Agree–I think the vajra and vietti langhe nebb are fantastic. A bump up for me is the giacosa nebbiolo d’alba…just wow.
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For affordable Barbaresco, the wines from Albino Rocca merit consideration.
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2022
Fantastic LN! From what I recall/understand it is declassified high-altitude La Morra fruit, and wow does it live up to the $34 price tag. Strawberry, orange peel, upon opening. Fine tannins that got brighter and more vibrant around the 2+ hour mark. I can’t remember tannins from Nebbiolo seeming so juicy. Wonderful!
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Great floral nose, rose petals. More red fruit than dark, wild strawberry maybe. Tannins there but seem gentle, maybe hiding under the fruit. Good acidity. The label says 15% abv but while there is some glycerin fullness I didn’t notice alcohol heat. Medium long finish. Overall very nice. Good QPR at $25.
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Similar to my impressions from 2 years ago: mushroom, hoisin, dried cherries, and leather. A bit clunky in the mouth, some grip and grit on the finish. Decent but not remarkable.
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On La Ca Nova, I think a lot of the disappointment comes from (a) AG overscores them IMO by a somewhat meaningful degree, and (b) they are so cheap, people are drinking them young whereas for more expensive producers you’re more inclined to hold them in the cellar out of fear of drinking an expensive bottle too young.
La Ca Nova makes powerful, somewhat rustic wines in a very classic style that demands time in the cellar. The '14s I’ve had over the past year have been really good, whereas drinking the '19s on release or '21s on release has provided little pleasure. I did find the '20s more approachable as you’d expect.
I think because these wines are $45/btl for the single vineyards, you see a lot of people drinking them or trying them on release and getting disappointed, whereas fewer people are popping $300 bottles of Conterno Barolo on release to try.
But I agree Galloni overscores these wines. For the 2021s, I personally gave both single vineyards 93 points. Both are attractive but seem like they will need a decade plus in the cellar. I would not suggest opening either now except for academic curiosity, and I say that as a fan of young Nebbiolo. So I think they are good, and amazing QPR wines, but not nearly at the level AG scores them. The fact AG is scoring these wines higher than Giuseppe Rinaldi is insanity to me for what’s in the glass.
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So would it be accurate to say that I should hold my 2016s for another decade before they are ready to drink? They have also been quite tight and tannic whenever I have tried it. Ultimately for me it’s not the price that gets me to open them younger, but rather the cellar space. Do I really want to cellar this bottle for 15 years, or should I cellar a Conterno or Bartolo instead? I have limited cellar space and so have to choose…
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I too got caught up in the La Ca Nova hype, mostly due to the consistent high ratings and low prices. I bought and tried some '14s and '15s (Langhe Nebbiolo, Classico and SVDs) soon after release, and found an ‘07 Montestefano to try as well last year. My overall conclusion is similar to others’ here - these are very well made, somewhat rustic Barbarescos, with real age-ability (depending on vintage of course). Based on these experiences I bought some 2016s and 2019s and am cellaring them.
But I’m running into a standard-issue Berserker problem that my cellar is overfull, I’m now in my 60s, and I’m trying to cut back buying to balance what I have with what I can reasonably drink in my lifetime (ahem, maybe times 2). I’ve put 2021 La Ca Nova Barbarescos in shopping carts all year long, but haven’t pulled the trigger. They are falling victim to my intent to buy fewer producers (cf. full cellar) to cellar.
BTW, for those looking for absolute best QPR, the LCN Langhe Nebbiolo at $30ish remains a great buy. Doesn’t require aging (though wouldn’t hurt it) and is true Nebbiolo.
2017 Nervi-Conterno Gattinara
This has more liquorice than a bag of all sorts, but it’s kind of interwoven with the red cherry and rose petal goodness. Tannins melt and are well covered. Exceptional balance, harmony and drinkability and one for the aniseed heads.
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I haven’t had the '16s since release, but I would guess they are several years away from the early end of the ideal drinking window. But '16 is a bit of a more accessible, generous vintage than, say, '19, so I doubt it will take another decade.
I agree on cellar space & I think the way you need to think about it is if it costs $2/bottle/year to cellar wine (an explicit cost if you store offsite, implicit if you store in your own space), you have to add that to the cost of the bottle to determine the net price. So a $45 La Ca Nova with 20 years of post-purchase aging maybe costs $85. A $100 Barolo with 20 years of aging costs $140. So I do think it’s fair to say the % price advantage of a LCN Barbaresco fades a bit with age. Obviously LCN vs Conterno isn’t the right comparison…I think a more realistic Q is LCN vs. Francesco Rinaldi or Elio Grasso or G.D. Vajra. I do think the quality level of, say Francesco Rinaldi Cannubi or Elio Grasso Gavarini is a notch or two higher than La Ca Nova, with those wines being $70 - 90 vs. $45 for LCN.
Personally, I buy all of the above. My cellar is 85% Nebbiolo & I want to have a diverse set of aged options at various price points. If you have the $$ and want a limited # of bottles of Nebbiolo, then 100% I would not buy LCN and I’d focus on the big boys.
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2016 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe: Drinking really nicely. Very much red fruited, with some tar and roses. Taking on a hint of earthy development. Mid-weight and nicely balanced. Moderate tannins and beautifully crisp acidity. A fine, perfumed finish.
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Sadly, a 2005 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia was completely oxidised. The cork looked good visually, but had failed to do its job. Multiple bottles from the same case have been excellent. I hate cork!
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Sounds lovely! Might have to find a bottle or two.
Recently had a 2009 Baudana Cerretta. Drinking beautiful. A grossly under rated wine.
Also had a 2015 Cascina Adelaide Barolo Riserva Per Elen. Though it was way too young, it was amazing.
This wine we tried with the winemaker, Simone Ortale, at the winery, who was not only a real gentleman, and an intensely passionate and elegant man, but really took his time giving us a tour of the winery, and sampling the wines with us. He opened a bottle of this one. The Barolo Riserva “Per Elen” is a dedication of the founder of Cascina Adelaide Amabile Drocco to his life companion. The Barolo “Per Elen” is a reserve that comes from the union of two great crus: the Preda and Cannubi vineyards. I love nearly anything Cannubi! To the eye it appears ruby red with brick-coloured reflections. The nose has notes of balsamic and herbal elements, incense, sweet licorice, spice, and ripe cherry. On the palate, it reveals a broad spectrum of flavors of caramel, morello cherry, earth and a hint of tar, and lots of dark fruit packed tight within and a well-developed savory side, with leather, and cured tobacco. An altogether spectacular showing, and it stimulates my imagination, with regard to what this beauty is going to be like in 10 years time, from now. We have one more bottle, but I doubt we will be able to wait long, before savoring it. The excellent tannins are velvety, pebbly, and powerful yet sweet, they seemed to last indefinitely on the very long finish. It has a great balance, elegance and the acids were just right.
Also had a 2008 Cascina Adelaide Fossati. I like this winery, and I feel that their Barolo consistently over delivers, for the price point. This particular bottle was quite good, but there was nothing about it that was outstanding, or particularly exceptional.
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I could not agree more about Francesco Rinaldi, and G.D. Vajra. Both offer huge QPR compared to so many other big name, slightly over rated, and grossly over priced Barolos. Baudana too.
I have been giving them at least 15 years. The 2004’s and 2008’s are drinking very well now. I have tried some younger ones, but the depth just is not to my liking, and the tannins are just too coarse.
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2017 Nervi Conterno Gattinara presented really well in its relative youth. Good fruit with roses, a bit of tar and hay, and good acidity. A relative bargain on WineBid a few months ago.
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2013 Prunotto Barolo Bussia-
Polished, elegant, red fruited, and light weight. Red cherries both fresh and dried are more prominent than floral potpourri and earthy flavors. Drying tannins are fine grained, starting to back down from youthful aggressiveness. A decent finish and a lovely wine.
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I have a winemaker friends who is obsessed with tasting 2014 Nebbiolo as he feels that its a way to judge a good winemaker. I’ve been subjected to a fair few bottles and in general the 2014 vintage is a bit of a miss.
This bottle however was a hit! Pop and pour, excellent from the outset. Full and rich with a complete mid palate, which is where many 2014’s come up short. The general consensus in Langhe is that Barbaresco fared better in 2014 than Barolo and this seems to back it up.
On a side note i also had the 2014 Montestefano a few months ago and it was also drinking very well. Thumbs up Produttori 
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recently:
2004 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Cannubi - tons of structure, still tight but showing pretty well, I feel like it could still use a little time.
2006 Grimaldi Luigino Barolo Vigna San Biagio - inexpensive and over-delivers. Modern, approachable, very tasty if a tad simple.
