I don’t know about you, but Freisa is definitely among my favorite Piedmontese red varieties! It might not be capable of reaching the complexity of the aging potential of the best Nebbiolos, but often it makes much more interesting wines than lowly Langhe Nebbiolos - and equally often at very reasonable prices!
What’s great about Freisa is that it often packs good sense of structure combined with fruit qualities similar to Nebbiolo (unsurprising, seeing how Freisa is a progeny of Nebbiolo). While I can enjoy the acid-driven freshness of Barbera, I miss the tannic grip that Barberas never really show. Good, old-school Dolcettos can pack similar structure as Freisas with good acidity and quite firm tannins, but their fruit profile is a bit different - and most Dolcettos tend to be made in a very simple and straightforward style, meant for just early consumption. Nevertheless I do love me some good Dolcetto, too.
Anyways, this is the lineup from our tasting early this year - we had a great lineup of very different Freisas from some of the top names in the Langhe region. While some wines weren’t up to par, due to warm vintages or other regions, the best ones were still pretty thrilling!
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2017 Bartolo Mascarello Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
A modernized take on the traditional, fizzy Freisa. In the past, Freisa was made into a slightly sweet frizzante red wine, whereas today Freisa is normally made into a dry, structured red wine. Mascarello's Freisa is first fermented spontaneously in tanks. In the past when Mascarello's Barolo was pressed off the skins, the Freisa was combined with the Nebbiolo pomace for a brief "ripasso" process in order to introduce more structure and some residual sugar to the wine from the skins for re-fermentation in the bottle - a traditional technique known as "Freisa Nebbiolata". However, Maria Teresa Mascarello thinks this method obscures the typicity of Freisa, so the wine does not see any Nebbiolo pomace anymore. The wine is bottled before fermented fully dry (at around 20 g/l RS) so the wine finishes the fermentation in the bottle, resulting in a dry and more serious yet still slightly fizzy Freisa. 13,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent cherry red color. A fascinating, seductive and slightly rustic nose with aromas of licorice root, old leather and ferrous blood, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of ripe red berries, light blueberry tones, a mushroomy hint of chanterelle and a funky touch of Pu'erh tea. The wine is dry, light-bodied and crunchy on the palate with a tiny bit of fizzy CO2 along with flavors of dark forest fruits, some ripe black cherries, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light brambly notes of raspberry, a tiny hint of residual sugar sweetness and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is high in acidity, whereas the tannins feel mellow and easy. The finish is fresh, somewhat tart and gently grippy with bright flavors of crunchy cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light licorice root tones and a youthful, sweeter hint of cherry marmalade.
A delicious, rustic-yet-clean and enjoyably straightforward little pizza wine. Although the wine isn't a complex and impressive grand vin or a wannabe-Barolo like some Freisas can be, this is nevertheless enjoyably nuanced with great intensity and depth of flavor. It's pretty hard to assess how this wine will continue to improve from here, but at the moment this is drinking mighty well. A sort of combination of casual everyday food wine and something more serious. Not particularly affordable for a Freisa at 34€, but I'd say the wine still manages to deliver for the price - at least if you like light fizzy wines like these.
(91 points) -
2017 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
Fermented in open-top French oak fermentors and stainless steel tanks. Aged in old, large French oak foudres for 10-12 months. 14,5% alcohol.
Brooding, deep and almost fully opaque dark red color. Big, sweetish and quite solar nose with dark-toned aromas of black cherries, some licorice tones, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light crunchy notes of chokeberries and a touch of dried dark berries. The wine is ripe, sunny and slightly sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and quite lush flavors of licorice, some peppery spice, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light juicy plummy tones and a sweet hint of blackcurrant jam. The overall feel is quite stern and muscular, thanks to the quite high acidity and firm tannins that slowly pile up on the gums, gradually turning the wine quite grippy. The finish is dry, quite powerful and rather grippy with long, juicy flavors of sour cherries, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of licorice, light stony mineral notes, a tart hint of red plums and a sweeter touch of wizened dark berries.
A big, ripe and noticeably solar Freisa with a lot of both fruit and structure. The overall feel is a bit too ripe for my preference, as the fruit department feels a bit too sweet and at times even jammy, but fortunately the firm structure manages to keep the lush end of the fruit spectrum in control, offsetting some of the sweetness nicely, especially towards the end of the aftertaste. It feels the wine was slightly sweeter at first, gradually becoming drier and more savory in taste as the wine opened up with air - thus I'd recommend letting the wine either pick up some age in a cellar, or open up for an hour or so before consumption. Good stuff, although in our extensive lineup of different Freisa wines, this came across as a bit clumsy and boorish; the dry, hot vintage really shows here. I hope additional age will grant the wine with some finesse.
(88 points) -
2013 Giacomo Brezza e Figli Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
From a vineyard planted in 1991. Fermented in stainless steel, macerated for a week with the skins. 13% alcohol.
Quite pale and moderately translucent ruby-red color. Fragrant nose that is neither young nor old with aromas of dried flowers, some pink peppercorns, a little bit of burnt clay, light crunchy notes of fresh cranberries, fruity hints of blackberries and wild strawberries, a touch of smoke and a whiff of licorice root. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and relatively mellow on the palate with slightly dilute flavors of ripe cranberries, some black cherries, a little bit of chokeberry bitterness, light earthy notes and a hint of wild strawberry. Somehow the overall feel is a bit hollow here. The medium acidity feels surprisingly soft for a Freisa, so the structure relies mostly on the ample, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, quite grippy and a bit thin with crunchy flavors of fresh cranberries and tart cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of licorice root and light metallic tones.
An enjoyably bright and grippy Freisa that unfortunately suffers from rather modest acidity, slightly thin fruit department and a metallic hint that distracts a bit from the pleasure. I was surprised how relatively underwhelming the wine was, as 2013 was a rather warm vintage in which exceptional Nebbiolos were made. I guess the high quality of the vintage didn't carry over to Freisa? Or then we had a bottle that just didn't show its best.
(84 points) -
2012 Cavallotto Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Barolo cru Bricco Boschis. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for approximately 5 days using the submerged cap technique. Aged for 12-15 months in old, 2000 to 3000-liter Slavonian oak bottis. 14% alcohol.
Slightly evolved blackish-red color with a maroon dried-blood hue. Somewhat evolved and attractively nuanced nose with aromas of wizened black cherries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of licorice root, a sweet, liqueur-ish hint of VA and a ferrous touch of blood. The wine is ripe, moderately full-bodied and subtly sweet-toned on the palate with layered flavors of wizened red cherries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of volatile lift, light sanguine notes of iron, an umami hint reminiscent of sun-dried tomato and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The wine is high in acidity with quite ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, savory and quite grippy with a dry aftertaste of sour cherries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of lifted VA, light evolved notes of prunes, a hint of tart cranberry and a meaty touch of umami.
A nice, somewhat rustic and moderately evolved Freisa. The overall feel is pretty balanced and enjoyably structured, but the wine still came across as a bit clumsy and also surprisingly evolved for its age - I've had older Freisas that have tasted younger than this. It feels as though the tannins could use some more aging to resolve, as the still feel quite young and angular, but the fruit department is already moving to the dried fruit territory, which isn't promising that much potential for further aging. As a whole, this was good and thoroughly enjoyable, but not as great as the best wines were in our Freisa-themed tasting.
(89 points) -
2016 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Langhe Freisa Toetto - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Toetto cru in Castiglione Falletto, planted in 1989. Macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks in concrete and stainless steel tanks. Aged for one to two years in medium-sized Slavonian oak bottis and stainless steel tanks. 13,5% alcohol.
Very deep and dark black cherry color that permits quite little light through. Very odd and somewhat stuffy nose with aromas of blackcurrant juice, some ripe redcurrants, a little bit of something dusty, light sweet notes of candied primary fruit and a hint of stale air. The wine feels dry, dull and quite restrained on the palate with a medium body and rather underwhelming flavors of cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of ripe blackcurrant, light dusty notes, a hint of cardboard and a touch of tart lingonberry. The wine is high in acidity and pretty tightly-knit with its moderately pronounced tannic grip. The finish is short, quite grippy and somewhat dull with dry flavors of tart lingonberries, some dusty tones and a little bit of sour cherry bitterness.
We suspected our bottle was slightly corked, resulting in a dull and dusty with diminished fruit and short flavor, but seeing how almost all the TNs in CT describe the wine similarly, it feels like there is a systemic problem with this wine. As we had our wine in a tasting setting, we didn't have the opportunity to see whether the wine improves overnight or not, but it seems obvious that this wine isn't showing its best upon opening. I hope it would get better if aerated for a prolonged time. Originally I was planning on marking the wine as defective or leaving it without a rating, but as our wine seems to have been similar to the other bottles of this same wine, I decided that scoring it would be more helpful in warning how the wine is. I hope the wine will turn out better with enough age.
(69 points) -
2015 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Langhe Freisa Toetto - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Toetto cru in Castiglione Falletto, planted in 1989. Macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks in concrete and stainless steel tanks. Aged for one to two years in medium-sized Slavonian oak bottis and stainless steel tanks. 14,5% alcohol.
Very deep and moderately opaque dark ruby color. Somewhat restrained, sunny and rather sweetish nose of blackberries, some ripe black cherries, a little bit of licorice, light meaty notes and a hint of something rubbery, perhaps reduction. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite chewy on the palate with savory, dark-toned flavors of licorice, chokeberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of meaty umami, light crunchy notes of crowberries and a hint of gravelly minerality. The overall feel is quite muscular and tightly-knit with the high acidity and ample, grippy tannins and rather high alcohol doesn't really show at any point. The finish is ripe and juicy yet dry and grippy with a lengthy aftertaste of black cherries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light gamey notes and a hint of licorice.
A very stern, concentrated and dead-serious Freisa that is still very youthful, tightly-knit and perhaps even a bit closed, calling for some additional aging. There seems to be a bit of reduction going on here, which probably will sort itself out with a handful of years in a cellar, but the assertive, grippy tannins are not going to resolve anytime soon. Fortunately the wine seems to be built to age, so there is really no hurries with this one. Terrific, structure-driven stuff that will reward people who are willing to let it age. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages.
(90 points) -
2013 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Langhe Freisa Toetto - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Toetto cru in Castiglione Falletto, planted in 1989. Macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks in concrete and stainless steel tanks. Aged for one to two years in medium-sized Slavonian oak bottis and stainless steel tanks. 13% alcohol.
Quite deep and somewhat translucent black cherry color. Sweet and surprisingly fragrant nose with rather fruity aromas of cherries and cranberry sauce, some ripe raspberry tones, a little bit of pomegranate, light plummy tones, a hint of orange rind and a cooling spicy touch of fivespice. The wine feels concentrated, dense and quite chewy on the palate with a medium body and dry flavors of black cherries, some sour cherry bitterness, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tart lingonberry, a hint of earth and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is firm and structured, yet not particularly aggressive or angular with its high acidity and ample yet ripe and powdery tannins. The finish is dry, long and moderately grippy with intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy notes of chokeberries, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light ferrous notes of blood and a hint of earth.
A very serious and structured yet sophisticated Freisa of real finesse. Very similar to the stern, tightly-knit 2015 vintage, but this one comes across as a bit less brooding and angular, showing a bit more freshness and elegance. All in all, a very attractive wine that is still remarkably youthful. Although the wine is drinking mighty well right now, I can see it improving for a good number of years more. Drink or hold.
(91 points) -
2004 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Langhe Freisa Toetto - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Toetto cru in Castiglione Falletto, planted in 1989. Macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks in concrete and stainless steel tanks. Aged for one to two years in medium-sized Slavonian oak bottis and stainless steel tanks. 13% alcohol.
Evolved yet still remarkably dark and almost fully opaque plummy red color. Evolved, sweetish nose with complex aromas of wizened black cherries, sous-bois, some raisiny tones, a little bit of lifted minty character, light pruney notes, a sanguine hint of gamey meat and a medicinal touch of aromatic herbs. The wine is evolved, quite concentrated and rather chewy on the palate with a moderately full body and complex flavors of wizened black cherries, aromatic and somewhat bitter medicinal herbs, some pruney tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light raisiny tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of old leather. Despite its age, the wine is still quite muscular and structure-driven, thanks to its high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The evolved, complex finish is long and rather grippy with layered flavors of ferrous blood and raisiny dark fruit, some savory meaty tones, a little bit of old leather, light lifted notes of medicinal herbs, a hint of gravelly minerality and a sweeter touch of prunes.
As I expected (the last time I tasted the wine, 5½ years ago), the wine has continued to evolve and improve and it is slowly inching towards its plateau of maturity. The wine is still quite assertive and muscular with its formidable tannins, but nevertheless the wine seems to be slowly resolving while the fruit flavors gradually shift to sweeter and more autumnal notes of dried fruits, meaty umami and forest floor. I'd still say there is a bit of room left for further development, but not as much as before, as the fruit department is turning more tertiary now. Drink now or within the next 5-7 years. Superb stuff.
(93 points) -
2017 Giuseppe Rinaldi Freisa Langhe - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Ravera cru situated between the comunes of Barolo and Novello. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks, aged for 8-9 months in old oak botti casks, bottled with minimal SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful and somewhat translucent black cherry color. The nose feels rich and fragrant with sweet and slightly extracted aromas of black cherries, some primary notes of raspberry marmalade, a little bit of licorice, light funky notes of leather, a hint of ripe strawberry and a perfumed, floral touch of violets. Lovely! The wine feels ripe, rich and slightly extracted with a full body and juicy, somewhat sweet-toned flavors of black cherries, some wizened dark fruits, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light perfumed floral tones, a bitter hint of sour cherry and a touch of phenolic spice. The wine feels firm and very harmonious with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is rich, juicy and somewhat tannic with lengthy flavors of ripe black cherries, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light leathery notes and a subtly smoky hint of phenolic spice.
A firm, balanced and thoroughly enjoyable Freisa that certainly feels as ripe and solar as one would expect a 2017 Piedmontese red to be, yet still the wine retains surprising sense of finesse and harmony. Although the wine is slightly sweeter than your typical Rinaldi Freisa with a perhaps slightly lower level of acidity, the wine still manages to strike a great balance between the ripe fruit, the structure and the aromatic, non-fruity (and even slightly funky and sauvage) elements. The wine is very much open for business and perfectly drinkable already now, but I can see the wine losing some of its sweet primary fruit and most exuberant youthful character if one is willing to wait for another 4-6 years. Great stuff that is fully enjoyable now and for years to come. Highly recommended.
(92 points) -
2015 Giuseppe Rinaldi Freisa Langhe - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Ravera cru situated between the comunes of Barolo and Novello. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks, aged for 8-9 months in old oak botti casks, bottled with minimal SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite youthful and somewhat translucent black cherry color. Quite solar yet still pretty seductive and characterful nose with brooding aromas of licorice, ripe red cherries, some perfumed wild notes of brett, light fragrant notes of medicinal herbs, a little bit of volatile lift, a hint of brambly raspberry and a touch of fresh blackberry. The wine is surprisingly wild, funky and even quite sauvage on the palate with flavors of bretty leather and horse stable, ripe cherry tones, sunny notes of raspberry marmalade, some phenolic spicy tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light lifted notes of VA, herby hints of both dried aromatic herbs and more bitter medicinal herbs and a touch of game. The acidity feels medium-to-moderately high in acidity, whereas the ample, ripe tannins slowly pile up on the gums, gradually turning the wine rather grippy. The finish is long, grippy and somewhat funky with ripe yet dry and savory flavors of phenolic spice, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of licorice root, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a lifted hint of VA and a bretty touch of barnyard.
Although brett isn't that uncommon in Rinaldi's wines and they often have a somewhat wild, funky edge to them, this vintage of their Freisa seemed surprisingly sauvage and rustic even for a Rinaldi wine. The overall feel is quite impressive, tasty and structured, but the wine is still a bit clumsy, surprisingly bitter and rather rough around the edges. Good stuff, but not at the level of best Rinaldi Freisas. I hope additional aging might grant the wine with some finesse that it is lacking at the moment.
(89 points) -
2012 Giuseppe Rinaldi Freisa Langhe - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (28.2.2022)
100% Freisa from the Ravera cru situated between the comunes of Barolo and Novello. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks, aged for 8-9 months in old oak botti casks, bottled with minimal SO2. 13% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved and moderately translucent pomegranate color. Sweet, rich and somewhat mature nose with nuanced, slightly restrained aromas of wizened red cherries, some strawberries, a little bit of dark raisiny fruit, light volatile notes of medicinal ether, a medicinal hint of sappy herbal spice and a sweet touch of ripe black cherry. The wine is ripe, silky and rather wild on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full-bodied on the palate with somewhat funky flavors of juicy cherries and bitter sour cherries, some bretty notes of new leather, a little bit of ethery volatile lift, light sweet notes of ripe strawberries, a hint of dark forest fruits and a touch of balsamic VA. The medium-plus acidity is a bit on the soft side, so the structure relies mostly on the ample and quite grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is juicy, ripe and somewhat wild with quite pronounced tannic grip and rich flavors of sweet strawberries and juicy black cherries, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of bretty leather and Band-Aid, light volatile nuances of medicinal ether and a hint of sour cherry bitterness. There's a touch of acetic roughness in the throat towards the end of the aftertaste.
I've had this vintage once before - 5½ years ago - and back then this wine seemed more harmonious and less volatile. Although the wine is both pleasantly characterful and quite muscular due to its still quite assertive tannins, the fruit department seems to have given way a bit to the elevated levels of VA, which lend an ethery lift to the aromatics and a faint acetic touch to the taste. Although it was obvious that there was some VA when I tasted the wine earlier, now it had emerged more to the fore, making the wine feel a bit out of balance than before. This is still a good and enjoyable wine, but I don't get the feeling that this wine had improved in the past five years. It's hard to say whether there was just bottle variation and we didn't win this time, or if this wine is evolving in a direction I really don't like.
(88 points) -
2012 Giacomo Brezza e Figli Barolo Sarmassa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (28.2.2022)
The grapes are sourced from the Sarmassa Cru in the comune of Barolo, planted to Lampia and Michet clones of Nebbiolo. Fermented in stainless steel for a week and macerated with the skins for a further 2 weeks. Aged in 1500-3000-liter Slavonian oak botti casks. The different Sarmassa parcels are vinified separately. After 2 years of aging in botti (at the time of blending) the wine from Vigna Bricco is assessed if it is good enough to stand on its own as a Riserva bottling. In 2012 Brezza didn't release Barolo Riserva, so this bottle contains wine from all parcels, including the "best" parcel, Vigna Bricco. 14,5% alcohol. Total production 8530 bottles and 500 magnums; this was bottle #5378.
Clear, luminous and rather translucent ruby-red color with a pale rim. Savory, fragrant and rather fruit-driven nose with aromas of strawberries, some ripe sour cherries, a little bit of fresh red plum, light mineral notes of sun-baked gravel, a perfumed hint of dried flowers and a sweeter touch of raspberry marmalade. The wine is flavor-wise somewhat restrained but otherwise quite intense on the palate with a full body and clean flavors of ripe strawberries, fresh red plums, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light tarry notes and a hint of sour cherry bitterness. The acidity is a bit on the soft side, but the ample, ripe tannins slowly pile up on the gums, turning the wine gradually quite tannic. The rather long finish is ripe, juicy and moderately grippy with an aftertaste that feels a bit sweeter and more intense compared to the midpalate with its flavors of strawberries, ripe red plums, some sweet red cherry tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light raspberry marmalade tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a floral touch of roses. The high alcohol lends some heat towards the end of the aftertaste.
A clean, balanced and harmonious Barolo. Not really a grand vin in any way, just a enjoyable and well-made Nebbiolo from a vintage that wasn't that great, but not lousy either. It feels the wine has all the pieces in correct places, but it's just lacking a bit in here and there, like aromatic intensity and acidic zip. Despite its shortcomings, this was thoroughly enjoyable old school Barolo where the emphasis is on the structure and purity of Nebbiolo fruit, not on oak or easy drinkability. Seeing how very youthful the wine is at almost 10 years of age, I can see this wine easily aging and improving for many, many years more. Probably not a wine you'd specifically want to seek out, but instead something you should not worry about buying if found at a reasonable price.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker