The first thing I did after my latest trip to Italy was book an appointment with the dentist. Purple teeth aside, I’m more concerned about my enamel. Or what’s left of it.
Tasting wine can be tough, especially 500 Nebbiolo in five days. That’s 100 wines a day, and they were all before lunch.
Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love Nebbiolo. In fact, it’s one of the few grapes I would undertake such a marathon tasting for. It offers complex, enticing and evocative aromas capable of transporting me to the Langhe hills of Piedmont where it rules the vineyards. But easy going it ain’t, especially in its youth. Nebbiolo is powerful with firm, prominent tannin and lots of acidity.
Though I was well aware of the potential mouth-ache, I couldn’t turn down the invitation to taste the latest releases of Nebbiolo’s most renowned denominations. The idea was to form an overall impression of the current vintage of each. As the wines were presented blind, I trolled though the lists afterwards to discover the identity of my top picks. While the vintages I tasted are months away from making it to market, I’ve noted those stand out producers that are represented in British Columbia with previous vintages.
We kicked off with 2012 Barolo. Usually Nebbiolo’s most structured and weighty expression, it was an intimidating way to start. Here is where vintage comes into play though. 2012 is considered “classic”and less marked by extremes of heat, so wines showed freshness with well-defined aromas and flavours. Those seeking power may complain there isn’t enough stuffing but I appreciated the elegance and overall svelte figure. Barolo fans should check out Azelia and Alessandria Fratelli stocked at BC Liquor Stores along with Elvio Cogno, Ceretto and Vajra sold at private wine stores.
Lulled into a false sense of security, I tackled the Barbaresco bullishly as it’s typically finer-boned and more approachable than Barolo. But the 2013 vintage is a different beast. Following a difficult start, the warm days of August through October were crucial in getting Nebbiolo to ripen fully. The resulting wines demonstrate surprising richness and have generated great excitement. The only caveat is that right now they have tough tannin that I don’t always expect from Barbaresco.
The Roero presented also hailed from 2013. The wines stand in the shadow of Barolo and Barbaresco as they tend to be lighter though beautifully fragrant. Those that managed to demonstrate this without masking the lovely fruit in drying oak were charming. (Overall I preferred the 2013 Roero to the 2012 Roero Riserva.) Matteo Correggia is a staple at private wine stores around Vancouver and consistently offers top-notch wines a good price point.
We concluded with 2010 Barolo Riservas and 2011 Barbaresco Riservas. In Italian wine speak, riserva means wines that are aged longer. In theory they are made from the best grapes that merit the extra ageing. In this instance, many actually lived up to that expectation. The 2010 Barolo Riservas will be your last crack at this highly touted vintage. The wines definitely need time in the cellar.
While 2011 doesn’t have the same acclaim; it was actually a very successful year for Barbaresco specifically. The first three wines of the morning came from Marchesi di Gresy, Cantina del Pino and Produttori del Barbaresco (as I learned later). Even though my mouth felt torn to shreds, palate fatigue gave way to pure enjoyment. I hold these three producers in high esteem and the wines showed brilliantly. The former is available at private wine stores while the latter two can be found at BC Liquor Stores.
Don’t let my dental woes discourage you. The wonderful world of Nebbiolo promises pleasure not pain. A bit of bottle age takes the edge off Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Furthermore, you’ll be enjoying them as they are meant to be drunk, with food and just one at a time.
