The Auswine Forum

winetastic wrote:Just pulled the trigger on x6 Benevelli Langhe Nebbiolo 2014, will throw up some impressions as soon as it arrives.

As an aside, was on a harbour cruise for a mates bucks day last weekend, it was a case of BYO gentlemanly beverage so initially I thought I would go with a crowd pleasing McLaren Vale red (2005 Marius Symphony Shiraz) - double decanted prior to leaving and poured a taste... ugh, Nebbiolo has ruined me because this top shelf shiraz just tasted of vanilla, oak and alcohol now. I had really enjoyed 4 bottles previously, its surprising how quickly your palate preferences can shift.

Left the bottle of Marius for my better half and ran out the door with a Brezza Langhe Nebbiolo 2012, which even consumed from a large plastic beer cup was superb, so fresh and vibrant.

For Marcarini, they do age well, whether La Serra or Brunate. Yes Brunate is generally viewed as the more structured, less perfumed wine, but La Serra will still last very well. Personally I seem to prefer Brunate, but that may be as much idealogical as sensory - I like cellaring wine and I value those built for that task. I would buy a 20-30 year old La Serra with confidence, and a Brunate from the same year with fractionally more confidence.

with me generally preferring much longer ageing.

window sills from Milan to Turin are being cleared of their old Barolo bottles with predictable results!

Ian S wrote:Cavallotto do such good wines right across the range.

Tasting at Notingham Wine Circle this week, I chose a selection of (mostly) new releases and young drinkers from (bar one) Piedmont.


Dolcetto

Ceretto, Dolcetto d’Alba, Rossana, 2013.
Translucent but deep garnet colour. Underwhelming nose, darkly fruited, some savoury tones. Palate is better, nice crunchy red fruit, good balance, nothing jammy or sweet here, good acid cut, very drinkable but not a stand out.

G.D. Vajra, Dolcetto d’Alba, Coste & Fossati, 2013.
Colour of this is atypical - very dark opaque purple; looks like Cabernet! Nose very dense and ungiving, tight, darkly fruited, just a hint of volatile lift. The palate offers wallops of everything - tannins hit first, heaps of lush red fruit, sour cherry fruit, hint of sweetness, bit of savoury greenery. Something of a fruit bomb style, but drinkable enough

Roagna, Dolcetto d'Alba, 2013.
Very pale translucent purple. Very appealing vivacious nose which is both brightly alive with fruit and touched with savoury complexity. Stems? Palate is similarly direct in its appeal, forward loganberry and mulberry fruit with zippy upfront acidity, mouthwatering, lovely balance. I love this. Great example of what I like in Dolcetto. Very light on its feet, where the Vajra was heavy-footed in comparison.

Massolino, Dolcetto d'Alba, 2013.
Almost opaque purple. Very engaging and appealing nose, very direct, maybe the first to lean in the gamay direction, which I'm inclined to steer away from. Maceration carbonique? Palate has textured tannins but the method overruns the wine here, for me.


Cavallotto, Dolcetto d’Alba, Vigna Scot, 2013.
Quite dark, but translucent. Very savoury nose, deep and interesting, but with lovely floral aromatic lift, this has real class and style without being overworked. Lovely woodsy undergrowth notes, plenty of deep red fruit. Palate has velvet texture, broad and deep red fruit, lovely balance in a wine that has wears its fruit weight and texture lightly and with grace. Serious in that it's not a simple wine, but mostly just hugely enjoyable.

The Dolcettos were really interesting to put up next to each other. Such differences in style were evident. Cavallotto & Roagna the pick of the bunch for me & most of the group but there was pleasurable drinking in all, tho’ the Ceretto was the least of the five.


Nebbiolo

Ar.Pe.Pe. Rosso di Valtellina, 2013.
Translucent orange red. First impressions on the nose are white and black pepper smells, some delicate strawberry notes, maybe some dried red fruits too. All very gentle and delicate, charming. Palate is mid-weight, soft textured with some charm. Nice balance of red fruit and acidity, good length, nice sourness to the fruit. Very deftly made, deals well with the inherent austerity of Valtellinese wine to make something very typical and drinkable. Mch liked by the group too.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi, Langhe Nebbiolo, 2013.
Translucent plummy red. Clean red fruit nose, quite simple and lacking in evident typicity though there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Palate has some rough edged texture, slightly bubblegummy red fruit, hint of sweetness, black pepper. Tannins are present, fine, soft. This is ok, a quaffer, maybe lightly chilled at lunchtime.

Ceretto, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Bernardina 2013
Translucent orange red. Nose has some warmth though seems inexpressive and lacking in depth. Clean and pure, some savoury and peppery notes, whiff of volatility, but mostly just rather dull. Palate more on the money with expressive crunchy textured black fruit, racy acidity, soft fine tannin, good texture and length. Juicy fruit. Good, very drinkable.

Sottimano, Langhe Nebbiolo 2013
Quite a deep plummy red, but still translucent. Bright red fruit nose, cherries, redcurrants, strawberries, dash of white pepper. This has some darker notes in the fruit cake end of the spectrum too, dried fruits, raisins. The balance of the lighter and darker notes makes for a complex and enjoyable nose. The palate, in contrast, starts off as a wall of tannin! Mouth-suckingly drying! Hard to see past, really. I'm not convinced there's the fruit weight to outlast the tannins, so not sure where this is going.


Cascina Ballarin, Langhe Nebbiolo 2012
Translucent and more orange than red! Interestingly complex and even partially evolved nose. Just the beginnings of some feral meaty notes add interest and complexity. Welcome appearance for orange peel smells too! All quite delicate. Lilting red fruit smells too. Palate has lovely weight, balance and texture. Juicy fruit, lip smacking, mouth watering. Has finely textured tannins, velvet texture overall, lovely balance. Really like this, the first that seems to me to be a glimpse of the interest in the village wines. Will keep and evolve for a few years too. Much liked by the group for its approachability.

Massolino, Langhe Nebbiolo 2013
Tinge of orange to the translucent plummy red. Vivacious nose! Whole cluster? Bright red fruits, tea bread, spicy, but maybe a little one dimensional. Palate is also red fruit dominated, simple, clean, bright, soft. Just a touch of welcome abrasive texture on the finish adds interest. Nice balance, quite refreshing.

Cavallotto, Langhe Nebbiolo 2012
Dark translucent red, hint of brown. Really gorgeous nose, ethereally textured and layered, some floral notes emerging here, dried flowers, potpourri, dense red and black fruit, tar, tea bread, all really complex and inviting. Spicy pepper notes here too. Nose is way ahead of anything else so far. Well structured palate, black fruits to the fore, granular tannins, acidity nicely poised, very long, savoury, really delicious. Love this. Drink, but keeping should yield benefits too!

Produttori del Barbaresco, Barbaresco 2010
Dark translucent red, hint of brown. Densely textured and layered nose here too, dark fruits, pepper more black than white. Tightly packed and just whiffs of delicate floral notes escaping. Violets. More to come with time? Palate has a good whack of drying tannins but also heaps of black fruit and acidity to see it all evolve together nicely. Good, but not great.

Vietti, Barolo Rocche 1993
This bottle a kind gesture from a wine merchant saying sorry for a set of mishaps that befell some orders and deliveries. Translucent brown colour. Nose is mature and fully evolved. Very savoury, lots of meaty stockpot gravy marmite smells. Palate has evolved through as well, tannins just a ghostly presence, very earthy and meaty, tomato, nice balance, really very long, great acid structure still. Satin texture, intensely savoury, not at all tired, delicious mature drinking but no need to keep any longer.


The Cavallotto Nebbiolo and the Produttori wine were a really interesting pair. The Cavallotto was, for me and for many in the group, the superior wine, both now and for the future. Better balanced, better crafted for structure, clearer definition. I know it’s a heresy, but I can find the Produttori wines hard to love on occasion, and this was one of those.

Ballarin were a new name to me, but we all really liked their wine. Anyone know any more about them?


To finish

Vietti, Moscato d'Asti, Cascinetta 2014
Lovely! A perfect glass of refreshing moscato to finish. Just what we needed.

winetastic wrote:Just pulled the trigger on x6 Benevelli Langhe Nebbiolo 2014, will throw up some impressions as soon as it arrives.

winetastic wrote:

winetastic wrote:Just pulled the trigger on x6 Benevelli Langhe Nebbiolo 2014, will throw up some impressions as soon as it arrives.

I have some notes to write up properly at a later date, however I would not be rushing to your retailer to buy this particular vintage, overall it was rather simple and came up short on both length and interest. Of course the cork seal may have been at play, though I didn't notice any obvious faults.

Hacker wrote:This thread is not my level of expertise (which thread is!) but we have had three of these so far from a dozen, and the family has been most impressed. Lightish with balanced acid and lovely fruit structure. Price is right at $30. Very happy.