2001 Piedmont Retrospective - A classic vintage (part 1)
Tolani, Wine Restaurant, 410 Amsterdam Ave, New York, New York, 10024
Tasted Wednesday, December 7, 2011 by Wine Road Warrior with 1,197 views
Introduction
In the world of wine writing, there's always going to be somebody who's touting the next perfect vintage. However, what's unfortunate is that this praise is usually created to sell wine. What's more, the wines that are loved by the majority of today's critics, don't necessarily share anything in common with classic wines of the past, other than the name. How do we know that a 2007 Barolo will age into something similar to the great vintages of the past? We simply don’t. What we do know, is that the Nebbiolo grape possess the remarkable ability to age, and that even in “off” vintages or ripe vintages, the best producers can create good wine, that should age well.
2001 was not an “off” or ripe vintage. In fact, it was quite the opposite. To me, 2001 is a true classic vintage, which provided intense, structured wines with balanced acidity and the capacity to age for decades. Often grouped with great vintages like ’89 and ’96, most wines tasted from ‘01 show a level of refinement and balance, that you can actually sense the quality in the glass, even as your mouth is wrapped in tannin. In general, the aromatics are layered and truly stunning and the core of intense, pure fruit promises that these wines will last the test of time. With that said, we have now reached the 10 year mark for 2001, and they are right where you’d expect them to be in their evolution—young and full of potential.
Flight 1 - Barbaresco (5 Notes)
Flight one consisted of two of the biggest names and three of the most esteemed vineyards in Barbaresco. This flight truly showed the benefits of tasting double blind, as we worked through the wines and formed our conclusions. A point of note is that the consensus of the group placed the Produttori Asili against the Giacosa Asili in a tie for third place wine-of-the-night (important to consider since the Produttori can be had for half the price). I also found the Giacosa Santo Stefano to be far more interesting than the majority at the table. The Asili came across as a little too earthy and with aromas that I don’t associate with great Barbaresco, however the Santo Stefano was simply classic to my palate.
Lastly, I was saddened by the performance of the Produttori Rabajà, since the last time I tasted it, I felt there was much more potential in the glass. In the end, the Giacosa Rabajà Riserva was my wine of the flight, as well as my wine of the night (and yes, this was all tasted double blind); it’s simply a great bottle of Barbaresco.
Flight 2 - The Commune of Barolo (3 Notes)
Flight two was painful. It was designed as a flight of wines that all came from the commune of Barolo. However, we weren’t aware of this information while tasting. The consensus of the Giuseppe Rinaldi was that it was a modern styled Barolo and one taster even felt that it was cooked. The intense aroma of acetone (or nail polish remover) made me think of VA. I decided to withhold a score until I can taste this wine again. Following that was a corked wine (which turned out to be Bartolo Mascarello). Then the last two wines, which were very similar on the nose and even convinced me that they might have been from the same producer. Again, from the performance on the nose, these wines came off as modern in style. In the end, it was Giacomo Borgogno Barolo Storico Liste that was my favorite wine of the flight.
Flight 3 - The Commune of Castiglione Falletto (4 Notes)
Flight three was a perfect way to end the evening. For one thing, it turned up the 2nd place wine-of-the-night with the Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe. But what’s more, the entire Cavallotto lineup was a pleasure to drink (I had my issues with the Riserva Vignolo, but no one else seemed to mind it so much). What was a let down was the performance from the Monprivato. Call it backward or say that they never perform well in their youth. I think we’ve all heard the excuses made for this wine when young and I will be very happy if my bottles mature into something wonderful. However, at the moment, it comes across as out-of-balance and shows vegetal notes that I don’t find attractive. The Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe was my wine of the flight and the Cavallotto Bricco Boschis was no slouch either. These are great wines, especially for the money.
Closing
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2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 97 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The nose showed deep, ripe strawberry fruit, crushed leaves, potpourri and sweet spices, yet bright and clean. On the palate, it showed elegant, ripe red fruits with beautiful structure and balance. The finish was long and structured. This wine showed so much balanced mix with intensity that it’s easy to imagine great things in its future.
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2001 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili 93 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The nose showed dusty cherry and strawberry with notes of orange, rich mulling spices and the slightest whiff of old library books. On the palate, it showed silky black cherry fruit and minerals with vibrant acidity providing an airy lift. On the finish, notes of tart red fruit and mushrooms lingered through this wines tight, drying structure.
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2001 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The nose was elegant and showed dark strawberry, floral stems and herbs with notes of tar, crack black pepper and moist earth. On the palate, it first showed soft, sweet red fruit and an earthy funk with tongue curling acidity, yet as it traveled across the palate, it seemed diluted and somehow hollow. The finish showed this wines structure with lingering notes of red fruit and earth.
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2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Nieve 94 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The nose showed rich sweet raspberry and herbs but with time in the glass it turned to tart cherry, orange peel and the slightest hint of shoe polish. On the palate, it showed a solid core of cherry fruit, which was zesty with acidity, yet full in body. An impression of balance and focus struck me as I sipped this wine, which should mature into something magical. The finish was clean with dried cherry and fine tannins.
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2001 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili 90 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
The nose showed earthy funk, black cherry, breadcrumbs, and hints of green vegetables. On the palate, I found black cherry fruit, floral notes and minerals in a soft and juicy style. The finish showed cranberry but was short and drying.
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