We all know that the prestigious Barolo, the King of Italy, is a high-priced wine in a league of its own, but seasoned wine consumers should never write it off for value. Even though Barolos can be legendary wines that at their best are on par with the finest of Burgundy, they also sometimes come at a fraction of the price.
The grape nebbiolo, which is not so different from pinot noir, is one of the finicky grapes that excels in places where it is just warm enough to ripen the fruit, hooking the palates of wine aficionados with elements that at first glance seem contradictory where paler hues, scented berry fruit and nuance could go hand in hand with power, structure and fine austerity. While Barolos are ultimately built for the cellar, the more contemporary releases are also getting more approachable at youth, with the help of Mother Nature.
A great trilogy of vintages – 2015, 2016 and the most recent, 2017 – should be given credit for expanding on the great-value options for Barolo. Of the trio, 2017 has the most early-stage appeal. (James has just finished tasting almost 460 Barolo samples, and he is writing up a report that will be published very soon.)
Despite being a very dry and warm harvest, most Barolo 2017s we tasted were lively and nervy with the restrained, dialed-in exuberance of the fruit. Many winemakers harvested early and pulled it off, resulting in a fresh yet cohesive fruit-coated palate with tight but smoother tannins, giving more vitality and substance to the wine and making it drinkable now. The producers have also fine-tuned their viticulture to adapt to the increase in temperatures and sunlight.
