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Value Wines

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Value wines

Listen, it’s entirely possible to enjoy quality “value wines”. And what do I mean when I say “value wines”? I mean wines with a high quality-price ratio; wines that won’t break the bank, but are still of high quality. People are very often under the impression that to be able to drink good wines, you have to break the bank. And sure, wine can cost quite a bit. But there are plenty of options out there that are on the more affordable side. So here are some of my favorite value wines from Piemonte, all under 300 NOK.

value wines

Wines under 300

In this category, there are tons of options. If you’ve never tried Nascetta, this is your sign to change that. I discovered Le Strette some years ago, and their Langhe Nascetta del Comune di Novello is one of my favorites! Moving on to reds, the Elio Altare Dolcetto is still under 300NOK! This probably won’t last very long, so here’s your chance! Another favorite is the Luigi Pira Barbera d’Alba Superiore, which is also still in this category. Two Langhe Nebbiolo’s that are frequently found in my wine fridge are Francesco Borgono Langhe Nebbiolo and Cristian Boffa Langhe Nebbiolo. The latter is basically a “Baby Barolo”, so it’s a frickin’ steal! Now, there are not that many Barbera + Nebbiolo blends available in Norway, unfortunately. But one of the few that are available is the La Vedetta Swanti.

Wines under 250

Moving on to wines below 250NOK. The number of quality wines available are reduced in correlation to price, but there are still quite a few good options here! Two good Dolcetto’s, one from Luigi Pira and one from Cristian Boffa. Both of them are what I like to call “stainless steel” Dolcetto’s, but the one from Luigi Pira is likely to be a bit “bigger” than the one from Cristian Boffa, mostly due to the location of the grapes. As for Barbera, there’s the one from Trediberri. Aged in stainless steel and cement. Very classic and delicious. The Mauro Veglio “Angelo” Langhe Nebbiolo is another classic. Named for Mauro’s father, it’s always been a very special wine.

Wines under 200

Here’s where it gets tricky. These days, it’s not easy to find a high quality wine under 200NOK. That’s just the way it is. But there are still a select few available in Norway. The Diego Morra Langhe Rosato is now available for only 179kr. And you might think a rosé wine is only suitable for the summer. But did you know that a lot of seafood is considered “in season” in the winter? Which is perfect, because this wine is what I consider a “food wine” that will go great with shrimp, crab, salads or white meat.

Two Dolcetto’s made it into this category, both good, but very different from one another. The Azelia Dolcetto is made from very old vines located in fairly high altitude, making it quite special. You also have the Francesco Borgogno Dolcetto, a “stainless steel” Dolcetto, very clean and fresh.  

There you have it. Hope you found some treasures in here.

PS: some of these won’t be available at these prices for long, so I’d act fast. Enjoy!

Barolo 2019

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Barolo 2019

Before we dive into Barolo 2019, I want to just touch on something quickly. One can go on an on  about rainfall, temperature, weather conditions, natural disasters and more, but in the end, you can’t judge a wine before you have it in a glass in front of you. I am not saying that weather isn’t important. And it definitely affects the wine. I am just saying that because vintage is defined as “warm” or  “cold” or “dry”, doesn’t mean that all wines in that vintage reflect the general characteristics that go with that classification. If you catch my drift?

Anyways, a lot of good things have been said about Barolo 2019, and the vintage 2019, and I find I tend to agree. I’ve tried a few 2019’s, and my immediate thoughts are: concentrated, intense, aromatic. Now, that’s not to say that every Barolo 2019 is intense, or aromatic. But looking over my notes, those are words that pop up frequently. 2019 will most likely be remembered as a “classic” vintage, but the temperatures were quite high, which is probably what contributed to the fairly high concentration in the wines. I’m no expert, so feel free to refer to Masnaghetti or Berry Bro’s for a more detailed vintage report.

Now, moving on to the reason you’re here: Barolo 2019 tasting notes!
PS: they are in alphabetical order

Chiara Boschis Barolo 2019

Tasting Notes

Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2019
Beautiful, clean, crisp nose. Complex, delicious. My notes literally say “Mouth is amazing. Full of tastes”. Smooth, but big at the same time. Round tannins. Quite high in acidity, so it has a good aging potential!

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Camilla 2019
Beautiful nose. Aromas of dark fruit, with some spice notes. Very different from the 2019. More tension, bigger tannins.

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo bricco Ambrogio 2019
Vegetal, herbal. A bit closed on the nose, needs some time to open up. More tension in this one as well, compared to the 2018.

Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Badarina 2019
Beautiful nose, less vegetal than the Bricco Amborgio. Balsamic, herbal and fruity. I even caught a glimpse of some chocolate. A super wine!

Cavallotto Barolo 2019
Floral notes, with a hint of spices. Clean and crisp. Round in the mouth, with a long aftertaste. An approachable, balanced Barolo.  

Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi 2019
The Cannubi is often a favorite of mine, and the 19 is no different. It’s such a beautiful wine. Aromas of red fruits, maybe a hint of strawberry? The 19 is intense, but the tannins are round. Good body with a long finish. And I think maybe I detect a hint of herbs?

Chiara Boschis Barolo Mosconi 2019
The Mosconi is slightly more masculine. The fruit is darker, and there is a hint of balsamic. The nose is intense. Although the tannins are more intense, they are still round. This is a wine with good body and a long finish.

Chiara Boschis Barolo Via Nuova 2019
The Via Nuova is even more masculine than the Mosconi. The fruit is not as dark in this wine, but there is a stronger hint of balsamic. A very intense wine. The tannins are also more intense, but not overpowering.

Cristian Boffa Barolo del Comune di la Morra 2019
An aromatic and intense wine, with a beautiful nose. Floral aromas, as well as red fruit, cherry. A mineral and crisp nose. Quite easy to drink, very approachable tannins, with a long finish.  

Cristian Boffa Barolo Capalot 2019
More aggressive tannins in the Capalot, compared to the Comune di La Morra, but not overpowering. A beautiful, intense nose. Quite complex. Has good aging potential!  

Elio Altare Barolo Arborina 2019
Beautiful nose, has that typical La Morra feel to it. Floral and fruity. Good tannins, with a little bit of oomph.

Luigi Pira Barolo Serralunga 2019
Their classic Barolo contain grapes from multiple vineyards including Marenca, Margheria, Sorano and Rivete. It’s aged in big barrel for 24 months. Beautiful, typical Barolo nose. Floral with hints of leather and balsamic. Big tannins, but still very fruity. A good bodied wine with a long finish.

Luigi Pira Barolo Margheria 2019
The Margheria is quite a bit more aromatic than the Serralunga. Crisp with aromas red fruit and hints of herbs and spices. Very crisp in the mouth. An elegant wine with quite approachable tannins.

Luigi Pira Barolo Marenca 2019
The Marenca spends 12 months tonneaux and 12 months in big barrels. The nose is similar to the Margheria. Maybe a bit more balsamic. The grapes come from a steep hill. The bunches are smaller, more concentrated. This is a bit more punchy, with bigger tannins.

Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda 2019
Now on the to grand finale: Vignarionda! The Vignarionda has a bit more masculine nose with aromas of tobacco and herbs. Powerful, but elegant. Tannins are big but not punchy.

Marengo Barolo 2019
The classic Barolo has an intense nose with aromas of red fruit, flowers, tobacco and a hint of spices. The tannins are smooth. Round in the mouth, with good balance and quite long finish.

Marengo Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2019
Beautiful nose on the Bricco Delle Viole. More explosive than intense. A bit more floral and fruity than the classic Barolo. Bigger tannins, but still smooth. A balanced, beautiful wine.

Marengo Barolo Brunate 2019
The Brunate was, not surprisingly, a bit more complex than the other two. Beautiful nose with aromas of red fruit and spices, with a hint of floral notes. Bigger tannins, more structure, yet smooth. Good balance with a long finish.

Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

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Although the focus is on the 2016 Barolo’s these days, I think it’s important to give some attention to the Langhe Nebbiolo’s! Since the 2016 Barolo’s should be bought and then put away for a long time, it’s nice to have a wine to enjoy in the meantime. You get the same characteristics as a Barolo, but you don’t have to wait to long for the wine to be approachable. On my last trip to Langhe I got to taste quite a few Langhe Nebbiolo 2018. Here are my tasting notes in alphabetical order.

Alberto Viberti LogHero 2018

Alberto is the new kid on the block. He works for his family winery Cascina Ballarin in La Morra, but has his own project on the side. His Nebbiolo goes through fermentation in cement tanks. Alberto does not use any oak with his Nebbiolo. The grapes come from Roero, and the soil there gives this wine a little bit of pepper notes.  A very good Nebbiolo for a “rookie”. Looking forward to seeing how he evolves!

Andrea Oberto Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

And oldie, but a goodie! I think the world should drink more Andrea Oberto! And why not start with his Nebbiolo. On the nose you’ll find tobacco and roses. The wine is fruity with a long finish. A very good wine made by a wonderful man.

Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

The focus this year has been on Azelia’s new Barolo Cerretta, but let’s not forget about all the other wines they make! The Nebbiolo is quite structured in 2018. Notes of spices, licorice, leather, cherries and flowers. The tannins are round and the wine fruity, making it very drinkable.

Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Mario uses both cement  and Slavonian oak for his Nebbiolo, for a total of 12 months. The 2018 is less concentrated than 2017 with lots of dark fruit and a bouquet of flowers. The wine is elegant with a long finish.

Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

I tasted the 2017 and 2018 side by side. The 2017 was very good, but when tasting it next to the 2018 it almost fell a little short. In the 2018 there is an explosion of floral notes. A very powerful nose. One of the more expressive Nebbiolo’s I’ve tried. The wine is young with big tannins, but they disappear quite quickly and you’re left with beautiful floral notes.

Cristian Boffa Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

This Nebbiolo is made with 16 year old vines from the Santa Maria vineyard. Cristian uses about 20% botte grande and 80% cement for 6 months. On the nose there are notes of strawberry jam, fruits, and flower, and the tannins are very smooth.  As a relatively new player in the game, it will be interesting to see the evolution of Cristian Boffa! Stay tuned.

Cristian Boffa Langhe Nebbiolo

Diego e Damiano Barale Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

A very drinkable Nebbiolo from Monforte, with vines planted by their grandfather in the San Giovanni vineyard about 40-50 years ago. The brothers use 2nd or 3rd passage tonno because they prefer to taste the natural tannins. One interesting aspect of the vinification is that they take out the seeds, a practice they learned from Vaira. A beautiful nose, elegant tannins and a long finish.

Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Diego ages his Nebbiolo for a long time in the bottle, compared to other winemaker. Before the prolonged aging in bottle, the wine spends about 6 months in tonno, with 10% new oak. This might be one of my favorites. Very approachable, round tannins and a fresh expression.

Gianfranco Alessandria Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Here’s a wine with a typical Nebbiolo nose: red berries, roses, hint of leather and spices. Aged 6 months in barrique with 10% new oak. The grapes come from San Giovanni, so there’s the Monforte power but the tannins are still elegant and sweet, making it quite approachable.   

Giovanni Corino Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Of all the Corino wines, this might be my favorite. So elegant with fresh fruit and raspberry. Good structure with round tannins.

Luigi Pira Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Released a year later than most of its “peers”, the Langhe Nebbiolo from Pira has spent about 12 months in small and big oak barrels. In addition to the terroir, the oak helps to give the wine its structure and complexity. Aroma of red fruit, leather, spices and tobacco as well as a hint of oak notes. Fruity in the mouth, crisp and complex. Persistent tannins with a long finish.

Mauro Veglio Angelo 2018

At first the Angelo came off a little green, but with some air it disappeared and I was left with licorice and raspberries. Very crisp! The tannins are there but they disappear. A relatively approachable Nebbiolo.