2004 Barolo Recommendations

S

Steven Spielmann

Steven Spielmann
Hi folks -

My daughter was born in 2004 and I want to buy a case or half-case of wine to put down for her graduations, wedding, etc. Because the vintage was generally considered pretty good and because we have family connections in Italy I've been looking at Barolo. Because I am not incredibly wealthy I am trying to stay at under $100 per bottle if possible. It's very important to me that the wine have as much aging potential as possible so that these will still have a chance of being really good 30 years down the pike.

I've been looking at the Roagna Vigna Rionda, the Poderi Colla Dardi le Rose, and the Porro Vigna Santa Caterina and Lazzaraisco as good options, but I'm sure you guys know of many others. Any help for me and my daughter?

Steve
 
i would consider elio grasso, sergio germano,or vajra. if about $80/ bottle isn't too steep the vajra bricco della viole would be my choice. that wine should age a very long time.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
2004 Barolo RecommendationsHi folks -

My daughter was born in 2004 and I want to buy a case or half-case of wine to put down for her graduations, wedding, etc. Because the vintage was generally considered pretty good and because we have family connections in Italy I've been looking at Barolo. Because I am not incredibly wealthy I am trying to stay at under $100 per bottle if possible. It's very important to me that the wine have as much aging potential as possible so that these will still have a chance of being really good 30 years down the pike.

I've been looking at the Roagna Vigna Rionda, the Poderi Colla Dardi le Rose, and the Porro Vigna Santa Caterina and Lazzaraisco as good options, but I'm sure you guys know of many others. Any help for me and my daughter?

Steve
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With the acknowledgment that we sell two of the three where I work, Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato. The Mascarellos' wines are probably a little less spendy, relative to the Conterno, but I'd think all should last.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
2004 Barolo RecommendationsHi folks -

My daughter was born in 2004 and I want to buy a case or half-case of wine to put down for her graduations, wedding, etc. Because the vintage was generally considered pretty good and because we have family connections in Italy I've been looking at Barolo. Because I am not incredibly wealthy I am trying to stay at under $100 per bottle if possible. It's very important to me that the wine have as much aging potential as possible so that these will still have a chance of being really good 30 years down the pike.

I've been looking at the Roagna Vigna Rionda, the Poderi Colla Dardi le Rose, and the Porro Vigna Santa Caterina and Lazzaraisco as good options, but I'm sure you guys know of many others. Any help for me and my daughter?

Steve
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Brovia Ca'Mia. You can get it for $65-70 a bottle. You should get a case of 750s and a case of mags.

Roagna will release their Barolo (other than Rionda) next year nas well as Barbaresco Paje, I think it would be a good choices as well.

Marcarini Brunate is another excellent value.

That being said Conterno will certainly be great.
 
originally posted by John McIlwain:
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
2004 Barolo RecommendationsHi folks -

My daughter was born in 2004 and I want to buy a case or half-case of wine to put down for her graduations, wedding, etc. Because the vintage was generally considered pretty good and because we have family connections in Italy I've been looking at Barolo. Because I am not incredibly wealthy I am trying to stay at under $100 per bottle if possible. It's very important to me that the wine have as much aging potential as possible so that these will still have a chance of being really good 30 years down the pike.

I've been looking at the Roagna Vigna Rionda, the Poderi Colla Dardi le Rose, and the Porro Vigna Santa Caterina and Lazzaraisco as good options, but I'm sure you guys know of many others. Any help for me and my daughter?

Steve
Click to expand...
With the acknowledgment that we sell two of the three where I work, Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno, and Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato. The Mascarellos' wines are probably a little less spendy, relative to the Conterno, but I'd think all should last.
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I agree. These are excellent choices for those who are less than incredibly wealthy. I also agree with the Marcarini suggestion. Brovia, Vietti, and G. Rinaldi are also personal favs.
 
I love Marcarini Brunate and think it's an excellent value, but I don't generally consider it a 30 year wine. More like 10-20 year. There are exceptions like 1978, but not many. For example, a recent bottle of the '85 was lovely and mature but would have been better some years earlier.

Dal Piaz has drank a lot more old Marcarini than I ever will though, so if he says otherwise I can dig it.

I like John McIlwain's recommendations, and would add Cappellano's two Barolo made from the Gabutti vineyard: Pi Franco and Pi Rupestris. I've not tasted a mature bottle of Cappellano yet but between what I've read and tasted I feel pretty confident that these will last in your cellar.

I've only tasted young Brovia, so I don't know how these age over the long haul. And I've not had a Roagna wine I thought would last more than 20 years, but looking back I've mostly tasted off vintages like '93 and '98.

'04 Guido Porro Lazzairasco was very tight and unexpressive when I tasted it, so I can't speak to 20-30 year potential or lack thereof.
 
originally posted by slaton:
I love Marcarini Brunate and think it's an excellent value, but I don't generally consider it a 30 year wine. More like 10-20 year. There are exceptions like 1978, but not many. For example, a recent bottle of the '85 was lovely and mature but would have been better some years earlier.

Dal Piaz has drank a lot more old Marcarini than I ever will though, so if he says otherwise I can dig it.
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In a vintage like 2004, Marcarini Brunate can certainly be a long lived wine. 1985 is not in the same class as a vintage.

I've only tasted young Brovia, so I don't know how these age over the long haul.
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They do very well. I own more Brovia than any other Italian wine.
 
Good reminders and thoughts here.

It will probably be one of these five (assuming I can find them):

B. Mascarello
Roagna Vigna Rionda
Porro Santa Caterina
Brovia CaMia
Cappellano Pie Rupestris

I'm leaning maybe towards the Cappellano, assuming anyone will have it. Not sure though.
 
The Poderi Colla has been a great value for years, although I've never had a mature one. I'm a huge Cappellano fan as well. I would pay the extra tab* for the Pie Franco (* = extra tab here; in Piedmont they cost pretty much the same), but you can't go wrong either way and Cappellano himself sorta prefers the Rupestris. I second the G. Rinaldi recommendation, but I don't know what prices are now. I remember the Brunate-Le Coste getting big points from somebody and disappearing from the market. That same somebody has been a champion of Cavallotto's Barolos and their Bricco Boschis Riserva San Giuseppe would be another great candidate for you. I think Slaton's a little too bearish on Roagna considering the '93 only has 4 more years to go to hit the 20-year mark (yikes) and still tastes pretty young, but it's in the "always good, never great" category. Skip it.

I wouldn't limit your scope to the Langhe, though. One of the best nebbiolos I ever had was Antoniolo Gattinara Osso San Grato 1982, and recent vintages are already impressive.
 
The Colla is from Monforte so based on crude generalizations it should go a pretty long time, but by that same reasoning B. Mascarello wouldn't be a long ager, and most say it is.

The Rinaldi Cannubi-Ravera is at the high end of what I can afford, with the Mascarello. I'll go do some research on them and Cavallotto.

I was thinking Rupestris because maybe it was a little more 'solid' somehow. I have had his wines before and they tend to strike me as a little thin for Serralunga but so aromatically expressive it doesn't matter. I thought the PR might be a little 'chunkier'.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I was thinking Rupestris because maybe it was a little more 'solid' somehow. I have had his wines before and they tend to strike me as a little thin for Serralunga but so aromatically expressive it doesn't matter. I thought the PR might be a little 'chunkier'.
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That's a fair generalization. The Pie Franco is the finesse wine, the Pie Rupestris much more rugged. It's too soon to say which will age better or longer, though.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I was thinking Rupestris because maybe it was a little more 'solid' somehow. I have had his wines before and they tend to strike me as a little thin for Serralunga but so aromatically expressive it doesn't matter. I thought the PR might be a little 'chunkier'.
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That's a fair generalization. The Pie Franco is the finesse wine, the Pie Rupestris much more rugged. It's too soon to say which will age better or longer, though.
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I don't know anyone who thinks the Pie Franco will age better, including Capellano himself.

I think the Capellano wines are interesting, but a little too driven by philosophy for me.

Steve-

I'd be a little cautious with both Rinaldi and Mascarello. They can both be great but I have had VA issues with both. Not to totally dissuade you, just fair warning.

If I were getting spendy about it, I'd go G. Conterno or Giacosa.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I was thinking Rupestris because maybe it was a little more 'solid' somehow. I have had his wines before and they tend to strike me as a little thin for Serralunga but so aromatically expressive it doesn't matter. I thought the PR might be a little 'chunkier'.
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That's a fair generalization. The Pie Franco is the finesse wine, the Pie Rupestris much more rugged. It's too soon to say which will age better or longer, though.
Click to expand...

I don't know anyone who thinks the Pie Franco will age better, including Capellano himself.
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Nobody knows which will age better or longer (which are not the same thing). The Pie Franco is too new. I suspect the early vintages are weaker, but now that the vines are no longer 'young vines' it will be interesting to watch.
I think the Capellano wines are interesting, but a little too driven by philosophy for me.
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In what way are they more driven by philosophy than Conterno, Mascarello, Rinaldi, et al.?
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I was thinking Rupestris because maybe it was a little more 'solid' somehow. I have had his wines before and they tend to strike me as a little thin for Serralunga but so aromatically expressive it doesn't matter. I thought the PR might be a little 'chunkier'.
Click to expand...
That's a fair generalization. The Pie Franco is the finesse wine, the Pie Rupestris much more rugged. It's too soon to say which will age better or longer, though.
Click to expand...

I don't know anyone who thinks the Pie Franco will age better, including Capellano himself.
Click to expand...
Nobody knows which will age better or longer (which are not the same thing). The Pie Franco is too new. I suspect the early vintages are weaker, but now that the vines are no longer 'young vines' it will be interesting to watch.
Click to expand...

Maybe.

I think the Capellano wines are interesting, but a little too driven by philosophy for me.
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In what way are they more driven by philosophy than Conterno, Mascarello, Rinaldi, et al.?
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Read the back label, for starters.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
Read the back label, for starters.
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The back label's just a critique of points and capitalism. I don't think either philosophy does the wines any damage...
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You're right.

Buy lots of Capellano.

It is good wine.
 
Greetings from Tokyo.

Steve S.: go with Oddero. You will not be disappointed. Tremendous in '04. You can taste and tell right away that they will be excellent in 30 years. When I get back to the States I will dig out my notes and give you a rundown of the crus, if you would like.
 
originally posted by Levi Dalton:
go with Oddero. You will not be disappointed. Tremendous in '04.
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Levi, I'd be very interested in your notes on these as I've only tasted the normale.

If I recall Dal Piaz flipped over the Brunate but was less moved by the other crus. But I believe he tasted these quite some time ago and in the context of a very large (100+) blind setting.
 
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