sjw_11 wrote:Delayed and brief notes from a Piemonte tasting focused on 2014, held by Justerini and Brooks at Church House in Westminster on March 21st 2018. I know I am far from the Piemonte expert, but here are my brief notes for what they were worth, in order of tasting. Apologies there are a few sneaky non-BBN wines in the mix!
David Carlone
From the very Northern region of Boca. Apparently a real trail blazer trying to keep this small region alive.
Croatina, 2016- Very fresh, ripe red/purple fruits. Good drinking
Vespolina, 2016- Confection, red lollies, musk with just a hint of interesting depth to the flavour.
Boca, 2014- 85% Nebbiolo, 15% Vespolina. Aged for 2Y in large botti. Sweet, slightly stewed nose. Good length and definition on the palate.
Boca, 2013- This has a hint more funk, and earth. Much more powerful.
Matteo Correggia
Based in Roero, this is a small family run winery.
Roero Arneis, 2016- Fresh, clean. Zippy and refreshing.
Barbera d'Alba, Bricco Marun, 2013- Good depth. Some secondary funk/earthy characters.
Roero, Val dei Preti, 2014- Sweet, pretty red fruits, light florals. Little sweet/one dimensional. Pleasant if slightly simple on the palate.
Roero, Roche d'Ampsej, 2013- Significantly more depth. Bitumen, violets, sweet red fruits. Approachable now with tannins well resolved but should go a bit longer.
Cascina Luisin
Cascina Luisin is situated in the Rabajà aera in the territory of Barbaresco, with 8ha of vineyards and produces an average of 30,000 bottles pa.
Barbaresco, Rabaja, 2013- Developed colour, quite pale. Pretty florals. Very pretty wine with nice fruit. Ready to go.
Barbaresco, Asili, 2013- Even paler, but slightly darker in character on the nose. Much fuller bodied on the palate. Needs more time.
Piero Busso
Based in Neive and has at its core vines planted in the Albesani vineyard opposite the winery as well as parcels in the Gallina vineyard and Treiso's San Stunet. "Winemaking is traditional here, long and slow, up to 45 days maceration on the skins, and ageing is in 25hl slavonian oak casks for two years."
Barbaresco, Albesani-Borgese, 2014- Mid-red. Very fresh fruit driven nose. Masses of tannin and length to turn. Lovely purity of fruit.
Barbaresco, San Stunet, 2014- More pretty nose, some floral elements. Still very primary and fresh. Darker and more backwards on the plate, but oddly less firm in terms of tannin.
Barbaresco, Gallina, 2014- Riper, but also more savoury and backwards on the nose. Great purity of definition on the palate. Firm tanning but manageable today. Mid-term proposition.
Castello di Verduno
Wonderful mis translation from their own website to explain this producer: "The vinbeards followed with attention and expert hand of Franco. Each vines is cure, from pruning until harvest, with a target to get a good product for reach high qualitivity standard of fruit into fisiologique respect of the plant."
Barbaresco, 2015- Pretty floral notes. Very pale/light red. Simple but not unattractive red fruit profile. Drinkable now.
Barbaresco, Rabaja, 2013- Not overly impressive- slightly simple. Very lifted, light red fruit florals.
Barolo, 2014- Darker nose, some tarry notes. Much denser and darker on the palate, but somewhat lacking definition.
Barolo, Massara, 2012- Slightly backwards on the nose. Sweet, simple fruit.
Barolo Riserva, Monvigliero, 2011- A real step up in intensity with lifted, dark floral note. Really rather beguiling but on the darker side of the register. Much cooler and more elegant on the palate than that suggests. Really pretty red fruits, violets. *
Marengo
Marengo is a long-term family owned winery with 6ha, of which 1.2ha is in Le Brunate, a grand cru of La Morra and 1ha in Bricco delle Viole, one of the main crus of the town of Barolo.
Barolo, 2014- Dense, dark nose. Good colour and freshness. Excellent value.
Barolo, Bricco Viole, 2014- More lifted and floral on the nose. Sweet, juicy palate.
Barolo, Brunate, 2014- A little darker, and more assertive. Hard to assess now- needs time.
Barolo Riserva, Brunate, 2012- Quite profound. Still very youthful, dense and muscular. Needs time.
Barolo Riserva, Brunate, 2010- Good dark red colour. More developed and etheral nose. I also wrote "little frayed" with frayed underlined. I have no idea what I meant, but there you go.
Elio Altare
An early experimenter with more modern techniques. Largely organic production, indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention and minimal sulphur.
Barbera, Larigi, 2015- Very fine. Great depth. GBP50/bottle? Tell 'em they are dreaming.
La Villa, Langhe Rosso, 2015- Very fresh. Drinking well now. 85% Barbera/15% Nebbiolo.
Giaborina, Langhe, 2015- Straight Neb. Pretty, fresh, early drinking.
Barolo, 2014- Sweet and sour flavour profile. Quite fresh.
Barolo, Vigneto Arborina, 2014- Better. Very clean, modern nose but with good depth of sweet fruit on the palate.
Barolo, Cerretta Vigna Bricco, 2012- Good, clean, deep. Structured, with a lingering flavour. Lacking character perhaps?
Roberto Voerzio
Probably the most expensive line up of wines on show today. BBR describes them as the "original modernist Barolo estate". Prices are about GBP180/bottle in this tasting offer.
Barolo, Sarmassa, 2014- Mid-red. Not hugely expressive nose. Very lifted and ethereal. Huge power and depth on the palate.
Barolo, Rocche dell'Annunziata, 2014- Simple. I do not get this wine.
Barolo, Cerequio, 2014- Very sappy and stemmy on the nose. Sweet palate. Less modern, more backwards.
Barolo, Torriglione, 2013- Fine.
Barolo Riserva 10 Anni, Fossati, 2008- Much more arresting on the nose. More open. Still needs time.
Giuseppe Mascarello
Well known, traditionalist producer with a long history.
Barolo, Monprivato, 2013- Very clean, modern.
Barolo, Monprivato, 2012- More open and expressive.
Barolo, Villero, 2011- Reductive, but more open and pleasant on the palate.
Fratelli Brovia
A traditionalist producer with vineyards are spread over the Castiglione and Serralunga communes.
Barolo, Unio, 2014- Very intriguing nose. Almost a hint of sweat. Slightly bizarre.
Barolo, 2013- Also slightly unusual and a bit disjointed.
Barolo, Rocche di Castiglione, 2012- Very nice, pretty and elegant wine. Drinking well now.
Barolo, Rocche di Castiglione, 2011- Completely different to the 2012. Drier and more savoury.
Azelia
According to Justerini's this producer has moved away from a large percentage of new oak and towards more traditional methods. Not so many notes here as I was running out of time before the end of the tasting.
Barolo, Classico, 2013- Good.
Barolo, Bricco Fiasco, 2014- Feminine wine. Sandy soils.
Barolo, San Rocco, 2014- Clay soils. No notes but marked as recommended.
And a few random ones from the last tables where I had anything to note:
Paolo Scavino, Barolo Carobric, 2014- Nice, fresh and clean with good depth.
Luigi Oddero, Barbaresco, Rombone, 2015- Very fresh and drinking surprisingly well now.
Luigi Oddero Barolo Rocche Rivera, 2014- Great.
Luigi Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda 2012- Blah. Stewed.
