La Festa del Barolo (Los Angeles) Grand Tasting

During the first West Coast version of La Festa, this was a relaxed walkaround outdoor tasting on a beautiful spring-like day. It was wonderful to meet the men and women behind the wines. Because of the logistics, I found it hard to take detailed noted, so what follows are fairly brief impressions-apologies in advance.

• 2018 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Via Nuova

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  This seemed slight and anonymous today.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  All tobacco and tar upfront, but then some nice sweet fruit at the end.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Mosconi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Slightly brown. Sappy, alcoholic, and heavy.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Elio Altare Barolo Unoperuno

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Sweet, sappy, and weirdly unvarietal.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Elio Altare Barolo Arborina

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  The same unappealing mix as in the Unoperuno with the addition of chocolate on the finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Elio Altare Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Medium weight. Mostly mixed fruit with a citric twist, little soil.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2020 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Langhe Nebbiolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Simple, straightforward ripe cherry fruit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Big, rich entry but more classic austere finish. Good potential.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Le Brunate

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Lean and dry. Not showing much today.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Francesco Rinaldi e Figli Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Fairly closed. Light and tannic, but some citrus and spice on the finish. Not the time to be drinking this.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Castellero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Nice elegant weight and feel with with excellent interplay between fruit, soil, and spice.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Light with delicious fruit, citrus, and spice. Beautiful for drinking now. One of the best 2018’s poured.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo 90 dì Riserva Bussia

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Light, subtle, and sweet with soil base, fennel, excellent acidity, and mineral finish. Not in a crowd pleasing, easy style, but this is complex and excellent. I’m not sure that this will last for decades though.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vigneto Garretti

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Big and sappy but blurry.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vürsù Vigneto Campè

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very similar to the Garretti in its large scale and lack of focus, but with additional tar at the end.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vigneto Garretti

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  More pleasing weight and elegance than the 2018’s but little complexity at age 10.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Relatively big, dominated by astringent wood.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Aleste

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Oaky like Le Vigne, but lighter and more elegant. At least there is some wine here.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Sibi et Paucis Cannubi Boschis

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Lovely, open, and spicy. Vastly preferred to the 2018’s poured and very friendly and forward like many 2012’s.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Pleasant, innocuous, and lacking Barolo character.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  More roundness and feel than the regular Barolo but little concentration or flavor interest.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Obvious wood, little definition.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Piero Benevelli Barolo Le Coste di Monforte

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Big, ripe, and forthcoming but simple.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Piero Benevelli Barolo Mosconi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Lighter and finer than the Le Coste with some citrus and soil.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Piero Benevelli Barolo Ravera di Monforte

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Light, savory, green, mineral, and tannic. So very different in structure compared to so many 2018’s tasted today. At least very good, classic style.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Oddero Barolo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Light weight. Sweet but slightly dilute fruit, some soil.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Oddero Barolo Brunate

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Slightly more substance than the regular Barolo. Lovely sweetness of fruit and citrus leading to a gentle soil finish. Very good and a pretty 2018.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Oddero Barolo Villero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Beautiful aromas, weight, and sappiness. Outstanding balance of fruit and tar elements with late spice and citrus. Classic dry, tannic finish. I retasted this and confirmed that it was one of my favorite wines of the day. Outstanding aging potential.

  Post a Comment / 7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Vietti Barolo Castiglione

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Friendly, open, great fruit and spice. Lovely for drinking now. This is the sort of 2018 I’d definitely buy for short term enjoyment.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Vietti Barolo Cerequio

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  More earthy, stringy, and high acid than the Castiglione. For me, not as good.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2018 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Sappy. Terrific earth/fruit balance and depth. A more serious, ageworthy wine than the Castiglione and a clear step up in quality.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Garnet rim. Deeply fruited and very tasty with good tar for savory interest, but broad and a bit diffuse. Probably fully mature.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue