Other Piemontese on offer...

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See also the overview Barolo – the next big thing?
   
This collection of tasting notes on assorted current releases from Piemonte should be read in conjunction with yesterday's much bigger collection of reviews of current Barolo releases (mainly 2010s).

The wines within the groups are in the order tasted.

BARBARESCO 2011

Bruno Giacosa, Albesani Santo Stefano 2011 Barbaresco

Neive. Notably pale crimson. Complex and well balanced. Fine and refined. Pointilliste wine! Already approachable but with an undertow of sultry fruit. Seductive. 14.5%
Drink
2016
2025
£495 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17.5

Bruno Giacosa, Albesani Santo Stefano 2011 Barbaresco

Fully loaded fruit, wonderfully sweet without a hint of confection. Comparatively light tannins that are very digestible even now. Leather and liquorice on the finish. Sophisticated, elegant and charming. (RH)
Drink
2016
2031
£495 per case of 6 ib Armit Wines
17.5

BARBARESCO 2010

Piero Busso, Borgese 2010 Barbaresco

Neive. Pale ruby rust colour. Mild sweet raspberry scents with firm tannins and a dry finish. Rather tentative but friendly and probably relatively early maturing. Very clean and fresh. Far from intense but nicely balanced.
Drink
2017
2025
£129 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17

Piero Busso, Gallina 2010 Barbaresco

Neive. Very heady nose. Great attack and freshness. Transparent structure with some real sweetness before the remarkably tannic finish. The toughest of Piero Busso's 2010 Barbarescos. Already some persistence. I tasted this again at the end of the tasting and was still most impressed by the precision. And length. QGV
Drink
2020
2030
£219 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17.5

Cantina del Pino, Ovello 2008 Barbaresco

Mid ruby. Lots of power and interest on the nose. Autumn mulch and a bit of evolution. Sweet palate entry almost masks the tannins. This is a very substantial wine with no shortage of tannin. Set for the long term with some bonfire and ash on the finish.
Drink
2018
2028
£156 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17

Castello di Verduno 2010 Barbaresco

Blend of three vineyards. Medium ruby. Already quite evolved on the nose. Relatively simple and a bit aggressive thanks to the acidity and tannin. Chunky, rather drying finish.
Drink
2016
2021
£108 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
15.5

Elvio Cogno, Bordini 2010 Barbaresco

Neive. Pale ruby. Very subtle, non-flashy nose with a bit of evolution. Clean and fresh with a dry end and some tension. Dry tense energetic finish.
Drink
2017
2026
£135 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17.5

Gaja 2010 Barbaresco

Closed nose and very tight tannic grain. Seems a bit awkward at this stage. The flavours are very pure but seem very light. This is surely in flux, and deserves further time. (RH)
Drink
2018
2030
£710.40 per case of 6 Armit Wines
17 ++

BARBARESCO OLDER VINTAGES

Piero Busso, San Stunet San Stefanetto 2009 Barbaresco

Neive. Seems 'muddier' on the nose than the 2010s. The same purity and freshness as the 2010s but the aromatic etching is less distinct. The tannins stick out a bit; not quite the fruit concentration to support them.
Drink
2017
2025
£159 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5

Castello di Verduno, Rabajà 2009 Barbaresco

35-year-old vines on southwest-facing steep limestone. Sumptuous complex nose. Warmth and bonfires. Neat palate entry and something pretty agricultural about this. Marked acidity. Fruit masks quite a bit of tannin. Needs time.
Drink
2018
2030
£147 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5

Piero Busso 2007 Barbaresco

Pale ruby. Rich, sweet and a tad gamey. Not a sure-fire hit! But GV if you like transparent Nebbiolo from a famous Langhe village.
Drink
2015
2020
£147 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
16

Bruno Giacosa, Asili 2008 Barbaresco

Blackcurrant fruit, dry tannins, quite austere and with a slight TCP sort of aroma. Not as convincing as their Santa Stefano 2011, for me. (RH)
Drink
2017
2025
£638.40 per case of 6 Armit
17

OTHER CURRENT OFFERINGS

Cantina del Pino 2012 Dolcetto d'Alba

Light purplish crimson. Smells of cherry liqueur. I'm missing Nebbiolo already and this is only my eighth wine! Sweet, boiled-sweets/hard-candy nose and then a bit austere.
Drink
2015
2018
£87 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
15

Cavallotto Nebbiolo 2011 Langhe

From the Bricco Boschis area. Rather sumptuous and flattering on the nose. Sweet, jewelly fruit – rather a modern, emphatic Nebbiolo but very winning and rather forward. No shortage of tannins. But clean and fresh overall. GV

Drink
2015
2019
£192 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5

Elio Grasso, Vigna Martina 2011 Barbera d'Alba

Mid purplish crimson. Seems a little obviously sweet and oaky to me – but perhaps that is the mean comment of a palate pre-soaked in Nebbiolo. I wouldn't mind a bit more freshness though I'm sure this will appeal to those who like their Barbera sweet.
Drink
2015
2018
£99 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
15.5

Elvio Cogno, Bricco dei Merli 2011 Barbera d'Alba

Dark crimson. Sweet, fully ripe nose. Round and easy yet not too tarted up. Very easy to like already. Serious stuff. Not too sweet or oaky.
Drink
2014
2018
£156 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16

Enzo Boglietti, Roscaleto 2011 Barbera d'Alba

Savoury and intense. Good energy here. Dry finish and the fruit is foremost. I much prefer this to the Dolcetto Tiglineri.
Drink
2015
2018
£168 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16

Guido Porro, Vigna l'Pari 2013 Dolcetto d'Alba

The youngest wines of this tasting! Purple with a pale rim. Macerated cherries but the fruit dominates. Very charming (and I meant the wine rather than the winemaker, described as 'the George Clooney of Serralunga'). Exciting and with more nerve than many Dolcettos. Sinewy. Transparent. GV
Drink
2014
2017
£90 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5

Guido Porro Nebbiolo 2013 Langhe

Heady nose and then real tension on the palate. Polished tannins. Dry finish – a nice change from the sweeter models.
Drink
2015
2019
£138 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5

Giacomo Fenocchio 2012 Dolcetto d'Alba

Lovely forthright red cherry fruit, just a hint of bitterness to finish with a pretty firm tannic feel. Good bistro stuff – gluggable despite the rustic structure. (RH)
Drink
2013
2017
£83.94 per case of 6 Armit Wines
15.5

Giacomo Fenocchio 2012 Barbera d'Alba

Plenty of oak on the nose, threatening to overwhelm the fruit. The palate survives though, with brisk acidity and great persistence. Really quite substantial, in fact. Very lengthy – and GV. (RH)
Drink
2014
2022
£95.94 per case of 6 Armit Wines
17 +

Bruno Giacosa 2012 Dolcetto d'Alba

Sweet fragrance – very primary, and a little confected. Sweet fruit, dry finish. Light and straightforward. (RH)
Drink
2013
2016
£202.80 per case of 12 Armit Wines
15.5

Bruno Giacosa, Valmaggiore 2012 Nebbiolo d'Alba

White pepper and juicy strawberry fruit. High, sieved tannin and lovely refreshing acid. Sophisticated and authentic in an easy-drinking-for-Nebbiolo way. (RH)
Drink
2013
2018
£359.88 per case of 12 Armit Wines
16.5

Gaja, Sito Moresco 2011 Langhe

Chocolate, cherry and such succulence of fruit. Beautifully subtle oak, and incredible length. Tannins that coat the palate, but not at all aggressively. Fantastic. (RH)
Drink
2015
2025
£426 per case of 12 Armit Wines
17.5