Barolo 2013 overview by some of the UK trade following a 162 blind wine tasting in Barolo, Dec’16

• 3 April 2017 /
• Barolo

• “2013 vintage showed an energy and confidence, with fine, assertive tannins and, in the best wines, a really invigorating acidity and freshness.  It was clear the wines should prove a considerable capacity to age.  I felt it was similar to 2010 but without the serious (and perhaps overwhelming) power and force of those wines.  2013 seemed to me to point towards clear vineyard and village definition.  The best wines have a fine balance of elegance and profound muscle; I think like a long-distance runner.” (Edwina Watson, Armit)
• “ not necessarily one of the more consistent vintages but what makes a vintage great for me is one in which there are genuinely great wines and I felt 2013 had these: The most successful wines I felt were outstanding, straddling that cool line of the vintage perfectly.” (Giles Burke-Gaffney, Justerini & Brooks)
• “An exciting tasting that clearly showed the diverse character of the Barolo villages, & of its vineyards through the 2013 vintage. Compared to the more homogeneous & perhaps underrated 2012s, I felt the highs of 2013 were very high, while the lows were low. Those villages & vineyards with good aspect & free draining soils, eg Verduno, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba may have the edge. Need to select carefully.” (David Berry Green, DBGitalia)
• “An illuminating three days of tasting where the best wines showed clarity, purity and energy. This crystalline purity makes 2013 a fantastic vintage to get to grips with the Barolo zone’s varied communes and vineyards. Indeed, where terroir was masked, it seems wither a failing of winemaking, or potentially of a vineyard system which lacks the precision necessary to differentiate between different sites.” (Robbie Toothill, Lay & Wheeler)
• “It’s testimony to the quality of the 2013 Barolo that, after 3 consecutive days tasting over 150 samples, I returned to London not with a jaded palate, but with even greater thirst for Nebbiolo. The best wines of the vintage possess beautiful texture and impressive depth; they have precision, they have balance, they have an allure that makes them irresistible even at this early stage in their development. Above all, they have structure and freshness – the defining characteristics of Barolo – and for me, that makes this a benchmark vintage. Less austere than 2010, fresher than 2011, and more serious than 2012, it’s a must-have vintage for Barolo lovers.” (Andrew Rae, Uncorked)