other 2013 Barolos we had in the same tasting. However, otherwise the wine was very traditionally styled and wonderfully old-school in overall character, showing tons of potential for future development. Even at 9 years of age, this wine is still a baby and I can see it evolving very nicely over several decades; conversely, the wine is a bit awkward and stern for immediate consumption. Even if the wine is just an entry-level Barolo in the Cogno range, I feel it isn't going to be showing full of its potential until it is twice as old or older. These 2013s really do need age.
(91 points) -
2013 Schiavenza Barolo Serralunga d'Alba - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
Made with 100% organically farmed Nebbiolo sourced from several Crus in Serralunga d'Alba - mostly from Cerrati and Meriame, but can also include fruit from Cerretta, Prapò and Broglio. Fermented spontaneously in concrete vats, macerated with the skins for 3 weeks, aged for 30 months in 3000-to-3600-liter botti casks. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Quite deep and relatively little translucent dark plummy red color with an evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels ripe, dark-toned and wonderfully nuanced with aromas of ripe black cherries, some dusty sun-baked earth, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, light smoky notes of pine tar, a hint of licorice root, a touch of gravelly minerality and a lifted whiff of balsamic VA. At times the high alcohol shows through a little, too. The wine feels juicy, dense and chewy on the palate with a noticeably tightly-knit texture, medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of cranberries and prominent sour cherry bitterness, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of licorice root, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of dried flowers and a sweeter touch of ripe plummy fruit. The overall feel is very tough and structured, thanks to the high acidity and formidable, noticeably grippy tannins. The finish is long, hard and grippy with intense, dry flavors of crunchy chokeberries and sour cherry bitterness, some mineral notes of earth and gravel, light licorice root nuances, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of sweet yet tart cranberry and a juicy touch of black cherry.
A very nuanced, harmonious and noticeably structure-driven Barolo that is surprisingly tough for just an entry-level bottling of the winery. At times it feels almost hard as nails, yet there is enough depth, fruit and body to serve as a needed foil to the tightly-knit structure of the wine. There seems to be quite a bit of developed complexity already here, but I'd still rather leave the wine to age and unwind some more. All in all, I was very positively surprised by the intensity and structure here and most likely this wine will slowly and steadily evolve improve for years - if not decades - more. A bargain at 28,50€.
(94 points) -
2013 Burzi Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
Made with 100% organically farmed Nebbiolo Lampia sourced from several Crus in La Morra, like Rive, Roncaglia and Rocchettevigne. Fermented with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks and macerated with the skins for 2 weeks, aged in 3000-liter Stockinger botti casks. 14% alcohol.
Rather translucent and somewhat evolved brick-orange color with a maroon core and a pale, almost colorless rim. The open, expressive nose feels sweet and sunny with complex aromas of strawberries and wizened cherries, some licorice tones, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light leathery tones, a hint of balsamic VA and a fragrant touch of sweet, exotic spices. The wine feels ripe and somewhat solar yet still very firm and stern on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of wizened cherries and sweet prunes, some fresh cranberry tones, a little bit of tannic bitterness, light gravelly mineral nuances, a hint of old leather and a touch of sun-baked earth. The wine is very tightly-knit and structure-driven with its high acidity and assertive, noticeably grippy tannins. The finish is dry, grippy and even quite tough with a lengthy, somewhat evolved aftertaste of sweet pruney fruit and sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy cranberry tones, a little bit of earth, light nuances of leather, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of tar.
A wonderfully complex and nuanced Barolo, but also one that feels surprisingly evolved and pruney for its age. Structurally the wine is still a mere baby, showing very little to basically none resolution, whereas the fruit department has developed some aged, pruney qualities. It might be that the bottle wasn't kept in optimal conditions when it was purchased, but the overall feel here is that of an aged wine, not one that was either cooked or oxidized. I wonder if my bottle is representative of the wine and all their 2013 Barolos are like this, or if there was just bottle variation and this one happened to be prematurely evolved. I did enjoy the assertive, structure-driven style and lovely complexity, but at least this bottle didn't feel like it is going to evolve much aromatically. Whatever the case, this was a great purchase at just 29,90€.
(92 points) -
2013 Fratelli Brovia Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (29.10.2022)
Fermented spontaneously and macerated for three weeks in concrete tanks. Aged for at least two years in large and medium-sized botti casks made of Slavonian and French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Translucent, luminous and slightly aged pomegranate red color with a thin, colorless rim. The nose feels savory and somewhat dark-toned with aromas of gravelly minerality and dry old wood spice, leather, some dark forest fruits, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light wizened blueberry tones, a hint of toasted spices and a touch of alcohol. The wine feels dense, extracted and quite chewy on the palate with a rather full body and intense, dry flavors of gravelly minerality and ferrous blood, sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy notes of crowberries and redcurrants, a little bit of pine tar, light nuances of old leather, a hint of licorice root and a woody touch of pencil shavings. The overall feel is still rather tough and stern with the structured, high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is tough, dry and tannic with a long aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and earth, some gamey notes of blood and raw meaty umami, a little bit of woody oak spice, light nuances of tar, a hint of stony minerality and a sweeter touch of ripe dark berries.
A very impressive and muscular but also noticeably tough and tightly-knit Barolo that feels quite imposing now, but shows a lot of potential for future development. What was curious, though, was how it was obvious the wine had seen some French oak - as opposed to the other three 2013 Barolos we tasted at the same time, which had seen only old Slavonian oak botti. You could never say this wine was oaky, because the style was so very old-school with emphasis on the purity of Nebbiolo fruit and other non-fruit characteristics. However, the French oak was still there as a light undercurrent of toasted spices and more brooding, dark-toned woody note - something I probably would never pick up if I was drinking the wine by itself. But here, next to three Barolos that didn't see any French oak, you can notice there's a slight difference. Not that it matters - this is a fine, stern and very traditionally made Barolo that is just way, way too young for its own good. The fruit department feels like it is being held captive by the tannins and savory non-fruit flavors and the wine really does need both a lot of air and age to coax out all those fruit flavors and soften down the tannic structure. There's a lot to love here, but not anytime soon. I'd let the wine wait for another ten to fifteen years, because it feels this is really made for the long haul. A great purchase at 39,90€ and a real bargain at the discounted price of 31,92€.
(93 points)
The final three extra blinds
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2019 Thymiopoulos Xinomavro Gi kai Ouranos - Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa (29.10.2022)
In addition to "Gi kai Ourano", the label also says "Earth and Sky", "Terre et Ciel" and "Erde und Himmel", just to drive the point home. 100% Xinomavro from 45-yo parcels around two villages: Trilofos, situated at 150-250 m above sea level (70%); and Fytia, at 450-650 m above sea level (30%). 60% of the fruit is destemmed, 40% vinified in whole bunches. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 40 days. Aged in used 500-liter French oak demi-muids for 18 months. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Dark yet quite translucent cherry red color with a pale, almost colorless rim. The nose feels wonderfully complex and subtly sauvage with aromas of ripe cherries and tomato puree, some juicy dark plummy tones, a little bit of balsamic richness, light floral nuances, red-toned hints of wild strawberries and fresh redcurrants and a touch of brambly black raspberry. The wine is ripe, juicy and textural on the palate with a medium body and bright, vibrant flavors of sweet forest fruits and fresh black cherries, some meaty notes of umami, light blueberry tones, a little bit of tomato puree, a hint of brambly raspberry and a touch of stony minerality. The wine feels balanced and enjoyably structured with its moderately high acidity and somewhat grippy yet not aggressive medium-plus tannins. The finish is youthful, fresh and juicy with moderately pronounced tannic grip and a long aftertaste of ripe black raspberries and sweet cherry tones, some meaty umami notes, a little bit of blueberry, light stony mineral nuances, a hint of tomato puree and a woody touch of savory oak spice.
A fine, harmonious and very characterful Xinomavro that is still super-young, but fortunately isn't too tough or tightly-knit in structure. All the other people thought this was a Nebbiolo and had hard time putting it on the map, but I thought immediately of Xinomavro because of that quite subtle yet still distinctive tomato puree note. This is a darn lovely wine that is drinking quite well already now, but still shows more future potential than immediate charm - I'd let this wine age for another 5-8 years more, just to let it gain a bit more depth and complexity while letting those firm tannins resolve a little bit. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages. At approximately 16€ this is not just a bargain, this is a steal.
(92 points) -
2019 Laurent Bannwarth Pinot'Tri Qvevri - France, Alsace (29.10.2022)
A blend of organically farmed Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, fermented spontaneously and macerated for six months in earthenware kvevris. After six months the wine is racked off the pomace into stainless steel tanks and left to settle for a few months. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any SO2. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Hazy, deep straw-yellow color with a pale orange hue and a deeper amber core. The nose feels characterful, expressive and quite wild with fragrant aromas of ripe Muscat-like floral and grapey tones, rather pronounced spicy notes of white pepper, light zesty notes of ripe citrus fruits, a little bit of juicy white peach, a hint of beeswax, a touch of orange marmalade and a whiff of hay. The wine is lively, firm and surprisingly clean on the palate for such a sauvage wine with a medium-to-moderately full body and layered flavors of orange and ripe pomelo, some spicy notes of white pepper, a little bit of waxy funk, light stony mineral notes, a hint of ripe grapey fruit and a subtly acetic touch of VA. The wine is pretty structured with its surprisingly high acidity and the tannins seem to contribute to the rich textural feel of the wine without making it feel grippy. The finish is dry, complex and juicy with flavors of hay and pithy pomelo, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of salty mineral water, light grapey nuances, a hint of waxy funk and a touch of stony minerality.
A fascinating and surprisingly clean skin-contact white - although the wine doesn't really come across as particularly "kvevri" in character. I don't know if the vinification here has been any different compared to that of Georgian winemaking, but normally Georgian wines are not hazy or cloudy, instead they are deeper orange in color and often pack quite a bit more tannic structure. Even if the wine doesn't really remind me that much of Georgian kvevri wines, but instead comes across as a bit more like a typical natural orange wine, it is very balanced, characterful and well-made for such. Although the wine drinks really nicely right now, I can see it benefiting from further aging as well. Priced according to its quality at 33€.
(90 points) -
2017 Palmento Costanzo Etna Nero di Sei - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (29.10.2022)
A blend of organically farmed Nerello Mascalese (80%) and Nerello Cappuccio (20%), sourced from the 30-to-100 yo vineyards in Contrada Santo Spirito. Fermented with indigenous yeasts in tronconical oak fermentors, aged for 24 months in large oak casks. 14% alcohol, 5,8 g/l acidity. Tasted blind.
Moderately translucent and rather evolved pomegranate color with a developed maroon hue. The nose feels meaty and somewhat aged with complex aromas of wizened red cherries and raisiny dark fruits, some beef jerky tones, a little bit of dried blackcurrant, light ferrous notes of iron, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of balsamic richness. The wine is dry, firm and crunchy on the palate with a medium body, velvety texture and somewhat evolved flavors of fresh red fruits and wizened dark berries, some old leather notes, a little bit of earth, light ferrous notes of blood, a faint oxidative hint of soy sauce and a sweeter touch of prunes. The overall feel is quite structured and sinewy, thanks to the high acidity and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dry, evolved and grippy with savory flavors of ripe redcurrants, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of leathery funk, light ferrous notes of blood, a salty hint of soy sauce and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A fine-tuned, complex and wonderfully structured Etna Rosso that surprised everyone because, firstly, nobody at any point thought of Etna - people were guesses like Bordeaux with some age or older Catalonian red; secondly, the wine felt so aged and even tertiary for its age. At five years of age I'd expect an Etna to be fresh, youthful and full of life and vibrant fruit. This wasn't tired or past its peak, but definitely felt way older than a five-year old Etna should be. It's hard to assess whether this wine - or vintage - is aging this fast, or if we just had a prematurely aged bottle. The latter case is certainly a possibility. At 39,90€ this felt somewhat pricey for its quality.
(90 points)
Posted from CellarTracker