One week in!
We kicked of day seven with one of my favorite visits each year: Brovia. I have written enough about Brovia that I expect I should stop, but the wines continue to improve from vintage. Something very special is going on here. Don't pay attention at your own risk! Not to say that this is the next G Rinaldi, there is enough wine here to satisfy demand, though not a bottle more and the tasting are beginning to reflect that.
Still we were able to taste throughout he entire 2011 line-up here which is as good as I thought it was last year. We also were able to taste the Villero and Garblet Sue from both 2012 and 2013. I know not what evil spell is working here but the 2012s were knockouts, and the 2013 very special wines that seem as though they might be as good, if not a hair preferable to the soon to be legendary 2010s!
We kicked of day seven with one of my favorite visits each year: Brovia. I have written enough about Brovia that I expect I should stop, but the wines continue to improve from vintage. Something very special is going on here. Don't pay attention at your own risk! Not to say that this is the next G Rinaldi, there is enough wine here to satisfy demand, though not a bottle more and the tasting are beginning to reflect that.
Still we were able to taste throughout he entire 2011 line-up here which is as good as I thought it was last year. We also were able to taste the Villero and Garblet Sue from both 2012 and 2013. I know not what evil spell is working here but the 2012s were knockouts, and the 2013 very special wines that seem as though they might be as good, if not a hair preferable to the soon to be legendary 2010s!
Once again though the 2012s surprised me. I have not figured out the key to these wines yet, but where some are light, and others vivid but lean, the line-up chez Brovia are complete, rich and balanced wines. It's going to be a vintage to buy, though quite selectively. In contrast to last year, when I heard generally negative thoughts about the vintage, this year I am tasting some truly attractive wines.
Alex Sanchez is always a pleasure to taste with. Such a smile, and entirely forthcoming. Don't buy these wines. I need to have more for me. Just a note that we tasted the Villero and Garblet Sue today only because the Rocche and Brea Ca' Mia were in need of racking and Alex felt they would really not be showing well, though they are my two favorite crus.
Alex Sanchez is always a pleasure to taste with. Such a smile, and entirely forthcoming. Don't buy these wines. I need to have more for me. Just a note that we tasted the Villero and Garblet Sue today only because the Rocche and Brea Ca' Mia were in need of racking and Alex felt they would really not be showing well, though they are my two favorite crus.
After Brovia it was back up the hill for lunch. Today was the day that everyone had braced for. Rain was supposed to have begun hours ago, and while we were encircled by clouds, some threatening looking, it was pretty much sunny throughout the day. After lunch we got about 40 seconds of rain, and I was later to find out that a bit of hail did fall in Monforte and La Morra, accompanied by winds that were ultimately more damaging, though doing close to nothing themselves. The Italian forecast system is specious at best, though to their credit this storm did produce serious rain from Torino to Milano and hail that devastated several vineyards in the Alto-Piemonte and near Dogliani.
We had a cancellation this afternoon so we had only one last appointment for the week, at Oddero. It proved to be fortuitous.
I have long been a fan of the wines of Oddero, and they put on a fabulous tasting, but there has always been a hint of the mysterious here. All the cru Barolo goes through malo in barrique, this was not generally known nor disclosed for several years and while many a fabulous wine has been produced here over the years while presumably this was occurring, this year the wines just seemed a little different.
We had a cancellation this afternoon so we had only one last appointment for the week, at Oddero. It proved to be fortuitous.
I have long been a fan of the wines of Oddero, and they put on a fabulous tasting, but there has always been a hint of the mysterious here. All the cru Barolo goes through malo in barrique, this was not generally known nor disclosed for several years and while many a fabulous wine has been produced here over the years while presumably this was occurring, this year the wines just seemed a little different.
The fact that the weather was going a bit crazy around us could easily have been an important factor. High pressure, low pressure, all sorts of rapid climatic changes can severely impact the way a wine shows. Today the wines of Oddero showed more oak on the nose than I ever recall them showing and tannins that were fierce. We were treated to a very generous collection of wines that included Barbaresco and Barolo samples from 2013, 2012, the entire line-up from 2011, and a vertical of Vigna Rionda that included 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, and 2001
It's been days since this tasting and as it so happens I've tasted at other wineries during storms that produced hail with oddly similar results. Wines that were disjointed, tannic, and just off. Having said that, some of the Oddero wines did show rather well, in particular the 2006 Vigna Rionda. The samples from 2012 offered fine insight in to those wines as well, with the Rocche seeming to be the strongest of a bunch that might outperform the line-up of 2011.
It's been days since this tasting and as it so happens I've tasted at other wineries during storms that produced hail with oddly similar results. Wines that were disjointed, tannic, and just off. Having said that, some of the Oddero wines did show rather well, in particular the 2006 Vigna Rionda. The samples from 2012 offered fine insight in to those wines as well, with the Rocche seeming to be the strongest of a bunch that might outperform the line-up of 2011.
The 2011s ranged from good to excellent, with my preferred wines being the very classic 2011 Barolo, and the powerful 2011 Rocche. As I mentioned these are tannic wines, which didn't surprise me all too much as I have always though of Oddero as producing some of the most traditional examples of their crus. Wines that can be tough early in life because they are meant to be aged. Just look at the commercial changes made here over the past few year. Vigna Rionda is now a 10 year riserva, the 2006 will be the first example of this late release, and it is a fabulous wine. The Bussia on the other hand is now a 5 year riserva, lagging the release of the other crus by a couple of years.
I look forward to trying these wines again in the not too distant future. I truly believe that the issues presented during this tasting were climatic and the wines are more elegant and better integrated than they showed today. Older Oddero wines have shown that the subtle oak influences, noticeable mostly on the nose, do integrate with time. That is my hope here as well.
I look forward to trying these wines again in the not too distant future. I truly believe that the issues presented during this tasting were climatic and the wines are more elegant and better integrated than they showed today. Older Oddero wines have shown that the subtle oak influences, noticeable mostly on the nose, do integrate with time. That is my hope here as well.
Dinner this evening was at a new spot in Perno: La Republica. The owners were formerly at La Libera in Alba, helping to establish the reputation of that well known and frequented spot. We lucked out with the wine selection, enjoying a fine bottle of Accomasso's 2007 Rocche Riserva. Starting out on the funky, dirty side, as these wines typically do, the wine cleaned up nicely with air gaining, fruit, length, and precision. A very convincing wine and the perfect partner for my tripe!
More to come!
More to come!
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