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
Red
Neive. Notably pale crimson. Complex and well balanced. Fine and refined. Pointilliste wine! Already approachable but with an undertow of sultry fruit. Seductive. (JR)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2016
–
2025
Price: £495 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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
Price: £495 per case of 6 ib Armit Wines
BARBARESCO 2010
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2017
–
2025
Price: £129 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
Neive. Pale ruby with a hint of boiled sweets on the nose. Firm tannins and more intense than the Borgese. Quite demanding but not remotely heavy. (JR)
Drink:
2019
–
2028
Price: £159 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17.5
/20
Red
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 (JR)
Drink:
2020
–
2030
Price: £219 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2018
–
2028
Price: £156 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
15.5
/20
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2016
–
2021
Price: £108 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17.5
/20
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2017
–
2026
Price: £135 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
17 ++
/20
Red
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
Price: £710.40 per case of 6 Armit Wines
BARBARESCO OLDER VINTAGES
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2017
–
2025
Price: £159 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
Lighter nose than the Ovello and rather smooth and suave on the palate. Just a bit subdued. (JR)
Drink:
2017
–
2025
Price: £156 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2018
–
2030
Price: £147 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
16
/20
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2020
Price: £147 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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
Price: £638.40 per case of 6 Armit
OTHER CURRENT OFFERINGS
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
Price: £87 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
Muddy nose and some rather pruney fruit. Very dry finish. Ungenerous at the moment. (JR)
Drink:
2016
–
2019
Price: £120 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5
/20
Red
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 (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
Price: £192 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
Price: £99 per case of 6 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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. (JR)
Drink:
2014
–
2018
Price: £156 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
Dark purple. Intense and rather modern and sweet. A bit tight and green on the end. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2017
Price: £99 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
Savoury and intense. Good energy here. Dry finish and the fruit is foremost. I much prefer this to the Dolcetto Tiglineri. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2018
Price: £168 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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 (JR)
Drink:
2014
–
2017
Price: £90 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
16.5
/20
Red
Heady nose and then real tension on the palate. Polished tannins. Dry finish – a nice change from the sweeter models. (JR)
Drink:
2015
–
2019
Price: £138 per case of 12 ib Lay & Wheeler
Red
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
Price: £83.94 per case of 6 Armit Wines
Red
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
Price: £95.94 per case of 6 Armit Wines
15.5
/20
Red
Sweet fragrance – very primary, and a little confected. Sweet fruit, dry finish. Light and straightforward. (RH)
Drink:
2013
–
2016
Price: £202.80 per case of 12 Armit Wines
Red
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
Price: £359.88 per case of 12 Armit Wines
17.5
/20
Red
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
Price: £426 per case of 12 Armit Wines
