Saturday 2 September 2017

Two Days In Piedmont - A Visit To Giovanni Sordo

The last couple of days of our Italian vacation we spent in the hollow land of Nebbiolo. Me in the vineyards, enotecas and making two producer visits; my better half spent the time at the pool...

One of those days I made a visit to Giovanni Sordo; I had only tasted two older bottles from them before, the 1964 & the 1978 Riserva.

I meet up with Paolo Travo, which is Sordo´s marketing and export manager. He showed me the cellars and while we were there, Paola Sordo, the 4th generation showed up and said hello.
A great visit with a generous and friendly Paolo - thanks!
Info here.


Sordo
2016 Arneis
A fresh, steely nose with notes of lemon grass, elderberries and gravel. Very good.
The taste is juicy and stony and broadens in the glass with notes of lemon, grass and a touch of sage.
87p   (tasted 2017/08)



2013 Barolo Ravera
Sordo makes eight different cru´s and I got to taste five of them from the 2013 vintage. The Ravera is a tad withdrawn, fine nose with notes of corinthians, dark bread, warm tiles and cranberries. A fine depth. Needs time.
The taste is young and tight with notes of hard cherry candy, sun warm rocks and a touch of band aid. Long, dry and fine. Will need 5+ years.
90p   (tasted 2017/08)



Paolo

2013 Barolo Parusso
Rowanberries and red cherries makes up the nose alongside aromas of licorica, gravel and furniture oil. Deep. Very, very good.
The taste is broad and deep with notes of chrushed rocks, ripening cherries, rosehips and licorice. A long, tannin laded finish. Needs 6+ years.
90p   (tasted 2017/08)

2013 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione
Tasted just a month ago, and it behaved identical on this occasion.
92p   (tasted 2017/08)



2013 Barolo Villero
The Villero is a beauty with its deep, perfumed nose full of ripe red cherries, raspberry licorice, undergrowth and root vegetables. Very deep and fine. A lovely sweetness to the fruit.
The taste is tight and balanced with notes of hard cherry candy, forest floor, candle grease, gravel and a hint of fennel. Very long, very structured and very, very fine. Just lovely, with time in hand.
93p   (tasted 2017/08)

2013 Barolo Monprivato
The nose is high, pure and refined with notes of dark spices, black cherries, fir wood and licorice. Very deep and a tad restrained.
The taste is tight and complex with a very fine depth and notes of ripe red and black cherries, rose petals, chrushed rocks and dry licorice, Very long and pure. This is going places, just give it 8+ years.
93p   (tasted 2017/08)


The cellar...

The view from Sordo´s courtyard

Back home I opened the three remaining cru´s that I didn´t taste at the estate, just to get the whole Sordo picture :-)

2013 Barolo Gabutti
A young, deep, layered nose with notes of ripe lingonberies, mushrooms, dry licorice and a hint of cinnamon. Evolves nicely in the glass and fattens up. Really sweet, nice fruit.
The taste is cool, tight amd seedy with notes of rosehips, red cherries, undergrowth and a hint of tobacco. A very long, sandy finish with lovely polished tannins and a cleansing acidity. Has a long, healthy life in front of it.
92p   (tasted 2017/08)


2013 Barolo Monvigliero
This needed a lot of time. At first is was hard as nails with a rusty character and notes of lingonberries, bakelite and smoke. With air and, even more, on the second day it evolves with notes of dark perfume, leather and mushrooms. Very deep. Needs time.
The taste is tight, focused and leathery with notes of ripening cherries, rosehips, rust and mushrooms. On day two is shows more undergrowth, coffee powder and sweet licorice. Give this 7+ years and it will deliver lots of pleasure.
92p   (tasted 2017/08)

2013 Barolo Perno
The Perno (from the third largest MGA in Barolo with its 190,96 ha (although only 42% is under vine)) has a young, upfront, spicy and just gorgeous nose right of the bat, with noyes of fir wood, fennel, dark strawberries and a hint of smoke. Very deep.
The taste is young, multi layered and stringently with notes of ripe red cherries, rosehips, dry licorice and fir wood. A very long, balanced finish. This is a lovely wine which will get even more lovely in 5+ years time.
93p   (tasted 2017/08)



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