Barbaresco Battle Royal

Barbaresco Battle Royal – Episode #527

August 26, 2008

Gary’s wine of choice is often the overlooked Barbaresco, today Gary tries 3 Barbaresco’s and sees what these awesome Italian red wines have to offer him!

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Comments on this episode(145) Leave a comment ›

“QOTD: Never had one! *sigh* However tonight I had my first ever Chi…” by Dessert Wine Nerd
“QOTD: The Gatiinara wth the weird shaped bottle. I cant remember anyt…” by yowens
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2004 Icardi Barbaresco MontubertBarbaresco
2004 Paitin Barbaresco Sori PaitinBarbaresco
2005 Rocca Bric Ronchi BarbarescoBarbaresco

Links mentioned in todays episode.

The Thunder Cruise

145 Responses

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January 20, 2009

Dessert Wine Nerd
QOTD: Never had one! *sigh* However tonight I had my first ever Chianti and liked it quite a bit! Im trying, Im trying new wines!
October 2, 2008

yowens
QOTD: The Gatiinara wth the weird shaped bottle. I cant remember anything about it though other than the bottle.
September 14, 2008

Alos Diallo
Hey bro I have not watched the show in a long time it’s great to see that your still doing great and that the show is still going on! A Gaja wine was the last one I had I think it was great 93+ points. Cheers your friend Alos
September 9, 2008

Eugene
nice show… Martin & Weyrich Nebbiolo, Paso Robles. Italian style wines, very interesting. Full of the light fruit, raspberries, strawberries at the beginning, somewhat light on the palate. also licorice and tobacco on midpalate and finish.
September 6, 2008

vinacull
QOTD: 2001 Villadoria Barolo. Favorably reviewed by both WE and WS. Color medium red with orange bricking, clear, no sediment. This has been referred to as full bodied, but seems more medium to me. Nose shows notable, pleasant varietal characteristics of sour cherry, tobacco, wet leaves, and some meaty rusticity. On the palate there is sour cherry, tobacco, earth. For the first hour it is tight and somewhat disjointed, with more acid and tannin showing, but after about three hours it relaxed and was really quite enjoyable, and even more so with bolognese. This really just needs some time and air to unwind, and it should be good for a few more years. Score 88. Value for this 7 yr old barolo is fabulous at just 18 dollars.
and one more because I purchased it at WL (no longer available):
1999 Lodovico e Virna Borgogno Barolo Cannubi Boschis. Color ruby garnet darkened with sediment. Beautiful evolved aromas of leather, fresh tobacco as well as smoke and a little cigarette, roses, and sour cherry. Largely the same transferring to palate, with an overall balanced presentation that included drying dusty tannins. Overall an excellent mildly aged Barolo that is drinking well now. Hats off to Ian Dorian for this reco, and I’m glad to have a few bottles to follow over the next 5-10 years. Score 90.
September 6, 2008

Palmer
2003 Pio Cesare both the Barolo and the Barbaresco at a dinner in Montreal. I found both to be so dry, tannic and leathery that I had trouble finishing my glasses. I think I nursed my Barolo glass for about 2 and a half hours and it did open up to reveal a little fruit on the nose, but was still tough as hell on the palate – definitely gave me the knockout punch.
September 5, 2008

Russ J
QOTD: 2004 Correggia Roero Nebbiolo. Nice, solid dark fruit, tannins just a touch sweet. Very smooth.

So, GV when will a Roero appear on WLTV? More importantly, when will WL stock some Correggia wines?
September 3, 2008

Daniel Schlossberg
great to see you rocking all four wrist bands. where can i get all 4, i am super jealous!
September 2, 2008

Oakmon's BF
QOTD: According to my notes I had a Barolo, a Barbaresco, and a Nebbiolo d’Alba all in July of 2008. My favorite was 2004 Rivata Barbaresco. My wife liked it too.
September 1, 2008

JudeMurphy
I didn’t know it was a nebbiolo at first but I knew as soon as I got that distinctive leather taste.
Does nobody else get completely smacked in the face with leather when they taste nebbiolo??
It’s probably something everyone tastes but I’m the only one interpreting it as leather, actually.
It really tastes like the smell of fresh leather to me though!!
September 1, 2008

RCFon
Excuse me… nebbiolo means not exactly cloudy, but foggy…
September 1, 2008

RCFon
Gary,

Congrats and keep up doing this great show.

Last Nebbiolo (which, by the way, means cloudy in Italian) I had was the Vjara Langhe Nebiollo 2003. Very interesting wine, a dance of subtle floral, tar, manure aromas on the nose. Very silky and lasting on the mouth. I tasted recently a Barolo, Parusso 2003, extremely nice wine. No Barbaresco, yet. But it´s going to be a matter of time…

Regards from Brazil!
August 31, 2008

Jim in Atlanta
QOTD – This year I had a 1996 barolo that a friend from Italy gave me. I brought it to a wine dinner and it was excellent. I don’t remember the name, but it was better than I expected (about 90+).
August 31, 2008

Sharon
Hi Gary, Chris Mott is correct about High Fructose Corn Syrup. It messes up your metabolism in a bad way.
QOTD: Right, the tar and roses nose is often seen in Nebbiolo. Recently bought a Vietti Nebbiolo which I vaguely recall tasting before and that tar and roses thing is really on point.
August 31, 2008

Karl Laczko
A region and variety I have neglected, I don’t recall ever having a Barbaresco.

QOTD – Antichi Poderi Dei Marchesi di Barolo 1967 Nebbiolo d’Alba. Full T-Ns can be found on Reign of Terroir, http://reignofterroir.com/2008/04/21/a-40-year-old-wine/ . I didn’t score it, due to it’s age and uniqueness, but I enjoyed it.
August 31, 2008

Dan-o
GV – I seem to say this every comment – love the Barbarescos and the Piemonte.
QOTD – I recently drank a 2001 Damilano Barolo. This was very hot a few years back due to a WS high rating and a good price ($30). I thought that it exhibited decent aromatics, but was light on the tannins. Several months ago I had a 1999 Seghesio Barolo that was a barn-burner!
August 30, 2008

Kelly Goff
Hey Gary, love the baby oak monster! Adorable.

I have yet to have anything from the Nebbiollo, there just not enough time to get to everything…
August 29, 2008

Bart Van Hemelrijk
Hy, Gary,

I’m a Belgian importer of Italian wines with a special love for Piemonte. I appreciate that you tell the people what you realy think! Yes, good nebbiolo doesn’t need small barrels and the Albino Rocca is not as good as people think! The bigger the barrels, the bigger the wines made from nebbiolo! Proof: in the best terroir for complex Barolo with long aging capacity, Serralunga d’Alba, you notice much less French barriques and new wood than in La Morra or Barolo!

Try the barbaresco Valgrande from Ca’ del Baio (Mott, link it up!)! Finally got a tre bicchiere last year for the 2004, but in my opinion, they are at the top for the last 3-5 years! Nebbiolo as you like it, I’m sure. From Treiso, the most powerful Barbaresco’s usualy. Family business since 1880, one of the oldest. And the prices are more than fair.

One of my last tastings was Barolo however: Barrel samples from Giacomo Conterno Monfortino and Cascina Francia 2002 and 2003… OH YEAH!

All the best!
August 29, 2008

YoungDave
QOTD: 2004 Batasiolo Barbaresco
August 28, 2008

Richard Ritter
Great episode Gary. Nebbiolo-licious.

QOTD: Just had the Icardi 2004 not that long ago. I would have to agree with what you said, my score is about a 92+. Tasting notes, I don’t know…possibly a little flowery, mid-tannic level, medium + body, and beautiful finish.
August 28, 2008

wannaBconnoisseur
Keep the italian wines coming!!

Q-It was over a month ago and I forget the name, sorry, however I do remember liking it. Had more Barbera and Dolcetto lately than Nebbiolo.
August 28, 2008

W. Miree
Very good show! I love Nebbiolo based wines, but prefer Barolo over Barbaresco in general. In fact, Barolo wines are my favorites of all wines at this point in time.

QOTD: The last Nebbiolo wine I have had was August 12 at a 2004 Barolo tasting of 8 Barolos and one mystery wine that turned out to be a Gaja Barbaresco. The best of this tasting for me was a 2004 Pio Cesare Serralunga d’Alba. I gave it 93-94 points. My tasting notes: “Terrific! very full, rich aromas & flavors. Musty tobacco, rose petals, slight tar. Chewy flavors of rustic cherry and blackberry, with earthy overtones.”
My second favorite was a 2004 Einaudi Barolo “Costa Grimaldi,” which I gave 93 points.
My third favorite was a debut Barolo from perhaps Piedmont’s best Dolcetta producer, Pecchenino: it was a 2004 “Le Coste” from Monforte d’Alba, which I also gave 93 points.

Needless to say, it was a great tasting of Nebbiolo wines.
August 28, 2008

SpoiledinCalbyPinot
QOTD: Have not tasted Barbarello or Barbaresco yet. Will be trying
in future. Might one be included in the “secret” pack Thanksgiving?
August 28, 2008

Jayhitek
You think the circulation in Gary’s arm is starting to get cut off from the all the wrist bands?
QOTD: Don’t know. But I did have a couple glasses of the Catena Melbac last night and it was delicious.
August 28, 2008

Dan Manu
Last Nebbiolo was the 2004 Longview `Black Crow` Nebbiolo, Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It was tannic and chalky which I really liked. Also had nice hints of sweet smoky oak and black cherries.