Saturday, 4 March 2023

Checking Out The 2013 Barolo Vintage - Two More Bottles

2013 Barolo Del Commune di La Morra, Giovanni Corino
A nice, sandy nose with notes of forest floor, dried cherries, licorice and fir wood. Very good in a inviting style.
The taste is tighter than the nose leads you to believe with notes of cherries, herbs, licorice and Langhe earth. Very, very good. 4+ years.
91p   (tasted 2023/03)



2013 Barolo Del Commune di Serralunga, Fontanafredda
A nice enough, generic Nebbiolo nose with some "tar & roses", smoke, earth and dry licorice. Good.
The taste is dry and good with soft tannins, black dried fruits and a medium long finish. 3+ years.
86p   (tasted 2023/03)

Thursday, 2 March 2023

Food & Wine In Piedmont


Some notes from the restaurants visit The Barolo Boys made during our last visit to Grandi Langhe.

Osteria Veglio
Second best place to wine & dine in Langhe. La Coccinella in Serravalle is, for the Barolo Boys, the undisputed champion. 
The Barolo Boys were reduced to two brave tasters on this trip so we only had five bottles for dinner...

NV Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, Laherte Frères
A very handsome, chalky nose with notes of candied lemons, dry peach, smoke and white flowers. Very fine.
The taste is cool and racy with ripe yellow fruit, crisp acidity and a long, long finish. A lovely balance. 
94p   (tasted 2023/01)




2021 Sauvignon Dives, Burlotto
A fine, herbal nose with notes of gooseberries, smoke and warm grassy aromas. Very, very good.
The taste is stony and fresh with notes of dried tangerines, chrushed rocks and smoke. This Sangiovese have been stored in Acacia wood.
89p   (tasted 2023/01)

2020 Barbera d´Alba, Bartolo Mascarello
A tad restrained, tight nose with notes of scorched earth, dried black berries, fried herbs and fir wood. Opens up nicely in the glass over the evening.
The taste is tight and focused with notes of ripe raspberries, fresh herbs, bonfire smoke and earth. A very fine acidity. 
92p   (tasted 2023/01)



2016 Barolo Ginestra Case Mate, Elio Grasso
A stunner. A very pure, intense nose with notes of hard cherry candy, sage, Langhe earth and rosehips. Really fine.
The taste is rich and concentrated with notes of hard cherry candy, leather, iron and dried flowers. A wonderful focus. 8+ years.
97p   (tasted 2023/01)



2018 Barolo Mosconi, Piero Benevelli
A deep, very good nose with notes of forest floor, dried cherries, licorice and red apples. A hint of fresh stables. 
The taste is tight and seedy with notes of dry licorice, earth, dried cherries and herbs. A hint of bitterness in the finish. 5+ years.
89p   (tasted 2023/01)


Bovio
Dinner at Bovio for the second time in a couple of months time. Very good food, a gigantic wine list but the atmosphere is not as familiar as La Coccinella or Osteria Veglio. Dinner with Pira and Marengo families.

2016 Barolo San Lorenzo Di Verduno, Fratelli Alessandria
A open, direct nose with notes of red apples, raspberry licorice, wet earth and rosehips. A very fine sweetness to the fruit.
The taste is tight and finely focused with notes of pomegranate, dried raspberries, earth and licorice. Very fine. 6+ years.
92p   (tasted 2023/01)





2013 Barolo Sotto Castello Di Novello, Ca´Viola
A deep, seedy, smoky nose with notes of cooked cherries, leather, coffee powder and some dog fur. 
The taste is tight and tough with notes of bakelite, black cherries, coffee and undergrowth. A tad heavy on the finish. 
88p   (tasted 2023/01)


Magazzino 52
I haven´t been to many restaurants in Turin so I can´t compare but I don´t need to go anywhere else than to this gem. Great food and the walls are filled with wines that you can drink or buy.


2021 Freisa, Giuseppe Rinaldi
No structured note but this showed great red fruit, a high acidity and a long, intense finish. Freisa is usually not to my liking but this was very, very good.
92p   (tasted 2023/01)




Wednesday, 1 March 2023

2000 Château Corbin Michotte


2000 Château Corbin Michotte
This St Emilion Grand Cru Classe offers up a wonderful, fragrant nose with notes of red plums, tobacco, fir wood, Sevilla oranges and dog fur - very complex and fine.
The taste is medium bodied, cool and somewhat mature with notes of dried plums, matchbox, warm stones and tobacco. Very fine. 
93p   (tasted 2023/04)

Tuesday, 28 February 2023

The Barolo Boys At Grandi Langhe 2023



Finally - yet again the Barolo Boys attends Grandi Langhe. Last time was in 2020 just before the Covid outbreak. Last year, the first year since the pandemic, Grandi Langhe was moved from January to April and we couldn´t make it.

This year (and 2022) Grandi Langhe has been moved to Turin. The conference hall in Turin was much better then the place it was previously hold in Alba. A great arrangement, kudos to Matteo Ascheri!

Having now tasted 110 examples of the 2019 Baroli - what to say about the vintage? It is indeed a really fine vintage, with great fruit, a fine balance and bodies for aging.
But looking back ten years I prefer the 2013, 2016 and 2010 vintages, in that order. And in some cases, the 2018 vintage. And I´m really looking forward to the 2020 and 2021 vintages.





97-98p
2019 Barolo Mosconi, E. Pira

95-96p
2016 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell´Annunziata Bricco Francesco, Rocche Costamagna
2019 Barolo Brunate, Francesco Rinaldi
2019 Barolo Cannubi, Francesco Rinaldi
2016 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Silvano Bolmida
2019 Barolo Cannubi, Einaudi
2019 Barolo Cerretta, Schiavenza
2016 Barolo Riserva LaFoia, Marco Curto
2016 Barolo Riserva San Bernardo, Palladino
2016 Barolo Riserva Castelletto, Forte Masso
2019 Barolo Cannubi, E. Pira
2019 Barolo Via Nuova, E. Pira
2019 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Sòt
2019 Barolo Bussia Vigna Pianpolvere, Chionetti






93-94p
2019 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Rocche Costamagna
2019 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Francesco Rinaldi
2019 Barolo Bussia Vigna Dei Fantini, Silvano Bolmida
2018 Barolo Bussia, Silvano Bolmida
2016 Barolo Bussia, Stroppiana
2016 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Stroppiana
2018 Barolo Capalot, Crissante Alessandria
2018 Barolo Galina, Crissante Alessandria
2018 Barolo Bricco Manescotto, Giovanni Corino
2019 Barolo Cannubi, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2019 Barolo Cerretta, Giovanni Rosso
2019 Barolo Monvigliero, Einaudi
2019 Barolo Bussia, Einaudi
2019 Barolo Broglio, Schiavenza
2019 Barolo Arborina, Marco Curto
2019 Barolo Cannubi, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo Brunate, Marcarini
2019 Barolo Prapo, Luigi Vico
2019 Barolo Prapo, Ettore Germano
2019 Barolo Cerretta, Ettore Germano
2017 Barolo Riserva Lazzarito, Ettore Germano
2019 Barolo Giachini, Carlo Revello
2019 Barolo Ornato, Palladino
2014 Barolo Riserva 7 Anni, Franco Conterno
2018 Barolo Ravera, Réva
2019 Barolo Cannubi, Réva
2019 Barolo Serradenari, Ratti
2019 Barolo Monvigliero, Diego Morra
2019 Barolo Pajana, Domenico Clerico
2019 Barolo Ciabot Mentin, Domenico Clerico
2019 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj, Domenico Clerico
2019 Barolo Villero, Oddero
2019 Barolo Cerretta, Fratelli Revello
2017 Barolo Riserva Bricco San Pietro, Sòt
2018 Barolo Cerrati, Tenuta Cucco
2019 Barolo Sorano, Claudio Alario
2019 Barolo Badarini, Bruna Grimaldi
2019 Barolo Castelletto, Raineri
2017 Barolo Castelletto, Castello di Perno
2018 Barolo Bricco San Pietro, Anna Maria Abbona
2015 Barolo Riserva Pressenda, Marziano Abbona
2007 Barolo, Famiglia Anselma/Adasi





91-92p
2018 Barolo Bricco Cogni, Stroppiana
2019 Barolo San Giacomo, Stroppiana
2018 Barolo Cascina Nuova, Elvio Cogno
2018 Barolo Ravera, Elvio Cogno
2019 Barolo Del Commune di La Morra, Crissante Alessandria
2019 Barolo Giachini, Giovanno Corino
2019 Barolo Albarella, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2019 Barolo Giovanni Rosso
2019 Barolo Del Commune di Serralunga, Schiavenza
2019 Barolo Villero, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo La Serra, Marcarini
2019 Barolo Del Commune di Serralunga, Luigi Vico
2017 Barolo Prapo, Luigi Vico
2019 Barolo, Carlo Revello
2019 Barolo Boiolo, Carlo Revello
2019 Barolo Del Commune di Serralunga, Palladino
2019 Barolo Parafada, Palladino
2016 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Franco Conterno
2019 Barolo Castelletto, Forte Masso
2019 Barolo, Oddero
2019 Barolo Gattera, Fratelli Revello
2019 Barolo Conca, Fratelli Revello
2018 Barolo Bricco Voghera, Tenuta Cucco
2016 Barolo Riserva Cerrati Vigna Cucco, Tenuta Cucco
2019 Barolo Riva Rocche, Claudio Alario
2019 Barolo Roncaglie, Chionetti
2019 Barolo Camilla, Bruna Grimaldi
2019 Barolo Bricco Ambrogio, Bruna Grimaldi
2019 Barolo Perno, Raineri
2019 Barolo Parusso, Bovio
2018 Barolo, Castello di Perno
2018 Barolo Ravera, Giovanni Abrigo
2019 Barolo, Marrone
2019 Barolo Bussia, Marrone
2018 Barolo Pressenda, Marziano Abbona
2017 Barolo Bussia Pianpolvere, Famiglia Anselma/Adasi
2017 Barolo Riserva, Famiglia Anselma/Adasi






89-90p
2019 Barolo, Rocche Costamagna
2017 Barolo Bricco Manescotto, Giovanni Corino
2019 Barolo, Serio & Battista Borgogno
2019 Barolo, Einaudi
2019 Barolo Perno, Schiavenza
2019 Barolo LaFoia, Marco Curto
2019 Barolo Ravera, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo Bussia, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo, Marcarini
2019 Barolo Del Commune di Serralunga, Ettore Germano
2019 Barolo, Réva
2019 Barolo Marcenasco, Ratti
2019 Barolo, Diego Morra
2019 Barolo San Lorenzo Di Verduno, Diego Morra
2019 Barolo, Domenico Clerico
2017 Barolo Riserva Bussia, Oddero
2019 Barolo Del Commune di Monforte d´Alba, Sòt
2018 Barolo, Tenuta Cucco
2019 Barolo, Raineri
2019 Barolo Arborina, Bovio
2018 Barolo, Cascina Fontana
2018 Barolo, Marrone
2018 Barolo Pichemej, Marrone
2019 Barolo Pichemej, Marrone






87-88p
2019 Barolo Leonardo, Stroppiana
2019 Barolo Undicci, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Arnaldo Rivera
2019 Barolo Pietrin, Franco Conterno
2019 Barolo, Fratelli Revello
2019 Barolo, Bovio
2019 Barolo, Gianfranco Alessandria
2019 Barolo San Giovanni, Gianfranco Alessandria
2019 Barolo Rocche dell´Annunziata, Aurelio Settimo
2017 Barolo, Famiglia Anselma/Adasi

85-86p
2019 Barolo Perarmando, Parusso
2019 Barolo Monrobiolo di Bussia, Fratelli Barale
2019 Barolo Castelletto, Fratelli Barale

Below 85p
2019 Barolo, Aurelio Settimo