Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
It's the Barolo Barbaresco World Opening, the world's largest tasting dedicated to Barolo and Barbaresco.
If they do say so themselves. And they might well be right: the floor plan has 148 Producers' Desks, 165 wines at the Barolo Official MGA (Single Vineyard) Desk, and 74 wines at the Barbaresco Official MGA (Single Vineyard) Desk. Open to the trade from 1p - 4p and to consumers from 6p - 9p.
A huge food table was provided by Eataly: three kinds of focaccia, crostini with four spreads, Genoa (lots of peppercorns) and mortadella (no pistachios?), bowls of roasted and pickled vegetables, chunks of parmigiano, blood orange slices, dried apricots, figs, the Italian version of pigs-in-blankets(!), caprese spiedini (little skewers of basil, tomato, and bocconcini), more crusty bread, more verdure.... There were two people continually refilling it.
The crowd was mixed, some tony, well-moneyed types and some who apparently came down from their garret just for this event. I did not see anyone I know so I did what I usually do: talk to the pourers, the security guards, the makers, the patrons, and get a little perspective from everyone.
Even I was not going to undertake tasting nearly 400 wines so I did a little up-front planning: first hit the Barbarescos, especially 2016s; then satisfy my curiosity about various Barolos; finish up wherever I see a clutch of things I haven't tried and that aren't terribly obscure (so maybe I'd have a chance of finding them in a store later).
It was hard to check but I think all of these wines are 14% abv or higher yet very few showed spirity. These are young wines with lots of jazz to cover up their base chemistry.
Tasted in this order:
Ca’ del Baio 2016 Barbaresco Vallegrande - I stumble onto a nice one first: pretty, lots of roses in the noses, a barest hit of orange is perfect, great wine ...3
Orlando Abrigo 2016 Barbaresco Meruzzano - much more tannic, tighter and narrower flavor, slightly bitter in the mid-palate, not charming today (but maybe gives more eventually?) ...0.5
Cascina Rabaglio 2016 Barbaresco Gaia Principe - attractive nose, "Jammy!" says the server to me, it is warm and fruity and too soft ...0.5
Cortese, Giuseppe 2017 Barbaresco Rabajà - very fine tannins, not plush or particularly vivid, good balance though ...0.5
Cascina Luisin 2015 Barbaresco Asili - noticeably fruity! good complexity, tannins are hidden (or missing) but the acid is doing a little jig on my tongue ...2
Nada, Giuseppe 2016 Barbaresco Casot - very cranberry, austere, a hint of something like cigar box but citrussy and floral, excellent ...2.5
Paitin 2013 Barbaresco Serra Boella "Sorì Paitin" - fine tannins, a bit of menthol or other herbality, good enough ...1
Pietro Rinaldi 2016 Barbaresco San Cristoforo - another Rinaldi so I had to try it... this is very soft, however, and lacks any real depth of tannin or acid structure ...0
Rizzi 2016 Barbaresco Rizzi - too soft and easy on the entry but a long, tangy, sturdy finish redeems it; Ms. Rizzi is wearing a strung necklace of her own making: a gold strand alternating three white pearlescent beads with Az. Agr. Rizzi corks! ...2
Manera Fratelli 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rizzi - there's oak in here, not incredibly offensive but I keep waiting for it to get out of the way; meh ...-1
Rizzi 2016 Barbaresco Pajorè - Ms. Rizzi's other soil type but I find this less interesting than the other ...0
Terre del Barolo 2015 Barolo - the basic bottling, yup ...0.5
Trediberri 2016 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata - I'd read positive reviews of the maker, Oberto, so had to stop here; fine tannins, a cooked raspberry flavor mingled with more orange peel, this is not so sturdy but it is stylish (and likeable) ...2
Revello Fratelli 2013 Barolo Cerretta - yup ...1
Ceretto 2015 Barolo Bricco Rocche - beautiful balance, complex without shouting, some soil tones already show, I like it ...2
Brovia 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - juicier than the Ceretto and a bit lighter all around, whiff of medicine in the finish ...2
Tenuta Montanello 2015 Barolo Montanello - "What's a popular one?" I ask, the server says "People have been looking for this one", OK, let's try it... rather sweet, almost candied, and also too soft for my tastes ...0
Casavecchia 2014 Barolo Piantà - "What's an unpopular one?", the server says "I think this is the same bottle all day", OK, let's try it... muted, kinda generic really I'd be hard-pressed to identify it blind as Piedmont ...-1
Azelia 2016 Barolo Fiasco - fruit cup but there are tannins in there that sneak up on your tongue, a bit mild but charming and I could see popping this if you want something at the table soon ...1
Boroli 2013 Barolo Brunella - a monopole vineyard but I'd read that the house is just recovering from a love affair with new oak... well, the nose is quite fresh and attractive, but there are still wood tannins in the mouth, a shame, maybe let a few vintages pass and try again ...0
Adriano, Marco e Vittorio 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Basarin - I have a couple bottles of another maker's Basarin, older than this, so thought I'd stop in here... funky/cheesey nose leads into a broad and rich palate full of umami, in a nice place; I love it when washed-rind cheeses do this trick but I didn't know wine does it too ...2
Chionetti 2016 Barolo Bussia "Vigna Pianpolvere" - The famous Dolcetto maker bought some vineyards in 2015 so here is the second vintage!... excellent grip and clarity, pure and elegant and delicious ...2
Chionetti 2016 Barolo Parussi - the same bright style but there is more brown earth here and mouthcoating tannins, wow ...3
Rocche Viberti 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - stern and severe, vinous and unyielding, this is definitely the strong silent type, who knows what it might yield with a couple days of air or a decade in bottle? ...2.5
Vajra 2015 Barolo Bricco delle Viole - good grip but leaves no definite impression behind, eh ...0.5
Pira, Luigi 2015 Barolo Marenca - Zul used to recommend this wine to me... dry, dry, dry; quinine and maybe iodine too, very cranberry, expansive on the palate, yum ...2
Manzone, Giovanni 2015 Barolo Gramolere - A long time ago I used to drink Manzone regularly, wonder what it's like now?... mixed red berries (so, sweeter than the Pira but not so sweet as the Azelia), a whiff of pine needles, the palate shows some well-integrated wood, good enough ...1
Vico, Luigi 2016 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga - "Finito!" he says as I approach the table but there is one of his wines at the MGA desk... smoky, juicy cherries, a gentle core but this is another one I could see on my table sooner rather than later ...1.5
Brovia 2016 Barolo Brea "Vigna Ca’ Mia" - very redfruit with a midpalate that is translucent and weightless, there are some furry tannins in the finish, good wine though I'm not over the moon ...1
Grasso Fratelli 2015 Barbaresco Vallegrande - it does have a family resemblance to the Ca’ del Baio from the same place, good (but I'm getting close to my limit and this note is a bit skimpy) ...2
Renato Fenocchio 2015 Barbaresco Starderi - hint of vinyl car seat, which is good now when my palate is losing sensitivity but maybe it wouldn't be earlier in the evening ...1
Castello di Neive 2016 Barbaresco Albesani "Santo Stefano" - pretty and grippy, roses and dirt here ...1
Negro, Giuseppe 2016 Barbaresco Gallina - another friendly and fruity wine that hints at earth tones yet to come, I like this even better than the Santo Stefano ...2
Wine.Com had a table. They have arranged to bring in some of the crus that generally don't come here. Their website shows 121 bottles associated with this event but it includes a few that were not there and not very many of the ones I visited. (How does one convey, "Quelle surprise!" in Italian?)
Generalizations: For me 2015 is love it or leave it, there's not much middle ground, especially in Barolo. My notes for 2016, however, have higher highs and less-low lows. Sample size is low, of course, but a man only has so much liver.
A huge food table was provided by Eataly: three kinds of focaccia, crostini with four spreads, Genoa (lots of peppercorns) and mortadella (no pistachios?), bowls of roasted and pickled vegetables, chunks of parmigiano, blood orange slices, dried apricots, figs, the Italian version of pigs-in-blankets(!), caprese spiedini (little skewers of basil, tomato, and bocconcini), more crusty bread, more verdure.... There were two people continually refilling it.
The crowd was mixed, some tony, well-moneyed types and some who apparently came down from their garret just for this event. I did not see anyone I know so I did what I usually do: talk to the pourers, the security guards, the makers, the patrons, and get a little perspective from everyone.
Even I was not going to undertake tasting nearly 400 wines so I did a little up-front planning: first hit the Barbarescos, especially 2016s; then satisfy my curiosity about various Barolos; finish up wherever I see a clutch of things I haven't tried and that aren't terribly obscure (so maybe I'd have a chance of finding them in a store later).
It was hard to check but I think all of these wines are 14% abv or higher yet very few showed spirity. These are young wines with lots of jazz to cover up their base chemistry.
Tasted in this order:
Ca’ del Baio 2016 Barbaresco Vallegrande - I stumble onto a nice one first: pretty, lots of roses in the noses, a barest hit of orange is perfect, great wine ...3
Orlando Abrigo 2016 Barbaresco Meruzzano - much more tannic, tighter and narrower flavor, slightly bitter in the mid-palate, not charming today (but maybe gives more eventually?) ...0.5
Cascina Rabaglio 2016 Barbaresco Gaia Principe - attractive nose, "Jammy!" says the server to me, it is warm and fruity and too soft ...0.5
Cortese, Giuseppe 2017 Barbaresco Rabajà - very fine tannins, not plush or particularly vivid, good balance though ...0.5
Cascina Luisin 2015 Barbaresco Asili - noticeably fruity! good complexity, tannins are hidden (or missing) but the acid is doing a little jig on my tongue ...2
Nada, Giuseppe 2016 Barbaresco Casot - very cranberry, austere, a hint of something like cigar box but citrussy and floral, excellent ...2.5
Paitin 2013 Barbaresco Serra Boella "Sorì Paitin" - fine tannins, a bit of menthol or other herbality, good enough ...1
Pietro Rinaldi 2016 Barbaresco San Cristoforo - another Rinaldi so I had to try it... this is very soft, however, and lacks any real depth of tannin or acid structure ...0
Rizzi 2016 Barbaresco Rizzi - too soft and easy on the entry but a long, tangy, sturdy finish redeems it; Ms. Rizzi is wearing a strung necklace of her own making: a gold strand alternating three white pearlescent beads with Az. Agr. Rizzi corks! ...2
Manera Fratelli 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rizzi - there's oak in here, not incredibly offensive but I keep waiting for it to get out of the way; meh ...-1
Rizzi 2016 Barbaresco Pajorè - Ms. Rizzi's other soil type but I find this less interesting than the other ...0
Terre del Barolo 2015 Barolo - the basic bottling, yup ...0.5
Trediberri 2016 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata - I'd read positive reviews of the maker, Oberto, so had to stop here; fine tannins, a cooked raspberry flavor mingled with more orange peel, this is not so sturdy but it is stylish (and likeable) ...2
Revello Fratelli 2013 Barolo Cerretta - yup ...1
Ceretto 2015 Barolo Bricco Rocche - beautiful balance, complex without shouting, some soil tones already show, I like it ...2
Brovia 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - juicier than the Ceretto and a bit lighter all around, whiff of medicine in the finish ...2
Tenuta Montanello 2015 Barolo Montanello - "What's a popular one?" I ask, the server says "People have been looking for this one", OK, let's try it... rather sweet, almost candied, and also too soft for my tastes ...0
Casavecchia 2014 Barolo Piantà - "What's an unpopular one?", the server says "I think this is the same bottle all day", OK, let's try it... muted, kinda generic really I'd be hard-pressed to identify it blind as Piedmont ...-1
Azelia 2016 Barolo Fiasco - fruit cup but there are tannins in there that sneak up on your tongue, a bit mild but charming and I could see popping this if you want something at the table soon ...1
Boroli 2013 Barolo Brunella - a monopole vineyard but I'd read that the house is just recovering from a love affair with new oak... well, the nose is quite fresh and attractive, but there are still wood tannins in the mouth, a shame, maybe let a few vintages pass and try again ...0
Adriano, Marco e Vittorio 2011 Barbaresco Riserva Basarin - I have a couple bottles of another maker's Basarin, older than this, so thought I'd stop in here... funky/cheesey nose leads into a broad and rich palate full of umami, in a nice place; I love it when washed-rind cheeses do this trick but I didn't know wine does it too ...2
Chionetti 2016 Barolo Bussia "Vigna Pianpolvere" - The famous Dolcetto maker bought some vineyards in 2015 so here is the second vintage!... excellent grip and clarity, pure and elegant and delicious ...2
Chionetti 2016 Barolo Parussi - the same bright style but there is more brown earth here and mouthcoating tannins, wow ...3
Rocche Viberti 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione - stern and severe, vinous and unyielding, this is definitely the strong silent type, who knows what it might yield with a couple days of air or a decade in bottle? ...2.5
Vajra 2015 Barolo Bricco delle Viole - good grip but leaves no definite impression behind, eh ...0.5
Pira, Luigi 2015 Barolo Marenca - Zul used to recommend this wine to me... dry, dry, dry; quinine and maybe iodine too, very cranberry, expansive on the palate, yum ...2
Manzone, Giovanni 2015 Barolo Gramolere - A long time ago I used to drink Manzone regularly, wonder what it's like now?... mixed red berries (so, sweeter than the Pira but not so sweet as the Azelia), a whiff of pine needles, the palate shows some well-integrated wood, good enough ...1
Vico, Luigi 2016 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga - "Finito!" he says as I approach the table but there is one of his wines at the MGA desk... smoky, juicy cherries, a gentle core but this is another one I could see on my table sooner rather than later ...1.5
Brovia 2016 Barolo Brea "Vigna Ca’ Mia" - very redfruit with a midpalate that is translucent and weightless, there are some furry tannins in the finish, good wine though I'm not over the moon ...1
Grasso Fratelli 2015 Barbaresco Vallegrande - it does have a family resemblance to the Ca’ del Baio from the same place, good (but I'm getting close to my limit and this note is a bit skimpy) ...2
Renato Fenocchio 2015 Barbaresco Starderi - hint of vinyl car seat, which is good now when my palate is losing sensitivity but maybe it wouldn't be earlier in the evening ...1
Castello di Neive 2016 Barbaresco Albesani "Santo Stefano" - pretty and grippy, roses and dirt here ...1
Negro, Giuseppe 2016 Barbaresco Gallina - another friendly and fruity wine that hints at earth tones yet to come, I like this even better than the Santo Stefano ...2
Wine.Com had a table. They have arranged to bring in some of the crus that generally don't come here. Their website shows 121 bottles associated with this event but it includes a few that were not there and not very many of the ones I visited. (How does one convey, "Quelle surprise!" in Italian?)
Generalizations: For me 2015 is love it or leave it, there's not much middle ground, especially in Barolo. My notes for 2016, however, have higher highs and less-low lows. Sample size is low, of course, but a man only has so much liver.
