The Barolo / Barbaresco / Nebbiolo thread

[JamieBahrain]

You can see by the colour that wine has had small oak maturation! Looks like Barossa Shiraz.

Indeed.

That said, in organising 50's and 60's Barolo tastings I suspected fakes with some "dark as night" Barolo though explanation from a producer was some vintages are dark. The wines were not worth faking and nor did they not taste like old Barolo. Have also seen the pigment completely fall out of 50's Barolo including Mascarello. Bermuda Triangle stuff til you see it yourself.

[Gavin Trott]

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Be quick, Olek Bondonio Barbaresco 2014 now available ... and we are in the middle of the 'release' season, including 2013 Barolo and Barbaresco.

Lots becoming available, don't hesitate to email me with your interests.
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[Hunter]

Anyone biting on the 14s ?

[Ian S]

A similar question raised on the 2013s by someone in UK recently.

In summary, not especially. 20% of our cellar is Barolo or Barbaresco, and in addition to that we've also got some Northern Piemonte nebbiolo. That's a good figure to represent a major interest for us, but variety is also important to us. Thus I'm sure the odd 2013 or 2014 might accidentally fall into the cellar, and if we're over visiting wineries then we'll buy what we enjoyed tasting. However we've already got the stocks up to a sensible level, so no need to go chasing the latest vintage.

[tarija]

Anyone biting on the 14s ?

This is a vintage which I will only buy after tasting at retailers.

Good to be able to buy this way, instead of having to stampede and buy due to strong vintage reports in conjunction with high ratings from wine writers.

[JamieBahrain]

Thought you may be interested in comment from the Produttori whose riservas I'm just going to buy every year available I've decided.

Hello Jamie,

thank you for your kind word.

The next release of Riserva will be with the Barbaresco 2013, from February/March 2018.

We skip the vintage 2012 and we are waiting for the 2013.

Thank you again

[Gary W]

2014 very good in Barbaresco.

[Chris H]

I understood with all the rain and uneven weather it was an irregular vintage ?

[Gary W]

I understood with all the rain and uneven weather it was an irregular vintage ?

Barbaresco good. Classic. Not gross fat things that you like from 2011.

[Chris H]

"Not gross fat things that you like from 2011"

Haha. You are obviously looking in the mirror.

[JamieBahrain]

I've a back load of nebbiolo notes. Is the new part of the forum for those and is it ciao for this thread?

[Gavin Trott]

I've a back load of nebbiolo notes. Is the new part of the forum for those and is it ciao for this thread?

Up to you Jamie, I'm sure many here would love to read, but the new forum is for all things Italy, so ??

[JamieBahrain]

Thanks Gavin. Be nice to keep track of things. This thread is fantastic and I keep coming back to it for old comments but perhaps the depth of interest has outgrown things.

[Ozzie W]

Just a thought, but perhaps this thread can be moved to the Italy board by Gavin?

[Chris H]

Yep logical to move the whole thread to the Italian forum.

[Gavin Trott]

Wow

Pre Arrival Offers now available on the 2013 releases from

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2013

G.D. Vajra Barolos 2013

Luigi Baudana Barolos 2013 – by G.D. Vajra

Renato Ratti Barolos 2013

Let me know, get in quick, I can offer pre-arrival prices, plus some 'Forum Mate's Rates pricing, but only if we (all) are very quick!

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[winetastic]

Anyone biting on the 14s ?

Olek's 14 Barbaresco? Yes.

[JamieBahrain]

1989 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra- Disasterously popped and poured, though saved by pork belly from Yung Kee in Central Hong Kong. Another decade or a day's decant will do the job. Awesome Barolo, and I'm unsure of their oak regime back in the late 80's but as I often say, time heals all. Effortless and complete with food, not a hair out of place.

94pts+

[JamieBahrain]

G.D. Vajra Barolos 2013

These moved very quickly abroad on first and second tranche.

[Polymer]

Jamie,

What are your thoughts on Barolo/Barbaresco 1967? Pretty much solid across the board?

[winetastic]

Just a thought, but perhaps this thread can be moved to the Italy board by Gavin?

Seems logical to me

[JamieBahrain]

Jamie,

What are your thoughts on Barolo/Barbaresco 1967? Pretty much solid across the board?

Yes pretty good but don't pay too much as there's a lot of risk. Prices should come off next year anyways once 50th birthdays expire.

[JamieBahrain]

Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga "Gaiun" 2001- Their modern expression of Martinenga Barbaresco.

Quite a dark mix aromatically, dark roses, violets, tobacco and sweeter dark fruited notes along with tertiary oak influences of dry spice and old coffee. The oak crafts the palate well, sweet dark fruits fill the mouth with a soy and balsamic bite- pleasant rum n' raisins flavor persistence along a slightly drying finish.

93pts

[JamieBahrain]

Pretty label but the wine was below modest. Their riservas holding up well evidently. But the regular bottling from '78 struggling on the palate.

[JamieBahrain]

A pair of 58's. The previously reported Fontafredda was so good and a ridiculously cheap way to show people what textbook aged Barolo is all about that I went long on the wine. This bottle was down on the levels so I decided best to drink up. Worrying signs early, but opened up beautifully by midway through the first glass showing the rugged durability of old fashioned Barolo.

The Contratto started sweet and porty though transformed with air toward a lovely old Barolo with old leather and earth and interestingly contrasting sweet fruited notes.

Great wines and another Nebbiolo convert !

[Polymer]

Jamie,

What are your thoughts on Barolo/Barbaresco 1967? Pretty much solid across the board?

Yes pretty good but don't pay too much as there's a lot of risk. Prices should come off next year anyways once 50th birthdays expire.

Risk as in a lot of duds (too old/stored improperly) or risks as in fakes?

[JamieBahrain]

Duds at the lower end. We were hitting a 50% + failure rate at HKWS events . Often Italy has very poor storage and the most consistent luck I've had is from purveyors who have obtained large parcels of older vintages and vouched that bottles are delivering.

Fakes is an emerging problem. Monfortino is 90% fake in very old vintages according to folks I know in the vintage wine scene. I've seen old Monfortino fizz or have a barbera cork drawn out ! I have also begun to see fakes in lesser wines from great vintages- tracing back to a well known USA fraudster.

[michel]

Duds at the lower end. We were hitting a 50% + failure rate at HKWS events . Often Italy has very poor storage and the most consistent luck I've had is from purveyors who have obtained large parcels of older vintages and vouched that bottles are delivering.

Fakes is an emerging problem. Monfortino is 90% fake in very old vintages according to folks I know in the vintage wine scene. I've seen old Monfortino fizz or have a barbera cork drawn out ! I have also begun to see fakes in lesser wines from great vintages- tracing back to a well known USA fraudster.

Bastards are gonna fake where the money is...

[Ian S]

Duds at the lower end. We were hitting a 50% + failure rate at HKWS events . Often Italy has very poor storage and the most consistent luck I've had is from purveyors who have obtained large parcels of older vintages and vouched that bottles are delivering.

Yes I'd vouch for this broad number for 50 year old nebbiolo from a decent vintage and from one of what are now DOCGs, but perhaps a better representation is:
25% unique, complex, ethereal, beguiling, etc. Makes you wonder why you drink wines so young
25% Sound but with the odd fault, or noticeably on the downslope. Enjoyable and very interesting
25% Struggling, but still offering interest if you can look past oxidation or volatility etc.
25% Dead or at least wired up to the machine that goes 'ping'.

Not accurate numbers of course, but these are the range of experiences you might encounter.

[JamieBahrain]

Using one UK specialist merchant the failure rate was well beyond your figures there Ian. We halted old Barolo dinners and established that these guys were just mugs ferrying any old bottles of Italians toward the Asian market.

Drinking from Gaja cellars the success rate with infernot bottles incredibly high though Angelo often bemoans corks and variation. And recent success I alluded to is where a wine retailer secures large parcels of old wines and in having to move them in numbers, all things considered with older wines, they have a reputation at stake.

It's interesting, whereas before I was happy with all the risk to have experienced a very old Barolo or Barbaresco just the once and I wouldn't be greedy and try and hunt down other bottles. Now, with more consistency, I'm buying a lot more of the older wines for my cellar as they are absolute treasures to show off textbook old nebbiolo to friends. And with the poor reputation of old Italian wines, they are a bargain starting at 40 USD and rarely pushing 100 USD.