2016 Castello di Neive Barbaresco- Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (6/5/2020)
– decanted 30 min. before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours –
NOSE: initially tight; red-fruited; “cool”; pine forest; red licorice.
BODY: rustic garnet color of medium depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: very tannic — like licking cement; a bit woodsy; 14.5% alc. is well-hidden; red-fruited, but this is so ferociously tannic it’s quite difficult to get to the fruit; this needs tons of time; too inaccessible for me to really know if I like this. If you must drink this now, give it double digit hours of air. But don’t drink this now. Just don’t.
Brian, have you had earlier ones of these at similar times? I sometimes found lesser B&B to have a (very) small window of almost pleasant drinkability, before clamping down, but this certainly doesn’t seem like one of those.
this was my first time with the producer, Markus. And it’s yet another nudge towards me finally accepting that Nebbiolo just isn’t my thing, or, at a bare minimum, accepting that I really don’t understand it much when young.
For whatever it’s worth, I had the 2012 vintage of this bottling in 2016 and found it pleasant. It was a business lunch at one of the Eataly restaurants in NYC, served by the glass. No notes but I remember some fruit lurking behind a little earth and tobacco, and liked it enough to take a picture of the bottle.
I loved this. I got a few this year before the 19 shut down & drank 1. Th shut down prevented me from getting back to the store by my office to purchase more before they sold out. (I know, 1st world problem.) Now the 16 seems to be sold out everywhere. I wish had bought more to try in a few years.
The only other 16 I have had so far is the Produttori normale, which I found more acidic than the CdN. I do enjoy Nebbiolo, so YMMV.
I haven’t tried Castello di Neive in recent vintages. The aged one or two I’ve tasted weren’t impressive, and my sense from reading about them is they’re an OK producer that has under performed given the world class terroir they have in the Santo Stefano vineyard, and has some consistency issues. Giacosa made some of the great wines of Italy from those grapes and I’ve never heard anyone rave about a Castello di Neive Santo Stefano. Point being I wouldn’t necessarily take an experience of one of their wines to mean you don’t like Nebbiolo.
If you haven’t tried the Produttori 2016 Barbaresco then that’s a no brainer. Textbook classic Barbaresco, to me it has shown pretty well young (although I drink a lot of young Nebbiolo).
Thanks, Rob. Given all the massive hype over the 2016 Produttori Barbaresco, I dove for a 6 pack a few months back when I found favorable pricing at Costco; haven’t tried one yet, however.
I’d be in Rob’s camp, Brian. Haven’t had a Neive in quite some time, but “pleasant” and no more is an adjective that comes to mind—though in stark contrast to what you tasted in the 2016. Having drunk with you a couple times, I’d want you to give Nebbiolo a chance still
Mike, thanks for chiming-in here. I want me to still give Nebbiolo a chance, too, but it seems like it’s been a long time since I had one that I liked and felt it wasn’t a bad QPR situation. (exception: had a few bottles of a delicious Vallana over the past couple years that was a damn good deal). I’ve certainly had Nebbiolos that I liked (loved, even), but I’m getting closer and closer to letting my Nebbiolo experiences be primarily limited to those which I stumble-upon at gatherings where others bring them. From a place of humility and introspection: I’m becoming increasingly convinced that I truly don’t “understand” young Nebbiolo … either that or I’ve had a rather protracted string of lackluster showings. I dunno …
I love Nebbiolo, and can’t can’t imagine that anyone would not feel the same way, but “enjoying young nebbiolo” is not really an expression that I understand. I don’t even try. I realize that there’s window where this can be done, but I don’t understand the purpose so much, at least with regard to Barolo and Barbaresco, or an expectation that one should be able to do this.
Personally I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of young Barolo and Barbaresco. Every 2016 I’ve tried has been enjoyable. Clearly the wines will improve over time, but I see a lot of value in trying the wines young - otherwise, other than relying on critics, how do you know what you’re buying? For some producers you can rely on older vintages, but in Piedmont styles have changed for many producers over past 20 years so it’s not reliable, and back vintages of many wines are tough to find.
I think enjoyment young depends a lot on the quality of the tannin. The best producers these days producer wines with incredibly refined tannins. There are several wines in 2016, G. Rinaldi Brunate and Vietti Rocche, where the tannins are barely noticeable, they are so refined and buried by the fruit.
For me I think it’s easier to be invested in what you’re buying for the cellar when you try a bottle young and know what you’ve got.
That resonates with me, John. Unfortunately, that really puts a dagger in the ol’ “Try before you buy” advice we constantly see getting thrown about. And I’m not interested in buying an aged (20+ yrs) example with unknown provenance to have that be my “try before I buy” bottle, particularly because styles can change over a couple decades, and I wouldn’t necessarily be able to assume that a 20 yo bottle that I try today is how a new bottle today is going to taste in 20 years. Although pleasure-seeking may be a fool’s errand when it comes to Nebbiolo, it must somehow be possible to at least make some assessments upon, and shortly after, release, no?
In the past Castello di Nieve sold a majority of the Santo Stefano grapes to Giacosa. But there was a falling out and they now keep the majority for themselves. We visited there about 3 years ago and the quality of the winemaking was markedly improving. Very impressive.
Don’t get me wrong–I totally get trying the wine, but expecting to enjoy it is a different thing. In some vintages, it may be totally enjoyable, in others, a wall of tannin and closed down, and not at all enjoyable, but still a wine that allows an assessment and a buying decision. (BTW, I quite enjoyed the bottle of 2016 Produttori I tried.)
While in Costco today (Torrance, CA), I noticed the '17 Neive Barbaresco has landed. Also, about 2 cases of the 2016 Produttori Barbaresco still sitting there at $36.
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I want me to still give Nebbiolo a chance, too, but it seems like it’s been a long time since I had one that I liked and felt it wasn’t a bad QPR situation. (exception: had a few bottles of a delicious Vallana over the past couple years that was a damn good deal). I’ve certainly had Nebbiolos that I liked (loved, even), but I’m getting closer and closer to letting my Nebbiolo experiences be primarily limited to those which I stumble-upon at gatherings where others bring them. From a place of humility and introspection: I’m becoming increasingly convinced that I truly don’t “understand” young Nebbiolo … either that or I’ve had a rather protracted string of lackluster showings. I dunno …