Lisa Gilbee of Morella talks of two diametrically-opposed vintages, 2014 & 2017: the former enjoying “heaps” of rain, the latter little if any at all. But in both years, her (& Gaetano’s) 18ha of Primitivo has adapted successfully; a sign of biodynamics at work perhaps, equipping the vine with the means – & antennae – to respond quickly to the challenging weather?
In the 2014 vintage, after a wet spring the Salento sun finally appeared on 27th July & from that moment their Primitivo was able to soak up the 6 weeks of glorious Puglian warmth & photosynthesize it into ripe grapes in time for a late August harvest; one she finished by 1st Sept. Lisa says that the luxuriant Primitivo leaves quickly absorbed the sun’s rays, & were also helped by a tramontana (the North Wind) that dried up any mold, stopped any more developing & accelerated the ripening process of the remaining Primitivo bunches. The rain set in again on 3rd Sept, after which they harvested the later ripening Malbek & Negroamaro, coming in last of all. In fact, the resulting 2014 Primitivo ‘La Signora’ & ‘Old Vines’ show little evidence of a damp year, drawing strength from their 70 & 85 year old alberello, unirrigated roots & scarce fruit – a little fresher, & marginally lower in alcohol perhaps.
Lisa reckons the ancient Puglians recognised this regular Sept rain & so identified a varietal to ripen quickly beforehand: hence Primi-tivo was born. Even her friends at Ridge winery, California, famous for their Lytton Springs & Geyserville Zinfandels, have since planted Primitivo, a distant cousin of Zin, & found it to ripen first of all even there!
In 2017 meanwhile, & despite their worst fears (of drought), Lisa & Gaetano say they’ve come to trust in the vine’s ability to look after itself rather than be panicked into action. And so it was in 2017 that the Primitivo thickened up the leaves & skins as way of protection, & dug deep! Be sure to be surprised by the fruit of their ancient, biodynamic vines!
2014 Primitivo ‘La Signora’, Manduria – tasted 29 Oct. 2017 from bottle, 14.5%: the slenderer, scented, younger vine (70 years!) expression of their free-standing Primitivo vineyard lying adjacent to that of ‘Old Vines’, literally. Perhaps a different clone? Pretty blush red, it caresses the senses like a warm Mediterranean breeze, generous with raspberry essence, root ginger, blackberries & cream fruit; a big heart, so seductive, so svelte plush plum, so alive! As ever, it’s very ‘Lytton Springs’, with pulpy charm, it glides, the silkiest of tannin structures as if to be invisible. In 2014, it’s more La Signorina than Signora!
2014 Primitivo ‘Old Vines’, Manduria – tasted 29 Oct. 2017 from bottle, 14.5%: while La Signora’s free-standing vines are statuesque, reaching upwards; ‘Old Vines’ are gnarled, bent low to the ground – feeling their 87 years perhaps. And ditto the wine: darker in hue, brighter too (lower pH?), brilliant indeed! The nose is distinctly balsamico, emphatic with darker mulberry fruit, more profondo, compact, spicy pepper, black licorizia; classic Old Vines ‘rum ‘n raisin’! I know Lisa & Gaetano use a basket-press, but this has Barossa…or is it Geyserville all over it!? Sensational, it’s precise, tonic-fresh, eucalyptic/tamarind esque, a cool mulberry heart, racy, more structured & tannic than the Signorina! Dark chocolate, herbal, & very long. Wow! One to tuck away?
p.s. watch out for their new single-vineyard ‘Mondo Nuovo’ Primitivo from c. 70 yo vines, this time from cooler, tufo soils, first harvested in 2014..
We were very excited to welcome the lovely Laura Bianchi to London last month, to present the Castello di Monsanto wines at our dinner at the Quality Chop House.
Castello di Monsanto lies South West of the Chianti Classico region, in the hills of Barberino Val d’Elsa. It has been in the Bianchi family since the 1960s, and today is headed up by Laura Bianchi and her father Fabrizio. Having studied law, and pursued a short career as a lawyer, Laura came to the estate in 1989, and realised this was where her heart belonged. Winemaker Andrea Giovannini joined the team in 2001. The 72 ha of vineyard are all farmed using ‘Lotta Integrata’, with the 100 ha of lush vegetation that surround the estate providing a harmonious eco system, and the 2 streams that cross it (Cepparello and Amaioni) helping to strengthen and enrich the soil. There are two main soil types: galestro (rocks), and tufo (volcanic).
Laura’s father, Fabrizio, was a pioneer in his field, and the first to introduce a single vineyard Chianti Classico (in the 1960s), named Il Poggio. The 5ha of vines are perched up at 310m above sea level (Poggio meaning hill in Tuscan dialect), on poor galestro soils, with stunning views out towards San Gimignano and the Apuan Alps. The first vintage of Il Poggio was 1962. All Castello di Monsanto Chianti blends have at least 90% Sangiovese (the rest is 5% Colorino and % Canaiolo). Il Poggio, has at least 95% Sangiovese (the rest is all Colorino).
Here were some of the winning pairings:
Truffled Potato croquette
Chianti Classico Riserva 2014 – concentrated, with notes of gentle sweet spice and dark cherry. The blend includes some grapes from Il Poggio (the Chianti Cru was not made in 2014), which adds a coolness to the fruit character, and a mineral edge. Long and lingering. Elevage in used (2yrs old) tonneaux. All parcels are vinified separately and then blended (blind).
Fallow Venison, cuttlefish, chestnut
Il Poggio 2013 – purity and precision. Bright sour cherry and floral notes, with a mineral spine and silky tannins. Taught and energetic. Poised, with great potential to age. 20months elevage in Tonneaux (1/3 new, 2/3 used).
Highland rump of lamb, parsnip, kale, smoked bacon sauce
Il Poggio Riserva 1982 – beautifully complex and compelling. This was a 4* vintage in Chianti Classico. On the palate it is dark and expansive, with notes of garrigue and forest floor, dried dark cherry, leather. There is still a freshness, and the tannins are luxurious and smooth. Persistent on the finish. Testament to the brilliant age worthiness of Chianti Classico.
Il Poggio Riserva 1997 – also a warm vintage. Vivid and very concentrated. Notes of fig, cinnamon spice and forest floor. Perfectly balanced, and with a savoury umami quality, and fine, smooth tannins.
Il Poggio Riserva 2007 – a warm vintage. Cherry, sweet cinnamon and clove spice, a herbal edge, hint of thyme and lavender, silky and smooth tannins, generous and complex on the palate.
Roquefort, crackers, quince
Vin Santo La Chimera 2006 – a complex, serious Vin Santo. Nutty and rich, with notes of caramelised orange, almond, candied apricot. The acidity is perfectly balanced against the sweetness, giving the wine a lovely freshness and lift. Made from a blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia. Delicious with Roquefort!
Some of the other wines tasted included:
Chardonnay 2015 – ripe peach and stone fruit, buttery and rich, with a concentrated fruit core, and refreshing acidity.
Chardonnay 2006 – white peach and apricot, lovely concentration and texture, buttery with a white pepper edge, layers of complexity, and a saline finish.
Chianti Classico 15 – juicy, with ripe black cherry and menthol notes, and finely woven, ripe tannins.
Perhaps conscious that the tiny annual production of their prized Barolo Vignarionda, Serralunga d’Alba would a) need years in bottle before reaching its drinking zenith & b) only make it into the hands of a lucky few, Davide Rosso & his mother Ester (Canale Rosso) chose in 2015 to produce a Langhe Nebbiolo from the giovane viti (young vines) of this mythical vineyard; a wine they particularly hope will flourish among Hotel & Ristorante customers.
Vignarionda’s prime plot of 251 P has been in Ester’s family since 1934. She remembers being hung in a basket as a child from the newly-planted vines’ branches in 1947, while her family worked around her. Times were tough then. Her father had just returned from a concentration camp weighing 40kg & soon she & her mother were left alone to manage the family estate; in those days the workers left the poor Langhe hills for the factories – now it’s the reverse. They were obliged to sell up their Vignarionda to her cousin, who in turn passed it to his son & bachelor Tommaso Canale. Tommaso made wine & sold fruit; it was with his Vignarionda fruit that Bruno Giacosa made Barolo ‘Collina Rionda’ famous. With Tommaso’s sudden death in December 2010, the whole 2ha of Vignarionda should have returned to Ester, but in the absence of a Will it was duly broken up among relatives. Ester’s not aggrieved: she’s inherited the very 1.2 hectare plot she once played amongst as a child.
So in 2011, Davide & his mother Ester decided to replant 0.8ha of straggling vines, replanting them with selezione masale Nebbiolo. At the same time they began making & releasing the Barolo Vignarionda from finest 0.4ha, 70 year old, piece lying at the bricco/top of their amazing strip of vines as an anteprima/en-primeur to finance the investment they were making in reviving their old family vineyard. Five years on, with the 2015 vintage, they felt the quality & identity of the young vine Vignarionda fruit was good enough to vinify separately, & subsequently bottled this summer. But how long they will continue to produce a Langhe Nebbiolo from Vignarionda is anyone’s guess, for sooner rather than later the vines will be giving them fruit that’s good enough to bottle as Barolo Vignarionda!
‘Davide Rosso talks to DBGitalia about his new Langhe Nebbiolo, from Vignarionda young vines’
Monforte d’Alba (33 wines tasted)
Just as Castiglione Falletto followed on naturally from the village of Barolo, so Monforte was the natural successor to Castiglione. Here though there was less white stone perfume of Castiglione on show, rather more broader, autumnal leaves, brambly/orange skin, chestnut & clove fruit, along with the distinctly tannic, if still invigorating nature of the Monforte Baroli of 2013. Indeed they couldn’t have been more different. It’s unclear whether the dark Monforte fruit character (vs the rose of Castiglione) is due to the uncompromising grey calcareous clay soils, apparently rich in iron, or to its location closer to the high Alta Langa. Single vineyard expressions Mosconi & Ginestra were bold; the latter perhaps finer than the former. But it was 12 examples of Bussia that should have shown off Monforte best. Alas, as with Cannubi of Barolo the day before, Bussia disappointed in 2013, being more lacklustred than Mosconi or Ginestra, & showing less intensity & a too variable quality; indeed it was difficult to pinpoint any standout wines. Perhaps the 2013 September rains had served only to swell the berries, or that the 289ha of Bussia vineyard is (again) quite simply far too big?
Serralunga d’Alba (21 wines tasted)
‘A racy sprint to the finish!’ It was the free draining, high, steep & nutrient-poor calc & sandy soils of Serralunga that coped best with the 2013 conditions & provided this event with probably the most uplifting flight, that refreshed any jaded palates. Certainly the 21 wines tasted showed a classy feel: paler in colour, light garnet red, yet more layered, & with noticeably more freshness & vim. Where Monforte’s wines were more brawny, Serralunga’s had a raciness about them. More sapid than out-&-out tannic, Serralunga’s 2013 Barolo showed a tight minerality & salty exciting red fruit character. Single vineyard expressions were a step-up from the village expressions; Cerretta & Prapò were distinctly different yet neighbours: the former plumier, the latter exotic but also more mineral/chiselled; both were accessible though. But as we climbed the Serralunga ridge tasting examples from Parafada, Lazzarito, Margheria, Briccolina & finally Ornato, so the wines became much more complex & challenging to read, being more high-toned, with a chalky white minerality & nobility to them. This latter group of wines evidently need more time to blossom in bottle.
Producers’ wines tasted: Cascina Mario Fontana, Bartolo Mascarello, David Fletcher, Figli Luigi Oddero, Mauro Sebaste, Réva, Sandrone, Cabutto (Tenuta La Volta), Gianni Canonica, La Spinetta, Castello di Verduno, Ascheri, G.B. Burlotto, F.lli Alessandria, Diego Morra, Agricola Brandini, Trediberri, Oddero, Giovanni Corino, Silvio Grasso, San Biagio, Boglietti, Gagliasso, Alberto Burzi, Cascina Ballarin, Ciabot Berton, Eraldo Viberti, Mauro Molino, Michele Chiarlo, Cordero di Montezemolo, Marcarini, Bovio Gianfranco, Alessandro Veglio, Elio Altare, Renato Corino, Rocche Costamagna, Aurelio Settimo, Marco Marengo, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Le Strette, F.lli Serio e Battista Borgogno, Vietti, Vajra, Virna Borgogno, Rinaldi Francesco, Scarzello, Famiglia Anselma, Einaudi, Cascina Adelaide, Barale Fratelli, Giacomo Fenocchio, Mirafiore Fontanafredda, Brezza, E.Pira di Chiara Boschis, Marchesi di Barolo SPA, Francesco Borgogno, Azelia, Cavallotto, Armando Parusso, Brovia, Rocche Viberti, Gianfranco Alessandria, Diego Conterno, Simone Scaletta, Domenico Clerico, Josetta Saffirio, Giovanni Manzone, Conterno Fantino, Fratelli Seghesio, Giovanni Rocca, Aldo Conterno, Silvano Bolmida, Prunotto, Attilio Ghisolfi, Franco Conterno, Poderi Colla, Rivetto, Massolino, Sukula, Luigi Baudana, Gabutti-Boasso, Ettore Germano, Ceretto, Palladino, Guido Porro, Tiziano Grasso
A blind tasting in Dec. 2016 at the castello di Barolo by 6 members of the UK trade of 2013 Barolo vintage, featuring 162 wines kindly donated by 87 producers over 3 mornings. The tasting was structured by village (revealed to the tasters) & by key vineyard (also). The key objectives of the event were:
– To understand & assess the character & quality of the 2013 Barolo vintage
– To identify the character & terroir of the individual Barolo villages, & of the single vineyard Barolo wines through the 2013 vintage, highlighting any ‘Premier’ or ‘Grand’ Cru candidates.
The Vintage, 2013:
A later & cooler than normal harvest, recalling the years before global warming. A not particularly cold winter was followed by an unusually cold & wet spring that brought downey mildew & lower yields. Summer remained generally cool, with only a burst of summer heat in late July, early August. Further rain in late August & again in late September threatened Nebbiolo berries, swelling them with juice. Good soil drainage & vineyard sites key in being able to wait for the phenolics to ripen before the skins split. Waiting ideally until mid October onwards when the temperature rose & fine weather returned. The vintage therefore in the main produced wines of a generally paler garnet red colour (vs. the darker 2012s), with bright, fresh fine aromatics, a restrained balance of ripe red fruit & elegant tannins pepped up by racy acidity, good village & vineyard definition; the best examples confident of further development in bottle over the medium/long term (10-20 years)
Novello (6 wines tasted) – noticeable shift from the earthier (also in colour), squarer wines of La Morra to the more refined, raspberry coloured, finer, Alpine snow-fresh, violet-scented wines of Novello. Here the profile is cooler, tighter, more elegant, as personified by the Ravera vineyard, surely a ‘Grand Cru’ candidate in the making, with its chalky red/rose fruit, tight ethereal weave & raciness. A village to watch, especially given the warmer weather.
Barolo (33 wines tasted) – another marked change from the linear, snow fresh wines of Novello to the more spherical, warmer mandarin skin Nebbioli of the village of Barolo, from vineyards nestled in the sweet spot/heart of the Barolo zone; the round shape of the wines perhaps reflecting the natural (ly warm) amphitheatre of the village & their sandy/silt soils. Despite the cool nature of the 2013 vintage, Barolo appears to have reached a good & juicy level of maturity, giving supple, marzipan, currants, camphor/orange peel & spice notes; certainly more appealing than those of La Morra at the village level, if less intense than Novello. There were high hopes for the 13 examples of Cannubi, a candidate for ‘Grand’ Cru if ever a classification took place. Although the Cannubi wines in general showed more presence & complexity compared to the easier-to-approach Barolo village wines, there appeared to be too much quality variation – too hot, too spirity, too old wood? – so tasters came away disappointed; a ‘Premier Cru’ vineyard certainly, with fine tannins & ethereal camphor notes in a few cases, but short of being a ‘Grand Cru’ on this showing. Is the new 37ha size of Cannubi (from 2010 vintage) now working against it? Sarmassa staked a greater claim for ‘Grand Cru’ status, albeit from only 4 wines: more confident, fresher, while also being violet-scented, velvety & lush. Brunate, from the vineyards within the Barolo village commune, took this sense of ‘Grand Cru’ entitlement to another level, with wonderful cologne freshness, raciness, white soil structure, opulent dark fruit & iron presence; if arguably more refined & svelte than the Brunate from the La Morra side.
Castiglione Falletto (11 wines tasted) – an exciting & consistent flight of chiselled wines, but sadly only 11 samples submitted from the older, alkaline, limestone rich Helvetian soils that often seem to produce wines combine the best of both Barolo & Serralunga; indeed where Castiglione sits geographically. No change here as 2013 threw up wines of great breed & white stone refinement – a real highlight, where the wood was well integrated. Villero, with its soft peach-skin charm & warm fragrance would easily qualify as a top ‘Premier Cru’ experience while Rocche di Castiglione takes this to a ‘Grand Cru’ level, with a tighter mesh & overall bigger presence of something electric, racy & profound; showing far too young at this stage.
A blind tasting in Dec. 2016 at the castello di Barolo by 6 members of the UK trade of 2013 Barolo vintage, featuring 162 wines kindly donated by 87 producers over 3 mornings. The tasting was structured by village (revealed to the tasters) & by key vineyard (also). The key objectives of the event were:
– To understand & assess the character & quality of the 2013 Barolo vintage
– To identify the character & terroir of the individual Barolo villages, & of the single vineyard Barolo wines through the 2013 vintage, highlighting any ‘Premier’ or ‘Grand’ Cru candidates.
The Vintage, 2013:
A later & cooler than normal harvest, recalling the years before global warming. A not particularly cold winter was followed by an unusually cold & wet spring that brought downey mildew & lower yields. Summer remained generally cool, with only a burst of summer heat in late July, early August. Further rain in late August & again in late September threatened Nebbiolo berries, swelling them with juice. Good soil drainage & vineyard sites key in being able to wait for the phenolics to ripen before the skins split. Waiting ideally until mid October onwards when the temperature rose & fine weather returned. The vintage therefore in the main produced wines of a generally paler garnet red colour (vs. the darker 2012s), with bright, fresh fine aromatics, a restrained balance of ripe red fruit & elegant tannins pepped up by racy acidity, good village & vineyard definition; the best examples confident of further development in bottle over the medium/long term (10-20 years)
2013 Barolo – blends of more than one village (9 wines tasted/presented):
While the future arguably lies in focussing on the individualities of terroir, particularly when approaching the region from a Burgundy paradigm, it is these blends that will provide the gateway for many consumers. This was vintage were a Barolo blends from more than one village – the traditional approach to making Barolo – may have fared best, enabling the producer to vary the proportions from each village source depending on the quality of fruit available. Certainly, looking back over the 3 mornings, it was the first nine blended Barolos that seemed to have benefitted from this approach, being strong & balanced in character.
2013 Barolo from Grinzane Cavour (3 wines):
Only three samples submitted so difficult to draw any conclusions, except that the wines have an (red?) earthiness about them? Whilst other villages had wines that showed considerable potential, this had none. So when thinking about its location as an appendage to the Barolo zone, whether its inclusion in the DOCG comes down to a curiosity of history, an impressive castello and its famous son?
2013 Barolo from Verduno (6 wines):
With its lighter, chalky-sand character of their soils, not a million miles away from the Roero, & fine east/south-east aspects, did not appear to have suffered from the cooler, damp conditions, showing a homogenous range of pale red/blush wines, delicately perfumed & pretty with rose petals, musk, almond, white pepper spice & creamy red fruit. Perhaps a simpler commune to understand, with joyful fruit and elegance the order of the day? To taste they’re (white stone) ethereal, charming; Monvigliero personifying this village character thanks to its talc-like soils (but regrettably only 2 examples made it for the tasting).
2013 Barolo from La Morra (37 wines):
Very different with its generally more fertile (magnesium rich?), heavier clay soils is for many a quintessential Barolo style: darker garnet red, the nose full & earthy with incense/sandalwood/potpourri notes, the palate broad, rounder (higher pH?), suppler, often massaged by the (over) use of French tonneaux/barriques, the tannins earthier perhaps. The tasting seemed to suggest that some of the village La Morra in 2013 found it harder to reach full maturity, so throwing up some wines with slightly bitter &/or green tannins/fruit. Winemaking influence in La Morra perhaps the most noticeable? La Morra is the home of the once ‘modernist’ movement but this tasting would suggest that many are now turning towards a more classical expression, being neither too extracted (‘modern’) or too rustic (‘traditional’). No noticeable character or added value attached to the Rocchettevino single vineyard Barolo (albeit only 3 samples submitted); more incisive & characterful perhaps was the Gattera ‘cru’. Another ‘Premier Cru’ or even ‘Grand Cru’ candidate would surely be Arborina whose Barolos were shown to be different with a bold, tightly wound tannic structure, & rich, mouthfilling mixed spice character – how much that is down to terroir or winemaking is unclear. More terroir character was shown by the flight of six Barolo from the Rocche dell’Annunziata vineyard, rightly regarded as a ‘Grand Cru’ among Barolo’s vineyards: certainly more refined, ethereal & perfumed than Arborina with a noticeable rose essence fragrance & fine tannins displayed by the finest examples. Brunate (from the village of La Morra), another clear candidate for ‘Grand Cru’, also showed well albeit by only 4 examples submitted: more chalky white structure (as we head towards Barolo), bolder, darker, brooding, with fuller bodied, masculine, deep seated & balsam/menthol oil notes compared to the slender Rocche. Normally another ‘Grand Cru’ candidate is Cerequio, but unfortunately only one sample made it to the tasting.
Next: review of 2013 Barolo from the villages of Novello, Barolo & Castiglione Falletto
Barbaresco – observations after three (warm!) days in the field, June 2017 visiting: Olek Bondonio, Giuseppe Cortese, Roagna, Produttori del Barbaresco, Fletcher Wines, Paolo Veglio, Marchesi di Gresy, Albino Rocca, Poderi Colla, Paitin, Francesco Versio, Sottimano, Punset, Dante Rivetti, Manuel Marinacci & tasted Rizzi, Bruno Rocca, Cascina delle Rose, Rivella Serafino, Ugo Lequio, Cascina Luisin, Figli Luigi Oddero. Vintages mainly sampled: 2014, 2013, & 2007
Geography & History
Further inland north-east of Barolo, closer to Asti than to the Alps, on the banks of the river Tanaro. Smaller zone (c.800 ha) vs Barolo (c.2000ha), 4 mln vs 14 mln of Barolo/anno. Comprises communes of Barbaresco, Neive, Tresio & part of Alba (San Rocco Seno d’Elivo). The nobles of Castello di Neive labeled their wines ‘Neive’ before Barbaresco’s creation in 1894 (which they subsequently joined, begrudgingly!) Apparently commune of Neviglie once included then opted out to focus on Moscato. Recent developments have witnessed the rise of the new, vignaiolo (winegrower), whose family once sold fruit to either the Cantina Sociale or to Giacosa, but now they’re making the wines themselves!
Topography
Lower, tightly packed (vs Barolo) cluster of hills (except Treiso) lower down & closer to the Tanaro river valley, hence warmer mesoclimate. Unlike in Barolo, Barbaresco hills generally run North/South, so aspects are W/E, with only a few notable S facing vineyards (Roncagliette, Roccalini, Rabaja, Gallina, Martinenga, Faset, part Asili, Bricco di Neive…), so giving extra freshness/acidity/aromas/vim to the wines. River Tanaro runs along commune of Barbaresco, eating away at the white calcareous clay/Marne Sant’Agata/Tortonian cliffs above. (vs Barolo, where the Tanaro now runs round the region, marginally influencing only the village of Verduno & La Morra vyd of Berri).
Climate
Warmer & drier than Barolo: protected from westerly storms by Barolo & river Tanaro. Breezy conditions due to Tanaro river (bringing air currents along valley); climate more influenced by warmer currents from the northeast (vs Barolo’s westerly Alpine influence). Barbaresco open to Tanaro river influence; Neive further away from river,so warmer; Treiso higher & breezier. Tanaro protects & ventilates (the village of Barbaresco in particular) but its humidity can bring rot. Harvests consequently tend to be a week before those in Barolo.
Soils
Three subzones recognised:
1. Creamy white Tortonian, Marne Sant’Agata (circa 7 million yo), calcareous clay/tufo mainly in commune of Barbaresco, but also part of Neive (see below), gives broad (tannic) structure, richness, depth & minerality. 2. Sandy soils of Neive vyds, notably west & north/north-east of the commune gives warm soft tannins, lower acid & supple juicy fruit. 3. (Older) limestone white & marine sand (Formation of Lequio closer to Alta Langa, as per Barolo’s Serralunga & Monforte d’Alba) found in village of Treiso, but also in Bricco di Neive & San Rocco Seno d’Elvio at the foot of Treiso commune, provides ethereal, racy, rose petal charm & perfume.
Wine styles
> Perfumed, pale garnet/violets, ethereal, slight, racy, watery-pure acidity, pithy/salty fruit tannins – generally associated with Formation of Lequio limestone & marine sand, the product of poor, dry, minerally rich soils similar to Serralunga d’Alba in being high acid (altitude & alkaline soils), pale garnet (high acid), found mostly in Treiso commune but also in San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, & eastern part of Bricco di Neive, notably from vineyards of Nervo, Pajore, Rombone, Montersino (San Rocco Seno d’Elvio), Bernadot, Bricco (di Neive), Bric’ Micca. Closer in style (if more fragile) to top halves of Barolo’s Serralunga & Monforte d’Alba. Medium to long ageing potential.
> Full, redcurrant, rich, august fruit tannins, darker, balsamic, brambly fruit, white stone minerality – associated with the village of Barbaresco, thanks to the younger Tortonian white tufo/calc soils from lower (than Treiso) slopes, enriched over the millennia by river alluvial (?), shaped/depleted by prevailing westerly winds; fine examples Paje, Asili, Pora, Rabaja, Roncaglie, Roncagliette, Ovello, Montefico, Ronchi, Montestefano. Arguably extends to the atypical vineyards of Cotta, San Cristoforo, part of Basarin & across to Serraboella in (Bricco di) Neive? Wine style closer to Barolo villages of Roddi & Verduno, & to a lesser extent La Morra. Longer ageing potential.
> Warm, rich, softer fruit tannins & generous strawberry fruit, lower supple acid – characterised by the white/yellow/red (Asti) sandy soils found in the village of Neive, notably in the west & northern parts (direction Costigliole d’Asti), such as Gallina, Albesani, Starderi, Serracapelli, Rivetti, Bricco di Neive (northern part). Medium ageing potential.
Regulations/disciplinare: minimum alcohol 12% (vs 12.5% for Barolo). ageing 26 mths, of which 9 in wood (vs 38 mths, of which 18 in wood for Barolo).
Vintages:
2014 – the Barbaresco zone enjoyed the best of the weather in 2014, with 50% less rain than in Barolo & no hail storms, harvesting under blue skies during the hot September & early October. Yields were down by up to 50%, with producers selecting hard to achieve good fruit. Thinner skins & less than perfect seed ripeness meant that a shorter maceration was often used. Many recently bottled so difficult to judge, but bright, ripe fruit, crunchy freshness & a delightful fruitiness.
2013 – completely different: a classic vintage, not too hot nor too cool, normal harvest, very good quantity & quality, characterised by a tight weave of red cherry stone fruit, fine noble tannins & racy acidity. Focus. For the longer term.
2007 – along with 1997, 2003 (& ? 2017), one of the hottest vintages of recent years. The best showed a fresh, sweet cassis, along with more menthol, tobacco, blood orange notes. Drinking.
- “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)