I love the focus and engagement of the various which/what xxx are you drinking threads, and realized that there is nowhere near enough buzz and engagement about one of the worlds greatest red varieties.
Regardless of under what name it goes, or if it’s in a blend, I’d love to see a thread focused on Nebbiolo based wines going! If make a separate thread for a tasting, please feel free to add the link in this thread with a few remarks as well.
I will post notes (in due course) about a 2018 Barolo validating, what I somewhere in some sort of thread partially joking but to a large extent was serious about - good 2018s might be “the” vintage for Burgundy lovers.
A note about a 2005 Starderi Barbaresco, terrific despite a cork leaking (or perhaps because of it?).
Another Barolo - a 2010 Cannubi Boschis, perhpas a Gattinara 2006, and last but not least a 2011 Gattinara san Francesco. I might spare you the the tragedy of corked 2010 Bussia, would without doubt have been great otherwise - still kind of painful even if it was close to a month ago.
2019 G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (8/25/2024)
This is the second time I've had this in the past two weeks (first was at a tasting presided by Giuseppe Vajra), and this was shockingly open and approachable (this was popped and poured). Yes, there is a bit of a tannic bite, but I still get plenty of intense, dark red fruit, a bit of earth and mushroom, and beautiful rose/floral aromatics.
At the tasting, I had this next to the '19 Bricco delle Viole and Ravera, with the Ravera definitely closed and needing a decant and the BdV more shut down than when I had it last year. Perhaps I caught the Coste di Rose at a good time or maybe it was just this batch of bottles, but this was just a beautiful showing.
Some additional notes from the tasting with Giuseppe Vajra that happened on August 5th:
I will say that while the '19 BdV isn’t as opened as last year, the window is not completely shut yet and I was still able to get that elegance and “verticality” that this site is known for. It just wasn’t as fragrant and giving compared to the last time I had it.
The '19 Ravera we were served was a pop and pour and was pretty impenetrable. Much more dark-fruited than the the BdV, but tannic and monolithic.
Some additional notes from Giuseppe Vajra on the '11 Bricco delle Viole and the '15 Bricco delle Viole. He had both before the tasting where he showed the '19 Baroli (CdR, BdV, and Ravera) and people at the tasting did not have an opportunity to try them. But, he told us that he thought the '11 was in a good place right now and ready to drink. The '15 he believes need 5 more years.
There have been notes elsewhere on this board but 19 Vajras are the bomb ! The Bricco del Viole is serious but still approachable, the Albe is just so damn smashable that I had to buy another case.
a couple of recent 2021Nebbiolos have been delicious.
2021 Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo
Dark cherries, some herbal action, good richness and fine finish. Lovely drink.
2021 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco
Young, less density than teh Scavino but very composed, balanced and poised. Lovely ripe yet relatively supple primary fruit notes. Not a big and dense as I recall this wines, and better for it.
Had another bottle of the 2020 Luigi Baudana Barolo Serralunga d’Alba last night. Such a good drink. A great nose, loaded with floral spice. Has a core of pure cherry fruit. There’s flesh, with some ironstone just lurking below the surface. Beautifully balanced and thoroughly engaging. Just the right amount of chew to carry the long, perfumed finish
Somehow I didn’t pick up any ‘19 Albe with my assortment of Bricco and Ravera, I need to correct that mistake. They can be lovely early drinkers.
But that Vietti Perbacco is one of the great, easily available QPRs in Piedmont. I came across it in an airport bar a few years back and was delighted.
Drinking the 99 Seghesio Barolo La Villa tonight and it’s tired. Tawny red color, nose of acetone, balsamic and oak. The palate is tired and dried out.
I also found the 2020 Bricco del Viole Vajra to be fantastic. My TN:
2020 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole
A super young, beautifully primary Barolo, all fresh red cherries, a touch of cranberry, and lovely aromatic rose aromatics. a very pretty floral nose. Just a tiny hint of that classic tar note that will become more prominent over time. High acid with a light body, plenty of chalky tannins but still quite elegant. Long smooth and very pleasant on the finish. Beautiful stuff that I’m sure will age wonderfully for decades.
2019 Fratelli Alessandria Commune di Verduno over the weekend was pretty great upon opening, but the way it tightened over the evening suggests it might be closing down. Similar to a recent 2019 Schiavenza Prapo, lovely but withdrew a bit over the course of a few hours. Still nice to catch them when at least a bit youthfully fresh and open.
2005 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto. First of these I’ve opened and I wasn’t disappointed. I bought these the day Bruno passed, frantically scurrying around the Internet picking up 2005s and 2007s before the prices leapt up. Glad I did!
TN: Really a pretty bottle, especially after a couple of hours of air. The nose started out red cherry fruited tinged with menthol, but that brightened and grew to be filled with roses, violets and strawberries. The palate had tart cherries and very good energy at age 19. Expansive well balanced finish, great with dinner (a simple pasta meal). Not the most complex palate, keeping this entering rarer air, but still a very very good bottle.
I have a sense that '19s in general are closing down, based on my experience with the '19 Vajras. Though, to be honest, I’m surprised how open so many of the '19s were over the past year. Contemporary tannin management among Barolo producers have really made these wines more accessible young.
I heard 2020s are more precocious and accessible – I haven’t tried any yet (I only got '20 Burlottos on hand – waiting for the rest of my '20s Barolos on prearrival). Will be interesting to see how they turn out young.
I hadn’t tried this bottling before so grabbed a 2020 bottle while picking up my case of ‘20 BdV. Not sure if it’s the vintage or typical for this (or both) but what immediately came to mind was “crushable” which is obviously odd to say about a barolo. I can see this being a gateway drug in the world of nebbiolo
PnP. Despite or perhaps because of the cork had started to leak this bottle drank really well. The odd bottle size is a bit of a pain in the, but what’s in there is joyous.
The elegant and vivid freshness (13.5%) contrast interestingly with the Nebbiolo presence (sleek and powerful).
Both dark red berries and fruit. Menthol, wet gravel, licorice. Still chew to the tannins but quite polished nonetheless and a fresh acidic drive. Reveals citrus fruits on the second day as well as herbal notes. A long texturally lovely finish.
Really liked it and despite lasting a second day, that is all due to having a second or perhaps even third bottle opened at the same time.
Still enjoying bottles of 2016 Roagna Langhe Rosso. A bit pricey for a Langhe, but a steal when compared to other nebbiolo at this price point. Waiting on the 2019’s to be released to reload.
