We recently gathered a group of Musing followers together to taste a wonderful flight of Barolo wines. Ranging in vintage from 1997 through 2019, the flight featured a panoply of wonderful wines. Overall impression – not a bad wine in the group. Each was lovely, with distinctive characteristics, along with a pervasive consistent flavor profile, suggestive of the region.
Before we look at the flight, here is an overview of Piedmont and it’s subregion, Barolo.
Piedmont
Located in the northwest corner of Italy at the foot of the Monferrato Mountains in the Po river valley.
- Italy’s second largest wine producing region.
- Region with the most DOC (41) and DOCG (19) wines
- 25% of production is DOC class wine (11 million cases)
Turin is the principle industrial city of Piedmont, located almost at the geographical center of the region. Principle wine “cities” are Asti, Alba, Barbaresco, Barolo, Canelli and Gavi. Asti has long been considered the “sparkling wine capital” of Italy, much to the disappointment of the producers in Franciacorta (Veneto). The lightly sparkling wine Moscato d’Asti and the more petulant Asti Spumante both hail from Asti.
Piedmont
Barolo
Barolo is located south of the city of Alba and is comprised of a series of townships:
- Barolo
- La Morra
- Castiglione Falletto
- Serralunga d’Alba
- Montforte d’Alba
- Novello
- Verduno
- Grinzane Cavour
The wines of Barolo had been, up until the mid-19th century, sweet. It was not until a French oenologist, Louis Oudart began consulting and introduced techniques that allowed the high-sugar Nebbiolo grape to reach complete fermentation in the cold cellars of Barolo. Barolo was granted DOC status in 1963 and was then upgraded to DOCG in 1980. Barolo can only be produced from 100% Nebbiolo grapes and must be aged a minimum of 3 years (at least 2 in cask) before release. To be designated riserva, Barolo must be aged a minimum of 5 years.
Barolo
Piedmont – Grapes
| Piedmont – Grapes | |
| White | Red |
| Muscat (Moscato d’Asti) | Nebbiolo |
| Cortese (Gavi) | Dolcetto |
| Arneis | Barbera |
| Erbaluce di Caluso | Freisa |
| Grignolino | |
| Brachetto | |
Piedmont – Major DOC/DOCG Wines
| Piedmont – DOCG | |
| Red | White |
| Barbaresco (Nebbiolo) | Gavi (Cortese) |
| Barolo (Nebbiolo) | Moscato d’Asti (Muscat) |
| Brachetto d’Acqui (Brachetto) | Roero Arneis (Arneis) |
| Gattinara (Nebbiolo) | Asti |
| Ghemme (Nebbiolo) | Canelli |
| Piedmont – DOC | |
| Albugnano | Dolcetto di Ovada (Also DOCG) |
| Alta Langa (Also DOCG) | Erbaluce di Caluso (Also DOCG) |
| Barbera d’Alba | Fara |
| Barbera d’Asti (Also DOCG) | Freisa d’Asti |
| Barbera del Monferrato (Also DOCG) | Freisa di Chieri |
| Boca | Gabiano |
| Bramaterra | Grignolino d’Asti |
| Canavese | Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese |
| Carema | Langhe |
| Cisterna d’Asti | Lessona |
| Colli Tortonesi | Malvasia di Casorzo d’Asti |
| Collina Torinese | Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco |
| Colline Novaresi | Monferrato |
| Colline Saluzzesi | Nebbiolo d’Alba |
| Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato | Piemonte |
| Coste della Sesia | Pinerolese |
| Dolcetto d’Acqui | Roero (Also DOCG) |
| Dolcetto d’Alba | Rubino di Cantavenna |
| Dolcetto d’Asti | Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato (DOCG) |
| Dolcetto delle Langhe Monregalesi | Sizzano |
| Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba (Also DOCG) | Valsusa |
| Dolcetto di Dogliani (Also DOCG) | Verduno Pelavrega or Verduno |
Barolo – The Flight
1997 Rocche Dei Manzoni Big ‘dBig
Lovely nose with perfumed floral hints – violets, dried cherry and cedar. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with soft, well-integrate tannins. Earthy with forest floor, tobacco leaf, library leather and sour cherry on the palate. Long finish with anise and tar on the aftertaste. Delightful.
1997 Gianfranco Alessandria
Lively nose with wildflowers, violets and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with well-integrated, dry tannins. Complex. Bramble, eucalyptus and dried cherry notes. Long finish – powerful and weighty.
1997 Marcarini Brunate
Briny with chalk, mineral, olives and dried herb hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with well-integrated tannins. Fruity palate with bright cherry, raspberry and floral notes. Pretty and alluring. Long finish with anise and rose attar on the aftertaste.
2013 Luigi Pira Serralunga
Vibrant nose with fruity, ripe aromas – almost jammy. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm, structured tannins. Big palate with dark cherry, mocha and tobacco leaf notes. Long finish – tight with decades of aging potential.
2013 G.D. Vajra Albe
Greenish nose with briarwood, olives and sour cherry hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm, dry tannins. Sour cherry on the palate with rosemary and tobacco leaf. Long, tight finish with anise on the aftertaste.
2013 Diego Conterno
Bright floral nose with fresh, fruity aromas. Lovely. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Ripe cherry and raspberry notes. Long finish. Smooth with decades of aging potential ahead.
2014 G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole
Stunning, in a word. Vibrant and complex nose with dried cherry, tobacco leaf, violets and eucalyptus hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm, dry tannins. Elegant structure. Dark fruit core with layers of complexity – forest floor, truffle, violets and cocoa. Long, tight finish. Great aging potential. Anise and dried herb aftertaste.
2016 Damilano Cannubi 1752 Riserva
Simply incredible. Vibrant, cherry fruit nose with fresh stone fruit and perfumed hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm, dry tannins. Strutcured – Massive. Deep, dark palate. Lush. Black cherry, dark chocolate and violet notes. Rose attar and tobacco leaf. Endless finish with decades of aging potential. An amazing wine and near perfect example of Barolo.
2019 La Spinetta Garretti
Super spicy nose with nutmeg, ginger and bright cherry hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Structured. Fruity on the palate with fresh herb notes. Long finish with loads of black pepper on the aftertaste. Gorgeous!
2019 E. Pira Chiara Boschis Via Nuova
Lovely, complex nose with spice, fresh cherry and fresh herb hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-Balanced with firm tannins. Stunning. Dark fruit core with layers of complexity. Long finish with anise, violets and cacao on the aftertaste. Incredible.
2019 Vietti Castiglione
Slightly disappointing and seemingly slipping into a “dumb” phase, although I have never known Barolo to do that. Medium-bodied with firm acidity. Good-balance with firm tannins – dry. Muted fruit with painfully shy floral and herb notes. Clipped finish. I have tasted this wine from this vintage a year ago and this bottle is showing decidedly less pleasing.
2019 Paolo Scavino Monvigliero
Vibrant, juicy nose with dark chocolate, black cherry, wet stone and fresh herb hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dark fruit core with layered complexity. Cedar, tobacco, black cherry and tobacco leaf notes. Long finish with lots of black pepper and spice on the aftertaste. Seemingly endless aging potential. Magnificent.
Barolo – The Cheese
Bianco Sardo di Moliterno
Bianco Sardo, from Puglia, Italy, is also known as Canestrato, after the baskets in which this hard sheep’s milk cheese is matured. These unique molds are made from Apulian reed and greatly influence the flavor and complexity of the end product, all while giving the cheese a beautiful exterior that reinforces its handmade appeal. Furthermore, the raw sheep’s milk used for Bianco Sardo comes only from animals grazing on Apulian green grasses, instilling Bianco Sardo with the well-rounded and balanced flavor of the land. Its paste is dense and sometimes crumbly, its flavor earthy, sweet, and sometimes tangy.
Country: Italy
Milk Type: Sheep
Cheese Type: Semi-Firm
Taleggio
Taleggio is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from the Valtaleggio region in northern Italy, near Lombardy. It is characteristically aromatic yet mild in flavor and features tangy, meaty notes with a fruity finish. The texture of the cheese is moist-to-oozy with a very pleasant melt-in-your-mouth feel.
Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow
Cheese Type: Washed-Rind
Salva Cremasco
Salva Cremasco is a rustic and earthy cube-shaped cow’s milk cheese from northern Italy and has a characteristic ridged and mottled rind. It is aromatic and intense with notes of damp earth, hazelnut, and mushroom. The cheese ages from the outside in, developing a rich creamlike and crumbly interior. Salva Cremasco was first created hundreds of years ago, as a way to preserve excess milk that became abundant in the spring, when the cows graze on aromatic herbs and young grasses in the pastures of Lombardia. The name Salva Cremasco comes from the Italian salvare, meaning “to save.” Hundreds of years later, the cheese received DOP status, protecting its production.
Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow
Cheese Type: Semi-Firm
Gorgonzola di Capra
Gorgonzola di Capra is a creamy and sweet blue cheese from Lombardia made from goat milk and aged for at least 60 days. The ivory-colored paste is characterized by light blue noble molds. The cheese has a mild flavor, with a very creamy texture.
Country: Italy
Milk Type: Goat
Cheese Type: Blue-Veined
A true delight, showcasing why Barolo is known as the “King of Wines” around the world.
Tu Salut!