2017 Giordano Barolo

Happy Saturday!  I spent my day running errands and then mowing and fertilizing the lawn before it might rain tomorrow, and now I am ready for a nice dinner and glass of wine.  Tonight, I have modestly broken an unwritten rule about never opening a Barolo until it's at least a decade old, but I really wanted something Italian with my Italian inspired dinner this evening.  I have opened a bottle of 2017 Giordano Baraolo, and hopefully this 9-year-old Nebbiolo is having a well behaved year, so let's find out!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents classic aromas of cedar, ripe raspberry and dried herbs amid undertones of lavender and kirsch.  The first sip an interesting combination of black cherry, cedar and earthy peat that transitions to some funky notes of dusty limestone and powerful floral notes midpalate.  The finish is subdued, with mellow tannins providing for some dryness amid a lingering earthy funk.

Overall, I would rate this wine an 8, as it has great potential, but seems to be misbehaving like a petulant child this evening.  I have another bottle, so perhaps I'll try this one again in a few years.  This wine would pair well with some hard cheeses or hearty southern Italian cuisine that can put this little child in its place.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some hot Italian sausage with onions and peppers along with linguine sauteed with garlic, olive oil, asparagus and broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2011 Rivetto Barolo

Happy Sunday!  It's been a somewhat relaxing day for me, I went to church this morning, then came home and did a little work on the class I'm teaching at the local university this fall, started writing an article for a hobby group I'm involved with and took a bike ride (though it might have been a bit hot to do that).  Of course now that I read all that in a sentence, it seems more busy than relaxing, but here we are.  And tonight I've opened a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner, and although it's not quite to the 10-year mark, I've opened a bottle of 2011 Rivetto Barolo.  So let's see what this fine Nebbiolo has to offer!

The wine is a beautiful ruby color in the glass with a hint of amber along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, blackberry, anise and hints of earthy tar and peat.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward in a nearly bubble gum sort of way, with a rush of strawberry, cherry and currant that transitions nicely to some earthy notes of tobacco and white pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing a nice base for the long, smooth dry finish with a reprise of red fruit at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a very nicely drinking wine and would pair well with a variety of dishes.  I could enjoy this wine with anything from a wild mushroom risotto to Tuscan toast, to pizza Margarita.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a veggie spaghetti tossed with shrimp and roasted veggies in a basil Alfredo sauce.  Cheers!

1996 Lazzarito Barolo

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month, so time to dig deep in the cellar to find some wine at least a decade in the making to open and enjoy.  I'll admit today's post was the result of a confluence of events that ultimately worked out, despite my second thoughts!  You see, I knew that my favorite TV chef, Gordon Ramsay was going to make spaghetti carbonara on "Ramsay in 10" on Instagram today, so I thought that sounds like a perfect meal, so I need to find a great Italian wine to pair with it.  Then came the beautiful weather today, the first time this spring we approached 80 degrees, and when I was mowing the lawn, all I could smell was my neighbors cooking out, and I just really wanted a nice steak!  Well, discipline prevailed and I went with my original plan and made linguine Carbonara and opened a bottle of 1996 Lazzarito Barolo!  Now I freely admit that I really cannot tolerate a wine from Piedmont that's less than a decade in the making, but since this one is now clearly of legal drinking age, let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a rustic garnet color in the glass, with a tinge of amber at the edges as you might expect from a wine of this maturity.  The nose presents aromas of leather, anise and spice box, that brings me back to the time I spent in Rome and Florence in the mid 1990s.  The taste is a rush of floral notes, with flavors of rosehips that gives way to earthy flavors of tar and tobacco midpalate, as you might expect from a Nebbiolo.  The finish is still quite vibrant, with nice balanced acidity that frames a wonderfully long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as this Barolo is just singing right now and approaching a peak in terms of flavor and complexity.  This wine would pair with a broad range of Italian dishes, from a classic morel mushroom risotto to a bisteca fiorentina.  But tonight, I am enjoying this one with the classic Gordon Ramsay linguine carbonara, made with pancetta, garlic, petit peas, and some lovely egg yolks and creme fraische, finished off with some shaved parmesan and parsley.  Cheers!

2010 Tre Nova Nebbaro

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I found in the cellar, and I have to admit raised more questions than answers!  By all accounts, this wine looks Italian, has a Super Tuscan sort of label, and it's a blend of Italian varietals, but it was from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  I looked further at the label and found it was produced by G. Cuneo, and I remember visiting their tasting room when I was in Walla Walla in 2015, but I don't recall buying this bottle.  In any case, here it is, the 2010 Tre Nova Nebbaro, a blend of Nebbiolo (51%) and Barbera (49%) from the Columbia Valley AVA.  Nebbiolo is the king of Piedmont varietals, from which we get classic Barolo, so let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat darker than your typical Sangiovese, but just what you'd expect from a Nebbiolo or Barbera.  The nose is a cascade of leather, smoke, dried Italian spices over rich black fruit.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with rich plum, black cherry and cassis amid undertones of dried spice with a hint of mint and licorice.  The tannins are well structured, providing nice backbone for a long, smooth dry finish with just a bit of tartness on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a lovely example of some old world varietals meets new world creativity.  This wine would pair well with Italian dishes like a wild mushroom risotto, but it would also be great with a variety of steaks and roasts, ideal for winter.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a little offbeat dinner of oven roasted chicken with wild rice and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

1996 Vigna La Villa Paiagallo Barolo

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of the new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday, when I raid the cellar and enjoy a wine that's at least a decade old.  Well of course some of you may have noticed that I didn't have a Cellar Saturday last month, and that's because I just totally forgot!  Yeah age-related memory loss really is a thing!  So to make up for it, I've doubled the normal 10-year requirement for this month's Cellar Saturday going back more than two decades and opening a bottle of 1996 Vigna La Villa Paiagallo Barolo!  Now a good Barolo needs at least a decade just to be drinkable in my opinion, but they usually begin to sing once they get to 20 years old, so this one should be singing by now.  I've decanted this wine for about an hour so let's see how she tastes!

The wine still has some nice garnet color at the center, with some orange-brown along the edges.  The nose is classic Barolo, with some wonderful floral notes overlaying some nice mint and spice aromas under the surface.  The taste is just marvelous, with some mild fruit notes up front, strawberry and cherry that transition to come lovely notes of mint and earth midpalate.  The finish is classic Barolo, with well structured tannins that leave you breathless on the long, smooth and meticulously dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a really lovely example of Barolo and the potential for Nebbiolo over time.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of northern Italian dishes, but tonight I am enjoying this one with a rare grilled New York strip, grilled leeks and grilled broccoli rabe, and roasted red potatoes.  The bitterness of the broccoli rabe really plays well with the spice of the wine.  Cheers!

1998 Fontanafredda Vigna La Delizia Barolo

Happy Saturday!  And of course this being the first Saturday of the new month, it's Cellar Saturday!  That magical day when I reach deep into the cellar and open a more mature bottle to enjoy.  Tonight I have a treat that's actually only been in my cellar for a day, but it's a mature wine I bought last week from Wines Till Sold Out, the 1998 Fontanafredda Vigna La Delizia Barolo!  Now Barolo is one of those prized Italian wines made from the Nebbiolo grape from the Piedmont region of northern Italy. My personal preference is that I really don't think you can appreciate a nice Barolo if it's less than 10 years old, and this one being 18 should be just about hitting its stride by now.  I've decanted this wine for about an hour and a half, so let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a nice garnet color with a bit of brownish tint along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, anise, blackberry and spice box that makes you feel like you've just walked into and old school Italian deli in New York, just what you would expect from a mature Barolo.  The taste is just wonderful, a brief blast of ripe fruit up front, blackberry and prune that transitions to some lovely mineral and spice notes midpalate, mint and a bit of dried thyme with a hint of dried flowers.  The tannins are still alive and well, leading this fine lady to a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that goes on and on.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just perfect for drinking right now, but definitely as a number of years left.  This wine was not inexpensive at $50, but a considerable discount to the $190 retail price, so I can't complain too much.  This wine would be perfect with almost anything Italian, but it would be ideal with risotto or a pasta with a nice red sauce.  Tonight I've gone a little off the beaten path and am enjoying this wine with some herb roasted chicken, fresh asparagus and a bit of linguine tossed with fresh garlic and olive oil.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2012 Dietro LaPorta Blu

Well, it's Sunday night after a long holiday weekend, so I've decided to open up something a little different tonight, a bottle of wine that was produced by my Aunt Jan and Uncle Rick out in Las Vegas, the 2012 Dietro LaPorta Blu.  Now before you start thinking they drip irrigate a vineyard in the desert, they source the grapes from California, in this case Cabernet Sauvignon (43%), Nebbiolo (19%), Cabernet Franc (19%) and Black Malvasia (19%).

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is rather subdued, with notes of blackberry, plum, leather and a bit of lavender.  The taste is surprisingly good for home brew, some mellow notes of blackberry and cassis up front transition to some nice warm spice notes midpalate.  There is a bit of cherry on the finish, with some rather subdued tannins supporting a pleasant but brief dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's a very good effort for folks who are not winemakers by trade.  I don't know whether it would improve with age, particularly since my aunt told me about a year ago that I should drink this wine soon!  Tonight I am enjoying this casual wine with a nice piece of cedar planked wild Alaskan sockeye, some steamed Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato, yum!

2005 Massimo Rivetti Barbaresco Riserva "Serraboella"

Happy Wine Wednesday!  To help celebrate this fine mid-week wine day, I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Massimo Rivetti Barbaresco Riserva "Serraboella" a nice red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, which you guessed right, is made from 100% Nebbiolo!  I just received this wine today at the office, having ordered a couple bottle last week from Wines Till Sold Out.  Now I'll be the first to admit, I'm somewhat hit or miss on Nebbiolo-based wines, as there are some Barolos that I find amazing and others that I can't stand, though the odds of me liking them definitely increases with age, particularly once a wine reaches the 10-year mark.

This wine is a deep ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is very inviting, with aromas of tart cherry over some nice earthy notes of smoke, tar and cedar.  The taste takes be back to Italy, with some wonderful flavors of anise intermingled with cherry and candied plum at the outset, which quickly transitions to some earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The bright tannins support a velvety mouthfeel and an exceptionally long, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a fine example of the wine that was a descent value at $26.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic northern Italian wild mushroom risotto with some lovely shaved asiago on top.  The lovely fruit notes perfectly complement the earthiness of the risotto, but it would also pair well with classic pasta dishes with a variety of sauces or a lovely grilled steak.  Cin cin!

2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo

Well, it's been a busy week with some travel and a lot of work, but thankfully the week is winding down so we may as well enjoy a nice bottle of wine with Thursday dinner.  Tonight, I've decided to open a bottle of 2011 Fontanafredda Nebbiolo, a wine made from the same grape that gives the lovely Barolo wines of the Piedmont their fantastic, earthy character.

The wine has a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is remarkable in its young complexity with aromas of tar, licorice, dried flowers and an almost cotton candy note.  The taste is quite nice, with notes of berries and plum that transition to some earthy notes of peat midpalate.  The finish is quite pleasant as the young, yet very well structured tannins support a long, dry and velvety finish that lingers.  A pleasant wine today that, given the character of the grape, will likely improve with some time in the bottle.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking wine and solid example of the varietal, but it was screaming bargain as well!  I bought this one about six months ago from Wines Till Sold Out for only $10!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a traditional Italian dinner of spinach and ricotta ravioli with some spicy marinara and Italian sausage.  The earthy flavors are just the perfect foil to the spicy acidity of the sauce.  Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

2004 La Mora Barolo

So here we are again, another Cellar Saturday, and tonight I've decided to open up a bottle that's almost 10 years old.  This might be a big deal for some wines, but for a Barolo, a decade is about the minimum age to make the wine really enjoyable.  And such is the case for the 2004 La Mora Barolo we're enjoying tonight!  Now Barolo is made in the northern part of Italy, in the Piedmont region from the Nebbiolo grape, which is very different than the popular wines of Tuscany which are made primarily from Sangiovese.

The wine was very light in the glass, almost like a pinot noir, but the color was a bright ruby.  The nose was a lovely combination of leather, anise, floral notes and grass.  The taste was very different, with an explosion of tart cherry right at the outset, which then gave way to some earthy notes and a hint of spice midpalate.  The finish was bone dry, accented by the well structured tannins.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it was a very good example of a nice Barolo, but such a different style than most other Italian wines that it was a real treat to drink.  Tonight I enjoyed this wine with some friends with a nice Italian dinner of pasta, fresh marinara and eggplant, and the wine really made a great combination with the rich, earthy flavors of the eggplant.  Delicious!