Barolo 2007 - Summary

I had already tasted a few cuvees of 2007 last year, the quality seemed unbelievably good at the time almost too good, too easy. So I came out here with a degree of suspicion, wondering how the wines had evolved, were they too opulent or had they faded in any way? The answer, resoundingly, is no. This is a special vintage. The wines are so inviting and alluring. So easy to taste. There is plenty of tannin but it is a sweet sumptuous tannin. The wines are as effortless as Barolo can be at this early stage but more encouragingly they show every sign of ageing well. They have more freshness than I expected and very ripe clear fruit flavours. As well as enthralling Nebbiolo lovers, this vintage, I am sure, will bring the region many new friends. That mix of approachability and ageability is what makes this special. When asked, growers themselves struggle to come up with another vintage to compare it with, 07 is unique.

I have aslo relooked at several 2006s out here and I am every bit as confident in them, if not more so, as I was this time last year. Of course they were more rigid and classic to taste upon release, though they are already shaping up well and in time could well prove to be the equal of 2007. For the time being, though, we should revel in the 2007s, they are a delight.

The season started early, summer was sunny and dry but never hot and whilst this aided ripening, the cool nights extended the ripening period. So even after an early start, vintage took place at the usual time - during the first week of October. Growers say that long, gentle seasons like this are the best, certainly 07's ripening conditions have resulted in wines of smooth, shapely tannins without sacrificing any power.

In early September 2011 we will present 2007s from all of the growers mentioned in this blog, our greatest ever offering of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, it should prove a fitting celebration to the Piedmont and its great wines.

Barolo 2007 - Castiglione, Serralunga, Monforte, Roero and one more La Morra

This trip is starting to get very expensive for me. I left La Morra not only with an appreciation of a delicious raw spiced beef sausage produced in the town of "Bra" but also with a fairly sizeable personal shopping list of wine. Tuesday's and Wednesday morning's tastings have seen this list swell even further.

I wondered whether the sumptuous textures of the wines i had been enjoying so far were purely a La Morra phenomenon but it is clear this a feature of the vintage accross the region.

Scavino are a benchmark; their 2007s are serious and polished wines, the bric del Fiasc wine is a fitting tribute to this top cru, one of the first single cru bottled up separately back in 1978. It was exciting to go to Vietti for the first time, also in Castiglione, their wines are hugely intense and complex. And the last of the Castiglione trio, Azelia, are now the equal of anyone in the region. Marginally longer fermentations and less new oak have, over the last few vintages, seen them jump to the top division of producers. Apart from a great Dolcetto, the best there is, i also fell for the San Rocco.

Clerico, I am glad to report, is fit and well. Since 05 / 06 vintages gentler extraction has been a feature of the wines, his new range from Dolcetto to Barolo Cru is, in my view, the best and most refined he has ever made.

My visit to this wonderful region came to a happy end on Wednesday morning, a tasting at Azienda Matteo Correggia and a simply glorious Roero Riserva Rocche d'Ampsej 2007 and finally back to La Morra, to Giuliano of Giovanni Corino. Silky bright and totally seductive Barolo Cru 2007s and a memorable old vines 2006 Giachini. Those who like Barolo with a bit of extra grunt will prefer the wines of his brother Renato, those who like finesse in their La Morra Barolos will be totally seduced by those of Giuliano.

Now accross the nowhere lands passed Piacenza and into the beautiful hills of Soave and Valpolicella

Barolo 2007 - Barbaresco and La Morra

Monday started with a bang. If Roberto Voerzio describes a vintage as "legendary" you sit up and take notice. These were the impressive dense but highly svelte wines I was expecting, and the even better news is there is a full complement of crus made this year.

In Barbaresco, Gaja made some extremely slick, serious 07s, whilst over the road in Neive Giacosa's new Barolo is as pure and elegant as ever, whilst bowing to that sweet generosity of the vintage.

Our very own J&B blogger, Silvia Altare of Elio Altare, was in typically effusive mood, not only do they have an exciting new cru from Serralunga, Cerretta, but also the range of 2007s is phenomenal, pure smooth but not too sluggish, they retain that wonderful flowery, high-toned scent good La Morra should have but also betray an extra edge and grip that mark them out as so special. They are some of the very best wines they have made.

Renato Corino of the gigantic hands (the biggest in the Barolo business) has made a gigantic Rocche. I will taste his brother's wines Giuliano of Giovanni Corino on Wednesday.

Even taking all of these highs into consideration, THE highlight for me so far has been tasting with Marco Marengo. His 2007s were easily the best he has made ( which is saying something) and rival the very best in the vintage. This seems at great odds with some recent ratings he has been given which were, in my view, a mistake. The wines have found an extra level of finesse, they are intense and haunting, high toned but sweet and alluring. Barolo has never come closer to Burgundy. I found them totally beguiling

More on Castiglione, Serralunga and Monforte tomorrow...