2001 in the Langhe 10 years on

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Linda Neal
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1 2001 in the Langhe 10 years on 27 Jun 2011 by Walter Speller The afternoons during Nebbiolo Prima, after the the blind tastings held in the mornings (see Nebbiolo week - a guide for links to all the tasting notes and related articles), are reserved for producer visits and general overviews. On the first afternoon of what proved to be a very intense week, Roero, Barbaresco and Barolo producers had assembled to present to press and buyers a fair chunk of their recent releases, including Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo. One regular feature of this tasting is that each producer also brings along a 10-year-old wine to show evolution and potential. Last year this was 2000, but this year we were especially spoilt by the producers, who showed their 2001s. The event lasted only three hours, and with this time pressure I gave up on all courtesy, forsaking all other wines except the 2001s (and the occasional 2000 and 1998), and rushed through the event. Even so, half an hour before the tasting was officially over, some bottles (notably Mario Marengo's), were already empty. The 2001 vintage The winter preceding the 2001 vintage was characterised by abundant rainfall, replenishing water reserves. This extra water supply, in combination with higher than average temperatures during the spring, led to advanced budding, which, exceptionally, was set evenly along the entire cane (Nebbiolo's notorious genetic defect is that the first two or three buds are infertile, although new clonal material may have overcome this). Spring was unusually dry, with a sharp drop in temperatures as low as -5 ºC on 15 April, followed by violent local hailstorms, particularly in the commune of Treiso. May saw above average high temperatures allowing for fast growth, and a very even and swift flowering took place in the last week of that month. The following months proved to be dry and warm but, owing to the plentiful winter rain, water shortage was never an issue. August and the first week of September were very hot, speeding up fruit maturity. Thereafter, much cooler weather set in with some rain, slowing down ripening to a more even pace, even delaying the harvest by several days compared with The low temperatures and good water reserves meant that the decelerated ripening resulted in perfectly healthy grapes with very good extract and acidity and ripe polyphenols but without an excess of sugar so typical of very warm vintages. This was more than evident in the 2001 Barolos I tasted, which showed on average 14%, and several even lower, at 13.5%. It would be a bit reckless to claim that one actually can clearly perceive the difference between 14% and 14.5% (the latter being the normal level of alcohol in Barolo and Barbaresco) but what became abundantly clear during the tasting of the 2001s is their near-perfect balance. Although extremely attractive to drink now, many of them have only just started to reach their maturity plateau, and will stay there for quite some time. I also base this conclusion on the fact that the classic tertiary aromas of mature Nebbiolo, often described as 'tar and roses', were still to emerge from most of the wines. It must be extremely satisfying for any Barolo and Barbaresco lover to know that he or she can actually afford the very best the region has to offer without breaking the bank. Now go and buy (if you can

2 still find some). Wines are listed by appelation, then by commune within Barbaresco and Barolo. The commune is also given at the start of each description ROERO Giovanni Almondo, Bric Valdiana 2001 Roero 16.5 Drink Montà. Mature-looking medium ruby. Fine cherry nose and hints of spice and undergrowth. Cherry fruit and orange peel. Elegant, concentrated fruit and grippy tannin. Closes up on the finish. Still lots of freshness. (WS) 13.5% Chicco, Valmaggiore 2001 Roero 17 Drink Vezza d'alba. Still youthful-looking ruby of medium concentration. At first earthy and sweet, and oak. Very youthful on the palate too. A good mouthful of fruit with crunchy tannins. Totally convincing. (WS) 14% Matteo Correggia, Ròche d'ampsej Riserva 2001 Roero 16.5 Drink Canale. Medium ruby with brickstone. Spice, sour cherry and hints of cocoa and touch of leather. Good freshness and structure. (WS) 14.5% Deltetto, Braja Superiore 2001 Roero 15.5 Drink Concentrated ruby with orange tinge. Nutty, mature nose. Mature, succulent fruit with a stalky tannic core. Ends a tad bitter, but good length. (WS) 14% Malvirà, Trinità Superiore 2001 Roero 17 Drink Canale. Remarkably youthful ruby, with the beginning of orange. Ripe fruit and dried cherry and undergrowth. Complex with impressive balance. Elegant as well as muscular. (WS) 13.5% Monchiero Carbone, Printi Riserva 2001 Roero 15.5 Drink Mature bordeaux ruby. Evident oak, but still pretty nose. Full bodied, nutty dark fruit with stalky tannin. Elegant weight, but fiercely tannic. (WS) 14% Angelo Negro e Figli, Sudisfà 2001 Roero 16 Drink Monteu Roero. Pale, mature ruby. Reluctant nose. Shows concentration on the palate but tannin is quite demanding (WS) 14.5% Maurizio Ponchione, Monfrini 2001 Roero 15 Drink Govone. Ripe, sweet fruit cake and cherry. Seems quite developed, with a touch of baked apple, but not stale. Chocolate and cherry with good acidity and stalky tannin. Seems at its peak. (WS) 13.5% Taliano Michele, Ròche dra Bòssora Superiore 2001 Roero 17.5 Drink Montà. Surprisingly closed on the nose with only hints of tar. Understated, minerally fruit on the palate with mouthfilling dense tannin. Very attractive and tactile finish. (WS)

3 2001 BARBARESCO TREISO Orlando Abrigo, Montersino 2001 Barbaresco 17 Drink Treiso. Pretty mature looking palish ruby. Fine and perfumed, becoming more opulent and sweet with aeration. Lovely mouthfeel with bitter-sweet tannin. Potent without being rustic. (WS) 14% Casetta, Riserva 2001 Barbaresco 15.5 Drink Treiso. Pale-looking mature ruby. Cherry and orange palate. Quite elegant if not the most complex. Slightly bitter tannin, but pleasant, nonetheless. (WS) 13.5% Fratelli Grasso, Bricco Spessa 2001 Barbaresco 15.5 Drink Treiso. Pale ruby. Quite modern, if mature, nose with nutty, tarry undertones. Sweet and generous palate and with potential for further ageing, it seems. Bitter tannin. Honest. (WS) Fratelli Grasso, Sori Valgrande 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink Treiso. Pale ruby. Herbal nose and hints of exotic spices. Shows dark fruit with aeration. Compact fruit palate on the attack, but richly fruity finish, buffering the tannic structure. An altogether richer, more balanced wine than the 2001 Bricco Spessa. (WS) Nada Fiorenzo, Rombone 2001 Barbaresco 16.5 Drink Treiso. Modern style with oak notes, black forest cake and prune. Succulent. (WS) 14% Rizzi, Boito 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink Treiso. Pale. Pinot Noir-like ruby with orange rim. Balsamic and complex but nose slow to emerge. Waves of rich, coating tannin. Ends a touch bitter but certainly not unpleasant. Deserves food! (WS) 14% NEIVE Marco e Vittorio Adriano, Basarin 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink ? Neive. Mature pale-looking ruby with broad rim. Mature nose showing tar and cherry, undergrowth, pumpernickel. Rich, full-bodied attack, but much more elegant on the finish with powdery tannin. (WS) 14% Dante Rivetti, Bricco Riserva 2001 Barbaresco 17.5 Drink Neive. From 50-year-old vines. Light, elegant style with freshness, persistent and well-balanced tannin. Classy. (WS) 14% Domenico Filippino, Sorì Capelli 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink Neive. Medium ruby with broad orange rim. Developed sweet but minerally nose. Generous, supple fruit on the palate with powerful but not overpowering tannin. Rustic, but satisfying. (WS) Punset, Campo Quadro 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink

4 Neive. Still quite youthful looking wine, but on the nose much more developed with undergrowth and mushrooms. A tad dusty and nutty too. Rich fruit attack with snappy acidity and concentrated finish. 14% (WS) Rivetti Massimo, Serraboella Riserva 2001 Barbaresco 17.5 Drink Neive. A wine apparently only produced in the best vintages. Pale ruby. Intense, sweet cherry and strawberry nose. Very pretty, chunky tannin to match. Real breed. (WS) 14% BARBARESCO Albino Rocca, Loreto 2001 Barbaresco 16.5 Drink Barbaresco. Ruby with brickstone. Seems reductive at first. Cherry and hints of dried fruit. Palate is generously fruity with tarry notes, integrated acidity and crunchy, tannic finish. (WS) 14.5 % La Spinona di Berutti Pietro, Bricco Faset Riserva 2001 Barbaresco 15.5 Drink Barbaresco. Medium ruby with broad orange rim. Deeveloped nose with hints of spice and mushroom and dried fruit. Quite light textured palate with grippy tannin. Perhaps the structure needs a litle more fruit concentration? (WS) 13.5% Moccagatta, Bric Balin 2001 Barbaresco 17 Drink Barbaresco. Bright, orange ruby. Forest floor and hazelnuts at first. Savoury. On the palate an abundance of concentrated fruit, matched by compact tannin. Very good. (WS) 14.5% Cantina Sociale dei Produttori del Barbaresco, Monte Stefano Riserva 2001 Barbaresco 17 Drink Barbaresco. Mature, orange ruby. Savoury and meaty at first. Concentrated and sweet on the palate with bags of ripe tannin, but strikes a great balance with the fruit. Still lots of potential. Built for eternity? (WS) 14% Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy, Gaiun Martinenga 2001 Barbaresco 17.5 Drink Barbaresco. Pale, developed ruby with brickstone rim. Pefumed and fine nose with spicy oak nose. Enormous on the palate, while slow to open up. Savoury, tannic feel and well balanced oak. Very good. (WS) 14% ALBA Taliano Michele, Ad Altiora 2001 Barbaresco 16 Drink Alba. Concentrated, mature ruby. Hung game with sweet undertones, gingerbread. Hedonistic cherry on the palate. (WS) 14%

5 2001 BAROLO NOVELLO Marziano Abbona, Telo Ravera 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drink Novello. Concentrated, orange-tinged ruby. Cherry fruit and orange peel on the nose and hints of new oak. Modern but stylish. Generous, full bodied and quite supple on the palate with good acidity levels. Crowd pleaser. (WS) 14% VERDUNO Fratelli Alessandria, San Lorenzo 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drink Verduno. Very pale ruby. Soft, warm nose with oxidative hints and cherry pie. Lightbodied feel on the palate. Elegant, quite developed. But with backbone. (WS) 14% Castello di Verduno, Massara 2001 Barolo 15.5 Drink Verduno. Pale, orange ruby. Very traditional, dried-fruit nose and hints of oxidation, but succulent, concentrated fruit on the palate. (WS) 14% LA MORRA Aurelio Settimo, Rocche 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drink La Morra. Poured from magnum. Deep ruby with orange rim. Understated cherry nose. Lively palate with ripe, grainy tannins. Quite round with integrated acidity. (WS) 14% Bosco Agostino, Vecchie Vigne 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink La Morra. Last vintage of these old vines, as after the 2001 vintage the vineyard was grubbed up and replanted. Seems lunacy. Medium ruby with broad orange rim. Quite powerful, sweet and concentrated, and has only just begun its evolution. Long and dense and mouthfilling. Looks like there is much more to come. (WS) 14% Ceretto, Bricco Rocche Brunate 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink La Morra. This wine was aged for 30 months in barrique, of which 50% new, but the estate recently denounced their barriques in favour of large oak vats and a more 'traditional' way of working, Federico Ceretto told me when tasting this Very pale ruby. Firm, minerally nose with new oak notes evident. Well balanced, though, and very well integrated. Elegant and succulent with lovely coating tannin. (WS) 14.5% Ciabot Berton, Riserva 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drink La Morra. Poured from magnum. Pale ruby with brickstone rim. Sweet and developed with dried and candied fruit and mostarda. Lots of concentration and balance on the palate, though. Perhaps not the most complex or refined, but certainly very long. (WS) Cordero di Montezemolo, Monfalletto 2001 Barolo 16 Drink La Morra. A blend of all of the estate's vineyards. Medium ruby with orange rim. Very

6 round, almost lifted, amarene cherry. Finely structured and surprisingly easy going. (WS) 14% Oreste Stroppiano, Vigna San Giacomo 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drink La Morra. This wine is aged one year in barrique, followed by a second year in large oak cask. Mature-looking ruby. Quite sweet and youthful in its concentration. Little development. (WS) 14% Mauro Veglio 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink La Morra-Castelletto. The wine is neither filtered nor fined. Viticulture follows organic guidelines, but is not certified. Mature-looking, medium ruby. Quite subdued nose and minerally, sweet strawberry palate with gritty tannin. Still amazingly young and fresh. (WS) MONFORTE D'ALBA Barale, Bussia 2001 Barolo 17 Drink Monforte d'alba. Poured from magnum. Youthful ruby with almost no sign of age. On the palate very much the reverse, with traditional dried fruit impressions. Lots of character, though. Powdery tannin and impressive length. (WS) 14% BAROLO Serio e Battista Borgogno, Cannubi Riserva 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink Barolo. Youthful medium ruby. Hugely seductive cherry and cherry liqueur. Bags of sweet fruit on the palate too and with the right dose of acidity. Crowd pleasing but with real interest and still lots of potential. Worthy of the cru. (WS)14% Giacomo Borgogno, Riserva 1998 Barolo 15.5 Drink Barolo, and a blend of Liste, Cannubi and Fossati. Palest ruby. Earthy, minerally, almost iodine. Earthy fruit is slightly spoiled by a dusty, almost musty note. What a shame. (WS) 13.5% Brezza, Bricco Sarmassa 2001 Barolo 18 Drink Barolo. Poured from magnum. Youthful, compact and reluctant but with a hugely concentrated fruit palate and without being heavy or rustic. (WS) 14.5% Bric Cenciurio, Costa di Rose 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink Barolo. Poured from magnum. Medium ruby with the beginning of orange tinge. Nose shows signs of maturity but with lots of depth. Earthy. Ripe, tannic grip on a voluptuous finish. Great balance. (WS) 14% Damilano, Liste Riserva 2001 Barolo 16 Drink Barolo. Surprisingly deep ruby for its age. Quite subtle, savoury. Richer and more developed on the palate. Not the most refined, but lots and lots of length. Enjoyable. (WS) 14% Le Strette, Bergeisa 2000 Barolo 15 Drink Barolo. Balsamic and herbal with oxo-cube note. Very sweet and almost New World

7 like. (WS) 14% Bartolo Mascarello 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink Barolo and La Morra. Pale ruby with broad rim. Held-back nose, noble and perfumed, with near perfect balance between concentration and crunchy cherry fruit and integrated acidity. Morish. (WS) Giuseppe Rinaldi, Brunate Le Coste 2001 Barolo 17 Drink Barolo. Medium ruby with brickstone rim. Traditional but with succulence and lightness and with a gentle structure. (WS) 14% G D Vajra, Bricco delle Viole 2001 Barolo 18 Drink Barolo. Palish ruby with broad brickstone rim. Heady, almost prefumed. Perfectly built and balanced and succulent and with near perfect, coating tannin. (WS) CASTIGLIONE FALLETO Fratelli Cavallotto, Vignolo Riserva 2001 Barolo 16.5 Drnk Castiglione Falletto. Bright mature ruby with broad orange tinged rim. Initially slow to open up. Youthful on the palate. Slow burner but with a juicy, rich finish. (WS) 14.5% Fratelli Cavallotto, Bricco Boschis Vinga San Giuseppe 2001 Barolo 17.5 Drink Castiglione Falletto. Pale ruby. No unlike the estate's Vignolo 2001, but definitely a big step up, with concentrated fruit and extremely well knit and balanced. Impressive. (WS) 14.5% Cascina Fontana 2001 Barolo 15.5 Drink Castiglione Falletto. Some orange tinges, but otherwise youthful-looking wine. Savoury and meaty and ever so slightly medicinal, with hints of stewed fruit. Richly fruity on the finish, though. (WS) 14% Giuseppe Mascarello, Monprivato 2001 Barolo 18 Drink Castiglione Falletto. Very pale ruby. Very fine raspberry and kitchen-spice nose, garden herbs too. White chocolate hints. Beautifully poised and light of touch. (WS) 14% SERRALUNGA D'ALBA Fontanafredda, La Rosa 2001 Barolo 16 Drink Serralunga d'alba. Dark, medium-concentrated ruby. Subdued nose with notes of leather. Crowd-pleasing sweetnes but strikes a surprising balance with very polished tannins and good levels of acidity, which save it from banality. (WS) 14% Ettore Germano, Cerretta 2001 Barolo 18 Drink Serralunga d'alba. Serious, peppery and minerally nose. Compact palate with enormous concentration, all beautifully framed by polished tannin. Hints of rose petal on the finish. (WS) 14.5%

8 Massolino, Vigna Rionda X Anni Riserva 2001 Barolo Drink Serralunga d'alba. Very pale ruby. Fragrant and succulent with elegant tannin and almost Pinot Noir-like gentleness. (WS) Tags: Piemonte, Nebbiolo, Barolo, Barbaresco

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