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.

Barolos of La Morra

I have previously written about Barolo and listed several of my favorite producers in this area. Now I would like to briefly discuss a few of those producers, as arranged by commune. This post will deal with five of the finest vintners of La Morra, right in the heart of the Barolo zone.

RENATO RATTI – This historic estate is today managed by Pietro Ratti, the energetic and outgoing son of Renato Ratti. The elder Ratti was one of the most important individuals in this zone during the 1950s and 1960s for his work in mapping and identifying the great crus (single vinyards) for Barolo production. The map he created is still a valuable reference point in any discussion on this topic.

Today, Pietro produces three bottlings of Barolo in most vintages: Marcenasco, a selezione from vineyards near the winery, Rocche (dell’Annunziata) and Conca (these last two from single vineyards). The Ratti style of Barolo is ideal ripeness, but subtle wood, so as to allow the terroir of the sites to emerge. The wines are elegantly styled and are first-rate examples of how Barolo improves and changes with time. Ratti is not the only producer to focus on this, of course, but he is one of the finest, no doubt. His recently released 2006s are beautifully layered (especially the Conca), and his 2004s and 2001s are remarkable.

ROCCHE COSTAMAGNA – Located at the top of the hill, just as you enter La Morra, this estate is one of the most consistent in La Morra and the entire Barolo zone. Alessandro Locatelli is the owner and in my mind, the style of his wines are much like the man himself – straightforward, elegant and charming. His regular bottling of Rocche dell’Annunziata is excellent, but it is the Bricco Francesco, made from grapes from the highest portion of the Rocche vineyard, that is his finest wine. Deeply concentrated with a long, beautifully structured finish, this is classy La Morra Barolo with elegant tannins and lovely perfumes.

MARCARINI – Managed by Manuel Marchetti, this is one of La Morra’s most traditional estates. The two Barolos – La Serra and Brunate – are fermented in cement tanks, as these are inert and impart no additional flavors. The wines are then aged in botti grandi (large casks) to emphasize varietal character as well as a great sense of terroir. The wines are subdued, marvelously balanced and age beautifully. These bottlings are also some of the most fairly priced Barolos in the entire zone – bravo Manuel!

Cru of La Serra, located in La Morra (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

ROBERTO VOERZIO – As traditional as the wines are from Marcarini, the Barolos from Roberto Voerzio are just as modern in their approach. Voerzio makes as many as seven different bottlings of Barolo – almost all from La Morra (Brunate, La Serra, Rocche dell’Annunziata Torriglione), each of which is aged in entirely new French oak barriques. While this may seem excessive, the discipline in the vineyard – extremely low yields – ensure that there is plenty of fruit to balance the wood. While these wines appeal to a different palate than those of Marcarini, one cannot doubt their excellence.

GIANNI VOERZIO – Brother of Roberto, Gianni Voerzio produces only one Barolo from the La Serra vineyard, but it is quite a bottling. Just like his brother, Gianni ages the wine in barriques, so the wine has a ruby red color instead of the garnet one expects with a young Barolo and there is ample oak. Again, yields are low, so the wine is balanced and older vintages show quite well. Gianni Voerzio, like his brother, is also a gentleman as well as an impassioned winemaker.

Gianni Voerzio (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Best Barolos

Renato Ratti Winery, Annunziata (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

A few months ago, I assembled the choices of several Italian wine authorities regarding Brunello di Montalcino. Today, we turn our attention to Barolo.