Terroir-istes International - Italy, Barolo 2016

Barolo 2016
Historical Context and Barolo Wars:
- Post-World War II, Italy was economically depressed, and many farmers in Langa pulled up vineyards to plant food crops
- Water scarcity was a major issue until the mid-1980s when they developed a system to pump water from the Tamar River and Alps
- Until the 1980s, wine production was divided between wine makers and grape growers, with large producers dominating
- Growers were often mistreated by winemakers, who would sometimes delay buying grapes until they spoiled
- In the mid-1970s, young people began questioning the status quo and traditional patriarchal society
- A group of young producers, including Elio Altare, demanded change and began making their own quality wines
- Gaia was noted as a charismatic figure making changes in vineyard management and barrel aging
- The "Barolo Wars" were exacerbated by a methanol scandal where 23 people were killed from tainted Barbera wine
- This period saw increasing use of barriques, toasted oak, vanilla, and chocolate notes
- The conflict was between modernists and traditionalists (led by Bocello Moscarelli and Betty Rinaldi)
- By the early 2000s, there was an unofficial ceasefire, with producers now combining both traditional and modern methods

Key Barolo Regions:
- 11 villages make up the Barolo DOCG
- Five key sub-zones represent 87% of production:
1. La Mora
2. Barolo
3. Castiglione Faletto
4. Serralunga d'Alba
5. Monforte d'Alba

Regional Characteristics:
- Serralunga d'Alba: More limestone, powerful, long-aging, tannic, rich, full-bodied
- Monforte: Bold, dark, rich wines with great aging potential
- La Mora: More perfumed, graceful, aromatic, feminine, silky, easier to drink young
- Barolo: Broad, open, plush, warm, velvety, supple
- Castiglione: Balanced structure and elegance, rich bouquet, velvety texture

The Tasting:
- 2016 Barolos
- 2016 was characterized as a long, slow growing season with good temperature range

• 2016 Vietti Barolo Castiglione 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid garnet fading towards an orange-mahogany rim. Attractive notes of tilled soil, fragrant dried rose petals, goji berries and cherry with a spice cake element. There’s a warm, savoury note reminiscent of freshly turned soil, with a subtle cake-spice edge, lending aromatic warmth and complexity.
  A medium to full-bodied wine with a fresh acidity that gives a graceful, floating mid-palate. Precise, with sour cherry and cranberry notes underscored by warm, earthy tones, it sits on a velvety, compact tannic base that gives it a more linear structure. More savoury elements of anise, liquorice, leather, rosemary and tomato leaf guide the wine to a long length. However, the finish felt dried out and less compelling with air and time in the glass.
  Castiglione is a blend of fruit from multiple sites across Barolo. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel with extended maceration. The wine is aged for approximately 30 months in large Slavonian oak casks and possibly some smaller barriques.

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• 2016 Pio Cesare Barolo 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid-garnet with a narrow orange rim. Fragrant aromas of crushed rose petals, blood orange zest, and earthy nuances entwine with cedar, worn leather, cardamom and roast chestnut. Beneath, a sweeter caramelised edge emerges, together with blackberry, red cherry, and cranberry.
  The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with ample substance and structure. It has a chewy texture and lively acidity that moves towards firm, granular tannin. There is an orange and caramel sweetness, accentuated by faint volatile acidity that adds roundness but slightly detracts from overall purity. However, a nice interplay exists between the savoury and ripe black and red fruits as more steeped cherry emerges.
  The wine finishes with a warming glycerol richness and a gentle, chalky phenolic grip.
  A blend of vineyards, the wine is fermented in SS with an extended maceration. Ageing occurs for 30 months, combining traditional large Slavonian oak casks with a proportion of smaller French oak barriques.

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• 2016 Paolo Scavino Barolo Bricco Ambrogio 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) It is a light to mid-garnet colour with delicate aromas of potpourri-dominated rose, dried Autumn leaves, and earth meshed with black cherry, cranberry, and wild strawberry. Clove, dried thyme, and a whisper of seaweed add further complexity.
  A crushed velvet texture with lively acidity and plush, softened fruits glide or rather sashay across the palate, directed by fine-grained, light tannins that give the lightest of grips. Elegant and nuanced, the wine has a beautiful sense of lightness in its gait, yet with undeniable depth and concentration.
  Cranberry, Marasca cherry, and prune round out the mid-palate and vanilla, star anise, Chinese 5-spice and bitter dark chocolate note (think 100% cacao) weave through the structure towards a poised, lengthy finish, providing a counterpoint to the sweet fruit core.
  An exquisite wine that is utterly drinkable and compelling!
  Bricco Ambrogio cru is situated in Roddi, on calcareous clay soils.

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• 2016 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Mid-garnet in colour with a noticeable orange rim. An earthy, almost truffly nose with a subtle cedar woodiness reminiscent of antique church pews mingles with deep red rose petals, Morello cherry, dried raspberry, and forest fruits dusted with cardamon and fenugreek.
  A foundation of dense, chewy tannins with excellent depth, this full-bodied wine feels slightly less concentrated in terms of sheer weight than some previous wines but makes up for it with its elegance, energy and finesse. Vibrant Marasca cherries, liquorice, and 100% chocolate notes on the palate and a faint vanilla streak that gives a little sweetness to the mid-palate and a glycerol warmth that adds breadth and smoked meat nuance. Layered and complex, the wine has an innate structure and density, refined posture, and a lasting finish.
  Gavarini Vigna Chiniera vineyard is in Monforte d’Alba on steep, south-facing slopes on sandy-calcareous soils. Fermented in SS and aged in large-format Slovenian oak botti.

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• 2016 Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light to mid-garnet with orange-tinged edges, the bouquet opens with attic dust and polished church pews before moving to camphor, grilled herbs, smoke, and button mushrooms, with only touches of dried rose petals and sour cherry. Some balsamic, or for some in the group, oxidative tones emerged over time in the glass, but even so, there was an attractiveness beyond the nose.
  A brooding palate with plenty of weight and depth, dense, firm tannins that lean towards power over subtlety, which some felt was a heavy-handed expression. Fresh morello cherry, sandalwood, and grapefruit notes attempt to lift the profile, but the wine felt onerous; some feel it was at times akin to a less refined Cabernet from Stellenbosch.
  There was a rusticity, and I wasn't sure if a touch of oxidation had affected the wine. Notes of bracken, dried twigs, and raisin fruit surfaced in the mid-palate, but the back palate was notably dry, contributing to a blunted, puckering finish. Hard to score - 95 or 88. Wild and unchained was the group's comment!
  Bricco Boschis cru in Castiglione Falletto. Long macerations and ageing in large Slavonian oak botti.

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• 2016 G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose 91 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light garnet in colour with a mid-orange rim, the nose is fragrant and inviting. It features tilled soil, dried cranberry, raspberry, oreganum, Amarena cherry, and peach pip aromas leading the way, backed up by liquorice, dried leaves, and Darjeeling tea leaves with faint vanilla.
  Medium-bodied with lively acidity, the wine's core is sweeter, stewed fruits, giving it a candied, fruit-paste character—juicy raspberry, softened strawberry, and Maraschino cherry. These are underpinned by grainy tannins that expand across the palate and a rising camphor coolness towards mint humbug. It is a flamboyant Barolo, well-structured, broader, juicier, and less restrained than its peers. Nonetheless, I liked its succulence and approachability, even if it is on the fringe of Barolo. Svelte, the wine wends its way to a long, slightly earthy finish.
  Coste di Rose is known for its sandy soils, which give it more fragrant aromas. Gentle extraction techniques with ageing in large Slavonian oak.

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• 2016 G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light ruby transitions to garnet with a narrow orange rim. Purple flowers and rose petals lead, with cherry blossom, dove soap, and cranberry, followed by a smidgeon of camphor - fresh and furtive.
  Marvellous flavour intensity is present on entry with fine-grained, powdery tannins that bring structure without heaviness, while fleshy cherry, wild strawberry, and liquorice fill out the mid-palate. With a lissom, forward gait, lively acidity and a delightful creamy texture, the wine is complexed by traces of tomato puree, dried oregano, cigar and spice. Well-composed, with a focused, persistent line, it doesn't quite have the gravitas of the top Barolo bottlings. Nonetheless, it remains a beautiful and enjoyable wine, with a slightly warm finish.
  The Ravera vineyard in Novello is higher in altitude, on steep slopes, and based on marly soils, making structured, mineral-driven Barolo. It has long macerations and ages in large Slavonian oak botti.

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• 2016 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole 96 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Light crimson with a narrow orange rim, this wine has an inviting bouquet. A delicate weave of floral nuances and savoury earth threads through ripe Montmorency cherry, liquorice, dry stone, and orange peel.
  The powdery texture leads to tight, grippy tannins with a fresh, lively acidity carrying the fruit along: sour cherry, cranberry, raspbery and tangerine. There's a wonderful sense of motion as the wine dances along the palate with refinement and poise. Long and languorous, with layers of complexity, concentration and depth, this is mesmerising!
  Bricco delle Viole vineyard is also higher in altitude, with long macerations and ageing in large Slavonian oak botti.

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• 2016 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Mosconi 95 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  (Tasted Blind) Mid-garnet in colour, shading to a broad orange rim. It has a distinctly earthy bouquet with layers of camphor, fynbos, dried marjoram, and oregano melded with liquorice, sweet orange peel, and blackcurrant. A slightly floral edge of spearmint and sweeter Indian turmeric spices adds exotic nuances. A broad aromatic reach!
  Compact, fine-grained tannins provide a base on which this elegant wine sits with admirable extraction and depth, complemented by fresh, lively acidity. And then the show begins: The herbal angle dips into bouquet garni, liquorice, strawberry, and star anise, and then a rising warmer spice cake emerges, with a rich, creamy texture broadening out on the mid-palate, entwined with vanilla-covered raspberries sprinkled with crushed tree nuts. The wine shows amazing symmetry as it moves to a focused ending that leaves a lingering savoury, spice-laden impression.
  Mosconi vineyard in Monforte d’Alba that is organically managed. SS ferment

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