Tasting Report: The Time is For Barolo and Barbaresco

Top Barolos and Barbarescos recently released on the market, or soon to be released, are outstanding to superb quality and many are wines that Italian wine lovers are not going to want to miss buying. Most are 2008 Barolos and 2009 Barbarescos.

Moreover, I found two perfect wines in tastings in Italy in the last three weeks: 2005 Aldo Conterno Barolo Gran Bussia Riserva and 2007 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva. Yes, they are 100-point Barolos! And they are spectacular. Both are not yet released in the market.

You probably remember that I am a big fan of 2007 in Piedmont. It was a hot and sunny vintage, and it was a very precocious harvest. Grape yields were slightly down. In other words, it was much easier to pick outstanding quality grapes in 2007 than in many of the former vintages.

I have already written that a number of top Barolo and Barbaresco producers believe that 2007 is the best year since 2000, including Bruno Giacosa and Roberto Voerzio – two of the master winemakers of the Langhe. “The 2007 vintage is clearly better than the rest,” said Bruno Giacosa, during a tasting a few weeks ago in his winery with his daughter Bruna and winemaker Francesco Versio.

Nonetheless, some of their peers are much keener on the 2008 for Nebbiolo stating that the late harvest and cool and sunny growing season gave the ultimate expression for the grape. “I didn’t harvest my Nebbiolo until the first week of November,” said Franco Conterno of Poderi Aldo Conterno. “This gave our Barolo dark color, complex aromas and well-structured palates.”

His cousin Roberto Conterno of Giacomo Conterno agrees and says that the vintage is excellent. “I have always said that 2008 is a great vintage,” he said, adding that he did not make his amazing riserva Barolo Monfortino in 2007. “I just didn’t like the character for Monfortino in 2007 so I blended it into the 2007 Cascina Francia.”

I too think that some extraordinary Barolos were made in 2008. They have more complexity, subtlety and richness than 2007, if they were made properly. The problem is that some Langhe winemakers may have had too large grape crops or didn’t pick late enough. “I can only speak for myself,” said Roberto. “But if winemakers worked correctly in their vineyards, they could have made some great wines in 2008.”

Regardless of the vintage, I am very happy with the beauty and balance of so many Nebbiolos in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The latter is less rich and/or complex than the first two vintages. However, many great wines were made.

By comparison, the 2006s are very hard, and if winemakers were not careful and picked too early or over macerated grapes, then they made hard and austere wines. I am steering away from most 2006s and going for 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

In any case, it’s like I told a group of about of 180 top wine collectors in Seoul the other day during a wine tasting in Korea: It’s never been a better time to buy Barolo and Barbaresco with so many wonderful vintages and so many wines that can be drunk young or aged for years ahead.

 

Also tasted, but not receiving scores of 90 points or more:

2009 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi 2009 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco  2008 Cascina Ballarin Barolo Bussia 2008 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo  2008 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramol 2008 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvig 2008 Icardi Barbaresco Montubert 2008 M. Marengo Barolo  2008 M. Marengo Barolo Brunate 2008 Manzone Barolo Bricat 2008 Manzone Barolo Gramolere 2007 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo  2008 Mauro Sebaste Barolo Prapo 2009 Michele Chiarlo Barbaresco Reyna 2008 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Tortoniano 2008 Moccagatta Barbaresco Basarin 2008 Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin 2009 Paitin Barbaresco Serra 2008 Parusso Barolo Mariondino 2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbares 2010 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2008 Prunotto Barolo Bussia 2008 Punset Barbaresco Campo Quadro 2004 Punset Barbaresco Riserva 2007 Punset Barbaresco Riserva 2008 Raineri Barolo