Community Tasting Note
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forceberry wrote: 91 points
July 22, 2023 - 100% Nebbiolo from a 35-yo parcel in the Gramolere cru in Monforte d'Alba. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 30 to 40 days. Aged for approximately 3 years in old botti casks, then blended together and left to marry for a few months in concrete tanks. 14% alcohol.
Quite deep, dark and only slightly translucent blood-red color. The nose feels rather ripe and somewhat dark-toned with bold aromas of sweet black cherries, some licorice root, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, light gamey notes of meat, perfumed hints of dried flowers and potpourri and a touch of fresh red plums. The wine feels ripe yet dry and savory on the palate with a full body and quite bold flavors of sour cherries and tart lingonberries, some gravelly earthy tones, a little bit of tobacco, light oxidative nuances of beef jerky or salt-cured port, a hint of ripe cranberry and a touch of peppery spice. The overall feels is pretty stern and structured, thanks to the high acidity and quite grippy yet not tough or aggressive tannins. The finish is dry and grippy with a long and quite intense aftertaste of sour cherries, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light tart notes of lingonberries, a hint of tobacco and an oxidative touch of beef jerky.
A classically styled, rather structure-driven and somewhat bold yet still very harmonious single-vineyard Barolo. I felt somewhat surprised how the wine was starting to show some evolved, subtly oxidative tones already now, as most 2013 Barolos I've tasted have still been super youthful and still miles away from their optimal drinking window. I wouldn't say this wine is peaking now - and probably it needs still many more years to reach its apogee - but nevertheless the wine felt somewhat more advanced than what I expected. Although the wine was somewhat dark-toned and more fruit-driven than austere, I really don't understand how multiple tasting notes have described the wine coming across as more modern rather than traditional. To me, this feels pretty much traditional - if only somewhat ripe-fruited. But that should be nothing new in the 2010's and 2020's.3 people found this helpful 931 views
2 Comments
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thesternowl commented:
1/30/24, 12:07 PM - Great note. I think this producer is really underrated and the more recent releases are even better. Also, they are without a doubt, traditional leaning
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forceberry commented:
2/12/24, 12:55 AM - This might've been the first G. Manzone Barolo I've tasted - and pretty good stuff at that. Very different compared to the other, noticeably more modern Manzone, Paolo.