Great notes! Thank you. I found your conclusion very interesting given that 2018 has received a lot of bad commentary. It sounds like producer trumped vintage in this case.
BTW, Sec in Portland has the N.S. della Neve for $28.
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Thanks, Chris. Gordon’s was selling for $27 at the tasting, but I think it will be $30 on the shelf. We loaded up.
I am not sure why 2018 is getting so much bad press. These aren’t the only 18s we’ve had that have been very accessible. Maybe that’s the problem? IMHO, it’s nice not to have to wait 25 years to drink wine sometimes, no?
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Apparently, it was a hot vintage with all that might entail. But I’m with you on the appeal of early accessibility. I doubt I’ll be in a position to drink wine 25 years from now!
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I’ve bought a lot of the Vajra sparkling from Sec. Very enjoyable, especially at that price point.
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FYI, Germano also makes an excellent rose sparkler from nebbiolo. Berserker Oliver McCrum brings it in in California.
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If you didn’t check out the other recent thread on '18, do before you go long on the vintage.
Thanks John. I have seen it. I don’t really intend to go long on any Barolo vintages anymore.
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I hear you.
That said, Troy was the Albe or Langhe Nebbiolo discussed at all? Those are both such great wines of the house style without needing years of aging. I think they are both a bit of a gift.
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They were not tasted, but I agree they are great values and very accessible in their youth.
Sounds like a great tasting. I would imagine the combination of '18s accessibility and the youth of the much more traditional '19s would provide a strong contrast. It would have been interesting to try the '19 Albe since that tends to be a very accessible Barolo which drinks well in its youth.
And I agree with all that Albe and the Langhe Nebbiolo are both excellent values and very consistent. Even the simple Langhe Rosso can be a pleasant weeknight wine which enhances a variety of foods.
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Has anyone seen the 2019 Albe in the US yet? Wine Searcher shows it in Germany and Australia, but not here.
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Thanks for the posting and all the detail. Gordon’s has excellent events! I’m sad that I live 3000 miles away from Boston.
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Giuseppe said the 19s were just recently bottled, so I would expect them to show up over the next few months.
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I bought a few btls of 2019 Albe from Saratoga Wine Exchange two weeks ago.
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Looks like you didn’t have the Langhe Claret JC Cuveé. That is such a pretty expression of Langhe Nebb.
Tom
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No, we didn’t unfortunately. That said, the N.S. Della Neve was great!
Had a '19 Bricco delle Viole the other night. Was like wandering through a rose garden. Impressive wine.
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I’m curious… Why would there be greater diurnal swings at 400-480 meters elevation? Since cold air settles to the lowest point and valleys tend to warm up and retain heat more than higher elevations, is there something unique about the geography that refutes these generalizations?
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Slopes create winds is how it is best explained. The higher the elevation and steeper the slope, the bigger the diurnal temp changes. Check wiki: Diurnal air temperature variation - Wikipedia