Wine & Spirits - December 2013 - (Page 88)

YEAR'S BEST BAROLO & BARBARESCO Our blind panels tasted 117 new-release wines from Barolo and Barbaresco over the past 12 months. Joshua Greene, our critic for Piedmont wines, rated 34 as exceptional (90+) and 24 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. BA RO LO 191339 94 | Elvio Cogno $100 2006 Barolo Riserva Vigna Elena ^ Valter Fissore farms this 2.5-acre block of the rosé clone of nebbiolo, fermenting it without added yeast and aging it in large-format old oak. My notes from the blind tasting are concise: "It tastes like the real thing; an old-fashioned Barolo, youthful and closed; an arrogant Piemontese splash of flavor that coats the mouth and lasts." This captures the fog in its supple texture, perhaps the only concession to contemporary taste. If you're not yet familiar with the wines of Elvio Cogno, this is a great place to start. If you are, this one is not to be missed. § Elvio Cogno, Sausalito, CA 192738 94 | Damilano $178/Magnum 2008 Barolo Cerequio ^ Rather than taking La Morra's tannins in a chocolate direction with heavy new oak, this wine allows the silkiness of the tannins to follow a tight, mineral line. Those tannins build into the kind of lean, masculine power that makes it feel classical. For now the fruit is hidden behind the structure; it tastes fresh, with an impression of seashells and, yes, hints of cocoa. Built to evolve for ten years or more in the cellar. (Tasted out of magnum.) § Vias Imports, NY aged for seven years prior to release. Their 2006 is confident, with precision in the tannins that contrasts fresh fruit and warm earth tones. That tension creates dynamic energy that drives a long, spicy finish. This should age for a decade or more before reaching full maturity. § Vignaioli Selection, NY 192670 94 | Sandrone $165 2009 Barolo Cannubi Boschis ^ Sandrone owns 4.7 acres in Cannubi Boschis, a southsoutheast-facing bowl that catches the morning sun near the northern end of the Cannubi cru. The terroir allowed for the optimal expression of Sandrone's style, a supple, modern wine with powerful mineral tension underneath. This is dressed for a night on the town, with creamy black tannins and anise galore. Rather than feeling pushed, it feels balanced, the richness tightly framed by spice and lasting earthy blackness. Built for the cellar. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY 192435 94 | Pianpolvere Soprano $146 2006 Barolo Riserva Bussia ^ The Migliorini family, of Rocche dei Manzoni, purchased this property in 1998, including a single 15-acre block of nebbiolo facing south-southwest at 1,300 feet. They have continued the winery's tradition of producing a single wine WINE & SPIRITS DECEMBER 2013 $65 93 | Brandini 192887 94 | Sordo 93 | Parusso $85 93 | Pecchenino $76 2005 Barolo Riserva ^ A dark, earthy riserva, this wine's generous red fruit is balanced by equally generous, ironbound tannins. The tannins keep everything tightly enclosed for now, giving this the feel of a Barolo far from maturity, though the wine's sophistication and detail is already in evidence. Check on this in another five years; when you open it, you will likely need to decant it to give the tannins plenty of air. § Regal Wine Imports, Moorestown, NJ 191811 2008 Barolo Le Coste ^ Le Coste is a cru within Pecchenino's San Giuseppe vineyard, a site that gave a more powerful Barolo than the San Giuseppe selection (recommended here as well). This has the scent of a damp forest floor, its savory earth tones feeling cool and dark. The texture of the wine is silky, the spicy tannins lasting as long as the saturated flavor of juicy porcini. It ends in a tense finish, constricted rather than overtly tannic, with the kind of insistently ageworthy structure of a finely grown Barolo. § Vias Imports, NY $75 2009 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione (Best Buy) ^ A wine for long aging, this transcends the ripening challenges of 2009 with its lovely tannins. Nebbiolo's floral fragrance seems to emerge directly out of those tannins, the wild strawberry and persimmon fruit scents clean, lasting, edging into violets in their grape-skin freshness. All the elements are balanced and aligned, ready to mature for a decade or more in the cellar. § Tri-Vin Imports, Mount Vernon, NY 192783 2008 Barolo Vigna Brandini ^ Beppe Caviola farms this six-acre parcel adjacent to the Brandini winery in La Morra. With this vintage, he gained organic certification for the vineyard, and stopped adding yeast or enzymes to the fermentation. Aged in large Slovenian oak and bottled without fining or filtration, it's an old-school Barolo that's built to age. For now, the 2008 is all grippy nebbiolo tannins, earthy mushrooms and cool, foggy fruit. It tastes like walking through a sunny autumn garden-and it's mouthwatering. § Dark Star Imports, NY 191615 191810 93 | Pecchenino $63 2008 Barolo San Giuseppe (Best Buy) ^ Though the Pecchenino family's estate is focused in Dogliani, they own several small parcels in Monforte d'Alba, including this block in San Giuseppe. This is a fruity take on Barolo, cushioned and velvety. The tannins are substantial, with a bitterness that feels like chewing on anise, while the red woodland berry flavors completely fill those tan- http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.viaswine.com/ http://www.vignaioliamerica.com/wines/italy/piedmont/rocchedeimanzoni_pianpolvere.html

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2013

Wine & Spirits - December 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Acid Trips
The Great Whiskey Shortage of 2013
Spirits
Gadgets and Gi
New Destinations
Where to Eat & Drink in Seattle
Turning Champagne into Wine
Barolo & Formaggio
Douro, No Apologies
Walla Walla Cabernet
The Best for $10 or Less
Overview
Champagne
US Sparkling Wine
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Alsace
German Riesling
2011 Vintage Port
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
US New Releases
International New Releases
Wine & Spirits Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2013