Roberto Voerzio – Memorable Wines and Words

Roberto Voerzio (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Roberto Voerzio was in Chicago yesterday. That may not seem like a earth-shattering statement, but when you consider that this celebrated Barolo producer was making his first visit to Chicago during only his second-ever trip to the United States, then you realize this was a very special day.

There are several famous wine personalities from Italy that regularly travel to the US and other countries around the world to promote their wines; Piero Antinori has been doing it for decades, whlie Angelo Gaja makes it a point to visit America often (and he has the suntan to prove it!). But Voerzio isn’t someone that does this sort of thing much, so needless to say when I was invited to join a few of Chicago’s top sommeliers for lunch at Spiaggia Ristorante to taste a selection of his Barolos – plus one Barbera – I said yes in a second.

If you know much about Voerzio, you might think that he hardly needs to do much along the lines of promotion for his wines; he was, after all, one of the first producers to receive 100 points from both The Wine Advocate and The Wine Spectator, for his various offerings of Barolo from the late 1990s and early 2000s. You can imagine the clamor for his wines at that point and his wines are just as famous and about as highly regarded today.

I met him once before at his winery in La Morra and the experience was quite remarkable. For someone as famous as he is, he doesn’t act like someone who’s in great demand. He had his vineyard manager give me a tour of his plantings throughout La Morra and then welcomed me back in his cellars with a tasting of his current releases of Barolo – he produces as many as seven different cru bottlings in a single year. He answered all of my questions in great detail and was in a wonderful mood, posing for numerous photos. After trying for years to meet him, I realized that here was an individual who was being pushed in many directions, as journalists from all over the world wanted a piece of his time. Yet here he was, a gracoius host, more than happy to talk with me and get my thoughts on his wines. How nice that Voerzio is such a down to earth person!

That same generosity and humility was on display yesterday at lunch. Voerzio talked about his roots in La Morra, as his ancestors have been grape growers for 200 years in this commune. It was in 1970 that his brother Gianni and he decided to produce Barolo from the grapes they grew and then in 1986, the two brothers went their separate ways, releasing wines under their own labels (Gianni produces a beautiful Barolo from the La Serra cru as well as deeply concentrated examples of Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo d’Alba, while Roberto has stayed with Barolo and a small amount of Barbera).

Voerzio spoke about his farming and how he green harvests at least twice during the summer to come in with incredibly small yields, at 50 quintals per hectare, about half of the limit allowed in Barolo. The final cuts in the Nebbiolo vineyards trim half the amount of grapes on the vine at the time, reslulsting in miniscule yields. This of course means less wines produced and of course, higher production costs, but the finished wines show tremendous intensity and weight on the palate.

Yet despite their obvious power, the wines are supremely elegant. Voerzio has been labeled a “modernist” among Barolo producers, yet he scoffs at that characterization and clearly wanted us to know that the modernity of his work has much to do with temperature control in the cellar; this technology has allowed him to make more elegant wines, so in this case, modern is a good thing.

When asked by a sommelier at the lunch about his being a modern producer, he replied that when comparing traditional Barolo versus the modern style, the differences have a great deal to do with the aging vessels. “Traditional Barolos are aged in botti, while modern Barolos are aged in barrique; the truth lies somewhere in between,” was his answer.

He emphasized that while he does produce two examples of Barolo that are aged solely in barrique – namely the Sarmassa and the Capalot e Brunate “Vecchie Vigne” – most of his wines are aged in a combination of large and small oak for a period of two years. After that, the wines are then returned to large stainless steel tanks before bottling, so as not to let the wood notes dominate the fruit characteristics.

Having tasted a very few examples of Robeto Voerzio Barolos previously, I can attest to the fact that his newest releases from 2008 and 2009 display less obvious wood notes than before, while maintaining remarkable concentration. These wines, especially the 2009 Brunate and 2008 Rocche Annunziata/Torriglione Barolo – the latter, a particuarly, sublime, outstanding effort – are elegant wines with very fine tannins and marvelous persistence; they are wines that indeed display superb varietal character as well as a sense of place.  These are wines that are rightly celebrated as among the very finest in the entire Barolo landscape and upon tasting them, you don’t think of these as modern wines, but rather ones that captivate you with their excellence and honesty.

In an interview after lunch, Voerzio told me that he is proud to have been born in La Morra and clearly his affection for his commune shines through in his wines. High density planting and a perfectionist attitude in his farming and in the cellar are keys to the success of his wines, but after meeting with Roberto Voerzio and listening to him talk about his land, maybe it’s romance that’s the most important ingredient in his offerings of Barolo. If you believe that’s a bit much, well, see what you think when you taste one of his Barolos –it’s bound to be love at first sip!

My thanks to Marilyn Krieger and Maria Megna of Winebow for their assistance with this event.

The Best Barolo You’ve Probably Never Tried

If you’re a lover of Barolo, you are certainly familiar with great cru offerings from some of the most celebrated producers; these include wines such as Briccco Rocche from Ceretto, Bricco Boschis from Cavallotto, Rocche from Renato Ratti or any one of several from Roberto Voerzio (Brunate, Cerequio, La Serra, et al). There are dozens of other great cru Barolos from many other renowned estates, but one I’m certain most people haven’t heard of is the Bussia Soprana “Vigna Mondoca”  from Oddero.

Located in Santa Maria, a frazione of La Morra, in the heart of the Barolo zone, this distinguished family firm under the direction of Mariacristina and Mariavittoria Oddero has quietly become one of the most consistent and most highly regarded of all Barolo houses. The quality level is routinely excellent and has been steadily improving for the past decade.

Oddero produces as many as six different examples of Barolo per year, including one blended from La Morra and Castiglione grapes along with several cru bottlings, including Villero from Castiglione Falletto, Vigna Rionda from Serralunga d’Alba and Rocche di Castiglione from Castiglione Falletto. These vineyards are quite famous; other producers also craft single vineyard wines from these sites.

But  it is the Bussia Soprana “Vigna Mondoca” that may just be the finest Barolo produced by Oddero, although it is nowhere as famous as their other wines. The vineyard itself is quite unique, comprised of white/grey marls and yellow sands with more limestone than clay. At the top of the hill (1180 feet above sea level), the soils are almost completely white, leading Mariacristina Oddero to comment that  it looks “like lunar soil.”

Mariacristina Oddero (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Oddero acquired their section of this vineyard in 1970 and has never replanted, so the vines are at least 40-45 years old. Typical of a Barolo from the commune of Monforte d’Alba, this is a wine with firm, abundant tannins, so much so that the proprietors have made the decision to hold on to this wine one extra year before releasing it in the market. So while the current release of the other Barolos from Oddero, such as Villero, is 2008 (these were released a few months ago in 2012), the new release for the “Vigna Mondoca” is the 2007 – the 2008 will not be released until the fall of 2013.

I’ve recently tasted the 2007 and 2006 versions of this wine and I rated both as 5-star (outstanding) wines. The 2007 is much more intense and powerful than the typical 2007 Barolo, as this vintage produced many forward wines with medium-weight tannins. But the Oddero “Vigna Mondoca” from 2007 is a wine that needs a lot of time to shed its youthful tannins and settle down; in my notes, I have estimated that peak drinking for this wine will be in 20-25 years.

As for the 2006, this wine really displays its breeding and class along with the intensity and rich concentration of that wonderful vintage. Offering marvelous aromas of currant, dried cherry, balsamic, orange peel and cedar, this is a tightly wrapped wine that is an superb representation of this site;  it is intense, yet beautifully balanced, so the wine should be in excellent condition when it peaks in 25-20 years.

The proprietors mature this wine each vintage in 40, 60 and 75 hectoliter (4000, 6000 and 7500 liter) Slavonian and Austrian oak casks for 30 months; this allows for beautiful expression of terroir, as the large casks let the Nebbiolo fruit characteristics emerge without being overwhelmed by too many wood notes. This gives the wine a unique identity, something that is a shared trait with other great examples of Barolo or many other superb red wines of Italy and the rest of the world.

Compliments to the Oddero family on such a superb wine each vintage. As with anything that is truly great, this is not easy to find (only about 30,000 bottles are produced in a year), but the search will undeniably be worth it!

A Sublime Barolo

I’m in the final stages of tasting out some of the highly regarded examples of 2008 Barolo. They say it’s not work if you enjoy it, so this has most definitively NOT been work, as I love these wines! 2008 was a cooler year than 2007 and several other recent vintages in the Barolo zone, meaning the wines from 2008 are more classically styled Barolos with very good acidity and structure; these wines also have marvelous aromatics. Thus 2008 is a more Piemontese style of Barolo as opposed to the more international stylings of the wines from 2007, for example.

The Barolos from 2008 are not the most powerful wines – examples from 2006 are much weightier on the palate – but these are among the most beautifully balanced Barolos in some time; I think of the lovely qualities of the 1998 Barolos – not overly big, but seductive, attractive wines of great typicity, wines that offer a distinct sense of place.

I’ll include my tastings notes in my Guide to Italian Wines (Winter issue) soon *; for now I want to let you know about one of the finest wines of this vintage. It’s from the renowned producer Massolino in Serralunga d’Alba. I’ve loved the wines of Franco and Roberto Massolino for some time now, especially as they are traditional producers, maturing their wines in large Slavonian oak casks. I prefer Barolo made in this fashion, as it better allows the local terroir to emerge in the wines.

Almost all of their production is from vineyards in the commune of Serralunga; this includes cru bottlings of Parafada, Margheria and the sensational Vigna Rionda Riserva. Recently, the family purhased a small parcel of the Parussi vineyard in nearby Castiglione Falletto, another superb Barolo locale. The 2007 was the first release of this wine for Massolino and it too was aged in the traditional large casks. I rated that wine as my favorite of the 2007 Barolos from Massolino, noting its lovely perfumes, ideal balance, lengthy finish and precise acidity.

The newly released 2008 Parussi is even more impressive with gorgeous aromatics of currant, morel cherry, tar, dried roses and a hint of licorice; offering notable depth of fruit, this has excellent persistence, ideal acidity, beautifully integrated wood notes along with sensations of balsamic and coffee. The tannins are quite silky and the overall balance of this wine is impeccable! Again, this speaks beautifully to its source – this is not as powerful a wine as the Parafada from Massolino, which is from Serralunga – so it will peak a bit sooner, say 12-15 years instead of 15-20 for the latter, but it is as accomplished and as harmonious a Barolo as Massolino produced in 2008 or from 2007, for that matter! This is an outstanding Barolo!

* – For information on a paid subscription to my Guide to Italian Wines, a quarterly publication, email me at thomas2022@comcast.net

Passerina with Spiedino di Capesante, anyone?

Learning how to pair distinctive Italian wine and food with a chef and wine director at Vivere, Chicago

I’ve moderated numerous seminars and taught many classes on Italian wines over the past decade and one question that always comes to the forefront is “what foods should I pair with this wine?.” It’s a great question, not only given the relationship of food and wine in general, but especially given the nature of Italian wine and its link to a specific sense of place and the local foods that pair effortlessly with these wines.

It’s a subject that has many right answers (and very few wrong ones) and it’s one that I never tire of studying. Given that there are hundreds of indigenous varieties used throughout Italy, which are used to produce thousands of wines, well you can just imagine the endless array of flavors – as well as textures and acidity levels – in these wines. A medium-bodied red such as Dolcetto with its fruit forward nature is going to need an entirely different food than a Barolo with its firm tannins. And these are two wines that are often produced from vineyards only a few miles apart in Piemonte! Now think about the red wines from southern Italy, such as Puglia or Campania and you have a whole new set of variables. As I said, this is an endless journey; but it’s also one that brings a great deal of pleasure into one’s life.

Ian Louisignau, Wine Director, The Italian Village, Chicago (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

So to learn more about the subject of pairing Italian wines and food, I went to see my friend Ian Louisignau, wine director at The Italian Village Restaurants in the heart of the Loop in downtown Chicago. Ian took over this job last year and has continued the stellar tradition of an exceptional wine program at this long-time family owned restaurant.

So I brought four Italian wines – two whites and two reds – that were not sold at the restaurant and asked him to pair them with something off the menu at Vivere, the upscale dining room at The Italian Village (there are also two less formal dining rooms at The Italian Village: La Cantina and The Village.) I thought that by bringing in wines Ian had not tasted, he would have to come up with an original pairing – this wouldn’t be a wine and food match that he makes all the time. I loved doing this and I believe Ian did as well, so here are his thoughts on what to match with each wine.

2011 Le Caniette Passerina “Lucrezia” (the label of this wine is pictured at the beginning of this post) – I thought this would be a great, slightly offbeat way to begin, by tasting out this relatively rare white indigenous variety from southern Marche. This is an excellent example of this wine; medium-full with aromas of dried pear, orange blossom and biscuit, this has lovely texture and a rich finish with a note of honey. Aged only in steel tanks, this has very good acidity and offers a great deal of character for its moderate pricing (about $12 retail, a steal!).

Ian (and his chef Robert Reynaud, who was with us for a few minutes), suggested the Spiedino di Capesante, rosemary skewered scallops with lime braised fennel, crisp romaine and yellow tomato purée (my mouth waters even as I write about this!). As the Passerina is not a big wine, scallops are ideal for a dry white such as this and certainly the aromatics of the wine are nicely complemented by the lime braised fennel. A nice start and an intriguing match! 

2010 Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino “Alimata” – Here is one of two cru offerings of Fiano di Avellino from this excellent Irpinian producer; this wine was awarded the coveted Tre Bicchieri ranking from Gambero Rosso in their 2012 guide. This is a very impressive Fiano with flavors of lemon and Bosc pear and a very, very long, satisfying finish with notes of honey and minerality; it is drinking beautifully now and will be enjoyable for another 3-5 years. To pair with this wine, Ian selected Granchio e Astice Freddo - jumbo lump crabmeat and Maine lobster with a tarragon emulsion, toasted brioche and micro arugula. I think this is a great pairing, as not only are the flavors of the crab and lobster ideally suited for Fiano, but you also have the slight earthiness of the wine’s finish that is picked up by the bitterness of the arugula.

2005 Falalone Primitivo Riserva – This wine from the Gioia del Colle zone, one of the great growing areas for the Primitivo grape in Puglia is a robust (15% alcohol) red with plenty of character as well as a slight rustic edge. It’s a big, gutsy wine, but it’s elegant with subtle wood and balanced tannins. For this wine, Ian suggested two different options. The first was Pappardelle with wild boar ragu; the second, Cannelloni di Vitello, crepes filled with braised veal breast, fava beans and pickled red onions. Two excellent choices here, given the power of this wine as well as its hearty character; the wild boar is a natural for the assertive flavors of Primitivo.

2006 Batasiolo Barolo “Vigneto Boscareto” – The final wine was a cru Barolo from the commune of Serralunga d’Alba from Batasiolo, a consistent producer with an impressive track record for single vineyard Barolo. This is from the classic 2006 vintage, a year that resulted in very rich Barolos that are tightly wrapped and need several years to reveal greater complexity. This Boscareto from Batasiolo is not as intense as some 2006s, but it is a big wine with plum, cherry, myrtle and tar flavors with medium-weight tannins; while it will be at its best in another 12-15 years, it is balanced enough to pair now with the proper foods.

For this wine, Ian opted for Maiale con Speck, pork tenderloin wrapped in speck, potato carrot purée, brussel spout leaves and a balsamic glaze. This is a lovely match, a dish that has the richness of the pork tenderloin to stand up to the fullness of this wine along with the earthiness of the carrots and brussel sprouts that pick up on the tannins and render them more elegant (carrots and turnips are great to serve with a young, tannic red as they make the wine seem less tannic- this, a tip I picked up from a winery chef years ago).

So there you go, class dismissed. I hope you learned a few things about pairing particular Italian wines with Italian foods. If you’re ever in Chicago, dine at The Italian Village and you’ll have a wonderful experience learning about this subject. Hopefully Ian will be there to answer your questions – you’ll learn a lot!

The Brilliance of Barolo – An Unforgettable Dinner

1961 Fontanafredda Barolo

On Tuesday night in Chicago, on a day where the high temperature reached a tick or two above 100 degrees, I hosted a Barolo dinner at Vivere Restaurant at The Italian Village. The fact that the dinner was sold out is not only testimony of the passion of the wonderful people who attended, but also primary evidence of the everlasting allure of Barolo. This would turn out to be a magnificent evening!

The dinner featured ten different Barolos from my own cellar; these were wines I had brought back from my frequent trips to the Barolo zone over the past decade. Wine director Ian Louisignau and I whittled down my original list of 15 wines to ten, focusing primarily on vintage comparisons, as we would have two Barolos from vintages such as 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004 and 2001 and then finish with one from 1996 and finally a 1961. Each of these vintages was excellent, some outstanding and one (1961), legendary.

I mentioned to the group that what made Barolo so special for me is its uniqueness. We can taste a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and compare it to a classified growth from Bordeaux. We can sample a Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey or from Central Otago in New Zealand and note the similarities or differences to a Burgundy from the Cote d’Or. But we can’t do that with Barolo, unless we were to compare it with Barbaresco, another great 100% Nebbiolo wine produced not far away. Barolo then, is its own reference point and the finest examples reflect both a singular varietal identity as well a particular sense of place.

Detail of Lazzarito Vineyard, Serralunga d’Alba, with snow-capped Alps in the background (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

The notion of terroir is an important aspect for understanding Barolo. There are two major soil types found throughout the eleven communes that comprise the Barolo zone and knowing what these soils are and where they are found can help one learn about a sense of place with these wines. The older soils, known as Helvetian, are found in Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto, while the younger soils, known as Tortonian, are found in communes such as La Morra, Verduno and Novello. As the older soils are thinner, the resulting wines have firmer, more intense tannins as compared with wines from the younger soils, which have more pronounced floral aromatics. Thus a wine from La Morra with younger soils is generally a more approachable Barolo upon release in comparison to one from Monforte or Serralunga, where the heavy duty tannins (in most years) mandate several years of aging before the wine starts to settle down.

This contrast was clear in the first pair of wines, both from 2008: the Ceretto “Brunate” and the Elio Grasso “Gavarini Chiniera.” The Ceretto, from one of the most highly regarded crus in all of Barolo, is a lovely wine with beautiful fresh cherry perfumes and flavors and elegantly styled tannins, while the Grasso from a site on this family’s own estate in Monforte, was more tightly wound with a stronger backbone and firmer tannins. Both wines are beautifully made and perfectly illustrate the terroir of Barolo. Each wine should peak in 12-20 years, with the Grasso probably going a few years beyond that.

Before I move on to the next wines, I want to talk about the meal at Vivere. I have dined here more than a dozen times, always knowing I would enjoy a first-rate meal. What was great about the special menu for this Barolo dinner was that Chef Robert Reynaud assembled a menu as you would find in a trattoria or osteria in the Barolo area; this was not just any old meal put together at the last minute. A lot of thought went into this, as we enjoyed vitello tonnato with caper berry for the first two wines, tajarin with albese sauce with the next two wines, risotto al Barolo with figs with the third pairing of wines, hazelnut crusted ribeye with fontina fonduta with the 2001 Barolos and finally a selection of Piemontese cheeses with the 1996 and 1961 Barolos. Eveything was excellent, with much great praise for the outstanding risotto dish. How wonderful to show off these wines with great Piemontese cuisine!

The next wines were from 2007, the Elvio Cogno “Ravera” from Novello and the Attilio Ghoslfi “Brunate Bricco Visette” from Monforte. These wines displayed not only differences as far as terroir, but also in winemaking philosophy, as the Cogno is a traditional wine, quite lovely with a sensual edge, while the Ghisolfi is aged in barriques; indeed there was more evident oak with this wine, yet there was also very impressive depth of fruit. I enjoyed both wines, but gave the edge to the Cogno, especially as this wine displayed better overall balance as well as finesse.

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Brunate

Next came the 2004 Barolos. As I prepared my notes for this dinner, I took a look at my text about this vintage, which I wrote in the summer of 2008, when these wines were released. I asked if 2004 was the finest Barolo vintage of the last fifteen years and while 1996, 1999 and 2001 were all great vintages, I mentioned that “I’d never had such a collection of Barolos that were this good this young.”

The wines we tasted from 2004 were the Barale Fratelli “Canubi” and the Roberto Voerzio “Brunate”; this pairing an excellent contrast in style as well as weight. The Barale was a medium-full wine with lovely plum fruit that seemed a bit simple at first, but became more complex as it sat in the glass. The Voerzio was a powerhouse wine that offered tremendous depth of fruit, as well as having a great backbone. Voerzio, who uses barriques for his Barolo, has stated that after six to eight years in the bottle, the sensation of the smaller oak vessels fades and you’re not able to tell the difference between small or large oak barrel-aged wines. This did still have a touch of new oak sensation in the nose, but it was slight and not obtrusive; meanwhile the nose was still a bit closed, with hints of cherry and currant fruit emerging. But given the structure and impressive complexity, this is clearly a superb wine, one that can aged for another 25-30 years, when it will truly become great.

The next two wines were from 2001, a great vintage that produced powerful wines with excellent depth of fruit and firm tannins. The Vietti “Brunate” was a superior effort, especially in its elegance and polish; this was a wine that spoke of its origins with its gorgeous aromas of plum, cherry and roses. There are medium-weight, ultra smooth tannins and precise acidity. This is a wine of great finesse that a few of the diners thought was the wine of the evening (at least to that point, see the notes on the 1961 Fontanafredda below).

The other 2001 was the Fontanafredda “Lazzarito”; this a favorite Barolo of mine for many years. Medium-full, this offered power and impressive structure with firm, balanced tannins. This was not as supple as the Vietti, but again, consider terroir in this instance, as this is from a superb site in Serralunga d’Alba that results in wines of very rich tannins, so rich that the winery releases this wine almost a year after their other offerings of Barolo from the same vintage. What I loved about this wine was not only the balance, but also the freshness. This is a wine that should peak in another 15-20 years. 2001 was a great vintage and these two wines were memorable proof of that!

Our last two wines were from stellar vintages. The 1996 Poderi Colla “Dardi Le Rose Bussia” is a stunning wine with intense aromas, a powerful mid-palate and still youthful tannins and a finish with outstanding persistence. 1996 was a great, great year, a vintage that was a classic for Barolo, yielding wines that were truly Piemontese in style – that is, tightly wound and not as immediately approachable as international years such as 1997, 2000 or 2007. This Colla offering from Monforte d’Alba is a great wine now and one that will only improve for another 25-40 years. It’s that special.

Finally we came around to the wine everyone was waiting for, the 1961 Fontanafredda. While this was not a cru Barolo in the technical sense – single vineyard Barolos were not common until the late 1970 and early 1980s – this was a wine of exceptional breeding, sourced from the winery’s finest vineyards. 1961 was not just a great year for Barolo, it was a monumental year – Renato Ratti in his rating of Barolo vintages called it “majestic” at the time – and without doubt one of the ten finest vintages of the 20th century. What made this growing season so special was the notable warmth in the summer, as temperatures approached 100 degrees F. While this has been happening more often during the past fifteen years due to climate change, such hot temperatures were not normal back then. Combine that with the traditional winemaking style throughout Barolo at that time where wines were rather closed and a bit backwards upon release, and you have the makings of a wine that would improve slowly over the course of its life, a time span that would last for at least four or five decades.

Well, here we were, 51 years later and the wine was stunning! I had acquired the one and only bottle I had of this wine at the winery some five or six years ago. I placed the wine immediately in my cellar upon returning home and had only moved it twice in five years: once, a few months ago as I was planning this dinner to see if the wine was still in good condition (it was, as the fill was excellent) and once, last week, when I took all the wines to the restaurant to let them rest for a week.

Wine Director Ian Louisignau waited until the last minute to open this wine and when he showed me the cork, I had a huge smile on my face, as the cork was in one piece and offered lovely aromas of fruit. The wine had the color of a five year old Barolo – deep garnet – not one that was 51 years old. The aromas were unbelievably fresh with notes of red cherry, tar and currant with some delicate spice and the mid-palate was quite generous and well developed. The tannins were still quite evident and unbelievably polished and the finish, as graceful as one could imagine, seemed to go on forever. This was a wine I had kept for years for just this occasion and it not only met my lofty expectations, it exceeded them (and I believe everyone else’s, judging from the comments I heard.) I would wager a guess that this wine has at least 12-15 years of life ahead of it- perhaps longer.

Tasting a wine such as this lets you know that great bottles of Barolo have been produced for fifty years and more; great Barolo – indeed, great Italian wine – did not start in the 1970s, despite what certain wine publications may tell us. My how the farmers and winemakers throughout Barolo knew what they were doing back in 1961 and that era! My final thoughts on the 1961 Fontanafredda Barolo are these: I have tasted several thousand bottles of Barolo over the past decade; simply put, this was one of the three or four best examples I have ever experienced.

I touched the tip of the iceberg of my Barolo collection for this and I hope to organize another dinner such as this in the near future. Here’s hoping that next one comes close to the wonderful experience this one offered!

P.S. One final shout out to everyone at Vivere for their help, from manager Fred Ashtari for his organizational skills to Chef Reynaud for his superb menu, to our excellent waiter Ryan and of course, for all of his work, wine director Ian Louisignau. He decanted most of the wines about 90 minutes ahead of time and even more importantly, served them at the proper temperature. He also served various shapes ands sizes of stemware, which made it easy for all of us to remember which wine was which. Having great wines is one thing, but if they’re not treated properly, something is lost in the translation. Thanks, Ian, for your help and professional service!

2008 Barolo – First Thoughts

I’ve recently tasted a dozen examples of Barolo from the 2008 vintage and while only 12 wines is hardly overwhelming evidence, it’s enough for me to offer my first thoughts on wines from this year. I’d say right now, this should shape up as an excellent Barolo vintage – not powerful, but beautifully balanced, with lovely aromas and fine structure.

2008 was not as warm as 2007 or 2009 in the Barolo zone, so this gives the wines a more subdued character when compared to those vintages. 2007 was certainly somewhat of an “international” vintage, with its forward fruit and approachability upon release. There were plenty of cool nights during 2007 to offset the warm days, so the wines are nicely balanced and if not a classic vintage, certainly a very successful one. 2009 may shape up in much the similar way, but this is only a guess, as these wines won’t be released for another 15-18 months.

As 2008 was cooler than 2007 or 2009, the wines are more classically oriented, meaning this is more of a Piemontese vintage. That means the wines are a bit shy upon release, but offer excellent structure as well as a greater notion of sense of place or terroir. Now 2006 was also more of a Piemontese vintage, but the Barolos from that year are bigger wines, ones that need more time to come around and show their best qualities. The best 2006 Barolos are destined for optimum drinking some 25 years or more down the road. I’d say that the time frame for the 2008s is a bit less – perhaps 15-20 for most. Again, I’ve only tasted a dozen and though that hasn’t included some of the most renowned bottlings, I’ve certainly tasted some impressive offerings.

So the 2008s are middle weight Barolos with beautiful balance, very good acidity and impressive complexity. To me, they’re somewhat reminiscent of 2005, which are among the most beautifully balanced of the decade. Those wines, like the 2008s may not win the award for the longest-lived Barolos, but they certainly are beautifully styled.

Here are a few notes on my favorite 2008 Barolos to date:

Luigi Einaudi Costa Grimaldi- Costa Grimaldi is a selezione of the finest grapes from the Terlo cru in the Barolo commune. Beautiful aromas of dried cherry, thyme and cedar. Elegant entry; generous mid-palate. Lovely finesse and balance- best in 15-20 years.

Mauro Sebaste Prapo (Serralunga d’Alba) – Lovely aromas of dried cherry, currant, cedar and a touch of balsamic. Wonderful complexity and balance, this is a subtle, beautifully made Barolo with a nice sense of finesse. A traditionally made Barolo with classic overtones. Best in 15-20 years.

Marcarini La Serra - This great traditional producer makes two cru Barolos from La Morra. Floral aromas of red roses, carnation, dried cherry, coriander and nutmeg. Very good concentration and acidity with silky tannins and precise acidity. Best in 12-15 years.

Marcarini Brunate - Aromas of red cherry, cumin and cedar. Medium-full; very good acidity and persistence; subtle wood notes and polished tannins. A bit richer on the palate than the La Serra; best in 15-20 years.

Conterno Fantino Sori Ginestra (Monforte d’Alba) – Classic aromas of red cherry, orange peel, currant and cedar. Excellent concentration; rich mid-palate with layers of fruit.  Beautifully structured wine; very good acidity, excellent persistence with wood notes that are nicely integrated. A touch of modernity; beautiful complexity and varietal character. Best in 20 years plus.

Ca’ Rome Cerretta (Serralunga d’Alba) – Aromas of cedar, dried cherry, orange peel and sandalwood. Rich mid-palate, lovely balance, excellent persistence, very good acidity and refined tannins. Nice expression of Serralunga terroir. Best in 15-20 years.

Luigi Einaudi Cannubi (Barolo) – Red cherry, red rose and cedar aromas; medium-full with very good concentration. Tightly wound, this is rich with young balanced tannins, good acidity and persistence. Best in 15-20 years.

Cascina Bongiovanni Pernanno (Castiglione Falletto) – Currant, dried orange peel, dried cherry and cedar aromas – very classy! Medium-full, very good acidity and persistence with balanced tannins and nicely integrated oak. Best in 12-15 years.