There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about Roberto Voerzio. But if I were to try and describe Roberto with one word, the word that comes to mind is “profound”. Yes, he’s a winemaker. Or, more aptly, a winegrower. But he’s so much more. He’s a farmer. A father. A grandfather. A wine lover. And it’s obvious he loves what he does. Hearing him talk about wine is like listening to a great piece of art. And I feel lucky to have had that opportunity.
There are many well-known winemakers in Piemonte, but the winemaking style of Roberto really stands out. Many years ago, the “Barolo Boys revolution” brought about a new approach to winemaking. I won’t go into too much detail right now, but the very general gist is: smaller barrels, shorter maceration, green harvest, and cleaner workspaces. Now, why am I bringing this up right now? Well, it’s mostly to talk about green harvest.
Don’t know what green harvest is? Not to worry, I’ll explain. When a winegrower does green harvest, it means that they are removing grape clusters from the vine. They do this to give the remaining grape clusters even more nutrients. The mindset here is quality over quantity. But imagine you’re a poor farmer, scraping by, and your daughter comes home and starts cutting away grapes that could be used to make wine. Let’s just say it was quite an adjustment.
Today, green harvest is a common practice across the board. And after a little detour, we’re about to get to the point. Because Roberto Voerzio has taken the concept of green harvest to the extreme. He cuts away more grapes than any other farmer (that I know of). Now, you could potentially get at least 1,800g per vine, probably even more. But for his Pozzo, he leaves only about 300g of grapes per vine. 300grams! It’s definitely one of the more extreme examples, but Roberto’s wines are some of the most concentrated wines I’ve encountered in Langhe.
Roberto Voerzio Barbera Il Cerreto 2021
Beautiful nose. Very aromatic. Very concentrated with aromas of dark red fruit. Also quite concentrated in the mouth. Almost felt like I was eating frutti di bosco. In the best way. Long finish.
Roberto Voerzio Langhe Nebbiolo 2021
Not as aromatic as the Il Cerreto, and has aromas of more mature red fruit. Quite fresh. Smooth tannins.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2019
The Barolo del Comune di La Morra is made with grapes from 4 different vineyards: Case Nere, La Serra, Fossati and Cerequio. It was a bit closed on the nose at first but opened up very well in the glass. Fruity with smooth tannins.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo Fossati 2019
A beautifully elegant wine. Aromatic and intense. Tannins are quite robust. This might be my favorite wine from this tasting. A very impressive wine.
Roberto Voerzio Barbera La Serra 2015
A super aromatic wine with a beautiful nose. Intense and dense. Tannins are a bit “sharp” at first, but disappear and leave you with a round, elegant wine.
Barolo 2018 – delicious or disappointing? That is the question. But we’ll dig into that a little later. First, let’s look at some facts. As a stark contrast to 2017, which was very dry, 2018 was quite rainy. There were 62 days of rain during the growing season, just like 2014, which was considered one of the rainiest years of all time. But a few things distinguish 2014 from 2018, including the temperature. The temperature was on average higher in 2018 compared to 2014, especially towards the end of the growing season.
So what does all this mean? Well, first of all, too much rain leads to a lot of work in the vineyards. All that humidity creates perfect conditions for downy mildew, a fungus growing on the grapes. The winmakers combat this by spraying copper sulfate, but they basically have to spray after every rainfall. If you have half a hectare, that’s probably not too big a deal, but when you have three, five, or 14, it’s a lot of work.
The heavy rain combined with the high temperatures, also means quite a lot of growth in the vineyards. Which in turn meant they had to be vigilant about managing their vineyards. I think that’s really the key in any vintage: work in the vineyard. Fabio from Burlotto prefers to call himself a “winegrower” and not a “winemaker”, because he first and foremost considers himself a farmer. And when you pay a lot of attention in the vineyards, “it’s difficult to have a bad vintage.”[i] And I agree. In my experience, a good winemaker will make good wines in every vintage. And so in some vintages, like 2018, my advice would be to chose the winemaker and not the wine, if that makes sense.
Langhe July 2018
Barolo 2018 – many different opinions
I am not the first to share some thoughts on Barolo 2018. There have been split “reviews” on this vintage, both from the winemakers and from the wine reviewers. Some are on the more dramatic side, to the point of almost condemning the vintage. Others bear a more hopeful tone, highlighting that despite the difficulties of the vintage, the resulting wines are actually of higher quality than excepted.
Galloni said it’s “the most erratic, frustratingly inconsistent Barolo vintage” he has ever encountered. [ii]
Masnaghetti, a great source of information when it comes to Langhe, and the godfather of the Barolo maps, wrote this in his Barolo 2018 Vintage report: “In the history of Barolo, and not merely of Barolo, the vintages which presented themselves at their origin as problematical have been anything but rare. But, in a hypothetical classification of all the vintages, very few would be able to rival 2018.”[iii] But although the season was difficult, he thinks the wines will be “classified in the future as of good level.”
Joshua Dunning, the talent behind Word On The Grapevine, called the vintage a “tangram”. If you had to google that word, don’t worry, I did too. A tangram is “a Chinese puzzle made by cutting a square of thin material into five triangles, a square, and a rhomboid which are capable of being recombined in many different figures”. [iv] And I think it’s a fairly spot on description. He goes on to say that “challenges notwithstanding, the finished wines are an altogether more positive picture than their contributory climatic components might suggest.”[v]
Davy Żyw from Berry Bro’s and Rudd dared to say that the Barolo 2018 has “a Pinot Noir-style personality.”[vi] The same comparison was made by Fabio Alessandria when I visited him November 2021. Davy Żyw made some good points in his Barolo 2018 Vintage Report, including that the “best wines of the ’18 vintage showcase the strength of this multifaceted and extraordinary terroir, elegantly choreographed and infused by an equal sense of calm and place.”
Now, some of you might be waiting for Piemontegirl’s opinion on Barolo 2018. I have to start by saying that I believe there is not such thing as a bad vintage. However, I do believe there are bad wines. I think there is a difference between the two. What is it that they say? The proof is in the pudding? Well, in this case, the wine… There are so many really good 2018 Barolo’s out there. Floral. Fruity. Balanced. Elegant. Crisp. Wow. Beautiful. Incredible. These are only some of the words I used to describe Barolo 2018. And so yes, the growing season was difficult. And yes, overall this vintage might lack some structure compared to 2017, 2016 and 2015. But there are plenty of good Barolo’s out there. You just have to find them.
Here are some of my favorites:
Barolo 2018 Tasting Notes
Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Bricco Ambrogio 2018
A classic nose, floral and fruity. Silky tannins. A very approachable Barolo.
Bruna Grimaldi Barolo Badarina 2018
A slightly vegetal and austere wine. Aromas of red fruit, leather and balsamic. Good structure.
Burlotto Barolo 2018
Masculine nose with aromas of leather and tobacco, but still fruity and quite approachable. A gentle and elegant wine.
Burlotto Barolo Acclivi 2018
The Acclivi is a bit deeper than the Classico. So elegant in the mouth with a very gentle structure. Fruity and crisp, with a long finish.
Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2018
Incredible nose with aromas of white pepper and red fruit, with a hint of spice. It was actually a bit spicy in the mouth as well. A very distinctive wine with a lot of personality.
Burlotto Barolo Cannubi 2018
With the Cannubi, the word elegance springs to mind. Elegant nose, elegant tannins, elegant structure. If I were to pick a wine to demonstrate how a Barolo should smell, this one would be a perfect example.
Chiara Boschis Barolo Cannubi 2018
I kid you not, my notes actually say “holy shit”. What a nose! Crisp, mineral, complex, rich, beautiful, feminine. There are aromas of tar and roses. Good depth and long finish. Chiara herself describes the Cannubi as “a kind wine”. And I can’t argue with that.
Chiara Boschis Barolo Via Nuova 2018
The Via Nuova is a bit more austere. A fruity and balanced wine. I agree with Chiara that the 2018 Barolo’s are more Burgundian than other recent vintages.
Chiara Boschis Barolo Mosconi 2018
I guess the word I’d use about Mosconi is “more”. More complex nose, more masculine, more spices, more structure. There are also hints of orange, apricot, peach and white pepper in this wine.
Cristian Boffa Barolo 2018
A delicate and balanced Barolo, with aromas of red fruit and strawberry. Long finish, with round, sweet tannins. A very good Barolo!
Diego Morra Barolo Zinzasco 2018
Beautiful nose with aromas of fruit, flowers and white pepper. Round tannins and good body. A wine with quite a lot of depth.
Diego Morra Barolo Monvigliero 2018
Floral aromas with hints of white pepper. A very good wine with good structure. Might need some time to open up fully.
Fratelli Revello Barolo Gattera 2018
The Revello Gattera has aromas of red fruit, liquorice and roses. It’s an elegant wine with soft tannins.
Marengo Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2018
Wow! What an incredible nose. So floral and fruity, yet complex. Smooth tannins. Easy to drink.
Marengo Barolo Brunate 2018
Tried this straight from the tank, before it went into the bottle. A beautiful wine. Complex nose with aromas of leather, tobacco and a hint of chocolate. Good balance and structure. Long finish. balance.
Marengo Barolo Riserva 2018
“Very young, but so good.” Enough said. Or maybe not, but that’s all my notes said…
Nadia Curto Barolo La Foia 2018
Amazing nose with aromas of roses, red fruit and a hint of tar? Good body with round, smooth tannins.
Nadia Curto Barolo Arborina 2018
The Arborina might be a bit more complex than the La Foia. More leather, tobacco and spice aromas. More powerful, more intense. This might be due to the south exposure and long extraction.
Paolo Giordano Barolo 2018
I was really impressed by this wine. Good structure, but still easy to drink. Round, well integrated tannins. And it really opened up in the glass.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo Del Comune de La Morra 2018
A complex wine with a good nose. Aromas of spices and a hint of mint. Delicious. Good grip in the tannins. A long finish.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo Brunate 2018
I’ve tasted this both from tank and from bottle. The tank sample had an incredible nose. Concentrated with aromas of dark fruit. Elegant. Classic. Then, when I tasted from the bottle the nose was quite closed. But it had that wonderful combination of a feminine nose and complex body. Tannins were a but dry, but the aftertaste was incredible. Long finish.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo Fossati 2018
I also tasted this from both tank and bottle. When I tasted from the tank the wine was quite masculine with aromas of tobacco, some herbs and quite harsh tannins. Then, when tasted from the bottle, the nose was still quite masculine, but the harsh tannins were gone and the wine was quite feminine. With a long, good finish.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo La Serra 2018
A wine with an interesting nose. Red fruit, spices and a hint of licorice? Smooth tannins, good body and good deoth. Easy to drink. Integrated tannins.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio 2018
Stunning! I really liked this wine. Aromas of red fruit and tobacco. A bit austere maybe. But WOW what a delicious wine. A good example of how maybe the nose and taste don’t always “go together”.
Here are my notes on the Roberto Voerzio La Serra 2015: I like it. Concise and to the point. There was just something about it. So drinkable. So approachable. So good. And out of all the wines I tasted that day, the La Serra was clearly a favorite.
La Serra
The La Serra vineyard is located in La Morra, right at the top above Cerequio and Case Nere. Why is the location so important? Altitude. Like MapMan Masna says: “elevation is always called into question, because at these heights (the border between La Serra and Cerequio is at exactly 400 meters) even 20-30 meters of difference can be important.”
2015
2015 is know as a “warm” vintage. But, being bookended by 2014 and 2016, 2015 kind of gets lost in translation. May, June and July were very hot, with very little rain, and it was not looking great for a while. Then, August came along with a whole 8 days of rain, followed by a relatively normal September, and a bit of rain in October, giving the vintage what it needed to avoid a 2003 situation.
Roberto Voerzio La Serra 2015
The Roberto Voerzio La Serra 2015 was so approachable with incredibly smooth tannins and lots of good fruit. I tasted it next to the Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2017 and the Case Nere Riserva 2011, and I can honestly say that the La Serra 2015 was my favorite out of the two!
Tasting Notes
During my visit to Roberto Voerzio, I tasted quite a few wines. Here are some notes:
Roberto Voerzio Cerequio 2020
Barrel tasting. The Cerequio 2020 had a beautiful nose. Fruity, fresh. This wine has a bit of structure. Will obviously develop further over the next few years.
Roberto Voerzio Rocche 2020
Barrel tasting. The Rocche had less structure than Cerequio, as of right now, maybe a bit more classic? This is a wine I look forward to taste once it’s in the bottle!
Roberto Voerzio Sarmassa 2019
Barrel tasting. The Sarmassa is made only in magnums! It had a beautiful nose, with a bit more concentration than Rocche, quite typical of the 2019 vintage. A very good wine, a good roundness in the mouth.
Roberto Voerzio La Serra 2019
Barrel tasting. The 2019 La Serra was even more concentrated than the Sarmassa with harsher tannins as well. A big wine with aromas of darker fruits, dark cherry. Very different to the 2015!
Roberto Voerzio Brunate 2018
Tasted from tank. Wow, what an incredible nose. Elegant and concentrated, all at the same time with aromas of dark fruit. Elegant in the mouth as well. A classic wine.
Roberto Voerzio Fossati 2018
Tasted from tank. The Fossati is one of the more masculine wines I tasted that day. Aromas of tobacco, some herbs, red fruit. The tannins were quite harsh, at least compared to the other wines tasted.
Roberto Voerzio Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2017
The Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2017 is a mix of grapes from Boiolo 50% and 50% other cru’s. This was the first wine I tasted during this visit that had really prominent oak notes. Probably because the other wines had some months(+) left in the barrels.
Roberto Voerzio Case Nere riserva 2011
When tasting the Case Nere Riserva 2011, we had reached the end of the visit. And to be honest, we were all a bit preoccupied with out lunch plans, so the only note I have here is: “Quite impressive”. Incidentally, it’s the wine we ended up bringing to lunch. Pretty good way to end the tasting!
Norwegians rejoice! The Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto finally came back to the Norwegian market last month! It had been a while since I’d seen his wines here. And if you haven’t already, it’s still possible to order it at Vinmonopolet.
A myriad of Roberto’s other wines are also available. My personal favorite of his is the Barbera Pozzo. It only exists in Magnum bottles and since I can’t afford it, I hope to try it at the winery again this March. Or hope that someone will buy it for me. HINT: my birthday is coming up… haha
A gift from Roberto
Roberto Voerzio
Roberto’s winemaking style stands out. A “modernist”, just like Elio Altare, using small oak barrels and long maceration time. But what he is know for, is his work in the vineyard. Roberto chooses to do a very aggressive green harvest, reducing the number of grapes per plant, which results in more concentrated wine.
Voerzio Dolcetto 2018
In a blind tasting, this wine can be hard to figure out. Since Roberto doesn’t make wines that are “typical”, his Dolcetto doesn’t really seem like a Dolcetto. It could almost be mistaken for a Barbera, apart from the lack of acidity.
The first notes that hit are spices. Herbs. Licorice. Concentrated fruit in the mouth, typical of a Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto. Juicy, almost sweet. Predominantly ripe cherries, but also other ripe dark fruits. An impressive wine!
The year has just begun, and with a new year comes new vintages. And new wines. Friday January 10th you’ll find many new releases at Vinmonopolet. If you’re a Piemonte fan like me, look out for both Giacomo Conterno and Roberto Voerzio. But we will have to wait a little while longer for the 2016 Barolo’s.
Some of my favorites
Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto d’Alba Priavino 2018 289,- 289 NOK is a bit steep for a Dolcetto, but if you’re a Voerzio fan, this is the most “approachable” at least price wise. I know many think he makes wine in a particular way, but I quite like his wines. Haven’t tried the new vintages, so looking forward to that!
Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017 239,- As far as white burgundy goes, I think this one has a good price/quality ratio. A fairly simple Chardonnay, not a ton of oak, very fresh – one of my favorites.
Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly 2017 608,- Jumping quite a bit in price, but had to mention this one! A beautiful wine that put a huge smile on my face. Mineral with a hint of toast, perfect amount of oak for me. Long finish. Did not want to put my glass down.
We are continuing the success of Barolo Night, this time destionation: Stockholm!
As per usual, we start the weekend with Friday Pizza and some “low key” wines. As you can see in the picture below the “low key” wines are quickly escalating! We did blind tasting Friday as well – because why not?? For me Wine of the Night was the Voerzio barbera, which is strange because his wine are normally not my taste. Vietti at a close second, but who are we kidding: all the wines are good!
Saturday went a little crazy – look at that lineup! Double blind tasting, as in we didn’t know which wines were which when we were tasting, not even our own. Super interesting both to compare the ones in each round but also comparing them all at the end. More detailed notes will follow!
PIEMONTEGIRL 