2016 Barolo Notes (added Vajra Barolo Ravera & Coste di Rose)

[C_Keller]

Chris- I’m wondering if decanting might have affected at least the F Alessandria. I found it to be much more expressive than you both on the nose and palate. I loved it and the Vietti though I thought the Vietti needs a few years. I thought the Scavino was fine but of the 3 only one I didn’t buy more than I already have.

If you try anymore 16 Barolo I would skip the decanting and try them over a few hours from bottle. Too much air can definitely shut down some.

Good to know and I’ll definitely be looking at it like this

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks
Went thru with the 2016 “entry levels” yesterday. All were decanted for 3-4 hours before being consumed.

Vietti Castiglione - jumps out of the glass with leather and cigar aromas, nice acidity and not too tannic at the moment. Probably my favorite of the night

F Alessandria Normale - I had high hopes but this just didn’t deliver. Very light, not much on the nose but for some mint, eucalyptus and alcohol. Palate had a nice backbone of acidity and berries but the finish was rather short

Paolo Scavino - pretty nose of berries to start but that eventually faded and the tannins just took over. Smelled like tea and tasted like tea.

All in all these were ok and fun to compare. Would I buy more? Maybe just because its my wedding year.

[C_Keller]

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks

[F.Daner]

I love Grasso and their Casa Mate. The 08 is fantastic and in a great spot. Looks like 2 at a very good price available here
https://www.vinfolio.com/2008-Elio-Grasso-Barolo-Ginestra-Vigna-Casa-Mate?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

The 12 Case Mate is also available at several retailers. I have 2 coming soon. The notes on cellar tracker look very promising.

2015 Vajra Ravera also looks to be an excellent choice. This wouldn’t fit the bill of something with age on it but the notes on CT and the AG review are strong and it looks like it’s not shut down. I will probably open one of mine soon. Also available at good pricing. The 2014 Vajra Bricco Del Ville (BDV) while young is excellent. I had one a few weeks ago and loved it.

Winebid auctions will have 2008 and 2010 of many producers occasionally available at decent prices as well.

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks

[RMann]

I love Grasso and their Casa Mate. The 08 is fantastic and in a great spot. Looks like 2 at a very good price available here
https://www.vinfolio.com/2008-Elio-Grasso-Barolo-Ginestra-Vigna-Casa-Mate?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

The 12 Case Mate is also available at several retailers. I have 2 coming soon. The notes on cellar tracker look very promising.

2015 Vajra Ravera also looks to be an excellent choice. This wouldn’t fit the bill of something with age on it but the notes on CT and the AG review are strong and it looks like it’s not shut down. I will probably open one of mine soon. Also available at good pricing. The 2014 Vajra Bricco Del Ville (BDV) while young is excellent. I had one a few weeks ago and loved it.

Winebid auctions will have 2008 and 2010 of many producers occasionally available at decent prices as well.

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks

Thanks for the mention!

[C_Keller]

I love Grasso and their Casa Mate. The 08 is fantastic and in a great spot. Looks like 2 at a very good price available here
https://www.vinfolio.com/2008-Elio-Grasso-Barolo-Ginestra-Vigna-Casa-Mate?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

The 12 Case Mate is also available at several retailers. I have 2 coming soon. The notes on cellar tracker look very promising.

2015 Vajra Ravera also looks to be an excellent choice. This wouldn’t fit the bill of something with age on it but the notes on CT and the AG review are strong and it looks like it’s not shut down. I will probably open one of mine soon. Also available at good pricing. The 2014 Vajra Bricco Del Ville (BDV) while young is excellent. I had one a few weeks ago and loved it.

Winebid auctions will have 2008 and 2010 of many producers occasionally available at decent prices as well.

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks

Thanks. Ill hunt some of these down. Looks like PA has the 2015 Ravera. If I recall, back when I first started I had a Vajra BDV when I first got into wine and really enjoyed it. I always forget about this producer.

Was going to bite on the 2008 Elio but Vinfolio wants over $40 to ship the 2 bottles! No thanks. I’ll divert to the 2012. And I’ll check out WineBid as well.

[F.Daner]

Chris- here is another one. I picked up a few myself 13 Grasso Chiniera

2013 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera

I’ll try the non decanting method next.

Going to keep exploring. May even try the high end route but not the 2016 vintage. Maybe something with a few more years on it. I’ll take recs if you have them.

Thanks

[F.Daner]

These are on sale at Rye Brook in NY at a great price -$78

2016 Paolo Scavino Bric del Fiasc
Huge nose from the decanter while pouring. After an hour decanted — Very complex, sweet and lifted nose with cherries, some thyme, and something verging on baking spice. Plenty of fruit covering powdery tannins — everything in nice balance. Juicy and crunchy wine. Multidimensional is a good word for this. Very good. Classic iron fist in a velvet glove kind of wine. A keeper.

[Dav1d_Sawyer]

Our 4th anniversary was Thursday so I decided to open my first '16 Barolo. Waaaayy too young.

2016 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero
Four hour decant in advance then drunk over several hours. Still WAY too young with really gripping tannins. My initial thought was that it was very Burgundian because it lacked the typical tar notes. Big rose, violets, and black cherry nose backed up by a pleasant earthiness then an elegant, lithe palate that doesn’t yet express much complexity. The balance is fantastic even at this stage though. You can tell right away that this has a ton of upside but it needs another ten years before it will really start to peak.

I’ll hold the rest of mine until 2030 and later.

[J_D_o_v_e]

2016 Elvio Cogno Cascina Nuova
A wine you can smell before the glass leaves the table. Candied cherry, cinnamon, some orange peel, bit of licorice and some pleasant greenness. Beautiful nose. Taut cherry fruit is obscured a bit by the typical ripe powdery-textured tannins you get on the ‘16s. A bit wound up, but so much to like here. Did I say it has a beautiful nose? Recommended. Can’t wait to try the Ravera…

[F.Daner]

You went big for your first 2016 ! Happy Anniversary.

If you have their base Barolo give that one a shot. It’s terrific and very approachable.

Our 4th anniversary was Thursday so I decided to open my first '16 Barolo. Waaaayy too young.

2016 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero
Four hour decant in advance then drunk over several hours. Still WAY too young with really gripping tannins. My initial thought was that it was very Burgundian because it lacked the typical tar notes. Big rose, violets, and black cherry nose backed up by a pleasant earthiness then an elegant, lithe palate that doesn’t yet express much complexity. The balance is fantastic even at this stage though. You can tell right away that this has a ton of upside but it needs another ten years before it will really start to peak.

I’ll hold the rest of mine until 2030 and later.

[J_D_o_v_e]

2016 Elvio Cogno Ravera
Tasted this next to the ‘16 Cascina Nuova from last night for comparison (which was under argon). Very similar on the nose. The Ravera starts off with a good bit of sulfur. A couple of hours later, it gives way to hard cherry candy, cinnamon, some rose, white pepper, and, like the Cascina Nuova, something faintly green. Just explosive on the palate — the interplay of crunchy red raspberry and cherry, juicy acidity, and powdery tannins give a real sense of energy. Very persistent finish. Mid-weight but an absolute mouthful of tastiness. I would expect this to shut down soon. A favorite from the vintage so far. Very highly recommended.

[C_Keller]

The Alessandria will be a little like Bordeaux among Cali Cabs to use an analogy. Look past that fact and you’ll find a really great wine. But, together with those other two, I suspect it will likely come across as a little less rich. They’re all three very good in their own right. And, the Scavinos crus are a steal, IMO.

Good to know and I’ll definitely be looking at it like this

Went thru with the 2016 “entry levels” yesterday. All were decanted for 3-4 hours before being consumed.

Vietti Castiglione - jumps out of the glass with leather and cigar aromas, nice acidity and not too tannic at the moment. Probably my favorite of the night

F Alessandria Normale - I had high hopes but this just didn’t deliver. Very light, not much on the nose but for some mint, eucalyptus and alcohol. Palate had a nice backbone of acidity and berries but the finish was rather short

Paolo Scavino - pretty nose of berries to start but that eventually faded and the tannins just took over. Smelled like tea and tasted like tea.

All in all these were ok and fun to compare. Would I buy more? Maybe just because its my wedding year.

Went with a 2016 Brovia Barolo tonight. PnP basically. Out of the bottle into a Zalto Carafe for about 15 minutes and then into Conterno Sensory. Have to say this is probably my favorite so far. It was a little shy in the beginning but its opened up with some berries and tar after a few hours. Palate is tad short and there isn’t much depth but this seems smoother to me out of all of them. Its not at tannic as the others

[Mattstolz]

2016 GD Vajra Barolo Albe
This wine is always a great QPR, and is always a good choice for an early check in on a vintage because of style, even though its still got all the classic notes of berries, roses, some leather, but dominated by the fruit at this time. its not a shy wine, but its a really enjoyable one.

[Diane_Kessler]

2016 GD Vajra Barolo Albe
This wine is always a great QPR, and is always a good choice for an early check in on a vintage because of style, even though its still got all the classic notes of berries, roses, some leather, but dominated by the fruit at this time. its not a shy wine, but its a really enjoyable one.

Good to read this as I kept 1 out of the cellar for an early check. Maybe next week.

I opened a 2016 Trediberri and found it very enjoyable. The nose was lacking but plenty of sour cherries and florals on the palate. Tannins started out soft but tightened up with air.

[F.Daner]

Morrell and Company in NY has 20% off today and tomorrow. Free shipping for orders over $199. Still have some good selection on 16’s if you missed and some solid 13’s as well. Full line up of Brovia 2015 too. I posted a note on this one last week, great wine :

Cordero di Montezemolo - Barolo Bricco Gattera 2013 - terrific wine and available at an attractive price.

happy hunting

[Mattstolz]

2016 GD Vajra Barolo Albe
This wine is always a great QPR, and is always a good choice for an early check in on a vintage because of style, even though its still got all the classic notes of berries, roses, some leather, but dominated by the fruit at this time. its not a shy wine, but its a really enjoyable one.

Good to read this as I kept 1 out of the cellar for an early check. Maybe next week.

I opened a 2016 Trediberri and found it very enjoyable. The nose was lacking but plenty of sour cherries and florals on the palate. Tannins started out soft but tightened up with air.

I really do think Vajra is made in a way where even if they will improve with age (which I definitely think they will) they are enjoyable almost right out of the gate. especially with the Albe, its priced in a way that opening one now is pretty pain free

[J_D_o_v_e]

Tasted side-by-side over 3h:

2016 E. Pira (Chiara Boschis) Via Nuova
Which of these is not like the others? Well, this one. On the nose, the oak is noticeable and takes you vaguely toward a Pomerol or a very toned down version of a top Ribera del Duero (gasp). Besides a bit of oak spice, there’s plummy fruit on the nose — but, really, few of the Nebbiolo superlatives are to be found here. I would not have guessed this to be Barolo on the nose. Palate is a bit of a paradox — really confit red plum and dark cherry fruit flavors that are at the same time very fresh and crunchy. Light and at the same time quite concentrated. Tannins are a bit dry and ultimately clamp down on the longish finish. Quite open for business. Very, very tasty. This girl might be even more beautiful without the make-up…

2016 G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole
This wine is wide open today… Big and sweet nose with violets, dark and red cherry fruit, and a bit of pine. I’ve only had a few of these young and this is the sweetest and roundest I can remember. Explosive cherry fruit bomb of a wine — similar in its style to what’s noted above for the Via Nuova, a rich concentrated confit like quality that is at the same time very crunchy. Fans out on the palate. The structure is there — but, it’s just buried by the fruit today. Long finish. Spectacular stuff and, along with the Cogno Ravera, my favorite 2016 so far. Very highly recommended.

[Dav1d_Sawyer]

PSA: Morrell has all in stock Barolo and Barbaresco 20% off with free shipping over $200. Lots of 2016s at great pricing including a mag of '16 Vajra BdV for like $160. Thought this was a good place to share the sale.

[Andrew_M1]

FYI - Eataly Vino NY has 30% off select 6 bottle orders , including the 2016 Brovia which nets at $45/btl after tax and free shipping. That is a steal, highly recommend. This was my favorite 2016 normale out of ~10 tried.

[F.Daner]

They also have Vajra BDV which would be $70 after discount, Cordero Monfalletto at $36 and anyone trying to find Burlotto Monvigliero it would be $200 with the 30% off. easily the lowest price by a large margin according to WS.

That would be a nice 6 pack along with Brovia.

FYI - Eataly Vino NY has 30% off select 6 bottle orders , including the 2016 Brovia which nets at $45/btl after tax and free shipping. That is a steal, highly recommend. This was my favorite 2016 normale out of ~10 tried.