The Auswine Forum

Roagna is starting to blow me away. I've been fortunate to drink with Luca at the hidden away cellars in Barbaresco, where he pulled his birth vintage Barbaresco. It's one of the toughest CD's to visit and then find! Anyways, drinking amongst the native grass in Paje and to witness the passion these people have for their land was special. The doco below, a little dramatic, visually captures the beauty.

https://www.roagna.com/en/mini-documentary/



2008 Roagna Barolo La Pira Vecchie Viti- An old vine vineyard in Castiglione Faletto planted in the turbulent years before WW2. The aromatics are deep and dark, amazingly complex, yet difficult to individually discern. This beautiful melt of dark licorice like fruit offers a new experience in darker florals and spice . Alluring forward and generous for a 2008 Barolo, throughout the evening there's a consistent energy in wine, a classic balance of power and finesse offsetting a riper fruit and textural feel on the palate. A web of fine, front and back tannins and the fruit density suggests emerging complexity over the next decade or so.

96pts+

( The following bottle of 2010 Biondi Santi rated similar incidentally )

Every time you mention Roagna I feel bad for missing them on our trip. I did get to try a glass at a wine bar in Alba (Coravin type system) - it was delicious but needed a lot more time to breathe.

Yeah I think I'm going to go long on Roagna from now on though I've been promised only 1 x bottle of the Cricket Paje 2007.

CD is really hard to get into we had to get their good friends to call up and make a plea! I think they have a CD in Castiglione Faletto now?

How does Crichet Paje compare with the Giacosa red labels from a quality point of view?

All are spellbinding wines. My last Cricket Paje was 05 and 06 I think. Quality is there no doubt, aromatic and flavor depth is mystical and with such focus. They are more expensive now than red label Giacosa? For say the 500 aussie a bottle, cricket paje is certainly a notch above the rest of the pack and as to whether the price is justified, it doesn't matter at this end of town considering the scarcity of about 1000-2000 bottles and the unique fact it's a terroir driven expression like red labels.

So in a long winded way I think they are up there in a unique quality in the same way as Giacosa.

2000 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Brunate Barolo- Usually separate bottlings? Brunate is in La Morra and Bricco Rocche is in Castiglione Falletto so that's my assumption but happy to be accurately guided.

Cork stained to mid way and I complained to Fine & Rare and they are happy to take the wines back.

Porty and developed with stale chestnut and caramel notes. After an hour in the decanter the fruit breaks out- typically Brunate like notes of rich tar and mint, there's evolved red currants and cedar-earthy notes. Ripe and full, dense tar fruit with sludgy ripe tannins drawing out a long finish. There's a lot of Brunate in this wine and in the end it was a nice bottle.

Checking cellar tracker notes the wine is plagued with poor over developed comments and low scores but there's a few intermingled excellent notes where the fruit is pristine. So in F&R's defense, I'm wondering if the transport logisitics went wrong here for Ceretto?


90pts ( well stored bottles would push higher at a guess )

I'm flying out to the US on Sunday - planning to hit up a few fine wine stores around Seattle and go large on Barolo and Barbaresco for the festive season.

As an aside, opened up a 2000 Fontanafredda Barolo last weekend, gross oaky nonsense. Showed a lot of alcohol heat as well. Was a wine that smelled much better than it tasted. Shame.

West Coast USA is the number one market for those big, modern Barolos you love .

If in Seattle, this might appeal. A French Alps version of Chinato (the note is Tom Hill's from the Berserkers forum - the source for the bottle he notes as a shop in Seattle - my bolding below)

...
4. Bigallet China-China Amer (40%; http://www.BigalletUSA.com; sweet&bitter orange peels/herbs/spices/cinchona/anise/clove; BackBarProject/Seattle) Virieu/France NV: Very dark some bricked color; very sweet orangey/orange peel/very spicy some alcoholic/fumey slight earthy/herbal very exotic/complex nose; soft/bit underacid quite sweet very fumey/alcoholic very orangey/orange peel/orange liqueur some licorice/anise little quinine lovely flavor; very long/lingering some hot/alcoholic very intense orangey/orange peel/orange liqueur some herbal/earthy rather sweet very complex finish w/ no tannins; resembles some an intense orange liqueur w/o the syrupy sweetness; a wonderfully exotic drink. $43.00 (CB)

Paolo Conterno Barolo Ginestra Riserva 2007- Ginestra is a Cru vineyard in Monforte with a Riserva made in good vintages from parcels from the top and or middle of the hill. The regular Ginestra, according to Giorgio Conterno, hits its preferred drinking window at 10 years. Overall, with consideration to the 2007 vintage, the Riserva is very approachable though I'd suggest its 5+ years away from a magnificently long window. This wine is one very impressive 2007; I bought just the one bottle as assessment to further purchase on a local offer though sadly, its all gone, and I would have bought 3-6 for long term cellaring.

Dried red cherries dominate, very light wood from big botti I found discernible, lifted menthol, mint-herbs and spice. Warm vintage perfumes of sweet red and black fruits in tar. Full and round on the palate, austerity in the middle which fills with aeration, lovely licorice-menthol flavors with a run of firm, ripe tannins that curl on the finish.

Approachable, complex and built for a long run of drinking pleasure; innovation and traditon crafting a masterpiece.

95pts+

Ca del Baio Barbaresco “Asili” Riserva 2011- This wine is fascinating on two accounts. One, we are in the Brave New World of warm Piedmont vintages and this ( like the Paolo Conterno 2007 Ginestra Riserva last night ) is 15% ! Second, these guys were farmers selling to the Produttori for years and have holdings second only to Bruno Giacosa on the noble slopes of Asili.

Typically 2011 Barbaresco with a warm perfume of Turkish Delight and dark cherry notes prior a nice off setting cedar-earth, black tea, smoke and dried flowers. Hard to get past the indulgence of the aromatics yet the palate delivers in its own way: very long length with bracing, balsamic acidity, plenty of flavor interest in the dried cherry, dried flower spectrum and an ultra fine, commanding tannin structure that dips on the finish prior a warmth of the vintage lift and a decadent, yet gentle burn of flavor persistence .

Another trial wine. Very impressive inaugural effort and it comes in a nice 3 pack which I'll procure and try against my Giacosa Reds and Roaganas from the same vintage in a decade or two.

94pts+

First serious wine here in the USA.

Comm.G.B. Burlotto Acclivi 2012

Cranberries and spices on the nose, med weight with fresh acidity, subtle and traditional, quite a wonderful episode of vinfanticide. The tannins are ultra silky and far from overwhelming.

Second glass is richer with black cherry, citrus peel and new leather couch. A far more expansive and heftier pallate. The tannins have emerged and are quite grippy. Excellent booze.

Followed up with a Vajra Barolo Albe 2012 - far more generous with fruit, subtle influence of cedary oak, crowd pleasing and a magnificent pairing with the chicken + bacon dish we had.

Very good.

Proddutori del Barbaresco Montestefano 2011

Decanted 5 hours (too long), dried cherries and roses, on the pallate, leather and rich dark fruits, followed by mothfilling grippy tannin. Feels like the alcohol surpresses some complexity, ends a little suddenly and a touch dry.

Wish I had popped and poured, it had a lovely rhubarb and raspberry thing going on initially. Probably the last 2011 Barolo or Barbaresco I will buy.

Vietti Castiglione 2009

Good intensity, lovely texture, shame about the vanilla oak ruining the party.

Parusso Mariondino Barolo 2008- I was rather pleased with the wine on day one, undeniably new wave and ultra-modern. Lavish oak was still prominent, but so were some of the positive traits of the 2008 vintage such as a classic austerity and restraint. The oak helps draw out the fruit and sweeten it up some, making it decadent, stand-alone style.

Day two was disaster. I paired the wine with a roasted game and the wine was wooden shipwreck. It also sent me on my way with a headache which I tend to get from certain wines from small French barrique.

All in all, a Bucks night kind of Barolo. Sadly, I opened up a 2007 Bruno Rocca Rabaja too. Cooked and to be returned to the UK merchant. They are still haven't passed on the results of their "thorough" investigations into the last poorly stored Barolo buy. The sooner Italy bypasses the UK as a hub the better.

88pts

2000 Mascarello Villero Barolo for xmas day. Rampantly corked.

A stand-in 2007 Antoniolo Gattinara performed more than capably, with a nice spicy / fennel nose and the palate more typical of the region.

1997 Borgogno Barolo Riserva for Xmas dinner sadly had almost no fruit, even after 6 hours in the decanter (with frequent checks along the way).

Replacement was an Etna Rosso, decent but not exciting.

Proddutori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2010

Inviting yet subtle nose of mixed dark berries and a hint of undergrowth. Juicy blackberry and cranberry on the palate. The tannins are present yet not overbearing, wonderful wine and great value at just over 20 USD.

winetastic wrote:Vietti Castiglione 2009

Good intensity, lovely texture, shame about the vanilla oak ruining the party.

Castiglione can be a pretty worked style but I'm confident Vietti's Cru wines stand the test of times and site specific characteristics rise above the winemaker. They do need to be aged.

A few years ago we were hosted to a long lunch with the family at the vineyard and the conversation weighed in heavily on minimal winemaker intervention as it would be incredibly arrogant to stamp your personality on vineyards that have been producing wines for a thousand years- one site, Lazzarito was documented to be of such a high quality vineyard of sun and low humidity, it became a panicked hospital area during an early black plague epidemic. Now, if you look at the technical sheets of Vietti's wines you may be puzzled by this but I do honestly feel, in good time, that the evidence was positive toward the more traditional Piedmontese -loving palates.


Vietti lunch- Behind the 2010's were the 2001's & 1990's I recall. Though oak structure in evidence, the general characteristics of the wine were varietal and site specific. The vineyard snap is "Scarrone", near 100 year old Barbera vines planted in a traditional Barolo site as the great-grandfather saw money in barbera which was correct, right up until the post-war industrialization of northern Italy when barbera plantings proliferated.

Next up was Voerzio. After a long lunch, sweat it out in the great vineyards of La Morra whilst running through the great modernist expressions of Voerzio.

Domenico Clerico "Ciabot Mentin Ginestra" Barolo 2005- Too much fine claret over Christmas so I pulled this cork on this wine and drank just a little a day over five. Raw oak at the edges quite off-putting on day one so I retreated back to Bordeaux. Anyways, by day three to five this wine is impressive and offering a marvelous contrast to my Paolo Conterno Ginestra the week before.

The best glass, somewhere between day four and five showed a bouquet of wild alta-langa herbs, concentrated dark fruits with notes of licorice and dark violets prior a roast game and truffle. Dense and tarry, a licorice-violet intricacy, and classically 2005 structurally with menthol acidity and chalky, firm tannins. This wine is 5+ from entering a deserving drinking window.

Most underrated vintage of the last decade and if you know your producers there's still plenty on the secondary market at bargain prices! Secret will be out soon though.

94pts+

Sounds like I should give 2005s more of a look. Tonight we have a 2001 Barolo to try.

winetastic wrote:Sounds like I should give 2005s more of a look. Tonight we have a 2001 Barolo to try.

geez my impression of 05 from Vietti fwiw were the tannin structure drowned the perfume and fruit
but time will tell

Just to clarify Michel, I was not referring to Vietti and 2005 per se. There are emerging stunning wines from many producers from the underrated 2005 vintage.

Vietti 2005 I haven't tried. Their Cru vineyards extend across four Barolo communes which dramatically contrast with each other in approachability and drinking windows- Serralunga, Castiglione, Novello, La Morra from memory.

renato ratti marcenasco barolo 2001

Generous ripe fruit laiden aromas with mushrooms, fennel and damp leaves. Tannins are mostly integrated yet the fruit profile is very youthful, nice texture with some spices on the finish. Crowd pleasing low oak style, very good.

Second glass was more complex, go long on the decant I reckon.

Some impressions of wines consumed recently:

2012 Massolino Barolo
Roses, Tar, dried herbs. Medium bodied, far less tannic than I expected, they were there but just slightly drying. Little oak to speak of. The finish was medium in length. I really enjoyed this, an excellent food wine.



2012 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
Leafy, herbal with hints of cranberry. Fuller bodied wine with chalky, grippy tannins that linger and dry. The longer the wine was decanted the better it developed, with very good depth of flavour and great mouthfeel. Again a medium length finish. Really enjoyable to try this style. Great with aged cheddar.



2013 Albie Nebbiolo
A lighter style Nebbiolo showing distinctive rose, herbs, a touch of spice. Medium length finish with nice ‘smooth’ tannins. An easy drinking Nebbiolo. Good without being outstanding. Again excellent food wine with meaty dishes.

I notice a lot of Barolo & Barbaresco wines being drunk young / on release.

I'm interested in what people's attitudes / plans are for ageing:
- Do you love them young and drink happily on fruit that stands up to the tannins?
- Not buying into the idea the wines close down - if necessary a vigorous / long decant opens it up?
- Buying by the case or half case and sampling one now as a benchmark for seeing how they age?
- Sampling young with the plan to buy in larger amounts for something that appeals
- Plan to cellar, but struggling to keep your hands off them?
- Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear?
- Long term cellaring - for 2-3 decades before thinking about opening?
- Anything else?

I'm probably closest to "Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear"

Ian S wrote:I notice a lot of Barolo & Barbaresco wines being drunk young / on release.

I'm interested in what people's attitudes / plans are for ageing:
- Do you love them young and drink happily on fruit that stands up to the tannins?
- Not buying into the idea the wines close down - if necessary a vigorous / long decant opens it up?
- Buying by the case or half case and sampling one now as a benchmark for seeing how they age?
- Sampling young with the plan to buy in larger amounts for something that appeals
- Plan to cellar, but struggling to keep your hands off them?
- Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear?
- Long term cellaring - for 2-3 decades before thinking about opening?
- Anything else?

I'm probably closest to "Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear"

- No, I prefer them mature but 50% + are cooked and that's quite expensive considering the lack of success. Times have changed significantly and some vintages are very approachable early- 2009 for example.


- I do believe they close down. Aeration is a alchemistry.

- Sometimes though I just bought a case of 2009's and will drink many early. I just need a Barolo/Barbaresco hit and buying approachable vintages affordable as they are not in demand.

- Sometimes. Paolo Conterno I sampled recently and will go long.

- The serious stuff I have no problems keeping my hands off! Conterno, Giacosa etc. Sometimes Mascarello I drink too early but I'm afraid I'll die without having tried the latest vintage.

- Could be dead by then but will keep a lot just in case and they add to the estate.

- Just to reiterate the perils of buying vintage Barolo due appalling storage mindsets.

Cool insight Jamie. I'd been thinking people would latch onto just one of the options, but your replies illustrate that it can be much more complex than that.

2007 is the vintage I would look for as affordable early drinking (in secondary market) or more commonly look for in restaurants for early drinking (young structured Barolo isn't always a good option). One year we visited when 2008s. 2007s and 2006s were the current releases, and for cellaring I always went for the 2006s or 2008s. However I couldn't deny the approachability of the 2007s and felt they were unlikely to close up as much as the other two vintages. I enjoyed most I tasted and found no signs of excessive heat.

Ian S wrote:I notice a lot of Barolo & Barbaresco wines being drunk young / on release.

I'm interested in what people's attitudes / plans are for ageing:
- Do you love them young and drink happily on fruit that stands up to the tannins?
- Not buying into the idea the wines close down - if necessary a vigorous / long decant opens it up?
- Buying by the case or half case and sampling one now as a benchmark for seeing how they age?
- Sampling young with the plan to buy in larger amounts for something that appeals
- Plan to cellar, but struggling to keep your hands off them?
- Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear?
- Long term cellaring - for 2-3 decades before thinking about opening?
- Anything else?

I'm probably closest to "Cellaring, but the odd bottle gets opened early and then play it by ear"

Great questions and so many options. While I might drink the occasional bottle of young Nebbiolo, the plan is to cellar them until they are "ready". Defining "ready" is the tricky part for me. I'm still in my early days on my Piedmont wine journey and I haven't drank enough to work out how long I like them aged yet. The notion of cellaring the majority of my bottles for 3 decades does bother me though... I want to enjoy them before I'm an old man. I'm still also getting my head around all the producers, the modernist/traditional/hybrid styles and the vintage styles. Understanding the impact those variables make is very important in deciding when to open, rather than a "one size fits all" approach. For now, I'm relying on the tasting notes on this forum and also at CellarTracker to decide when to open them.