Montebuono vertical - In memory of Lino Maga
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Tasted March 12, 2022 by PSPatrick with 180 views
Introduction
These bottles were sourced with the help of OneOnTheHill wine club, in memory of late Lino Maga who passed away on January 4th. Lino Maga was Mr. Barbacarlo, the Legend of Oltrepò, and symbol of a rustic, farmer's wine that has become legendary among wine lovers and sommelier in Italy and worldwide.
Montebuono is famously called the "wine of Napoleon" because it is said that, after a battle in Marengo, Napoleon stopped in Broni, where he drank and appreciated the wine produced on this very unique hill. He most certainly said it was almost as good as the French ones.
The Oltrepò Pavese area lies in the Pavia province, right in between Piemonte and Lombardia. Here Lino, now assisted by his son Giuseppe, cultivated the two crus, Barbacarlo and Montebuono, considered grand cru monopole. The vines are centuries-old, farmed without the use of chemical fertilisers or weed-killers. In the cellar, fermentation takes place in large, very old casks, each with its own name. The wine is then immediately bottled, often with fermentation not yet fully completed.
Lino Maga's wines are produced in limited quantities of just a few thousand bottles, and are never the same: they change depending on the vintage and continue to develop in the bottle for up to 30 years. They are very long-lived wines, characterized by tasty notable, fine tannin, and by an exceptional versatility in food pairings.
Flight 1 (5 notes)
Red
1996 Barbacarlo Montebuono
Italy, Lombardia, Oltrepò Pavese
12% ABV. Light to medium ruby, notable amount of sediment. Beautiful nose. Sweet red berry fruit, cherry, tobacco, ethereal notes, and earthy notes, with a hint of brett, good, lively acidity, fine, firm tannin, and great persistence. Ethereal and lightly balsamic. Light- to medium-bodied, well balanced, and very long. An intellectual wine. And quite beautiful. Made me take sip after sip. Consistent if maybe a little less energetic on day two. Serve very slightly chilled, and pair with e.g. grilled fish.
Red
1997 Barbacarlo Montebuono
Italy, Lombardia, Oltrepò Pavese
12.5% ABV. Medium ruby colour, just a little deeper than the 1996, with some sediment. Tight nose. Red fruit, crunchy red cherry, game, light brett, barnyard, earthy notes, and light balsamic notes, with medium-plus acidity, firm tannin, and average to good length of the dry finish.
Initially, the wine was quite bitter, and hard, and unrewarding, but it significantly improved and became smoother and more balanced and harmonious after aeration. Even more harmonious and drinking quite well on day two.
Red
2000 Barbacarlo Montebuono
Italy, Lombardia, Oltrepò Pavese
14% ABV. Medium to light garnet colour, light brownish towards the rim, the most evolved-looking of today's wines, with a notable amount of sediment. Raisiny fruit, fruit in rum, game, some brett, earthy notes, and spices, with medium-plus acidity, partly resolved tannin, and good length. Raisiny, lightly bitter and fairly drying on the finish (and, ultimately, disjointed) on day one. Equally raisiny, but much smoother and much more balanced on day two, now reminding of aged Grenache with a dash of Mourvèdre. Less persistent, less fresh and less energetic than any of the other vintages we tasted. My least favourite of today's wines due to the raisiness of the fruit.
Red
2005 Barbacarlo Montebuono
Italy, Lombardia, Provincia di Pavia IGT
13.5% ABV. Light to medium ruby colour. Red fruit, bubble gum, light ethereal notes and a hint of brett, with lively acidity, fine, dry tannin, and very good length of the lightly drying finish. Good energy and tension. Very well balanced, and very persistent. Consistent on day two. Should continue to age well.
Red
2014 Barbacarlo Montebuono
Italy, Lombardia, Provincia di Pavia IGT
12.6% ABV. Medium ruby colour, some sediment. Smells of natural wines. Good, crunchy red fruit, game, intense brett, and some VA, with lively acidity, slightly rustic tannin, and very good length of the dry finish. The wine is rustic yet balanced, and quite energetic. It became more smoothly textured after aeration, and seems to have upside potential. That said, if you are sensitive to brett and dislike feral notes in wine (which were even more pronounced from day two), you should definitely pass on the 2014. 91+ for now.
Closing
It is fascinating how similar yet different these wines are! Alcohol ranges from 12.0% ABV to 14% ABV. All wines have notable acidity and tannin, not unlike Nebbiolo. Brett ranges from barely noticeable to barely bearable. What all wines have in common is that they need a lot of air. These are very unique and highly interesting wines, but in their rusticity, they are likely to be more appealing to wine freaks than to casual wine drinkers.
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