Manzoni, Fratelli
Freisa and dolcetto do one or two months in oak. All big botte,
Barbera does 18 months
Barolo does three years,
All fermentation use selected yeast, he is seemingly enamored with lab practices, needs to perhaps take a few more risks, a product of the agricultural revolution
Still, these are solid wines with typical flavors in a clean, traditional style
Nomacork for Freisa and Dolcetto
2015 Fratelli Manzone Freisa 13%
Nice color showing a bit of evolution. Briary and spicy on the nose with floral and gamy accent notes. A touch rich up front, nice and vinous with a full complement of blue and red currant fruit. Classic Freisa tannins lends this rusticity, there's tons of fruit here, lovely and almost gentle with a juicy quality and good length. A lusty medium bodied wine, with fruit and really fairly well packed with savory flavors, good length, nothing wrong here. 88pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Dolcetto d'Alba 13.5%
Very dark color. Earthy on the nose with rich aromas of African violet, a bit spicy a bit floral and quite pretty with a bitter almond top note. . Smooth, really quite silky in the mouth with a juicy quality to the very pretty slightly purple plummy fruit. This lacks a bit of inner mouth perfume but is really very pleasant; well balanced, easy drinking in style with a bit of fat on the plate, and fairly significant tannins for Dolcetto tannins on the long slightly rich finish, which shows the classic slightly bitter almond note on the finale. A bit bigger than I would prefer but this is again quite nice, people would love this. 87pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Barbera d’Alba 15%
Actually 15.8%
Deep ruby color. Dark on the nose and oily with a nice blend of old wood aromas, spicy fruit and brambly tones that hint at a little baked blackberry, blackberry pie. A touch thick in the mouth powerful, round and intense with lots of green herbal and floral accent notes. Rich yet fresh, and this holds its formidable alcohol very well, the alcohol lending this a sweetness. A bit short on the finish, but chewy, intense, and deep, this is a touch clumsy but people should love this if they are looking for a big wine from Piedmont. 87pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Nebbiolo d’Alba 14%
10 months in wood
Lovely notes of sweet jammy red cherry and wild berry fruit with rosehip and red peppercorn highlights on the nose. This shows lovely fruit, a moderately elegant impression in the mouth with impressive depth and a subtle roundness and good length. Tannins are well judged, this lacks some of the depth of the best examples but like the full lineup this is satisfying and complete. 87pts
2012 Fratelli Manzone Barolo Bricco San Pietro Fraschin 14.5%
Very fragrant and intense with smoky and tarry laced fruit, with a spicy note here over a fine herbal base, which seems to be a terroir signature, and plenty of dark, musky fruit. Supple and broad in the mouth with fine brightness, transparency, and juicy with flavors a little compressed in the mouth, though supported by assertive acidity. Very good length and mouth cleansing in style, this is almost ready, showing off pretty red cherry fruit on the palate with tannins are surprisingly ripe. It's a medium big wine, but juicy and old school in a good, accessible way and is really is long with great fruit persistence. 91pts
2013 Fratelli Manzone Barolo Bricco San Pietro Fraschin 14.5%
More nuanced and restrained on the nose with more rose petals and rose hip character laid over a smoky and earthy base with fresh herbs on the nose. Tight, denser but lighter in the mouth than the 2012, with lovely slightly herbal toned flavors on the midpalate layered over fine soil tones. These tannins are fine grained lending this classical detail and structure that is very much in harmony with its size and that recalls the texture of 2010 Barolo very much. Has a bright future but is less ready than the 2012 today with a lovely nuance of old wood adding complexity, to the long finish. 92pts
Barbera does 18 months
Barolo does three years,
All fermentation use selected yeast, he is seemingly enamored with lab practices, needs to perhaps take a few more risks, a product of the agricultural revolution
Still, these are solid wines with typical flavors in a clean, traditional style
Nomacork for Freisa and Dolcetto
2015 Fratelli Manzone Freisa 13%
Nice color showing a bit of evolution. Briary and spicy on the nose with floral and gamy accent notes. A touch rich up front, nice and vinous with a full complement of blue and red currant fruit. Classic Freisa tannins lends this rusticity, there's tons of fruit here, lovely and almost gentle with a juicy quality and good length. A lusty medium bodied wine, with fruit and really fairly well packed with savory flavors, good length, nothing wrong here. 88pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Dolcetto d'Alba 13.5%
Very dark color. Earthy on the nose with rich aromas of African violet, a bit spicy a bit floral and quite pretty with a bitter almond top note. . Smooth, really quite silky in the mouth with a juicy quality to the very pretty slightly purple plummy fruit. This lacks a bit of inner mouth perfume but is really very pleasant; well balanced, easy drinking in style with a bit of fat on the plate, and fairly significant tannins for Dolcetto tannins on the long slightly rich finish, which shows the classic slightly bitter almond note on the finale. A bit bigger than I would prefer but this is again quite nice, people would love this. 87pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Barbera d’Alba 15%
Actually 15.8%
Deep ruby color. Dark on the nose and oily with a nice blend of old wood aromas, spicy fruit and brambly tones that hint at a little baked blackberry, blackberry pie. A touch thick in the mouth powerful, round and intense with lots of green herbal and floral accent notes. Rich yet fresh, and this holds its formidable alcohol very well, the alcohol lending this a sweetness. A bit short on the finish, but chewy, intense, and deep, this is a touch clumsy but people should love this if they are looking for a big wine from Piedmont. 87pts
2015 Fratelli Manzone Nebbiolo d’Alba 14%
10 months in wood
Lovely notes of sweet jammy red cherry and wild berry fruit with rosehip and red peppercorn highlights on the nose. This shows lovely fruit, a moderately elegant impression in the mouth with impressive depth and a subtle roundness and good length. Tannins are well judged, this lacks some of the depth of the best examples but like the full lineup this is satisfying and complete. 87pts
2012 Fratelli Manzone Barolo Bricco San Pietro Fraschin 14.5%
Very fragrant and intense with smoky and tarry laced fruit, with a spicy note here over a fine herbal base, which seems to be a terroir signature, and plenty of dark, musky fruit. Supple and broad in the mouth with fine brightness, transparency, and juicy with flavors a little compressed in the mouth, though supported by assertive acidity. Very good length and mouth cleansing in style, this is almost ready, showing off pretty red cherry fruit on the palate with tannins are surprisingly ripe. It's a medium big wine, but juicy and old school in a good, accessible way and is really is long with great fruit persistence. 91pts
2013 Fratelli Manzone Barolo Bricco San Pietro Fraschin 14.5%
More nuanced and restrained on the nose with more rose petals and rose hip character laid over a smoky and earthy base with fresh herbs on the nose. Tight, denser but lighter in the mouth than the 2012, with lovely slightly herbal toned flavors on the midpalate layered over fine soil tones. These tannins are fine grained lending this classical detail and structure that is very much in harmony with its size and that recalls the texture of 2010 Barolo very much. Has a bright future but is less ready than the 2012 today with a lovely nuance of old wood adding complexity, to the long finish. 92pts