“Plenty of plum and cherry aromas follow through
to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a good intensity
of ripe fruit on the finish. Long. I like this slightly better that
the 2000. Best after 2008 (JS)” 12-31-05
STEPHEN TANZER’S
INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
“Good medium red. Raspberry, mint, spices, eucalyptus
and a hint of tomato on the nose. Fruitdriven, supple and fairly
dense, in a distinctly approachable style. Good red fruit flavors
complicated by herbs and spices. More intensely flavored than the
2000. There's still a hint of greenness here, but the wine finishes
with sweeter tannins and very good length.”
2001 BAROLO
MARCENASCO CONCA
WINE SPECTATOR
“Some berry and plum character with just a hint of earth.
Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a fruity, straightforward
finish. Very plummy. Best after 2007. (JS)” 2-28-06
STEPHEN TANZER’S
INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
“Good medium red. Very reticent nose hints at mint and raw
wood. Juicy and fruity but tightly wound, with super ripe suggestions
of red berry liqueur juxtaposed with mint and herbal elements. Today
this is tough going and dominated by its firm structure. The finish
features strong tannins that coat the front teeth and dry the aftertaste…”
2001 BAROLO
MARCENASCO ROCCHE
WINE SPECTATOR
“Very ripe fruit aromas here with hints of orange peel and
raisins. Full-bodied, with very ripe tannins and intense fruit and
character. Balanced and very pretty. Consistently outstanding. Best
after 2008.(JS)” 12-31-05
STEPHEN TANZER’S
INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
“Good full red. Subtle aromas of cherry, raspberry, rose petal,
mocha and brown spices, with hints of tar and eucalyptus. Juicy,
bright and sharply delineated, with a powerful underlying spine.
Very fresh, classy Barolo with lovely restrained sweetness; not
at all dominated by its new oak. Less
forthcoming today than the 2000 example, but this is distinctly
more primary. Finishes with firm but rather suave tannins and very
good grip.”
2003
MONFERRATO I CEDRI
WINE SPECTATOR
“A very tasty white, with dried pineapple, apricot and light
vanilla aromas and flavors. mediumbodied, with a fruity palate and
finish. Very pleasant. Drink now.” 2-28-05
STEPHEN TANZER’S
INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR
“A blend of 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% chardonnay aged on
their lees until spring, the sauvignon in tank and the chardonnay
in barrel) Pale gold. Exotic, rather viognier-like aromas of banana,
peach and lichee; very 2003. Then fat, smooth and exotic, showing
more fruit than many white wines from this hot year. Finishes with
decent length.”
Barolo lovers take note - 2001 is the vintage you have been waiting for.
2001 will go down as one of the finest vintages of the last two decades
as the wines offer great depth of fruit, lively acidity and beautiful
structure for aging. Along with 1999 and 1996, it is a great vintage for
Barolo.
I recently returned from the Alba Wines Exhibition where I attended anteprima
(preview) tastings of hundreds of examples of soon-to-be-released bottlings
of Nebbiolo in its various forms from the Lange Hills area of Piemonte.
These included the 2003 offerings of Nebbiolo d'Alba, bottlings of 2002
Roero Rosso as well as 2002 Barbaresco. But the highlight of course was
being able to sample over 100 Barolos from the 2001 vintage. Sixty journalists
from around the world (only three from the United States) attended and
reviewed more than 300 wines for the week.
What makes any vintage great is the weather and 2001 was a beautiful growing
season with warm, but not hot temperatures and proper rainfall. The resulting
wines have greater concentration and power than those from 2000, which
one famous publication deemed as a monumental vintage (the magazine's
initials are WS). This was clearly a reach as the 2000s are very nice
Barolos, especially for earlier consumption, but pale alongside those
from 2001.
Virtually every winemaker of Barolo will tell you that both 2001 and 1999
are superior to 2000. The only argument seems to be which of the two vintages
is better. Pietro Ratti, director of the Renato Ratti estate in La Morra,
told me that both are "great years." He remarks that the wines
from 1999 are more "earthy" in their approach, while the 2001s
are "all about fruit." He added that the 2001s are "great
food wines because of the fruit," and because of that fruit, the
wines "will pair well with many different types of food."
Having sampled over 110 Barolos from the 2001 vintage, I can tell you
I have never awarded so many outstanding (5 star) reviews to a vintage.
What makes this vintage so special is that the special characteristics
of each commune in Barolo emerged in this year's wines. The Barolos from
La Morra are known for their fruit and floral aromatics, while those from
Monforte d'Alba are bigger, more tannic wines that demand more cellaring.
The near perfect growing conditions of 2001 made this possible, which
resulted in so many wonderfully complex and authentic Barolos. This is
in contrast to the wines from 2000, which was a rather hot growing season,
and while that vintage yielded many nicely crafted wines with polished
tannins, the wines on the whole lack the depth of fruit for long-term
aging.
Many of the wines I scored highly were offerings that rank near the top
of most people's lists every year. These included Fontanafredda "La
Rosa," Luciano Sandrone "Cannubi Boschis," Aldo Conterno
"Colonello" and Paolo Scavino "Carobric." Luca Currado
at Vietti crafted two outstanding Barolos in 2001, "Rocche"
from the commune of Castiglione Falletto and "Lazzarito" from
Serralunga d'Alba. Superior bottlings from the commune of La Morra included
Marcarini "La Serra," Renato Ratti "Marcenasco"
and Mauro Molino "Conca."
Barolo and Barbaresco Regions are Blessed
By Ed McCarthy
When
I first started drinking the two great Piedmontese wines, Barolo and Barbaresco,
in the 1970s, I can recall that there were two great vintages, 1971 and
1978, and one pretty good one, 1974. That was about par for the course.
In the 1960s, the 1961 and 1964--especially the '64--were standouts, with
the 1967 pretty good, while only 1958 really stood out in the previous
decade. Much of the 1980s continued the same pattern, with only 1982 and
1985 solid vintages in the 1980-1987 era.
And so, we Piedmontese wine lovers hoarded the great vintages, just
as Bordeaux and Burgundy lovers do, because you never knew when another
good vintage would arrive. The first sign of change occurred in the late
'80s, when Piedmont enjoyed three good vintages in a row: 1988, 1989,
and 1990, with the 1989 being especially long-lived. Old-time Piedmontese
Barolistas (as they are known) were marveling, exclaiming that they never
saw three good vintages one after another in their lifetimes. Can you
imagine what they're saying now, with seven (!) good vintages in a row:
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001!
As much as global warming can be disastrous in some parts of the wine
world, as well as in the rest of the environment (if that is what it is)--hey,
who wants to drink a fat, blowsy Chablis?--the increasingly warm weather
has been somewhat of a blessing in Piedmont. When 2002 proved to be a
washout in Piedmont, I for one was relieved. How many Barolos can I drink,
anyway? 2003 was just too hot in Piedmont, as it was in much of Europe,
but 2004 looks promising (Here we go again!).
But I want to concentrate on the 1995 to 2001 vintages for a moment.
The seven vintages vary in quality and style. For me, the 1996 and 1999,
in that order, are the two truly great Piedmontese vintages of the seven:
classic, full-bodied, long-lived, with great nervosity. The 1998 and 2001
vintages are also very good, but are not as classic nor will they be as
long-lived as '96 and '99--especially the '98. The much ballyhooed 1997
and 2000 vintages are both precocious, particularly the '97s. In other
words, they are drinking well even now, but they will not be great, long-lived
vintages. Their precocity has caused a few wine critics to overrate both
vintages, in my opinion. The 1995 is a good, sturdy vintage, similar to
1988--good, but not great. (We must bear in mind, of course, that all
vintage ratings are just rough guides, at best, and that in the long run,
the individual merit of the wine producer is far more important information
to know than the general merits of the vintage).
Background Information (Skip this section if you know these wines well;
on the other hand, it might be beneficial as a brief refresher course.)
What Barolo and Barbaresco Are: Barolo and Barbaresco are two powerful,
dry red wines from the Piedmont region in Northwest Italy. Both wines
are made 100 percent from an unusual red grape variety, Nebbiolo. Due
to the unique climate and soil in the Langhe foothills of the Alps in
southeast Piedmont, Nebbiolo thrives there. Nebbiolo only grows well in
Piedmont and in a small zone in neighboring Lombardy (the Valtellina).
All other attempts to grow Nebbiolo around the world have been unsuccessful.
The secret of Nebbiolo's success in the Langhe region is at least partially
due to its climate; the area typically has a long, mild fall, when the
vineyards are often covered with the nebbia (fog). The very slow ripening
Nebbiolo grapes need extra-long hang time to fully ripen, with the harvest
usually taking place in mid- or late October, sometimes even November!
The soil in the Langhe foothills has also proven to be remarkably suitable
for Nebbiolo.
Both Barolo and Barbaresco are also unusual red wines because they have
both lots of tannin and acidity. These wines benefit from both aeration
and decanting, which helps to soften their awesome tannins. They are often
not at an optimal drinking stage until at least eight or ten years after
the vintage, and occasionally need even more time in great vintages. They
are difficult to appreciate when consumed on their own, but improve remarkably
when accompanied with food.
Both wines have been granted the highest appellation for Italian wines:
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllada e Garantita), which translates
as "controlled and guaranteed place name." More importantly,
both Barolo and Barbaresco, along with Brunello di Montalcino and a few
Super Tuscan wines, such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia, are considered by
wine critics as the finest wines of Italy and among the great red wines
in the world.
Differences between Barolo and Barbaresco: The two wines have far more
attributes in common than differences. Only the most experienced tasters
can distinguish between the two and then not on every occasion. Barolo
tends to be slightly fuller-bodied than Barbaresco, and usually needs
a couple of years more to develop but exceptions abound, depending upon
the producer. Barbaresco, on the other hand, with fewer producers, is
generally more consistently fine, without the "highs" and "lows"
in quality you can find among Barolo producers.
The growing regions for the two wines are very close: the Barbaresco
zone lies just northeast of the town of Alba, and consists of three villages:
Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso. The Barolo zone lies directly south of Alba,
about 10 miles from Barbaresco. Although 11 villages make up the Barolo
zone, five are important: La Morra, Barolo, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte
d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto.
Barolo is required to be aged a minimum of three years, Barbaresco a minimum
of two years, before being released by the winery. Production of both
wines is quite small: about 2.5 million bottles of Barbaresco are produced
annually, about 35 percent of Barolo's 7 million plus. Compare this to
Bordeaux, which produces about 660 million bottles per year!
Traditional versus Modern Styles: Just as in other wine regions, changes
in technology and winemaking techniques have occurred in Piedmont. Winemakers
such as Angelo Gaja and Elio Altare introduced new techniques such as
shorter fermentation of the must and aging the wine in barriques (small
French barrels). Traditionally minded producers, such as Giacomo Conterno
and Bartolo Mascarello, continued to produce Barolos in basically the
same way their fathers and grandfathers made the wine, while many other
producers have combined modern and traditional methods. Although some
consumers may favor one style more than the other, the good producers
are making good wines no matter what winemaking method they employ.
Serving Temperature: Both Barolos and Barbarescos are at their best
when they are served slightly cool, about 62° to 64° F. Large,
wide-mouthed glasses, such as those used for red Burgundy, are best for
both wines.
Food Pairings: Both Barolo and Barbaresco are excellent with beef, especially
when braised in red wine. Roast pork, rabbit, venison, game birds and
aged hard cheeses are also very good accompaniments with these wines.
At this point, just about all 1996 Barolos and Barbarescos have disappeared
from the market; you might find a few selections on some wine lists in
the better Italian restaurants. You can still buy quite a few 1999s, however;
one of the fortunate consequences of the 2000 vintage receiving so much
attention is that many consumers purchased the 2000s and ignored the '99s.
During the past year, I have tasted 18 '99 Barolos (plus one '98; explained
below). Here are my tasting notes, with the wines listed alphabetically,
and my ratings:
Renato Ratti, Barolo (Piedmont, Italy) "Rocche" 1999
($55): The late Renato Ratti was the first major producer to
make a more "modern" style Barolo by shortening the maceration
time; Ratti firmly believed that Barolos should be less tannic, and drinkable
within six to eight years. Ratti's single-vineyard "Marcenasco"
from La Morra is made in this manner, but "Rocche," a new Barolo
for this producer, is somewhat more firm and fuller-bodied. Nevertheless,
the '99 Rocche is quite delicious now, and well balanced. Drink over the
next three or four years. 92
Good full red. Subtle aromas of cherry, raspberry,
rose petal, mocha and brown spices, with hints of tar and eucalyptus.
Juicy, bright and sharply delineated, with a powerful underlying
spine. Very fresh, classy Barolo with lovely restrained sweetness;
not at all dominated by its new oak. Less forthcoming today than
the 2000 example, but this is distinctly more primary. Finishes
with firm but rather suave tannins and very good grip. 91(+?) points
2001 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco
(the 2001 Barolos were bottled in July of 2004)
Good medium red. Raspberry, mint, spices, eucalyptus and a hint
of tomato on the nose. Fruit-driven, supple and fairly dense, in
a distinctly approachable style. Good red fruit flavors complicated
by herbs and spices. More intensely flavored than the 2000. There's
still a hint of greenness here, but the wine finishes with sweeter
tannins and very good length. 88 points
