Whether
to drink now or cellar to
enjoy its imminent, spectacular
maturity, has suddenly become
a no-brainer. Thanks to the
superb vintages spanning 1995
through 2000, Italy's noblest
red wine is enjoying unprecedented
prestige. Barolo
is an Italian wine, one of
many to claim the title "Wine
of kings, and king of wines".
It is produced in Cuneo's
province, south-west of Alba,
within the southern end of
Piemonte. Barolo borrows its
name from the small hamlet
(population 760) that lies
near the center of the wine's
growing zone. The zone itself
is a more self-contained microcosm
than most Barolo fans may
realize. While wine in Italy
is timeless, Barolo came about
in the 1800s when the Marchesa
Giulietta Colbert Falletti
started making wine out of
Nebbiolo grapes. There are
only about 3,000 acres of
nebbiolo under cultivation
here -- not quite as much
vineyard land as in Margaux,
a single Bordeaux commune.
Barolo
is produced in the communes
of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto,
Serralunga d'Alba and parts
of the communes of Cherasco,
Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour,
La Morra, Monforte d'Alba,
Novello, Roddi, Verduno, all
in the province of Cuneo.
Only vineyards in the hills
with suitable slopes and orientations
are considered adapted to
production, and the terrains
must be primarily clayey-calcareous
in character. The wine is
produced solely from the Nebbiolo
grape variety. The Lampia,
Michet and Rosè types
are authorized. It matures
at the end of September for
the most part. Nebbiolo thrives
during prolonged summer seasons.
The clusters are dark blue
and greyish with the abundant
wax that dresses the grapes.
Barolo
wines are typically a deep
red and can take on an unusual
orange tinge with age. Their
flavor is thick and complex.
Barolo typically smells of
tar, violets, and roses. But
also fruit, licorice, and/or
oaky. The initial nose of
a barolo is often that of
the pine tree. When subjected
to aging of at least five
years, the wine can be labeled
a Riserva. Barolo should be
drunk at 60F and can age for
5-10 years.
For
connoisseurs it is Italy’s
most collected wine; for beginners
it can be a difficult one
to understand.
In
the past all Barolos used
to be very tannic and they
took more than 10 years to
soften up. Fermenting wine
sat on the grape skins for
at least three weeks, extracting
huge amounts of tannins; then
it was aged in large, wooden
casks for years.
In
order to meet the international
taste, which preferred fruitier,
more accessible styles, the
"modernists" cut
fermentation times to a maximum
of ten days and put the wine
in new French barriques (small
oak barrels). The results,
said traditionalists, were
wines that weren't even recognizable
as Barolo and tasted more
of new oak than of wine.
The
controversies between traditionalists
and modernists have been called
the Barolo wars.
The
war has now subsided. Though
outspoken modernists are still
committed to new oak, many
producers are now choosing
the middle ground (like Elio
Altare or Roberto Voerzio
with long macerations combined
with barrique), often using
a combination of barriques
and large casks. The more
prestigious houses, however,
still reject barriques and
insist on patience only for
their exceptional wines. These
are auction staples, sought
after by aficionados in Italy,
Germany, Japan, Switzerland
and the United States.
Barolo
is all about the soil. The
terroir. The road that runs
south from Alba through Monforte
d'Alba and on to Dogliani
roughly divides the two dominant
soils: to the west lies the
Tortonian, a blue-tinted marl
mixed with sand and marked
by the presence of elements
such as magnesium. To the
east, the sandier Helvetian
loam is lighter in color and
texture and is relatively
rich in limestone, iron and
phosphorous. The wines springing
from the western-sited, Tortonian-nourished
vineyards have generally been
described as soft, fruity
and aromatic, while those
from the eastern, Helvetian
sites are perceived as bigger,
more structured and longer
maturing. These broad distinctions
are often blurred and sometimes
completely obliterated, however,
by the combination of clonal
variation and winemaking techniques.
More detailed analysis has
also revealed that these two
soils are layered throughout
the region. In summary, of
the towns in the area, the
"left" hills have
compact soil and produce long
lasting wines. The "right"
hills have softer soil, making
a wine that should be drunk
more quickly. Both vineyards
are regulated - Barolo vineyards
can only grow around 3200k
of grape/acre.
LEFT
HILLS:
Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour,
Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto,
Monforte d'Alba
RIGHT
HILLS: Roddi, Verduno,
La Morra, Novello, Cherasco
Barolo
alcoholic content is set at
13%. There are two grades
of Barolo: Standard Barolo,
aged two years in the barrel,
one in the bottle. Riserva
Barolo, aged three years in
the barrel, one in the bottle.
Of note is that Barolo, due
to the small supply, large
demand, and labor intensive
and delicate crop (much like
Pinot Noir) can also be a
bit pricey compared to other
wines of Italy.
Benchmark
Vintages: The majority of
producers count 1982, 1989,
1990, 1996 and 1997 as the
five greatest vintages of
the past 20 years. A significant
number also favor 1998 and
1999. A run of middling years
preceded a disastrous 1994
vintage, wherein heavy rains
ruined the harvest. Only a
few makers produced a wine
that was even drinkable, and
most of those are already
fading fast. In most instances,
the less said of this vintage
the better. Wine Spectator
denotes 2000 as one of the
best years ever noting rich
and opulent reds, with round
tannins and exciting fruit;
perfection in Nebbiolo. 2001
was also a very noteworthy
year with structured and firm
reds with very nice racy character.
2002 was a washout. If you
have some of this around drink
it now. It should not age
well. 2003 is just being tasted
and although there are many
unbalanced wines, due to an
extremely hot growing season,
there are some nice surprises
to be found.
Looking
for a few to try? Check out:
Bricco Rosso 1998
- $33: Approachable and traditionally
styled.
Brezza
1998 - $37: Very
fresh, and ready for drinking
this minute.
Ceretto, Zonchera
1998 - $45: Elegant,
as is the Ceretto hallmark,
classic and concentrated.
Great quality for the price.
Taste
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