2001 Barolo Horizontal in 2013
I have a good memory and as with most people it is particularly astute when recorded painful moments in one’s life. Take for example 1994, when I finally broke into my stash of benchmark 1982 Barolo. We’re talking Marcarini, and Cascina Francia, Monprivato and Vietti. There were six bottles in all, and I carefully decanted them before cooking dinner, where I served them with much ceremony. They sucked. To a wine they were hard and charmless. Closed as tight as an outhouse door in August.
Interestingly it was those wines, or rather those similar experience that traditional barolo offered that created the off-shoot we know today as the modernist movement. That long faithful wait was a relic olden days we were told, and we are entitled to an easier, more approachable Barolo. One that is ready if not on release shortly thereafter while providing as much Nebbiolo goodness as those tough old birds could muster. Well in due time those 1982s came around of course, and quite nicely at that. I’ve enjoyed many of them and have yet to have a modernist wine that could measure up.
Actually that may not be entirely true. The Rocche dei manzoni Riservas from 1978 and 1982 are credited with being some of the first fully barriqued wines and they turned out splendidly, though the current releases from Rocche dei manzoni seem to be wildly over-oaked. Or perhaps they’re not quite ready yet. Even the modernist need some time in bottle to show their best. At least thats what I was hoping. You see after many visits to Piedmont, I finally made it a point to visit those great modernists whose wines had yet to measure up.
I’ve tasted plenty of traditional Barolo on release, but less modernist, especially over the past decade or so since I realised they generally weren’t my thing. In fact while tasting the 2009s this past spring I was in fact struck by how little I liked some of the modernist wines, while honestly finding several producers wines to be quite compelling. I am all too familiar with my own fallibility so I decided there and then to do a little experiment. One where we could see if these modernist wines that I don’t like just need some time, and if in fact the modernist wines as a whole have fulfilled their promise of being more approachable than their traditionalist siblings.
Thinking back to 1994 I considered what might be the worst time to taste traditionally produced wines. Even the traditionalist wines of today are a bit more approachable than the versions being produced 30 years ago. Working on that assumption I figured that the wines to try for a tasting like this should be about 10 years old, so that brought me to 2003. I don’t want to taste 25 2003 of anything, so moving on 2002 was a washout in barolo, and then there is 2001. A rather grand vintage which the added benefit of my having been bought quite extensively by yours truly on release. I actually supplied the lines share of the wines for this tasting. 17 of these wines having been purchased on release while I was in retail. I only mention this as an aside because even these wines that saw almost no time in the supply chain were not perfect. In fact two or possibly three of the bottom four wines of the tasting were in fact damaged. One would hope.
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Back to the point at hand. So 2001 it was, and a blind tasting it was to be. I built the fights in particular to include the modernist producers whose wines I have some doubt. It was also designed to offer as broad and inclusive a tasting as possible in order to gain some insight into the evolving 2001 vintage. Another factor in favor of 2001 as a vintage for this tasting is the fact that most of the modernists had finally settled on style and technique by then, pulling back from the generally recognized excesses of the late 1990s. To a large extent these are the wines these producers are producing today.
Before we get into the tasting here’s a few thoughts on 2001. When the vintage came on the scene it was met with much fanfare. Following on the heels of two important vintages, the 100 point miracle of 2000 and the greatest vintage of the decade, 1999 which together seemed like they might just be putting a cap on an unprecedented string of terrific vintages in Piedmonte. This might account for some of the hyperbole that accompanied the 2001s. No one would ever have guessed that 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 were to follow. They just knew that 2002 was going to be weak and 2003 a tough sell so they might as well have made as great a deal as possible over what they did have to sell.
Which is not to say that 2001 is anything less than a great vintage. It is in fact a classic vintage, marked by a cool and slightly difficult october that extended the vintage, slowed down the ripening process and produced fruit that was ripe and fresh. That, along with a certain elegance ascribed to more modestly scaled wines is what one should expect from the vintage. Balanced, long and refined, these were never going to be fruit bombs or tannin monsters. They did in fact play right into the strengths of the modernist camp. A vintage that could benefit from a bit of fruitier-ness.
it’s easy for me to pull that card to help explain away the results of our tasting, but at the same time it is very true. The results of the tasting flight by flight also helped to support this conclusion. Brunate, the most overtly fruity of the flights was also the preferred flight of the evening while Monforte and Cannubi where the most difficult. Excluding the problems with some of the wines from Castiglione.
So the vintage is turning out to be elegant, and just a touch austere. That cold harvest seasoning leaving its mark on the wines. It’s also following a pretty classic ageing curve and I expect will evolve along the path of the 1982s that helped me select them. For the top ten wines tasted this evening, and four of those in the middle, the prognosis is excellent. It was too early to try these wines, as so many will be happy to tell you. However, the only reason we know that it is too early is because somebody like myself is willing to actually try them! I don’t think these wines will make particularly old bones, but two decades more years of positive evolution is certainly in the cards.
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And now to the wines themselves. This was certainly a bit of a mixed bag and the wines were angry at being opened, accounting for their relatively low scores. One point worth noting is that I assign a point score to the wines based on how they taste today. I’m not some magician who can divine where a wine is going and that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to let you know what the wines are like today and offer some guidance, where applicable as to where I expect a wine to be in the future. Where and when that future is who knows? In general think it’s a bullshit approach assigning scores to wines that are vague forecasts of what that wine might become. What concerns me is where it is at today.
And where these wines were at was all over the place. In order to put things in context here is a list of the most popular wines as voted on by my group of 9 well versed and decidedly traditional leaning palates.
Wines of the night
1) Voerzio Brunate
2) Sandrone Cannubi Boschis
3) Vietti Brunate
4) Oddero Mondoca di Bussia
5) Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe
5) Marcarini Brunate
6) E Pira Cannubi
6) Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra
7) Marengo Brunate
My results were quite similar with most of the wines appearing in my top ten list as well.
Listing the top 10 wines in order or preference
1 - Sandrone Cannubi Boschis - Barolo
2 - Vietti Brunate - La Morra
3 - Voerzio Brunate - La Morra
4 - Ascheri Coste & Bricco - Serralunga
5 - Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe - Castiglione Falletto
6 - Oddero Mondoca di Bussia - Monforte
7 - Burlotto Cannubi - Barolo
8 - Cappellano Rupestris - Serralunga
9 - Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra - Monforte
10 - Marcarini Brunate - La Morra
The rest of the wines in order.
Wines in bold showed the most promise. Wines in italics are presumably defective.
11- Massolino Rionda - Serralunga
12 - Aldo Conterno Cicala Monforte
13 - Alessandria Gramolere - Monforte
14 - E Pira Cannubi - Barolo
15- Marengo Brunate - La Morra
16 Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot - La Morrra & Monforte
17 - Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia - Serralunga
18 - Altare Brunate - La Morra
19 - Brezza Cannubi - Barolo
20 - Scavino Bric del Fiasc - Castiglione Falletto
21 - Grasso Casa Mate - Monforte
22- Brovia Garblet Sue - Castiglione
23- Chiarlo Cannubi - Barolo
24 - Schiavenza Broglio - Serralunga
25 - Mascarello Monprivato - Castiglione
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So the modernists do seem to have created a new breed of Barolo, one that is more approachable at age 12 than the traditionally made wines. And they are good wines, mostly that is. The most surprising thing about this tasting wasn’t that the modernists made wines that showed well, but rather how poorly the two odds on favorites ended up showing on this night. But I must give Voerzio, Cerlico, Vietti, and in particular Sandrone their due. They all produced wines that intelligently used oak to help soften their wine and make it more approachable without covering up all that is good in Nebbiolo or dumbing down their wines to a fruity lowest common denominator.
At the same time the rest of my top ten list was full of traditional producers who rarely get their due. Hats off to them as well as the four sure to improve from lower down on the list. These are all wines I am happy to have in my cellar. Not only because they’re bound to improve over the coming years, but so I can repeat this exercise in 5 and then again ten years!
So what conclusions if any can we draw from this? First off never judge a wine but one encounter. Good wine is a living thing, ever changing, sometimes for the good. Sometimes for the bad. Wines have good days and bad days, and just for the record it was a fruit day when I tasted these wines. There are also good bottles and bad bottles of every wine.
Barolo really needs about 15 year to begin to show it’s best and judging from the vintages that are drinking at peak today drink well for about 20 years after that. Warmer vintages definitely do show better earlier on, as evidenced by 1997, 1998, 2000, and even 2003, but they don’t have the legs of the classic vintages. In a very interesting observation Levi Dalton mentioned at the end of the tasting that the results could have been quite different if we had been tasting a warmer vintage, such as 2000, where it was much easy to go over the top with the fruit. It’s a theory worth exploring
Don’t fall into the trap of disliking a wine because of a moniker attached to it. I’ve found that there are a number of modernist producers whose wines I truly admire. Now granted I don’t prefer them to my favorite traditional wines but they are very attractive and valid expressions of Barolo.
There are of course also producers whose wines I don’t really like. They do well in the marketplace, so they have found an audience, and I am happy for them because they are almost all being produced by wonderful people, and even I have to admit that it’s difficult to write unfavorable comments about something someone is so passionate about. Yet that’s my job, not making friends and securing invitations to return to the cantina.
Like it or not, I’m writing to try and help guide wine drinkers to better experiences, based very simply on my experiences. Just as the modernists began to shake up the Barolo establishment some 30 years ago, perhaps it’s time to begin some shaking anew. Blind tastings, honest assessments, and periodic retrospective tastings are all part of a system that puts consumers first, a principle that seems to be disappearing from the wine industry.
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So let’s start shaking. In order to give you a better idea of what went down I’m including the order within the flights that the wines were served, along with their scores here, which is followed by the tasting notes. All tasted blind of course.
How I ranked the wines within the flights and the order the wines were served within the flights
Flight 1 Monforte
Conterno Cicala 3rd place with 87pts
Grasso Casa Mate 5th place with 82pts
Alessandria Gramolere 4th place with 86pts
Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 2nd place with 88pts
Oddero Mondoca di Bussia 1st place with 90pts
Flight 2 Castiglione Falletto plus
Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot 2nd place with 85pts
Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe 1st place with 90pts
Mascarello Monprivato 5th place with 60pts
Brovia Garblet Sue 4th place with 74pts
Scavino Bric del Fiasc 3rd place with 83pts
Flight 3 Serralunga
Ascheri Coste & Bricco 1st place with 90pts
Cappellano Rupestris 2nd place with 88pts
Conterno Cascina Francia 4th place with 84pts
Massolino Vigna Rionda 3rd place with 87pts
Schiavenza Broglio 5th place with 70pts
Flight 4 Cannubi
Burlotto 2nd place with 90pts
Chiarlo 5th place with 70pts
Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 1st place with 92pts
Brezza 4th place with 83pts
E Pira 3rd place with 86pts
Flight 5 Brunate
Voerzio 2nd place 90pts
Altare 5th place 84pts
Vietti 1st place 92pts
Marcarini 3rd place 88pts
Marengo 4th place 86pts
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Flight 1 Monforte
11
2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala $160
http://www.snooth.com/wine/poderi-aldo-conterno-nebbiolo-barolo-cicala-2001-4/
Waxy, oaky and nutty on the nose with a very spicy dark chocolate, coffee aroma lifted with a touch of VA. Nice edgy red cherry fruit on entry, framed with wood spice then wood tannin throws this a touch out of balance, particularly on the long sweet oaky finish. Lots of jammy blackberry fruit with hint of mineral a bit muddy but pleasant overall. 87pts
12
2001 Elio Grasso Barolo Casa Mate $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/elio-grasso-nebbiolo-barolo-ginestra-vigna-casa-mate-2001-1/
A bit oxidized and very high toned on the nose with a little coffee and leather nuance.
Soft and a bit oxidized and sweet in the mouth. This is unfortunately dried out with some subtle red fruit and herbal spice flavors but the tannins that are tough and chewy and will probably not outlast the fruit. Short finish. 82pts
13
2001 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere $70
http://www.snooth.com/wine/fratelli-alessandria-barolo-gramolere-2001/
Perfumed on the nose and a touch jammy black fruit with mineral and menthol accents. Tight and hard in the mouth with fine ripe tannins, attractive wild cherry fruit, a bit soft and broad in the mouth, yet juicy fruit shows some restraint,. nice length, good tannins, classic young Barolo in the making. Needs 5-10 more years. 86pts
14
2001 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/clerico-domenico-ciabot-mentin-ginestra-2001/
This offers up complex aromas that are marked by a floral cast over nuanced, earth, licorice, anise seed, mineral and grilled beefy aromas. A touch soft in the mouth and dark and chewy. This is pretty extracted, and full of earthy spicy dark fruit. The wood spice is obvious but well balanced by the fruit but the wood tannins become harsh on the finish which is pretty tight and short. Not exactly what I’m looking for but this seems to be well made if very powerful. 88pts
15
2001 Oddero Mondoca di Bussia $125
http://www.snooth.com/wine/fratelli-oddero-barolo-mondoca-di-bussia-soprana-2001-1/
Very pretty and inviting on the nose with precise violet, spice, juniper, thyme, mint, and olive aromas that are complex and deep. Smooth and focused, this is a subtle wine, tight and very mineral, with limestone adding a tough edginess to the small red berry fruit but the tannins are very ripe and polished. This shows fine length. On the cusp of early maturity. 89pts
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Flight 2 Castiglione Falletto
21
2001 Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cascina-ballarin-tre-ciabot-2001/
From vineyards in La Morra roughly across the street from Scavino, and in Monforte.
Floral and spicy on the nose and a bit high toned with a touch of wood accenting licorice, medicinal, dark and fudgy red fruits on the nose gaining a bit of a chemical note with air. Smooth, fruity and pretty extracted, this is a bit tough and muscular in the mouth with slightly minty dark black fruits. A bit blocky but I think it could improve. 85pts
22
2001 Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cavallotto-barolo-riserva-vigna-san-giuseppe-bricco-boschis-2001-3/
Tight on the nose and yet with some complexity offering up red cherry notes accented with subtle citron peel, graham cracker, and peppery spice notes. Soft, almost creamy and yet focused in the mouth with lovely raspberry fruit that’s tight and focused and framed with hints of raspberry and dried herbs. This really is nicely balanced with lots of fruit tannin on the backside, good length, and a nice snap on the palate. 90pts
23
2001 Mascarello Monprivato $145
http://www.snooth.com/wine/giuseppe-e-figlio-mascarello-barolo-monprivato-2001-9/
Insecticide and chemical aromas on the nose which is all green and herbal. In the mouth this is soft and anonymous with tart acids and nothing of interest. 60pts
24
Brovia Garblet Sue $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/brovia-barolo-garblet-sue-2001-2/
Dirty and oxidized on the nose with lots of seedy aromas. Carob, fennel, celery seed aromas.
texturally this is clean and precise in the mouth though the wine has no life. It’s dark and medicinal and long on the palate with oversteeped, meaty and even bready flavors. At least there’s some power. 74pts
25
2001 Scavino Bric del Fiasc
http://www.snooth.com/wine/paolo-scavino-castiglione-falletto-barolo-bric-del-fiasc-docg-2001/
Spicy and very jammy on the nose with aromas of sweet blackberries, blueberries and wood spice supported by a touch of VA. Super smooth in the mouth and packed with slightly chewy jammy blackberry fruit and sweet vanilla flavors. This is a bit too sweet and feels shiny and flat in the mouth without enough acid but it is fruity. 83pts
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Flight 3 Serralunga
31
2001 Ascheri Coste & Bricco $65
http://www.snooth.com/wine/ascheri-barolo-sorano-coste-and-bricco-2001/
Jammy on the nose in an oddly meaty and spicy way and while there’s not a lot of fruit here, there are lovely licorice root note along with hints of mint and orange peel Smooth, polished and crisp in the mouth with and fine black fruit that shows some earthy spice on the back end. This shows great balance in a restrained yet brooding way. Attractive middle of the road style. 90pts
32
2001 Cappellano Rupestris $135
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cappellano-rupestris-barolo-2001/
At first this is all about leather and ass on the nose, possible eass in leather on a hot day. Air brings out some minty notes and earthy beetroot and radish aromas along with a flash of minerality. Rich and chewy in the mouth with with lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit. There really is lovely fruit here, a bit herbal, herb stemmy, and tree barky, but also long and layered through the mineral and slightly bitter finish. So it stinks a bit? Give this time.
33
2001 Conterno Cascina Francia $250
http://www.snooth.com/wine/conterno-giacomo-barolo-cascina-francia-2001-6/
Woodsy, raw, and dark on the nose with leather, mineral, and coffee bean accents to the subtle dark fruits. Hard and pretty closed theres little fruit here and what you can taste is simple black and red fruits obscured by tannins though there's a bit of an attractive herbal steak here and emerging anise seed notes. 84pts
34
Massolino Vigna Rionda Riserva $120
http://www.snooth.com/wine/vigna-rionda-massolino-barolo-riserva-vigna-rionda-2001/
Lovely dark fruit greets the nose all minty, and fresh and focused with a nice blend of fruitiness and dried herb character. Bright and fresh and clear on the palate with fresh red fruit and that herbal, almost woodsy note from the nose. This is pretty hard and it seems a bit simple today but it is long, with firm yet integrated tannins that bode well for the future. 87pts
35
2001 Schiavenza Broglio $60
http://www.snooth.com/wine/schiavenza-barolo-broglio-riserva-2001/#paginate-able-photos
A touch floral on the nose with some rd fruit and celery seed notes but this is fairly oxidized. Smooth and polished in the mouth, this is showing noticeable oxidation over fruit that is a bit matte and details. 70pts
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Flight 4 Cannubi - Cannubi
41
2001 Burlotto Barolo Cannubi $75
http://www.snooth.com/wine/gb-burlotto-burlotto-gb-barolo-cannubi-2001/
Gorgeous jammy fruit on the nose, a bit wild strawberry with high toned floral notes, roses and limestone. Sweet, tart and mineral in the mouth this is bright and focused with rose petal inner mouth perfumes earthy and raspberry on the palate, leading to a long, slightly mineral and gently bitter strawberry finish. This is in early maturity and will definitely be getting better over the coming decade. 90pts
42
2001 Chiarlo Cannubi $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/michele-chiarlo-barolo-cannubi-2001-1/
Leather and sulphur dominate the nose along with hints of fish sauce and burnt meat. Graceless and extracted in the mouth this is a bit medicinal but otherwise mostly detail-lees and heavy on the palate with a burning, oily finish. 70pts
43
2001 Sandrone Cannubi Boschis $165
http://www.snooth.com/wine/luciano-sandrone-nebbiolo-barolo-cannubi-boschis-2001/
High toned and fragrant with aromas of rose petals, orange peel, and soft red fruits all framed with gently nutty wood and bright balsamic notes. This is finely textured, focused and tight in the mouth with lovely fruit, a touch astringent and dark but showing fine depth and the palate and slow to emerge savory complexity. This is already quite good but it promises to get better over the next ten years or so. 92pts
44
2001 Brezza Cannubi $65
http://www.snooth.com/wine/giacomo-brezza-and-figli-nebbiolo-barolo-cannubi-2001/
This is just packed with jammy blackberry fruit on the nose that shows a touch of a spicy aspect but is pretty simple, if intense. Loose in the mouth and fruity but this lacks both structure and complexity. There’s a bit of attractive herbaceousness on the backend and this is easy to drink but it’s a bit shallow overall. 83pts
45
E Pira Cannubi $75
http://www.snooth.com/wine/enrico-pira-and-figli-barolo-cannubi-2001/
Tight and minty without much detail though there are some nice licorice and brewed coffee grind notes adding a touch of complexity. Soft in the mouth, this is fairly front loaded with dark, jammy strawberry fruit and a hint of cafe au lait that tapers nicely on the backend but sort of disappears on the finish. It’s pleasant and even attractive but just too soft to keep one’s interest. 86pts
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Flight 5 - Brunate
51
2001 Roberto Voerzio Brunate $200
http://www.snooth.com/wine/roberto-voerzio-brunate-barolo-2001-1/
This is savory and complex on the nose with layers of leather, celery seed, and umami rich dried ham aromas but not much fruit. Smooth and powerful in the mouth, this is a shiny wine but at the same time it’s packed with nicely earth framed dark wild berry fruit in a muscular style. It’s a bit short and turns a bit oaky on the backend but it’s drinking awfully well tonight. 90pts
52
2001 Altare Brunate $ 110
http://www.snooth.com/wine/elio-altare-barolo-brunate-2001-3/
Clean and focused on the nose but the aromas are weirdly of dark poppy seed paste and shoe polish. A bit smooth and anonymous in the mouth with a dark extracted feel and flavors of coffee bean, blackberry fruit, and toasty spice that are short and chunky in the mouth. 84pts
53
2001 Vietti Brunate $110
http://www.snooth.com/wine/vietti-nebbiolo-barolo-brunate-2001/
A bit sweet and meaty on the nose with plenty of nutty, espresso toned oak but this is also rather large scaled and complex with dark cherry fruit, menthol and floral accents. Smooth and chewy in the mouth this is big and deep with lots of earthy black cherry fruit that shows a lovely brightness and tension in the mouth with a long earthy finish that does show just a hint of bitterness. This should just get better. 92pts
54
2001 Marcarini Brunate $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/marcarini-nebbiolo-barolo-brunate-2001/
Dark carob, jellied black fruit,and dusty minerality greets the nose. Round and just a little sweet in the mouth this offers up attractive fruit that has a little figgy edge to it along with a nice mineral note working as a contrasting note. Pretty packed with tannin and showing a touch of heat on the finish. Interesting if not as well balanced as some, this could improve. 88pts
55
2001 Marengo Brunate $60
http://www.snooth.com/wine/marengo-m-barolo-brunate-2001-1/
High toned on the nose with sweet oak, coffee, and caramel aromas along with a touch of VA. Lean, focused and pure in the mouth this is tight and mineral, and packed with tannin today but you can get a sense of the fruit here.This is young and still pretty raw with dark red cherry fruit that peeks out a bit on the modest finish which is a bit chunky and short due to the tannins. A real disconnect with the overtly modern nose. This seems to have everything in place to improve. 86pts
Interestingly it was those wines, or rather those similar experience that traditional barolo offered that created the off-shoot we know today as the modernist movement. That long faithful wait was a relic olden days we were told, and we are entitled to an easier, more approachable Barolo. One that is ready if not on release shortly thereafter while providing as much Nebbiolo goodness as those tough old birds could muster. Well in due time those 1982s came around of course, and quite nicely at that. I’ve enjoyed many of them and have yet to have a modernist wine that could measure up.
Actually that may not be entirely true. The Rocche dei manzoni Riservas from 1978 and 1982 are credited with being some of the first fully barriqued wines and they turned out splendidly, though the current releases from Rocche dei manzoni seem to be wildly over-oaked. Or perhaps they’re not quite ready yet. Even the modernist need some time in bottle to show their best. At least thats what I was hoping. You see after many visits to Piedmont, I finally made it a point to visit those great modernists whose wines had yet to measure up.
I’ve tasted plenty of traditional Barolo on release, but less modernist, especially over the past decade or so since I realised they generally weren’t my thing. In fact while tasting the 2009s this past spring I was in fact struck by how little I liked some of the modernist wines, while honestly finding several producers wines to be quite compelling. I am all too familiar with my own fallibility so I decided there and then to do a little experiment. One where we could see if these modernist wines that I don’t like just need some time, and if in fact the modernist wines as a whole have fulfilled their promise of being more approachable than their traditionalist siblings.
Thinking back to 1994 I considered what might be the worst time to taste traditionally produced wines. Even the traditionalist wines of today are a bit more approachable than the versions being produced 30 years ago. Working on that assumption I figured that the wines to try for a tasting like this should be about 10 years old, so that brought me to 2003. I don’t want to taste 25 2003 of anything, so moving on 2002 was a washout in barolo, and then there is 2001. A rather grand vintage which the added benefit of my having been bought quite extensively by yours truly on release. I actually supplied the lines share of the wines for this tasting. 17 of these wines having been purchased on release while I was in retail. I only mention this as an aside because even these wines that saw almost no time in the supply chain were not perfect. In fact two or possibly three of the bottom four wines of the tasting were in fact damaged. One would hope.
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Back to the point at hand. So 2001 it was, and a blind tasting it was to be. I built the fights in particular to include the modernist producers whose wines I have some doubt. It was also designed to offer as broad and inclusive a tasting as possible in order to gain some insight into the evolving 2001 vintage. Another factor in favor of 2001 as a vintage for this tasting is the fact that most of the modernists had finally settled on style and technique by then, pulling back from the generally recognized excesses of the late 1990s. To a large extent these are the wines these producers are producing today.
Before we get into the tasting here’s a few thoughts on 2001. When the vintage came on the scene it was met with much fanfare. Following on the heels of two important vintages, the 100 point miracle of 2000 and the greatest vintage of the decade, 1999 which together seemed like they might just be putting a cap on an unprecedented string of terrific vintages in Piedmonte. This might account for some of the hyperbole that accompanied the 2001s. No one would ever have guessed that 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 were to follow. They just knew that 2002 was going to be weak and 2003 a tough sell so they might as well have made as great a deal as possible over what they did have to sell.
Which is not to say that 2001 is anything less than a great vintage. It is in fact a classic vintage, marked by a cool and slightly difficult october that extended the vintage, slowed down the ripening process and produced fruit that was ripe and fresh. That, along with a certain elegance ascribed to more modestly scaled wines is what one should expect from the vintage. Balanced, long and refined, these were never going to be fruit bombs or tannin monsters. They did in fact play right into the strengths of the modernist camp. A vintage that could benefit from a bit of fruitier-ness.
it’s easy for me to pull that card to help explain away the results of our tasting, but at the same time it is very true. The results of the tasting flight by flight also helped to support this conclusion. Brunate, the most overtly fruity of the flights was also the preferred flight of the evening while Monforte and Cannubi where the most difficult. Excluding the problems with some of the wines from Castiglione.
So the vintage is turning out to be elegant, and just a touch austere. That cold harvest seasoning leaving its mark on the wines. It’s also following a pretty classic ageing curve and I expect will evolve along the path of the 1982s that helped me select them. For the top ten wines tasted this evening, and four of those in the middle, the prognosis is excellent. It was too early to try these wines, as so many will be happy to tell you. However, the only reason we know that it is too early is because somebody like myself is willing to actually try them! I don’t think these wines will make particularly old bones, but two decades more years of positive evolution is certainly in the cards.
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And now to the wines themselves. This was certainly a bit of a mixed bag and the wines were angry at being opened, accounting for their relatively low scores. One point worth noting is that I assign a point score to the wines based on how they taste today. I’m not some magician who can divine where a wine is going and that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to let you know what the wines are like today and offer some guidance, where applicable as to where I expect a wine to be in the future. Where and when that future is who knows? In general think it’s a bullshit approach assigning scores to wines that are vague forecasts of what that wine might become. What concerns me is where it is at today.
And where these wines were at was all over the place. In order to put things in context here is a list of the most popular wines as voted on by my group of 9 well versed and decidedly traditional leaning palates.
Wines of the night
1) Voerzio Brunate
2) Sandrone Cannubi Boschis
3) Vietti Brunate
4) Oddero Mondoca di Bussia
5) Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe
5) Marcarini Brunate
6) E Pira Cannubi
6) Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra
7) Marengo Brunate
My results were quite similar with most of the wines appearing in my top ten list as well.
Listing the top 10 wines in order or preference
1 - Sandrone Cannubi Boschis - Barolo
2 - Vietti Brunate - La Morra
3 - Voerzio Brunate - La Morra
4 - Ascheri Coste & Bricco - Serralunga
5 - Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe - Castiglione Falletto
6 - Oddero Mondoca di Bussia - Monforte
7 - Burlotto Cannubi - Barolo
8 - Cappellano Rupestris - Serralunga
9 - Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra - Monforte
10 - Marcarini Brunate - La Morra
The rest of the wines in order.
Wines in bold showed the most promise. Wines in italics are presumably defective.
11- Massolino Rionda - Serralunga
12 - Aldo Conterno Cicala Monforte
13 - Alessandria Gramolere - Monforte
14 - E Pira Cannubi - Barolo
15- Marengo Brunate - La Morra
16 Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot - La Morrra & Monforte
17 - Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia - Serralunga
18 - Altare Brunate - La Morra
19 - Brezza Cannubi - Barolo
20 - Scavino Bric del Fiasc - Castiglione Falletto
21 - Grasso Casa Mate - Monforte
22- Brovia Garblet Sue - Castiglione
23- Chiarlo Cannubi - Barolo
24 - Schiavenza Broglio - Serralunga
25 - Mascarello Monprivato - Castiglione
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So the modernists do seem to have created a new breed of Barolo, one that is more approachable at age 12 than the traditionally made wines. And they are good wines, mostly that is. The most surprising thing about this tasting wasn’t that the modernists made wines that showed well, but rather how poorly the two odds on favorites ended up showing on this night. But I must give Voerzio, Cerlico, Vietti, and in particular Sandrone their due. They all produced wines that intelligently used oak to help soften their wine and make it more approachable without covering up all that is good in Nebbiolo or dumbing down their wines to a fruity lowest common denominator.
At the same time the rest of my top ten list was full of traditional producers who rarely get their due. Hats off to them as well as the four sure to improve from lower down on the list. These are all wines I am happy to have in my cellar. Not only because they’re bound to improve over the coming years, but so I can repeat this exercise in 5 and then again ten years!
So what conclusions if any can we draw from this? First off never judge a wine but one encounter. Good wine is a living thing, ever changing, sometimes for the good. Sometimes for the bad. Wines have good days and bad days, and just for the record it was a fruit day when I tasted these wines. There are also good bottles and bad bottles of every wine.
Barolo really needs about 15 year to begin to show it’s best and judging from the vintages that are drinking at peak today drink well for about 20 years after that. Warmer vintages definitely do show better earlier on, as evidenced by 1997, 1998, 2000, and even 2003, but they don’t have the legs of the classic vintages. In a very interesting observation Levi Dalton mentioned at the end of the tasting that the results could have been quite different if we had been tasting a warmer vintage, such as 2000, where it was much easy to go over the top with the fruit. It’s a theory worth exploring
Don’t fall into the trap of disliking a wine because of a moniker attached to it. I’ve found that there are a number of modernist producers whose wines I truly admire. Now granted I don’t prefer them to my favorite traditional wines but they are very attractive and valid expressions of Barolo.
There are of course also producers whose wines I don’t really like. They do well in the marketplace, so they have found an audience, and I am happy for them because they are almost all being produced by wonderful people, and even I have to admit that it’s difficult to write unfavorable comments about something someone is so passionate about. Yet that’s my job, not making friends and securing invitations to return to the cantina.
Like it or not, I’m writing to try and help guide wine drinkers to better experiences, based very simply on my experiences. Just as the modernists began to shake up the Barolo establishment some 30 years ago, perhaps it’s time to begin some shaking anew. Blind tastings, honest assessments, and periodic retrospective tastings are all part of a system that puts consumers first, a principle that seems to be disappearing from the wine industry.
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So let’s start shaking. In order to give you a better idea of what went down I’m including the order within the flights that the wines were served, along with their scores here, which is followed by the tasting notes. All tasted blind of course.
How I ranked the wines within the flights and the order the wines were served within the flights
Flight 1 Monforte
Conterno Cicala 3rd place with 87pts
Grasso Casa Mate 5th place with 82pts
Alessandria Gramolere 4th place with 86pts
Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 2nd place with 88pts
Oddero Mondoca di Bussia 1st place with 90pts
Flight 2 Castiglione Falletto plus
Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot 2nd place with 85pts
Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe 1st place with 90pts
Mascarello Monprivato 5th place with 60pts
Brovia Garblet Sue 4th place with 74pts
Scavino Bric del Fiasc 3rd place with 83pts
Flight 3 Serralunga
Ascheri Coste & Bricco 1st place with 90pts
Cappellano Rupestris 2nd place with 88pts
Conterno Cascina Francia 4th place with 84pts
Massolino Vigna Rionda 3rd place with 87pts
Schiavenza Broglio 5th place with 70pts
Flight 4 Cannubi
Burlotto 2nd place with 90pts
Chiarlo 5th place with 70pts
Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 1st place with 92pts
Brezza 4th place with 83pts
E Pira 3rd place with 86pts
Flight 5 Brunate
Voerzio 2nd place 90pts
Altare 5th place 84pts
Vietti 1st place 92pts
Marcarini 3rd place 88pts
Marengo 4th place 86pts
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Flight 1 Monforte
11
2001 Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala $160
http://www.snooth.com/wine/poderi-aldo-conterno-nebbiolo-barolo-cicala-2001-4/
Waxy, oaky and nutty on the nose with a very spicy dark chocolate, coffee aroma lifted with a touch of VA. Nice edgy red cherry fruit on entry, framed with wood spice then wood tannin throws this a touch out of balance, particularly on the long sweet oaky finish. Lots of jammy blackberry fruit with hint of mineral a bit muddy but pleasant overall. 87pts
12
2001 Elio Grasso Barolo Casa Mate $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/elio-grasso-nebbiolo-barolo-ginestra-vigna-casa-mate-2001-1/
A bit oxidized and very high toned on the nose with a little coffee and leather nuance.
Soft and a bit oxidized and sweet in the mouth. This is unfortunately dried out with some subtle red fruit and herbal spice flavors but the tannins that are tough and chewy and will probably not outlast the fruit. Short finish. 82pts
13
2001 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Gramolere $70
http://www.snooth.com/wine/fratelli-alessandria-barolo-gramolere-2001/
Perfumed on the nose and a touch jammy black fruit with mineral and menthol accents. Tight and hard in the mouth with fine ripe tannins, attractive wild cherry fruit, a bit soft and broad in the mouth, yet juicy fruit shows some restraint,. nice length, good tannins, classic young Barolo in the making. Needs 5-10 more years. 86pts
14
2001 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/clerico-domenico-ciabot-mentin-ginestra-2001/
This offers up complex aromas that are marked by a floral cast over nuanced, earth, licorice, anise seed, mineral and grilled beefy aromas. A touch soft in the mouth and dark and chewy. This is pretty extracted, and full of earthy spicy dark fruit. The wood spice is obvious but well balanced by the fruit but the wood tannins become harsh on the finish which is pretty tight and short. Not exactly what I’m looking for but this seems to be well made if very powerful. 88pts
15
2001 Oddero Mondoca di Bussia $125
http://www.snooth.com/wine/fratelli-oddero-barolo-mondoca-di-bussia-soprana-2001-1/
Very pretty and inviting on the nose with precise violet, spice, juniper, thyme, mint, and olive aromas that are complex and deep. Smooth and focused, this is a subtle wine, tight and very mineral, with limestone adding a tough edginess to the small red berry fruit but the tannins are very ripe and polished. This shows fine length. On the cusp of early maturity. 89pts
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Flight 2 Castiglione Falletto
21
2001 Cascina Ballarin Tre Ciabot $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cascina-ballarin-tre-ciabot-2001/
From vineyards in La Morra roughly across the street from Scavino, and in Monforte.
Floral and spicy on the nose and a bit high toned with a touch of wood accenting licorice, medicinal, dark and fudgy red fruits on the nose gaining a bit of a chemical note with air. Smooth, fruity and pretty extracted, this is a bit tough and muscular in the mouth with slightly minty dark black fruits. A bit blocky but I think it could improve. 85pts
22
2001 Cavallotto Riserva San Giuseppe $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cavallotto-barolo-riserva-vigna-san-giuseppe-bricco-boschis-2001-3/
Tight on the nose and yet with some complexity offering up red cherry notes accented with subtle citron peel, graham cracker, and peppery spice notes. Soft, almost creamy and yet focused in the mouth with lovely raspberry fruit that’s tight and focused and framed with hints of raspberry and dried herbs. This really is nicely balanced with lots of fruit tannin on the backside, good length, and a nice snap on the palate. 90pts
23
2001 Mascarello Monprivato $145
http://www.snooth.com/wine/giuseppe-e-figlio-mascarello-barolo-monprivato-2001-9/
Insecticide and chemical aromas on the nose which is all green and herbal. In the mouth this is soft and anonymous with tart acids and nothing of interest. 60pts
24
Brovia Garblet Sue $100
http://www.snooth.com/wine/brovia-barolo-garblet-sue-2001-2/
Dirty and oxidized on the nose with lots of seedy aromas. Carob, fennel, celery seed aromas.
texturally this is clean and precise in the mouth though the wine has no life. It’s dark and medicinal and long on the palate with oversteeped, meaty and even bready flavors. At least there’s some power. 74pts
25
2001 Scavino Bric del Fiasc
http://www.snooth.com/wine/paolo-scavino-castiglione-falletto-barolo-bric-del-fiasc-docg-2001/
Spicy and very jammy on the nose with aromas of sweet blackberries, blueberries and wood spice supported by a touch of VA. Super smooth in the mouth and packed with slightly chewy jammy blackberry fruit and sweet vanilla flavors. This is a bit too sweet and feels shiny and flat in the mouth without enough acid but it is fruity. 83pts
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Flight 3 Serralunga
31
2001 Ascheri Coste & Bricco $65
http://www.snooth.com/wine/ascheri-barolo-sorano-coste-and-bricco-2001/
Jammy on the nose in an oddly meaty and spicy way and while there’s not a lot of fruit here, there are lovely licorice root note along with hints of mint and orange peel Smooth, polished and crisp in the mouth with and fine black fruit that shows some earthy spice on the back end. This shows great balance in a restrained yet brooding way. Attractive middle of the road style. 90pts
32
2001 Cappellano Rupestris $135
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cappellano-rupestris-barolo-2001/
At first this is all about leather and ass on the nose, possible eass in leather on a hot day. Air brings out some minty notes and earthy beetroot and radish aromas along with a flash of minerality. Rich and chewy in the mouth with with lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit. There really is lovely fruit here, a bit herbal, herb stemmy, and tree barky, but also long and layered through the mineral and slightly bitter finish. So it stinks a bit? Give this time.
33
2001 Conterno Cascina Francia $250
http://www.snooth.com/wine/conterno-giacomo-barolo-cascina-francia-2001-6/
Woodsy, raw, and dark on the nose with leather, mineral, and coffee bean accents to the subtle dark fruits. Hard and pretty closed theres little fruit here and what you can taste is simple black and red fruits obscured by tannins though there's a bit of an attractive herbal steak here and emerging anise seed notes. 84pts
34
Massolino Vigna Rionda Riserva $120
http://www.snooth.com/wine/vigna-rionda-massolino-barolo-riserva-vigna-rionda-2001/
Lovely dark fruit greets the nose all minty, and fresh and focused with a nice blend of fruitiness and dried herb character. Bright and fresh and clear on the palate with fresh red fruit and that herbal, almost woodsy note from the nose. This is pretty hard and it seems a bit simple today but it is long, with firm yet integrated tannins that bode well for the future. 87pts
35
2001 Schiavenza Broglio $60
http://www.snooth.com/wine/schiavenza-barolo-broglio-riserva-2001/#paginate-able-photos
A touch floral on the nose with some rd fruit and celery seed notes but this is fairly oxidized. Smooth and polished in the mouth, this is showing noticeable oxidation over fruit that is a bit matte and details. 70pts
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Flight 4 Cannubi - Cannubi
41
2001 Burlotto Barolo Cannubi $75
http://www.snooth.com/wine/gb-burlotto-burlotto-gb-barolo-cannubi-2001/
Gorgeous jammy fruit on the nose, a bit wild strawberry with high toned floral notes, roses and limestone. Sweet, tart and mineral in the mouth this is bright and focused with rose petal inner mouth perfumes earthy and raspberry on the palate, leading to a long, slightly mineral and gently bitter strawberry finish. This is in early maturity and will definitely be getting better over the coming decade. 90pts
42
2001 Chiarlo Cannubi $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/michele-chiarlo-barolo-cannubi-2001-1/
Leather and sulphur dominate the nose along with hints of fish sauce and burnt meat. Graceless and extracted in the mouth this is a bit medicinal but otherwise mostly detail-lees and heavy on the palate with a burning, oily finish. 70pts
43
2001 Sandrone Cannubi Boschis $165
http://www.snooth.com/wine/luciano-sandrone-nebbiolo-barolo-cannubi-boschis-2001/
High toned and fragrant with aromas of rose petals, orange peel, and soft red fruits all framed with gently nutty wood and bright balsamic notes. This is finely textured, focused and tight in the mouth with lovely fruit, a touch astringent and dark but showing fine depth and the palate and slow to emerge savory complexity. This is already quite good but it promises to get better over the next ten years or so. 92pts
44
2001 Brezza Cannubi $65
http://www.snooth.com/wine/giacomo-brezza-and-figli-nebbiolo-barolo-cannubi-2001/
This is just packed with jammy blackberry fruit on the nose that shows a touch of a spicy aspect but is pretty simple, if intense. Loose in the mouth and fruity but this lacks both structure and complexity. There’s a bit of attractive herbaceousness on the backend and this is easy to drink but it’s a bit shallow overall. 83pts
45
E Pira Cannubi $75
http://www.snooth.com/wine/enrico-pira-and-figli-barolo-cannubi-2001/
Tight and minty without much detail though there are some nice licorice and brewed coffee grind notes adding a touch of complexity. Soft in the mouth, this is fairly front loaded with dark, jammy strawberry fruit and a hint of cafe au lait that tapers nicely on the backend but sort of disappears on the finish. It’s pleasant and even attractive but just too soft to keep one’s interest. 86pts
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Flight 5 - Brunate
51
2001 Roberto Voerzio Brunate $200
http://www.snooth.com/wine/roberto-voerzio-brunate-barolo-2001-1/
This is savory and complex on the nose with layers of leather, celery seed, and umami rich dried ham aromas but not much fruit. Smooth and powerful in the mouth, this is a shiny wine but at the same time it’s packed with nicely earth framed dark wild berry fruit in a muscular style. It’s a bit short and turns a bit oaky on the backend but it’s drinking awfully well tonight. 90pts
52
2001 Altare Brunate $ 110
http://www.snooth.com/wine/elio-altare-barolo-brunate-2001-3/
Clean and focused on the nose but the aromas are weirdly of dark poppy seed paste and shoe polish. A bit smooth and anonymous in the mouth with a dark extracted feel and flavors of coffee bean, blackberry fruit, and toasty spice that are short and chunky in the mouth. 84pts
53
2001 Vietti Brunate $110
http://www.snooth.com/wine/vietti-nebbiolo-barolo-brunate-2001/
A bit sweet and meaty on the nose with plenty of nutty, espresso toned oak but this is also rather large scaled and complex with dark cherry fruit, menthol and floral accents. Smooth and chewy in the mouth this is big and deep with lots of earthy black cherry fruit that shows a lovely brightness and tension in the mouth with a long earthy finish that does show just a hint of bitterness. This should just get better. 92pts
54
2001 Marcarini Brunate $55
http://www.snooth.com/wine/marcarini-nebbiolo-barolo-brunate-2001/
Dark carob, jellied black fruit,and dusty minerality greets the nose. Round and just a little sweet in the mouth this offers up attractive fruit that has a little figgy edge to it along with a nice mineral note working as a contrasting note. Pretty packed with tannin and showing a touch of heat on the finish. Interesting if not as well balanced as some, this could improve. 88pts
55
2001 Marengo Brunate $60
http://www.snooth.com/wine/marengo-m-barolo-brunate-2001-1/
High toned on the nose with sweet oak, coffee, and caramel aromas along with a touch of VA. Lean, focused and pure in the mouth this is tight and mineral, and packed with tannin today but you can get a sense of the fruit here.This is young and still pretty raw with dark red cherry fruit that peeks out a bit on the modest finish which is a bit chunky and short due to the tannins. A real disconnect with the overtly modern nose. This seems to have everything in place to improve. 86pts