Cordero di Montezemolo
I am most familiar with the Cordero di Montezemolo wines produced in the 1970s and 1980s when they were still free of the influence of new oak and offered, and continue to offer, a wonderful expression of the open knit nature of La Morra Barolo at affordable prices. I had somewhat dismissed the wines in the 1990s and earlier part of this century as simply modern and a little boring, save perhaps for the Enrico VI, which has continued to be an attractive option in Villero. So I must say that I am pleased not only with my habit of returning periodically to producers I think that I don’t like, but also in this line-up of wines which has proven me wrong. Perhaps there has been a recent jump in quality here, though I am told that little has recently changed in the farming and winemaking protocol. For whatever reason I was very happily surprised by the wines here. Really quite wonderful, if not for the oak averse. I may not be happy with the prices, but the wines will appeal to a certain palate and are terrific options for those consumers.
2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
Planted Arneis in La Morra in 1986
Bottled in middle of February, on lees until then
Smoky, floral and fresh on the nose with spicy toned yellow fruit. This is rich but not with the fat that one might usually associate with Arneis. Clean, nice mineral finish, rich fruit, just the merest suggestion of sweetness. A lovely wine with bright character, edgy and ripe fruit. 86pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Elioro Chardonnay
Chardonnay, all barrique, one third new
Battonage once a week, in barrel for 9-10 months, then the same in bottle
Creamy barrel fermented nose shows off smoky, dried floral, and rich fruit aromas on the nose with a slight tropical note. In the mouth this shows fine balance, good acids, there's some sweetness her from the wood but plenty of acid as well to maintain the freshness and balance, good length. Pleasantly there's no real fat here, nice mineral note, really elegance tense and fine chardonnay with good length. 89pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo
All SS, malo in very old barriques, 7-8 passage or one or two botte
In last 7-8 years they changed strategy for this, was some Roero fruit and some lesser areas around barolo, now they do an earlier harvest of the young vines 10-12 years old, second harvest for Barolo can be the next day or two weeks later, more delicate fermentation, a few degrees less than with Barolo, less pumping over, instead of a week, maybe six days,
Shows some wood on the nose, lovely sandalwood and rose petal notes laid over a core of intense, spicy, red fruit that has a slightly exotic citrus cast to it. Round and supple in the mouth with soft tannins and a juicy feel. This still has quite the core of fruit and great balance, though it is quite young, certainly drinkable, but this could use a bit of time in the bottle, say another year as it gains sweetness on the finish, which shows good length. 88pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Dolcetto d’Alba 13.5%
Only SS
Classic spicy nose of flowers, crushed berry fruit, crushed black raspberry, this smells mouthwatering. Fresh, if a touch fleshy in the mouth with a juicy feel, if a bit simple but quite well done, with lots of not exaggerated fresh fruit that lends this a sweet Character though it's not sweet. A fair bit of tannin emerges on the finish, which shows good length, not heavy but with a certain density and palate staining feel, the nose though is really terrific, needs some food, this would be hugely popular, great mass market appeal in a very typical product. 89pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Barbera d’Alba
Blend of all the little plots, 6-7 in a mix of woods
Black fruited on the nose, sweet black plum, which is gently wrapped in a fine nuanced sheen of oak Clean and linear on entry then gaining some fat in the mouth and through the midpalate with a hint of wood spice lending a touch of complexity, finishes a little on the sweeter side from the wood. A touch short, a touch four square but inarguably well made 85pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalleto
Definitely shows the influence of oak but there's an underlying sweetness of fruit here, black fruit, milk chocolate, a hint of jellied fruit candy and a touch of peppery spice round out the aromatics. Big yet elegant, wood tannin on the palate but this doesn't taste of wood, instead one finds slightly spicy, dark cherry fruit with a slightly vaory edge, a hint of nuttiness perhaps. Texturally there’s actually a lovely core of austerity here, good length,and a lovely finish with those gently austere tannins, not weighty, fairly transparent, with great balance. 89pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Gattera
Was a small triangle to the north of the winery, now a bit more from all the older vines of Gattera, only 50hl barrels to add a little more complexity
Here there is more pronounced cedary aromas on the nose, very floral, lots of cherry jubilee fruit here. On the palate this is soft, dense, and a touch flannely, though it remains bright in the mouth with darker cherry fruit, more tannin than the Monfalletto but it feels like fruit tannin. This is also a spicier wine with more of a ripe herb minty note on the palate and real persistence to the fruit. 91pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI
The oak here is also obvious but there is so much going on underneath with bright yet super ripe fruit. In the mouth this is so well knit together, showing very fine balance and tension in the mouth, with hints of ripe herbs and a suggestion of tomato leaf on the palate supported by precise fine grained tannins, and a nice more impactful expression of clay here on the finish, This is going to turn off some of the purists but this is a solid player at this level, more iron fist than the more opulent and softer Gattera, which has a bigger tannin impact, this is more austere, more regal, more Castiglione with solid length on the finish. 92pts
Two bottle samples of the 2014 vintage
2014 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Gattera
Very fresh, big watermelon rind aromas, hints of underbrush, dried herbs, smoky, elegant, so fine and silky on the palate, transparent and juicy with great. balance, There's a fine red fruit note here that runs through this, 87-90
2014 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI
So floral with an overlay of pencil shavings, cranberries and boysenberries battle on the nose, tense, such transparency, great detail in the mouth, great crystal clear finish, this is just so precise. 90-92
2016. The worst hail they recall here on the property, 23 of July
2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
Planted Arneis in La Morra in 1986
Bottled in middle of February, on lees until then
Smoky, floral and fresh on the nose with spicy toned yellow fruit. This is rich but not with the fat that one might usually associate with Arneis. Clean, nice mineral finish, rich fruit, just the merest suggestion of sweetness. A lovely wine with bright character, edgy and ripe fruit. 86pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Elioro Chardonnay
Chardonnay, all barrique, one third new
Battonage once a week, in barrel for 9-10 months, then the same in bottle
Creamy barrel fermented nose shows off smoky, dried floral, and rich fruit aromas on the nose with a slight tropical note. In the mouth this shows fine balance, good acids, there's some sweetness her from the wood but plenty of acid as well to maintain the freshness and balance, good length. Pleasantly there's no real fat here, nice mineral note, really elegance tense and fine chardonnay with good length. 89pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Langhe Nebbiolo
All SS, malo in very old barriques, 7-8 passage or one or two botte
In last 7-8 years they changed strategy for this, was some Roero fruit and some lesser areas around barolo, now they do an earlier harvest of the young vines 10-12 years old, second harvest for Barolo can be the next day or two weeks later, more delicate fermentation, a few degrees less than with Barolo, less pumping over, instead of a week, maybe six days,
Shows some wood on the nose, lovely sandalwood and rose petal notes laid over a core of intense, spicy, red fruit that has a slightly exotic citrus cast to it. Round and supple in the mouth with soft tannins and a juicy feel. This still has quite the core of fruit and great balance, though it is quite young, certainly drinkable, but this could use a bit of time in the bottle, say another year as it gains sweetness on the finish, which shows good length. 88pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Dolcetto d’Alba 13.5%
Only SS
Classic spicy nose of flowers, crushed berry fruit, crushed black raspberry, this smells mouthwatering. Fresh, if a touch fleshy in the mouth with a juicy feel, if a bit simple but quite well done, with lots of not exaggerated fresh fruit that lends this a sweet Character though it's not sweet. A fair bit of tannin emerges on the finish, which shows good length, not heavy but with a certain density and palate staining feel, the nose though is really terrific, needs some food, this would be hugely popular, great mass market appeal in a very typical product. 89pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Barbera d’Alba
Blend of all the little plots, 6-7 in a mix of woods
Black fruited on the nose, sweet black plum, which is gently wrapped in a fine nuanced sheen of oak Clean and linear on entry then gaining some fat in the mouth and through the midpalate with a hint of wood spice lending a touch of complexity, finishes a little on the sweeter side from the wood. A touch short, a touch four square but inarguably well made 85pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalleto
Definitely shows the influence of oak but there's an underlying sweetness of fruit here, black fruit, milk chocolate, a hint of jellied fruit candy and a touch of peppery spice round out the aromatics. Big yet elegant, wood tannin on the palate but this doesn't taste of wood, instead one finds slightly spicy, dark cherry fruit with a slightly vaory edge, a hint of nuttiness perhaps. Texturally there’s actually a lovely core of austerity here, good length,and a lovely finish with those gently austere tannins, not weighty, fairly transparent, with great balance. 89pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Gattera
Was a small triangle to the north of the winery, now a bit more from all the older vines of Gattera, only 50hl barrels to add a little more complexity
Here there is more pronounced cedary aromas on the nose, very floral, lots of cherry jubilee fruit here. On the palate this is soft, dense, and a touch flannely, though it remains bright in the mouth with darker cherry fruit, more tannin than the Monfalletto but it feels like fruit tannin. This is also a spicier wine with more of a ripe herb minty note on the palate and real persistence to the fruit. 91pts
2013 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI
The oak here is also obvious but there is so much going on underneath with bright yet super ripe fruit. In the mouth this is so well knit together, showing very fine balance and tension in the mouth, with hints of ripe herbs and a suggestion of tomato leaf on the palate supported by precise fine grained tannins, and a nice more impactful expression of clay here on the finish, This is going to turn off some of the purists but this is a solid player at this level, more iron fist than the more opulent and softer Gattera, which has a bigger tannin impact, this is more austere, more regal, more Castiglione with solid length on the finish. 92pts
Two bottle samples of the 2014 vintage
2014 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Gattera
Very fresh, big watermelon rind aromas, hints of underbrush, dried herbs, smoky, elegant, so fine and silky on the palate, transparent and juicy with great. balance, There's a fine red fruit note here that runs through this, 87-90
2014 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI
So floral with an overlay of pencil shavings, cranberries and boysenberries battle on the nose, tense, such transparency, great detail in the mouth, great crystal clear finish, this is just so precise. 90-92
2016. The worst hail they recall here on the property, 23 of July