Lower Level Nebbiolo Tasting Exercise

looking at the current available nebbiolos for decent weekday drinking, mostly 2015's, a 2016 and 2 x 2011's, wines sourced from The Wine Society and Big Red Wine UK and ranging in price from £10-25
There was a ringer of a dolcetto to end to see how that stood up (it didn't really)

drinking youngest to oldest with the Dogliani at the end

• 2016 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  14% med light body, bright ruby, needs swirling to get the aromas going, red fruits, cranberry, raspberry, red currant, the tannins come at the end, medium fine on the tip of the tongue, decent savoury finish brings some darker fruit notes too

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• 2015 Rizzi Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  14.5% med light body, bright ruby with a little bricking at the rim. Ripe red fruits, raspberry, strawberry, a bit like summer pudding. quite silky in the mouth, the tannins come on the mid palate and a medium grained, if not a little chunky particularly at the top of the mouth. there's some darker fruits and a little warm spice of cardamon and clove, medium finish

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• 2015 Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  14.5% from Castigliano Faletto, 15-18 months in slavonian oak. medium to light body, darkish ruby with a lighter rim. strong legs. quite a deep and dark fruited nose, fairly reserved. nice texture in the mouth, tarry, theres good structure here and class for its level, medium finish, needs time to unwind a bit

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• 2015 Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  14% med light body, bright ruby with bricked rim. nose has some red fruits and a little orange peel but isnt that giving right now. lots of delicate and lovely red fruits on the palate, and lots of (serralunga ?) medium grain tannins, will need a bit of time for this to find its place for me, maybe there's some VA here ?

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• 2015 Fabrizio Battaglino Nebbiolo d'Alba

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba

  14% Med light body, bright ruby with bricked rim. the nose leaps of of the glass here, red fruits, orange peel, a little VA, seems a little hot on the nose, a few short legs. Ripe red fruits in the mouth, so juicy but enough acidity to balance this out, slightly creamy, quite a lot of fine tannin here, a bit of oak i think here, but approachable and tastes good already, food could make the tannins more manageable or keep for a bit to let them mellow

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• 2011 Fabrizio Battaglino Roero Sergentin

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Roero

  14.5% medium to light body, dark ruby with bricking rim. some legs. dark fruits on the nose with some floral roses. some maturity on the palate, some plum and spices, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, drying tannins around the inside of the mouth, good concentration and not a bad finish, for drinking with food now, looking to be a more serious wine than a straight langhe nebbiolo

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• 2011 Cascina Saria Langhe Nebbiolo La Riddolina

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  14% the producer is from Nieve in Barbaresco, all domaine fruit. medium light body, dark ruby with a garnet rim. red fruit nose, attractive, ripe fruits in the mouth, nice tangy sour fruit, some fine tannins around the inside of the mouth, but nothing obtrusive, and decent fresh finish, ready now

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• 2017 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dogliani

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Dogliani

  14% medium body, medium purple colour. nose has some candied element to it, candied beetroot anyone ? ripe plums on the palate, a little simple flavour wise, but theres some decent fruit here and a little unfair to line ot up as a ringer with a bunch of nebbiolos, enough structure to age a bit and maybe bring out a bit more complexity

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A very good quality set of wines, the Roero was stylistically the outlier, (with the dolcetto of course) The Cavalotto at £23 was the most serious wine (and just about the most expensive), although that wasn't what i was particularly after in this case, The Cascina Saria Langhe Nebbiolo 2011 was the value pick at £10 and was great to drink now, I think the Vajra would probably hit the sweet spot QPR at £17.50