Barale
A traditionalist just now getting noticed, Barale has been producing world class wines, if a bit irregularly, for over half a century. The wines produced in 1950s, 60s, and 70s are legendary for their longevity and depth. I have to admit to having much less experience with these wines through the 1980s and 1990s, though in the 00s they reemerged on my radar. The current wines, and those produced over the past decade or so show more freshness and nuance, particularly aromatically than their forebears.
Today’s wines from Barale are firmly traditional, structured, sometimes rugged wines by modern standards. They will age well, and there are no great sacrifice made here to allow for early consumption of their Barolo, which does put them at a disadvantage in today’s rush to get reviews to market. I generally have good confidence in the scores I assign to wines but with Barale there is always room for upside improvement.
Neive got hit hard with hail, Serraboella was complete destroyed.
2016 Barale Dolcetto d'Alba Le Rose 12.5%
Made in barrels, 3 monthes in 10hl old wood
First vintage of dolcetto from Sant'Anna they took over the lease after the 2015 vintage 400 m between monforte and roddino. Very old vines, forty to 50 years, decided to rent in order to produce the same amount of dolcetto as before the split of the vineyards with her cousin, for five years to test the quality, less calcaire, more clay, 3 h with a production of only 8k, prone to hail as well so they are taking it slow before buying
Intensely violet colored. Perfumed with gorgeously pure and vibrant violet aromas over a very balsamic, and sandalwood supported core with almost blackberry fruit. This is lovely, very ripe but transparent, juicy with small angular tannins, with woodsy accent notes and a lovely texture, almost velvety. A fine blend of fun and seriousness, though definitely with a musky, balsamic, woodland undertone throughout. Really lovely if a slightly rustic, fruit driven interpretation. 88pts
2015 Sergio Barale Barbera d'Alba Le Preda 15%
From the top of Castellero hill where in good vintages they harvest late, mid October, together with nebbiolo, one year in tonneaux,
Very fresh on the nose, intense and precise, very snappy with ivy, earth, mint, and leather aromas, lots of fresh leather in fact. Showing a little sweetness on entry, then turning bright vibrant and very open on the palate. This remains taut, transparent, and juicy with black cherry and tart black plummy fruit. Very bright and juicy, a bit aggressive today, with very little tannin but nervous, cutting acids, real Barbea acids. The alcohol is completely integrated. 88pts
2013 Barale Barbaresco Seraboella 14%
Lovely old wood tones grace the nose along with wild plum in alcohol, and, a hint of wood spice in the cigar box register layered over lovely bright floral undertones, with a real ripeness/sweetness to the aromatics. On entry this too this shows baby fat, it's quite ripe and gets a lot of richness from the ripeness. Tannins are ripe, well judged, this is not elegant today but, looks to have a bright future with fine mineral notes on the backend and then the finish shows flashes of fruit and dark spice notes with a little briary tannin on the finale. 92pts
2013 Barale Barolo Castellero 14%
Vineyard retains acids, southwest facing,
Very balsamic and aromatic on the nose with aromatics that soar from the glass full of sandalwood, rosehips, and rose petal perfumes. Elegant, supple, and juicy wine with really red fruit on the palate, graced on the palate with stoney basenotes, lots of caressing red fruit notes and really floral inner. muth perfumes. Juicy lingonberry cranberry finale, a bit light on the palate but this has real length and aromatic complexity. 92pts
2012 Barale Barolo Cannubi.
Ripe on the nose, with an oddly black fruit in a slightly jammy style aroma along with hints of stones, dried rose petals and a beefy core. Big on entry, rather fruity but in that dry, black fruit style that recalls 1988 and is a feature in so many of the 12s. Savory front loaded, and with a short finish. The tannins are a bit dry, but paired with the rich if roasted dark fruit it makes for potentially pleasant wine, the mid palate is chewy, dry and austere. Time will tell but there’s potential here. 89pts
Barolo vinification
Single vineyards, wood tanks, tini, 50hl, 30 day maceration, then goes into 15 and 30hl
2013 Barale Barolo Bussia 14%
Gorgeous on the nose, redolent of rose petals, sandalwood, with this core of mineral inflected dark wild berry fruits, open, fruity, yet tense. Intense ripe fruit on entry shows more red fruited on the mouth than one might expect from the nose. With superb balance, this can be drunk now, it’s juicy and tart, with a slightly gamy edge to the fruit, no hint of the alcohol, and good length. Gorgeously ripe tannins, effortlessly combines purity, richness and ripeness of fresh fruit. Sliced plums, and an inherent elegance which is hidden a bit today by the lushness of fruit,. Fruit that is fantastically long. 94pts
2008 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 15%
Deep and briary on the nose with a bit of fig and lots of spicy quality, complex, high toned masculine and earthy. Rather full on entry, this retains tones of fruit that is showing some evolution. The tannins remain angular, a big wine that misses some of the elegance typical of the vintage, perhaps due to hail here. Thinning out considerably on the finish, with good length, there's excellent complexity here, but it does show power and weight. Air brings out the perfumes most notably in the mouth on the backend which shows a bit or roastedness. This is.closing up a bit caramelly. 90pts
2004 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 13.5%
This has a slightly candied, herbal bordering medicinal note on the nose, really lovely complexity and focus with carob and roasted strawberry fruit offering complexity and savoriness on the nose. Really well knit in the mouth, the tannins are barely noticeable, the acidity though keeps this lively and bright. The perfectly ripe tannins emerge on the backend with fine red cherry fruit. Really lovely and approaching the beginning of its peak plateau, finish is textbook, but this lacks the extra dimension of the best vintages, wonderful to drink over the next decade. 92pts
2001 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 14%
Now we're talking, tobacco, red spicy fruit, leather, a touch of grassy herbs, just a little hung game all emerge on the nose with clarity. Complex, fresh, and layered, if tight on entry, there's still a suggestion of sweetness on entry that fills out gently on the palate. Really well balanced, juicy, bright, with ripe yet firm tannins driving earthy and dried rose petals on the backend. There's a core of rich, slightly jammy red fruit on the midpalate here, this needs more air but is turning into a lovely glass of Barolo, still tight on the backend but with impressive intensity of flavor and nuance, and a fine mineral note on the finale. There's a gentle warmth to the finish with a hint of vegetal flavors lending complexity. 94pts
1998 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 14%
Very evolved yet rich nose with spicy, wet cigar, damp earth, freshly harvested root vegetables, and really fine tobacco aromas. A touch loose in the mouth and without nuance, this is a pleasant wine but this has had some ofthe life cooked out of it. Better on the finish, it's certainly evolved and shows maturely at a fair price and decent availability, but it's a bit hot, a bit crude, with some fruit emerging on the admittedly long, licorice rich finish but this lacks harmony. 87pts
Today’s wines from Barale are firmly traditional, structured, sometimes rugged wines by modern standards. They will age well, and there are no great sacrifice made here to allow for early consumption of their Barolo, which does put them at a disadvantage in today’s rush to get reviews to market. I generally have good confidence in the scores I assign to wines but with Barale there is always room for upside improvement.
Neive got hit hard with hail, Serraboella was complete destroyed.
2016 Barale Dolcetto d'Alba Le Rose 12.5%
Made in barrels, 3 monthes in 10hl old wood
First vintage of dolcetto from Sant'Anna they took over the lease after the 2015 vintage 400 m between monforte and roddino. Very old vines, forty to 50 years, decided to rent in order to produce the same amount of dolcetto as before the split of the vineyards with her cousin, for five years to test the quality, less calcaire, more clay, 3 h with a production of only 8k, prone to hail as well so they are taking it slow before buying
Intensely violet colored. Perfumed with gorgeously pure and vibrant violet aromas over a very balsamic, and sandalwood supported core with almost blackberry fruit. This is lovely, very ripe but transparent, juicy with small angular tannins, with woodsy accent notes and a lovely texture, almost velvety. A fine blend of fun and seriousness, though definitely with a musky, balsamic, woodland undertone throughout. Really lovely if a slightly rustic, fruit driven interpretation. 88pts
2015 Sergio Barale Barbera d'Alba Le Preda 15%
From the top of Castellero hill where in good vintages they harvest late, mid October, together with nebbiolo, one year in tonneaux,
Very fresh on the nose, intense and precise, very snappy with ivy, earth, mint, and leather aromas, lots of fresh leather in fact. Showing a little sweetness on entry, then turning bright vibrant and very open on the palate. This remains taut, transparent, and juicy with black cherry and tart black plummy fruit. Very bright and juicy, a bit aggressive today, with very little tannin but nervous, cutting acids, real Barbea acids. The alcohol is completely integrated. 88pts
2013 Barale Barbaresco Seraboella 14%
Lovely old wood tones grace the nose along with wild plum in alcohol, and, a hint of wood spice in the cigar box register layered over lovely bright floral undertones, with a real ripeness/sweetness to the aromatics. On entry this too this shows baby fat, it's quite ripe and gets a lot of richness from the ripeness. Tannins are ripe, well judged, this is not elegant today but, looks to have a bright future with fine mineral notes on the backend and then the finish shows flashes of fruit and dark spice notes with a little briary tannin on the finale. 92pts
2013 Barale Barolo Castellero 14%
Vineyard retains acids, southwest facing,
Very balsamic and aromatic on the nose with aromatics that soar from the glass full of sandalwood, rosehips, and rose petal perfumes. Elegant, supple, and juicy wine with really red fruit on the palate, graced on the palate with stoney basenotes, lots of caressing red fruit notes and really floral inner. muth perfumes. Juicy lingonberry cranberry finale, a bit light on the palate but this has real length and aromatic complexity. 92pts
2012 Barale Barolo Cannubi.
Ripe on the nose, with an oddly black fruit in a slightly jammy style aroma along with hints of stones, dried rose petals and a beefy core. Big on entry, rather fruity but in that dry, black fruit style that recalls 1988 and is a feature in so many of the 12s. Savory front loaded, and with a short finish. The tannins are a bit dry, but paired with the rich if roasted dark fruit it makes for potentially pleasant wine, the mid palate is chewy, dry and austere. Time will tell but there’s potential here. 89pts
Barolo vinification
Single vineyards, wood tanks, tini, 50hl, 30 day maceration, then goes into 15 and 30hl
2013 Barale Barolo Bussia 14%
Gorgeous on the nose, redolent of rose petals, sandalwood, with this core of mineral inflected dark wild berry fruits, open, fruity, yet tense. Intense ripe fruit on entry shows more red fruited on the mouth than one might expect from the nose. With superb balance, this can be drunk now, it’s juicy and tart, with a slightly gamy edge to the fruit, no hint of the alcohol, and good length. Gorgeously ripe tannins, effortlessly combines purity, richness and ripeness of fresh fruit. Sliced plums, and an inherent elegance which is hidden a bit today by the lushness of fruit,. Fruit that is fantastically long. 94pts
2008 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 15%
Deep and briary on the nose with a bit of fig and lots of spicy quality, complex, high toned masculine and earthy. Rather full on entry, this retains tones of fruit that is showing some evolution. The tannins remain angular, a big wine that misses some of the elegance typical of the vintage, perhaps due to hail here. Thinning out considerably on the finish, with good length, there's excellent complexity here, but it does show power and weight. Air brings out the perfumes most notably in the mouth on the backend which shows a bit or roastedness. This is.closing up a bit caramelly. 90pts
2004 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 13.5%
This has a slightly candied, herbal bordering medicinal note on the nose, really lovely complexity and focus with carob and roasted strawberry fruit offering complexity and savoriness on the nose. Really well knit in the mouth, the tannins are barely noticeable, the acidity though keeps this lively and bright. The perfectly ripe tannins emerge on the backend with fine red cherry fruit. Really lovely and approaching the beginning of its peak plateau, finish is textbook, but this lacks the extra dimension of the best vintages, wonderful to drink over the next decade. 92pts
2001 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 14%
Now we're talking, tobacco, red spicy fruit, leather, a touch of grassy herbs, just a little hung game all emerge on the nose with clarity. Complex, fresh, and layered, if tight on entry, there's still a suggestion of sweetness on entry that fills out gently on the palate. Really well balanced, juicy, bright, with ripe yet firm tannins driving earthy and dried rose petals on the backend. There's a core of rich, slightly jammy red fruit on the midpalate here, this needs more air but is turning into a lovely glass of Barolo, still tight on the backend but with impressive intensity of flavor and nuance, and a fine mineral note on the finale. There's a gentle warmth to the finish with a hint of vegetal flavors lending complexity. 94pts
1998 Barale Barolo Bussia Riserva 14%
Very evolved yet rich nose with spicy, wet cigar, damp earth, freshly harvested root vegetables, and really fine tobacco aromas. A touch loose in the mouth and without nuance, this is a pleasant wine but this has had some ofthe life cooked out of it. Better on the finish, it's certainly evolved and shows maturely at a fair price and decent availability, but it's a bit hot, a bit crude, with some fruit emerging on the admittedly long, licorice rich finish but this lacks harmony. 87pts