Barolo recs

[Yao_C]

I had various random encounters with Nebbiolo over the past few years but the light never really came on until I tried something 40+ years old. Per Nathan it’s really weird and counterintuitive the way it can taste oxidized and dead on opening, but come alive at hour 6

¯_(ツ)_/¯

[Max_K]

I know you said Barolo, but from reading the OP, I’m going to hazard a guess that Piedmont as a whole is a new area to you, so I’d probably steer you towards Produttori di Barbaresco as it’s pretty easy to find and great, especially for the money.

Vajra is a great suggestion if you want Barolo.

Suggested producers for the Barbaresco?

Produttori di Barbaresco is a cooperative that produces some of the most reliable Barbarescos, including a whole range of single vineyard riservas. But these need time. If you want to dive in at the deep end, I believe Flatiron in NYC has a '78 Produttori di Barbaresco for a pretty reasonable price.

For a more recent and early drinking example, I like Ca del Baio’s Asili.

[MChang]

Some others:

Elio grasso
F. Rinaldi
Rivetto

[Paul_McCourt]

Suggested producers for the Barbaresco?

Produttori del Barbaresco would be the producer. The wines are readily available and great from top to bottom.

Ah. Thanks.

[Paul_McCourt]

I know you said Barolo, but from reading the OP, I’m going to hazard a guess that Piedmont as a whole is a new area to you, so I’d probably steer you towards Produttori di Barbaresco as it’s pretty easy to find and great, especially for the money.

Vajra is a great suggestion if you want Barolo.

Suggested producers for the Barbaresco?

Produttori di Barbaresco is a cooperative that produces some of the most reliable Barbarescos, including a whole range of single vineyard riservas. But these need time. If you want to dive in at the deep end, I believe Flatiron in NYC has a '78 Produttori di Barbaresco for a pretty reasonable price.

For a more recent and early drinking example, I like Ca del Baio’s Asili.

I walk by every day. I’ll
Pop in! Thanks!

[Paul_McCourt]

burlotto, g rinaldi, and cappellano.

definitely not this. These aren’t starter/introduction type wines.

If you have very little experience with Barolo wines, I’d ask about your experience with Nebbiolo in general, e.g. have you had many Langhe Nebbiolo, and or Nebbiolo d’Alba? If so, what were those experiences like?

What about Barbaresco wines, any experiences, good, bad or indifferent?

In my experience, people tend to like/understand/etc. Barolo wines more if they’ve had the benefit of some/all of the aforementioned first.

Thanks. Getting the feeling I need to work my way into this with some forethought.

[Max_K]

Levi Dalton’s I’ll Drink To That podcasts with various Barolo producers and with Ian D’Agata are excellent resources to get started: - YouTube

[Paul_McCourt]

Thanks everyone. It has been most illuminating. The knowledge on this board is astonishing.

[R_Frankel]

Don’t let the haters get you down. It’s not really all that hard.

There are many wines made to be drunk early. Start with those. There are many that are best with some age. Try a friend’s. If you love the long agers, buy and store them. Or hunt down the aged versions. It’s not really all that different from Bordeaux (wines even more baffling to me in their youth), Burgundy or other red wine producing area. Massive diversity, plenty of options, would take a long time to be an expert but, oh, what a happy journey!

Ok, more info, perhaps some of this has been confusing. All Barolos and Barbarescos are made with the Nebbiolo grape. Wines can only have the word Barolo (or Barbaresco) on the label if they follow a bunch of rules about picking, vinification, and barrel regimen. However, there are wines made with this grape from this region (indeed sometimes from the same vineyards) that aren’t labeled as Barolo (or Barbaresco) - tend to be cheaper, earlier drinking, less fancy. For good producers, they can really help you understand a house style. So the types of names on the labels are:

• Nebbiolo d’Alba, or Langhe Nebbiolo (or other variants): Entry level wines.
• Barolo (with no other identifier): Typically blends of multiple vineyards. Sometimes referred to as a “normale” to contrast it with a wine from a single vineyard.
• Barolo Ravera (or other vineyard name): Made from a single vineyard.

For some producers, the blend is a lower tier wine than the single vineyard bottling. But there is a LOT of variation, just as in any wine making region. If you get into it you will learn!

Since you walk right past Flatiron, you are in great luck. Tell them that you’d like to try a few bottles of Nebbiolo to start to learn about the wine. They’ll be very helpful.

[John_Kight]

Don’t let the haters get you down. It’s not really all that hard.

Agree 100% with this (and all of this poster’s advice). I would also say that it’s a mistake to focus on tracking down and trying specific producers…There are too many great producers out there in a huge variety of styles, most of which have something to offer.

Instead, just begin tasting/trying a variety of relatively affordable wines. There are many solid Barolo and Barbaresco that you can buy and drink for under $50, and some as low as $30. They may not give you a sense of the “heights” that the wine can aspire to, but many can be very good and don’t require aging. And ironically, when I open the “big names” (Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Mascarello Monprivato, Cavallotto, etc.), I find it much more likely that I will discover a wine that’s completely closed down and offers absolutely zero pleasure, as there can be a huge risk with respect to timing when it comes to these.

I have recently found that Costco almost always has a few Barolo in the $27-33 range, including Mauro Molino, Fontanafredda, Ghisolfi, Guido Porro, and Caviola. All three of these can be outstanding in good years. And don’t neglect Barbaresco…La Ca’ Nova is an excellent entry point (where even their crus are quite affordable and their base-level Barolo is quite good). Produttori del Barbaresco is another good starting point although I must say that I’ve never been as big a fan of the non-Riservas as many on this board…I find it to be a bit pricey ($40-$45 in our market) and quite “correct” (traditional, etc.) but \not terribly expressive or pretty except in certain vintages (although by most accounts '16 is one of those great years for this one).

While I tend to look to Langhe Nebbiolo on restaurant wine lists (to avoid the huge markups), for home consumption I much prefer to jump to a producer’s base-level Barolo as the “sweet spot” (as between a Langhe Nebbiolo, base-Barolo, or cru Barolo) allowing early drinkabiliy, complexity and enjoyability, price, etc…(I have a similar view when it comes to Rosso di Montalcino vs. Brunello, and “second labels” vs. the top wine of a Bordeaux producer. There are plenty of exceptions, of course…)

[R0_M_0_R_R_1_0_N]

Don’t let the haters get you down. It’s not really all that hard.

There are many wines made to be drunk early. Start with those. There are many that are best with some age. Try a friend’s. If you love the long agers, buy and store them. Or hunt down the aged versions. It’s not really all that different from Bordeaux (wines even more baffling to me in their youth), Burgundy or other red wine producing area. Massive diversity, plenty of options, would take a long time to be an expert but, oh, what a happy journey!

Ok, more info, perhaps some of this has been confusing. All Barolos and Barbarescos are made with the Nebbiolo grape. Wines can only have the word Barolo (or Barbaresco) on the label if they follow a bunch of rules about picking, vinification, and barrel regimen. However, there are wines made with this grape from this region (indeed sometimes from the same vineyards) that aren’t labeled as Barolo (or Barbaresco) - tend to be cheaper, earlier drinking, less fancy. For good producers, they can really help you understand a house style. So the types of names on the labels are:

• Nebbiolo d’Alba, or Langhe Nebbiolo (or other variants): Entry level wines.
• Barolo (with no other identifier): Typically blends of multiple vineyards. Sometimes referred to as a “normale” to contrast it with a wine from a single vineyard.
• Barolo Ravera (or other vineyard name): Made from a single vineyard.

For some producers, the blend is a lower tier wine than the single vineyard bottling. But there is a LOT of variation, just as in any wine making region. If you get into it you will learn!

Since you walk right past Flatiron, you are in great luck. Tell them that you’d like to try a few bottles of Nebbiolo to start to learn about the wine. They’ll be very helpful.

Agree. Barolo (typically blended from different vineyards) and Langhe Nebbiolo are good starting points. Also, wines from La Morra (Bovio, Cordero di Montezemolo, Renato Ratti) are nice younger. Barolo Classico/Normale can shine a light on the producer’s style and give an indication if you want to try the pricier single Cru wines. Agree re: work up to those high end ones, but to try them at some point. After the Normale/Classico, pay attention to what commune and vineyard the Barolo you’re drinking comes from. Like Burgundy, terroir has massive influence. d’Agata is good for info on Terroir as are the maps/books from Masnaghetti. ENJOY!

[AndreasB]

My advice would be to start out with Langhe Nebbiolo. You get a good sense of what Nebbiolo is all about, but will not get the tannin attack that can put most people off.
See if you can find anything from 2015-2016 which are both good vintages.

If you like these entry level wine, then you can try some Barolo with +8 years on them and build from there.

[dteng]

Definitely look at Barbaresco - Sori Paitin was one of my first aha Nebbiolo wines, and it’s usually fair priced.

[M_Meer]

Produttori di Barbaresco is a cooperative that produces some of the most reliable Barbarescos, including a whole range of single vineyard riservas. But these need time.

Especially in this warmer era, wines generally drink well at various points in its life, including a period after release. The Langhe nebbiolo would also be an option as an earlier drinking example.

[Mark_Cochard]

This is in the $30 range believe Regal imports it. Marziano Abbona, Barolo (2015)
Very nice.

[Paul_McCourt]

Since you walk right past Flatiron, you are in great luck. Tell them that you’d like to try a few bottles of Nebbiolo to start to learn about the wine. They’ll be very helpful.

Kinda of funny coincidence…

Today I get an offer email from them and the first bottle on it is…Poderi Colla Nebbiolo d’Alba

[Kent_Comley]

Good wines the Poderi Collas.

[R_Frankel]

Since you walk right past Flatiron, you are in great luck. Tell them that you’d like to try a few bottles of Nebbiolo to start to learn about the wine. They’ll be very helpful.

Kinda of funny coincidence…

Today I get an offer email from them and the first bottle on it is…Poderi Colla Nebbiolo d’Alba

I’m sure that’s a coincidence. They’re not looking at this board and stalking you, really!

BTW I had the ‘15 of the Colla Nebbiolo and liked it, thought it was solidly representative. The ‘16 should be better.

[Rich_Stahmer]

I just had a 2013 Giovanni Rosso Serralunga Barolo that was drinking amazingly well considering how young it is and I think I paid $35 for it about a year ago. It may still be easy to find some at retail.

[Todd_Tucker]

A few wines that are less expensive but should get you a good feel of the region for nebbiolo. These will all be traditional producers due to my personal preferences. These may not be the producers’ iconic wines, but are for me the most typical and value driven ones.

Brovia
Base barolo
Villero
Rocche

Produttori
Base
Rabaja
Montefico
Asili
Ovello
Paje

Burlotto, but it has gotten too expensive on the secondary market. IMO, top to bottom and all varietals, at cellar door or true retail prices, his wines are among the best in the Langhe


Poderi Colla
Barbaresco Roncaglie
Bussia

Vajra
Ravera
Bricco delle Viole
Baudana Ceretta


Roagna
Langhe Nebbiolo
Paje
Pira

F Rinaldi
Brunate
Cannubi

Oddero since vintage '13. Prior to '13 I think their wines were an exercise in wasted potential
The base barolo is a terrific value.
Villero
Rocche

Luigi Oddero
Base Barolo
Rocche Rivera

F Allessandria
San Lorenzo
Monvigliero


G Fennochio
Villero

Cavallotto
Bricco Boschis
V San Giuseppe

Marcarini
Brunate

Cogno
Ravera
Bricco Pernice
Vigna Elena

Barale
Serraboella

Serafino (not Sylvia) Rivella
Montestefano

Cappellano
Rupestris
Franco

I am sure there are several others I am forgetting and a few I am purposely omitting for selfish reasons.

I love G Rinaldi, B Mascarello, and G Conterno, but at current US pricing I only buy B Mascarello and only a few bottles a year. I stopped buying G Rinaldi and Conterno after 2013. Although I did make an exception for the astoundingly good '15 Francia.

There is plenty of outstanding wine being made and there is no reason to chase the iconic wines at this point unless you have unlimited funds.

Hope that helps.