Barolo 2017

Barolo 2017

Barolo 2017

Below are tasting notes of Barolo 2017 in alphabetical order.

Altare Barolo
The Altare Barolo 2017 has a beautiful Nebbiolo nose. Floral, fruity and mineral; Just like a Barolo should smell. On the nose you’ll also find aromas of cherry, chocolate, tobacco and rose petals. A balanced and approachable Barolo with good length!

Andrea Oberto Barolo La Morra
A subtle but floral Barolo with aromas of red fruit. The tannins are present, but not in any way aggressive. In Andrea’s own words, it’s “molto morbido”, which means “very soft”.

Andrea Oberto Barolo Arbarella
The Albarella is even more subtle nose, with aromas of tobacco, spices and red fruit. The tannins are round, but a bit bigger than the La Morra.

Andrea Oberto Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata
Round, good bodied and balanced. A big and complex wine that might need some time to open up in the glass. My favorite out of the three 2017 Barolo’s from Andrea Oberto.

Burzi Capalot
A more concentrated Barolo with aromas of dark red fruit and berries with a hint of tobacco. Some floral notes as wel

Cascina Fontana Barolo 2017
Beautiful on the nose, big in the mouth with robust tannins. This wine will benefit from some time in the bottle.

Cavallotto Bricco Boschis
Beautiful nose with aromas of  roses, herbs, red fruit and a hint of chocolate. Medium round tannins with a good finish.

Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi
The Cannubi is always more elegant than the Via Nuova and Mosconi. An attractive, voluptuous Barolo with good structure.  

Chiara Boschis Barolo Via Nuova
The Via Nuova has slightly bigger tannins compared to the Cannubi. In addition to the aromas of red fruit there are hints of herbs and spices.

Chiara Boschis Barolo Mosconi
The Mosconi was very floral and slightly feminine on the nose. Also quite aromatic. But in the mouth it’s more masculine. A big Barolo.  

Crissante Alessandria Barolo Del Comune di La morra
The Barolo Del Comune di La morra 2017 consists of 60% Rogeeri, 20% San Biagio and 20% Bettolotti. The wine ages for 24 months botte grande. The 2017 is quite concentrated and a bit war, with aromas of dark red fruit.

Diego Morra Barolo Zinzasco
Typical Barolo nose with aromas of red fruit, roses and spices. Well-rounded tannins and good balance. A beautiful wine.

Diego Morra Barolo Monvigliero
The Monvigliero is a bit “bigger” than the Zinxasco. Aromas of dark red fruit, spices and white pepper. Warm but not ripe. Big but balanced. A well rounded Barolo!

Ettore Germano Barolo Serralunga
A fruity, floral and fresh Barolo with a slight hint of mint. A more masculine Barolo with gripping tannins. Long finish. A very good wine.  

Ettore Germano Barolo Prapo
The Prapo Barolo is a bit more concentrated compared to the Cerretta. Warmer fruit, also a tad warmer in the mouth. A more linear wine, straight to the point.

Ettore Germano Barolo Cerretta
The Cerretta Barolo is quite fresh, with good fruit. A bit more complex than Prapo, with good fruit and some mineral notes.

Francesco Borgogno Barolo Brunate
The Francesco Borgogno Brunate was not as concentrated as many of the other Barolo 2017’s I’ve tasted. A big but elegant wine. Leaves you wanting more.

Fratelli Revello Barolo
The Fratelli Revello Barolo 2017 has that beautiful Barolo aroma. As with other 2017’s, it’s more concentrated than 2016, with aromas of dark fruit. There are also floral notes, a feminine touch, typical of wines from La Morra. Quite structured in the mouth, with good balance. The 2017’s are very young, and will probably benefit from some time in the bottle.

Fratelli Revello Barolo Conca
The Conca is more masculine than the classico. But it’s also a bit fruitier with aromas of red berries, Big tannins and good structure.

Giovanni Corino Barolo del Comune di La Morra
A complex nose, with hints of fruit. A more concentrated Barolo with relatively big tannins.

Giovanni Corino Barolo Bricco Manescotto
The Bricco Manescotto is quite similar to the Barolo del Comune di La Morra on the nose. Aromas of fruit and tobacco. Fruity in the mouth, followed by tannins.

Giovanni Corino Barolo Arborina
An aromatic Barolo with good concentration. Floral and fruity on the nose. A balanced wine with good tannins. Nice length as well. A great Barolo 2017!

Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda
The Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda is considered Pira’s top wine.  Aged for 24 months in a mix of barrique, tonneau and botte grande. Floral and fruity on the nose, with hints of mineral and we earth. The Vignarionda is a big, but the tannins disappear quickly, and you’re left with a well-balanced Barolo.

Marengo Barolo
The classic Barolo is a bit concentrated, similar to many other 2017 Barolo’s. The tannins are big and a bit more chewy, especially compared to the 2016, but the wine is good!

Marengo Bricco Delle Viole
The Bricco delle Viole has a beautiful floral nose with aromas of dark fruit. Also quite concentrated. Very easy to drink with lots of fruit and good length.

Marengo Barolo Brunate
The Brunate was a little bit closed at first, but opens up in the glass and becomes the Brunate we all know and love. A big but elegant wine with hints of tobacco and leather.

Mauro Veglio Arborina
The 2017 Arborina is perhaps a bit more masculine than the 2016. Aromas of darker fruits, flowers and a hint of tobacco. A very approachable Barolo.

Nadia Curto Barolo La Foia
The Nadia Curto Barolo La Foia is made exclusively with grapes from the Arborina vineyard. The 2017 was quite aromatic with notes of red fruits, flowers and a hint of tobacco. A good example of a 2017 Barolo!

Nadia Curto Barolo Arborina
The Arborina 2017 is a bit warmer than the Barolo La Foia 2017, with notes of darker red fruits and berries.

Principiano Barolo
An austere Barolo with aromas of leather and wet earth. Spicy in the mouth. A very interesting wine.

Roberto Voerzio Barolo del Comune di La Morra
The Roberto Voerzio Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2017 is quite concentrated. Aromas of red fruits with a hint of tobacco. Floral aromas of rose petals and violets. Feminine but concentrated. Develops in the mouth: Starts big, mellows out. Long finish.

Trediberri Rocche dell’Annunziata
The Trediberri Rocche is very inviting. Fruity and floral with aromas of red fruits and cherry. Perhaps a hint of licorice as well. Good balance and good length. An approachable wine.

Vietti Castiglione
A very fruity Barolo with a spicy nose. Perhaps a hint of mint? Balanced, approachable but also a bit austere. A very complex wine.

Wine Moments 2019

Blindtasting

Quite a few blind tasting’s take place throughout the year. It’s how I learn. And it’s fun. Looking back on the year, two tastings stick out.

A 2014 lineup with three Barolo:
Trediberri Rocche dell’Annunizata: this was a little closed on the nose at first, but after a while a bouquet of red fruits appeared. The wine had good acidity, good balance and an excellent finish. For a “young” barolo it was very fresh and approachable.
Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: Notes of red fruits, strawberries and some spices. High acidity, round tannins and well balanced.
Fratelli Alessandria Monvigliero: Dark fruits, some ripe fruits on the nose. Good acidity, fresh tannins and a good finish. This bottle had been open for about 24 hours (with the cork “put back in”) so it was very approachable.

A more “diverse” lineup:
Elio Altare Barolo 2004: When tasting this blind, it still had so much “oumph” that it could have been mistaken for a fresh nebbiolo! This was wine of the night for me.
Giacomo Conterno Barbera Vigna Francia 2014: I have always thought the barbera from Contero has a very distinct nose, a nose very different from other barbera’s. This was really hard to figure out next to the other wines.
A Chianti Classico 1993: Curveball! Could tell this wine had some age, with notes of toffee both on the nose and in the mouth. In my opinion, this was past it’s prime. Impossible to identify blind in this lineup.

Wineglasswriter

Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2009

Vietti never ceases to amaze me. After some air, this wine from 2009 (10 years old) blew me away with its fresh fruit, round tannins and unbelievable finish. In my opinion, this wine is not even close to reaching it’s potential!

Ester Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo 2015

This wine “had” to be tried. The new project of Giovanni Rosso gained quite a bit of fame, and I had to see what all the fuss was about. The wine is good. Is it worth the price? Let me put it this way, here are many other wines I would buy before this one. However, it will be very interesting following this project going forward!

Diego Morra Monvigliero

2019 would be the year I discovered quite a few new wineries. One of my favorites is Diego Morra. And one of the wines in their portfolio is a Monvigliero. You might have heard of it. Antonio Galloni gave a 100 points to the Monviglerio of Burlotto in 2013. So it’s safe to say it’s quite famous. And the one from Diego Morra is very good!

Diego Mora Monvigliero 2015 had some truffle and wet soil on the nose, quite strong tannins (typical of this cru), but still very elegant and floral.

Wine for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving might be an American (and Canadian) thing, so chances are you might not have a relationship with this holiday. Turkey, however, is something most of us (at least meat eaters) have a relationship with. And since Turkey is a big part of Thanksgiving, it may be fitting with suggestions of wines that pair well with turkey!

Thanksgiving – what wine should you get?

If you google “wine pairing turkey” you get many different results. I guess it all comes down to taste.
Decanter suggests oaked chardonnay or pinot noir.
Forbes brings out the big guns and suggests Champagne!
While these are all good ideas, my suggestion (as Piemontegirl) would be Barbera.

Barbera for Thanksgiving

When it comes to fatty food, like Turkey, tannin is the enemy and acidity is your friend. And if there is one thing you’ll find in Barbera, it’s acidity. Personally I also prefer red wine with meat, even if it’s “light meat”, and would therefore choose Barbera over Champagne or a white wine. Again, this comes down to tastes and preferences, but it should come as no surprise that Piemontegirl recommends something from Piemonte.

Thanksgiving Tips from Piemonte

Barbera 2020

2020 has been a strange year. A lot of things have happened. And a lot of things have been cancelled. However, one aspect of my life that remains the same is my love of wine. Here are some of my favorite Barbera from 2020:

Andrea Oberto Barbera Giada
Easily one of my all time favorites! Andrea Oberto makes 3 different Barbera, each with different use of oak. The Giada is in my opinion the best, and even though it spends quite some time in wood barrels, you can’t feel the oak in the mouth.

Diego Morra Barbera
A recent discovery, and a good one at that! The 2018 has good acidity with notes of red fruit and minerals.

Ghiomo Ruit Hora
With 15% of Nebbiolo, this wine will rock your world! This is Giuseppino’s passion project, and it shows!

Trediberri Barbera
It’s as good in 2019 as it was in 2018, perhaps even better! Not sure if all wine tastes better in 2020 (f**k Covid), but the Barbera from Trediberri certainly does!

Barbera 2021

Burlotto Barbera
Both the classic Barbera and the Aves from Burlotto are out of this world! Fabio is an outstanding winemakerm, able to make good wine in any vintage; even the difficult ones!

Elio Altare Barbera
A beautiful Barbera made by wonderful people. So happy to see it back in stock in Norway.

La Vedetta Barbera d’Asti
I know I mostly stick to Barbera d’Alba, but we can’t forget about Barbera d’Asti. And this one from La Vedetta is one of my favorites.

Altare

Altare – the first of their name

Silvia Altare, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first Cry, Protector of the grape, Queen of the Langhe, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, The Unburnt, Breaker of Chains and the Lady of the Annunziata

Toni Fadnes
Altare Family
Photo of the Altare Family, from their website

The words that come to mind when thinking of the Altare family are: Insieme & Energy.

And for those of you who are not Game of Throners, when I say that the Altare family is first of their name, I am referring to the “Barolo Revolution” and the introduction of barrique to the area. On top of that, they are known for their extraordinary wines and and incomparable energy.

Winemaking

In 1976, Elio traveled to Burgundy and it was a trip that would change the course of history forever. Elio infamously took his father’s big barrels outside and chopped them up. He wanted to use small barrels instead, barrique, like the french. This act would eventually lead to his disinheritance. But Elio persevered.

Today, the family still use small barrels (barrique) for most of their wines, and steel tanks for the dolcetto d’alba , barbera d’alba and langhe nebbiolo. The oak is used as a tool, and none of their wines have a significant presence of oak flavors. Try putting it in a blind tasting lineup and see for yourself.

With a total of 10 hectares, they make about 70,000 bottles a year.

Fun fact

SEVEN PRODUCERS,
SEVEN DIFFERENT STORIES,
ONE SINGLE LABEL: L’INSIEME

Silvia’s father, Elio Altare, isthe founder of L’Insieme. And what is L’Insieme? It’s a project between 7 winemakers in Langhe where they donate a percentage of the proceeds to a good cause. Below you will see their own explanation of the project (found on their website).

The project aims to make wines which, under a single brand, tell a story of friendship and collaboration, of hard work, shared passion for the Langhe and its outstanding grapes.

The dream is that, from this union, the resultant label will be a symbol of friendship and mutual aid. A wine that is our personal way of thanking the land that gave us our roots and its support.

Our goal is to make L’Insieme wine a practical ethical tool, allowing us to fund projects of high social value as a way of giving back to our local area a part of the good fortune and beauty it has given us.

Fun fact II

When it comes to blind tasting, we all know Silvia and Elio are very good. They have trained their noses for years. But the one who always seems to surprise us with her incredible ability is Lucia, Elio’s wife. She will sit quietly, while everyone shares their opinions and then all of a sudden she will blow you away with her analysis. A very impressive woman.

The Altare Wines

Wines available in:
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
USA
UK
Italy

Altare Uno Per Uno

It’s exactly what it says: one by one. The family hand destems the grapes, berry by berry, and the results are magnificent. It’s also why the price might be a little higher. Imagine the work behind this wine. And if you can’t, check out the picture below.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Uno Per Uno
Grape: 100% nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 1,500
Color: light ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: fresh fruits, rose petals and flowers
Taste: warm, elegant, smooth silky tannins
Food pairing: red meat, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: hand-destemming the berries, one by one. Looking for the purity of the fruit of nebbiolo, making sure there are no stems, no leaves and no ugly berries
Ageing: 

VINEYARD

Soil: marna with clay and sand
Exposure:  south, south-east
Year of plantation: 1948

Barolo Brunate

The last vintage of Brunate is 2011. Altare rented the plot and the owners decided to make their own wine.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Brunate
Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 1,200 – 1,500
Color: intense ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: red fruits, floral, light and feminine
Taste: warm, elegant, long finish with wild rose and violet
Food pairing: red meat, game, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 4/5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: 24 months in french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil:  various
Exposure:  south, south-east
Age of plants: 20 to 90 years old

Cannubi

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Cannubi
Grape: 100% Nebiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 1,500
Color: light ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: fresh fruits, rose petals and flowers
Taste: elegant, soft silky tannins
Food pairing: red meat, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 4/5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing:  24 months in french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil: marna with clay and sand
Exposure:  south
Age of plants: 30 years old

Barolo Ceretta Vigna Bricco Riserva

Altare chooses to release this wine later than the rest of the barolo’s. The extra time can be beneficial for a wine with more masculine characteristics.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Ceretta Vigna Bricco Riserva
Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 5,000 – 6,000
Color: intense ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: mature fruits, spicy, tobacco, darker fruits, licorice
Taste: warm and elegant, with mint and spice notes
Food pairing: red meat, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 4/5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: 24 months in french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil: sandstone, limestone and chalk
Exposure:  south, south-east and south-west
Age of plants: 15 years old

Barolo Arborina

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Arborina
Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 6,000
Color: intense ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: rose petals, flowers, light, sweet
Taste: elegant, with smooth but intense tannins
Food pairing: red meat, game, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 4/5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing:  24 months in french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil: marna stone with clay and sand
Exposure:  south, south-east
Year of plantation:  1948

Barolo

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Barolo
Grape: 100% Nebbiolo
Classification: DOCG
Number of bottles produced: 10,000
Color: intense ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: red fruit, raspberry, redcurrant, wold roses that evolve into licorice and spice notes
Taste: elegant, persistent with long finish ans soft tannins
Food pairing: red meat, aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 4/5 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing:  24 months in french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil:  various
Exposure:  south, south-east
Age of plants:  from 20 to 30 years

La Villa

La Villa is a blend of nebbiolo and barbera grapes, which gives the best of both worlds; tannins and acidity.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Langhe La Villa
Grape: Barbera & Nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 2,500 – 3,000
Color: intense ruby red
Fragrance: plums, berries, rose petals
Taste: fresh, well balanced tannins, pleasant acidity from the barbera
Food pairing: pasta, charcuterie, meat

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 3/4 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: new french barrique for 18 months

VINEYARD

Soil: clay and tufa stone
Exposure:  south-east
Year of plantation/age of plants:  various

Giarborina

A “baby barolo”, somewhat in the middle of a langhe nebbiolo and a barolo, made with grapes from the Arborina vineyard.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Langhe Giarborina
Grape: 100% nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 2,000 – 2,500
Color: ruby red with garnet reflections
Fragrance: intense balasmic notes, aromas of fruit, rose petals
Taste: red fruit, raspberry, persistant
Food pairing: red meat, soft to medium aged cheese

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 3/4 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: new french barrique for 18 months

VINEYARD

Soil: clay and sand
Exposure: south, south-east
Year of plantation:  1948, 1989

Larigi

Could also be called a “barbera superiore”, but I prefer the name Larigi. The vineyeard is located next to the winery. A “single vineyard” barbera named Larigi.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Larigi
Grape: Barbera
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 2,500 – 3,000
Color: dense purple red
Fragrance: small red fruits, very persistent
Taste: warm, soft, intense, silky tannins, pleasant acidity, red berries
Food pairing: grilled meat,c heese and salami

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 3/4 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: new french barrique for 18 months

VINEYARD

Soil: clay and sand
Exposure:  south, south-east
Year of plantation/age of plants: 1948

L’Insieme

You can read more about L’Insieme here.

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: L’Insieme
Grape: various
Classification: 
Number of bottles produced: 1,500
Color: intense ruby red
Fragrance: spicy and intense
Taste: big structure, taste is much more “international”, spicy and herbal
Food pairing: red meat, game, cheese

VINEYARD

Soil: various
Exposure: various
Age of plants:  10 to 30 years

Langhe Nebbiolo

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Langhe Nebbiolo
Grape: Nebbiolo
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 8,000
Color: intense ruby
Fragrance: rose petals and red fruits
Taste: Tannins, but not dry. Red fruits and good acidity
Food pairing: antipasto, pasta, red meat

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 3/4 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: 5 months in aged french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil: calcareous but also sandy
Exposure: various, south-east, east
Age of plants:  20 to 50 years old

Barbera d’Alba

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Barbera d’Alba
Grape: Barbera
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 15,000
Color: ruby red with violet reflections
Fragrance: violets and black cherry
Taste: full bodied, good acidity, dark red fruits
Food pairing: antipasto, pasta, fatty cheese and salami

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for 3/4 days in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing: 5 months in aged french barrique

VINEYARD

Soil: calcareous but also very sandy
Exposure:  various, east, north-east
Age of plants: 10 to 30 years old

Dolcetto d’Alba

BASIC INFORMATION

Product name: Dolcetto d’Alba
Grape: Dolcetto
Classification: DOC
Number of bottles produced: 18,000 – 20,000
Color: intense violet
Fragrance: violet and black cherry
Taste: cherries, black cherry, medium-bodied, easy to drink
Food pairing: antipasto, pasta, light cheese, pizza, panini

VINIFICATION (Wine-making)

Method: maceration on the skins for approximately 2 to 3 days maximum in rotary fermentors with temperature control
Ageing:  stainless steal tank for about 10 months

VINEYARD

Soil: calcareous but also very sandy
Exposure: various, mostly north and north-east
Age of plants: 20 to 40 years old

Altare Winery

Frazione Annunziata 51, 12064 La Morra
elioaltare@elioaltare.com
+39 0173 50835

Cover photo: Elio Altare Website
Labels: Elio Altare Website
Other photos: Oda Randmæl
Text: Oda Randmæl & Toni Fadnes

Prowein 2018

Prowein 2018: The Vinitaly of Germany

I myself have never been to Prowein, but I have been to Vinitaly and I imagine it’s very similar. Basically too many wineries to count get together and show their wines to the people in the trade; which means you have to be a member of the trade to get access. Now, I am not sure how loose the definition of trade is, so you might get access if you can somehow make it sound like you are in the trade. When I went to Vinitaly, a friend gave me her second pass, so that’s how I was able to attend. I know, lucky me!

Anyways, the fair is from March 18 – March 20 and some of the winemakers I know that will attend are:

Corino, Altare, Fratelli Revello, Carlo Revello , Burlotto, Cavallotto, Marengo and Mauro Veglio. 

Check the Prowein website for more info.

 

 

 

Piemontegirl Needs Your Help

tbt cedar treePiemontegirl is going back to Piemonte – Finally!

It’s been waaay to long since last time. In May we celebrated my dad’s birthday and there was little time for exploring and going off on my own. This time I will be there for a long weekend, all by myself, and I am looking for recommendations on who to see and where to eat.

What wineries should I visit?

This is an area where I, Piemontegirl, could use some work. I usually just go back to the regular ones, mostly because I want to see old friends and try their new vintages. I will of course do that this time as well, but I also want to try something new. Any ideas?

IMG_5509

Got any good food recommendations?

There is no shortage of food in Piemonte, but I am tempted to try something new for once. Got any suggestions? I am obviously not looking for sushi or spanish tapas, but maybe it’s time I venture outside of La Morra? hehe…