We got together last night and had a tasting of Barolo from vintages 1996-2000. Chaz who set up the tasting brought the movie Barolo Boys which we watched while sipping on the wines. It was a fun idea, getting to see and hear the winemakers while we tasted their wines.
Started with a couple of whites.
Pieropan Calvarino 2010 - nice Soave, pear fruit and a bit cream like texture
ColleStefano Verdicchio di Metalica spumante - also pleasing, chalky, white fruit, understated
Barolo
Roberto Voerzio Cerequio 1996 - dark color, sweet fruit, some oak tannin. With a couple hours of air this was overwhelmed with VA and fell off a cliff.
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis 1997 - tight, slight VA, softer structure then some of the following wines, dried cherry and a little licorice. Just OK.
Borgogno Riserva 1999 - classic nose with rose petal, tar, mouth is quite austere with fierce tannins. Very good but needs more time.
G Mascarello Monprivito 1999 - one of my favorites of the night. Quite floral, lifted nose and quite pretty, gorgeous texture and balance. Orange peel. Primary but delicious.
E. Pira and Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi 2000 - milk chocolate nose, dark color. Smells of oak but not as off putting in the mouth. Didn't like this but it wan't as bad as I expected either.
Monchiero Rocche 2000 - pretty open, drinking well. Expressive, one taster thought stated this tasted of Burgundy/Pinot Noir. I liked this.
Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia Riserva 2000 - this was the most aromatic wine of the night, and the fruit had a very fresh, juicy quality. I liked it but it was quite atypical.
Bartolo Mascarello 2000 - also drinking quite well, plum and dried cherry, some animal and dried tobacco leaf tertiary flavors starting to show, great texture of the tannin here. Lovely wine.
Ceretto Brunate Bricco Rocche 2000 - I did not care for this one, the nose and mouth seemed dominated by wood.
It was fun to taste some traditional and modern styles next to each other. What stood out to me that even where the new oak flavors had faded a bit I much preferred the structure and textures of the wines done in large barrel. The G Mascarello was gorgeous and also the Bartolo Mascarello was super. The wines were all still primary, I think only the 2000 Bartolo Mascarello was showing development past that.
Started with a couple of whites.
Pieropan Calvarino 2010 - nice Soave, pear fruit and a bit cream like texture
ColleStefano Verdicchio di Metalica spumante - also pleasing, chalky, white fruit, understated
Barolo
Roberto Voerzio Cerequio 1996 - dark color, sweet fruit, some oak tannin. With a couple hours of air this was overwhelmed with VA and fell off a cliff.
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis 1997 - tight, slight VA, softer structure then some of the following wines, dried cherry and a little licorice. Just OK.
Borgogno Riserva 1999 - classic nose with rose petal, tar, mouth is quite austere with fierce tannins. Very good but needs more time.
G Mascarello Monprivito 1999 - one of my favorites of the night. Quite floral, lifted nose and quite pretty, gorgeous texture and balance. Orange peel. Primary but delicious.
E. Pira and Figli Chiara Boschis Cannubi 2000 - milk chocolate nose, dark color. Smells of oak but not as off putting in the mouth. Didn't like this but it wan't as bad as I expected either.
Monchiero Rocche 2000 - pretty open, drinking well. Expressive, one taster thought stated this tasted of Burgundy/Pinot Noir. I liked this.
Aldo Conterno Gran Bussia Riserva 2000 - this was the most aromatic wine of the night, and the fruit had a very fresh, juicy quality. I liked it but it was quite atypical.
Bartolo Mascarello 2000 - also drinking quite well, plum and dried cherry, some animal and dried tobacco leaf tertiary flavors starting to show, great texture of the tannin here. Lovely wine.
Ceretto Brunate Bricco Rocche 2000 - I did not care for this one, the nose and mouth seemed dominated by wood.
It was fun to taste some traditional and modern styles next to each other. What stood out to me that even where the new oak flavors had faded a bit I much preferred the structure and textures of the wines done in large barrel. The G Mascarello was gorgeous and also the Bartolo Mascarello was super. The wines were all still primary, I think only the 2000 Bartolo Mascarello was showing development past that.