Thursday, February 4th, 2010
2008 La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti ‘Bricco Quaglia’, Piemonte, Italy (RMB 172)
Available from Watson’s, Contact Lily Li: LilyLi@asw.com.hk www.watsonswine.com
La Spinetta is one of the top producers in Italy’s Piemonte region. As well as making great Barolo and Barbaresco, among other wines - for a stunning example from the 1997 vintage click here - La Spinetta also produces one of the region’s best Moscato d’Asti, a delightful sweet sparkling wine (in this case named after a hill-top vineyard - bricco - frequented by quails - quaglia).
Light green in colour with attractive, gentle bubbles, the nose has Moscato’s wonderful perfume of orange blossom and lime fruit. The palate is medium sweet with just enough acidity to balance and low alcohol (5.5% abv.), making it very drinkable!
Moscato d’Asti – which is typically of higher quality than generic ‘Asti’ – does not get much better than this! Try with dishes that contain chilli (or other acidic spices) or enjoy with Chinese fruits at the end of a banquet.
NV McGuigan Sparkling Shiraz Black Label, Australia (RMB 128)
Available from Gelipu Wines, Contact Danny Wu: ausdanny@gmail.com, 13911229053 www.ai9.com.cn
Sadly, there is not much Sparkling Shiraz in China. Most of it is consumed in Australia where it is extremely popular, particularly for special occasions. This is a fun and food-friendly wine ideal for Chinese New Year banquets.
Medium purple with an attractive, full mousse, the nose has pleasant black cherry and berry fruits with a touch of spice.
The palate has refreshing medium acidity and tannin is kept to a minimum for this style of wine. Very adaptable to many kinds of Chinese dishes. We just wish there was more Sparkling Shiraz available here.
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
22nd January 2009
Joining the cream of the British wine trade on our UK trip, we were delighted to taste our way through a sizeable range of the Richards Walford portfolio.
Here are our full notes, although, in truth, we only managed to taste a selection of what is a wide-ranging and extremely impressive body of wines (Királyudvar being especially good).
The notes are divided by country and region:
France, Champagne
NV Champagne Le Mesnil, U.P.R., Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Champagne Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2000
France, Alsace
Rolly Gassmann Riesling Pflaenzerreben, Rorschwihr, Alsace 2000
Rolly Gassmann Gewurztraminer, Rorschwihr, Alsace 2004
Rolly Gassmann Tokay Pinot Gris Rotleibel Vendange Tardive 1996
France, Côtes Catalanes
Le Soula, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (Rouge) 2007
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2006
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2005
Le Soula, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes, Gérard Gauby (rouge) 2004
France, Rhône
Côte-Rôtie ‘Cuvée du Plessy’, Gilles Barge 2006
Côte-Rôtie ‘Cordeloux’, Pierre Benetière 2006
Austria, Wachau
Grüner Veltliner Loibner Berg Smaragd, Wachau, F. X. Pichler 2007
Riesling Steinertal Smaragd, Wachau, F. X. Pichler 2007
Grüner Veltliner Ried Kreutles Federspiel, Wachau, Emmerich Knoll 2007
Hungary, Tokaji
Királyudvar Tokaji Sec, Tokaji 2005
Királyudvar Tokaji Sec, Tokaji 2006
Királyudvar Tokaji Becsek (demi-sec), Tokaji 2005
Királyudvar Hárslevlu Lapis 2006
Királyudvar Tokaji Cuvée Ilona, Tokaji 2003
Királyudvar Tokaji Aszù 6 Puttonyos, Tokaji 2002
Királyudvar Tokaji Aszù Lapis, Tokaji 2002
Italy, Tuscany
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2003
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 1999
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 1998
Lisini Brunello Di Montalcino, Tuscany 1995
Italy, Piemonte
Barbera d’Alba ‘Maggiur’, Cascina Luisin 2007
Barbaresco Sorí Paolin, Cascina Luisin 2003
Barbaresco Rabajá, Cascina Luisin 2003
Italy, Veneto
Valpolicella Superiore ‘Marion’, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Teroldego IGT ‘Marion’, Veneto, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Amarone della Valpolicella ‘Marion’, Veneto, Stefano Campedelli 2004
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Here are the rest of the wines from the Antinori tasting organized by Summergate and hosted by the Italian Ambassador, Mrs Riccardo Sessa and Alessia Antinori. Wines were available from Umbria and Tuscany, the original Antinori home (see separate posting for the three whites on show and the Umbrian and Tuscan wines we tasted) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.
2005 Dolcetto d’Alba, Prunotto
Appearance: deepish purple colour, clear rim.
Nose: lots of red and black cherry but with noticeable almond nose and some white pepper. No oak.
Palate: chewy medium tannins (well managed here for Dolcetto!), medium-high refreshing acidity, lovely fruit and impressive length. Alcohol is well-balanced too.
Conclusion: a lovely example of Dolcetto from a strong vintage. Retail 203RMB.
Rating: 18/20
2005 Barbera d’Asti ‘Fiulot’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: medium red-purple, clear rim.
Nose: light red cherry nose with some stalky fruit. Some other savoury smells, but no oak.
Palate: bright fruit, nice acidity, and moderate spiky tannins. Quite good length.
Conclusion: medium-range Barbera in a light style. Well-made. Retail 179RMB.
Rating: 17/20
2000 Barbera d’Asti ‘Costamiole’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: dark purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: complex nose with intense black cherry fruit and several different savoury aromas including herbs (rosemary, oregano). Some of the spice here must be traceable to oak.
Palate: very ripe chewy tannins, great acidity and fantastic complexity of fruit and oak. Well-balanced throughout.
Conclusion: part of the Prunotto ‘Cru’ range and a superb Barbera! The wine does actually spend 12 months in barriques and is then aged for a year in bottle before release. Retail 660RMB.
Rating: 18.5/20
2001 Barolo ‘Bussia’ Vineyard, Prunotto
Appearance: medium to dark purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: immensely perfumed Nebbiolo with a mixture of black cherry and redcurrant fruit, peppermint and florality (although what flowers we couldn’t tell you!). Oak is well-integrated here as the grape variety is allowed to sing.
Palate: seems tighter in flavour on the palate (this is not a function of the gripping tannins as such). Very good length, however.
Conclusion: obviously high-class Barolo from a really good year that has an impressive life ahead. The ‘Bussia’ vineyard is in Monforte. The wine is aged in large French oak barrels, then in smaller barriques before being aged for a further year in bottle. Approx. 839RMB retail.
Rating: 18.5/20 [might be higher with time]
The Puglian reds from Tormaresca:
2004 Rosso Puglia IGT, Tormaresca
Appearance: medium red, clear rim.
Nose: attractive red and black cherry fruit, ‘warm’ and quite alcoholic on the nose. ‘Rustic’ in a good sense.
Palate: chewy and spiky medium tannins, refreshing acidity, pleasant fruit, quite good length.
Conclusion: 70% Negroamaro and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is an attractive blend for everyday drinking. Retail 167RMB.
Rating: 16.5/20
2003 ‘Masseria Maime’ Salento IGT, Tormaresca
Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.
Nose: ‘crushed berries’ with leathery notes, also savoury and, again, ‘rustic’, although that needs qualifying. There’s an alcoholic quality to the nose, probably helped by the 2003 heat. This is attractive though.
Palate: nice ripe tannins, pleasant fruit, decent acidity and a good overall balance despite the ‘warm’ alcohol nose. Good length.
Conclusion: 100% Negroamaro and very drinkable. Impressive. Retail 419RMB.
Rating: 17.5/20
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
A grand tasting of the various properties owned by the Antinori family organized by Summergate and hosted by the Italian Ambassador, Mrs Riccardo Sessa and Alessia Antinori. Wines were available from Umbria and Tuscany (the original Antinori home) as well as Piemonte (Prunotto) and Puglia (Tormaresca), both also under Antinori control.
The tasting itself was held in the Italian Embassy and drew a good crowd of invited guests from the diplomatic, journalistic, F&B and wine trade worlds. The majority of the wines were red with only three whites on show. We offer our notes here of those three whites together with the rest of the selections from Umbria and Tuscany. A further post will contain the wines from Piemonte and the Puglian reds.
2005 Castello della Sala ‘Campogrande’ Orvieto Classico, Umbria
Appearance: pale green with yellow tints.
Nose: largely light apple fruit.
Palate: apple fruit, pleasant acidity, light-bodied, not bad length.
Conclusion: made from 40% Procanico, 40% Grechetto, 15% Verdello, 5% Drupeggio and Malvasia, this is a crisp, food-friendly white for everyday drinking and affordable at 135RMB.
Rating: 15.5/20
2005 Castello della Sala ‘Bramito del Cervo’ Chardonnay, Umbria IGT
Appearance: medium gold.
Nose: peach and melon fruit, pleasant oak.
Palate: good fruit, some acidity here; good oak and quite good length.
Conclusion: after maceration, the must for this wine is exposed to French Allier and Troncais barriques to undergo alcoholic fermentation; but only a proportion of the wine receives malolactic fermentation in wood. This may account for the lifting acidity here. Quite well put together. Price 299RMB.
Rating: 16/20
2004 Tormaresca ‘Pietra Bianca’ Castel del Monte Chardonnay, Puglia
Appearance: medium yellow-gold.
Nose: appealing citrus and peach fruit, good oak.
Palate: pleasant acidity, strong fruit, deft use of oak and well-balanced.
Conclusion: this was probably the best white of the three on show. Well-made Chardonnay with an impressive balance of ripe fruit – no trouble ripening Chardonnay in Puglia – and good acidity (probably the element that is harder to achieve). This wine retails at 347RMB.
Rating: 16.5/20
2004 La Braccesca ‘Sabazio’ Rosso di Montepulciano DOC, Tuscany
Appearance: light to medium red-purple, clear rim.
Nose: appealing light red fruits (red cherry, redcurrant).
Palate: more pleasant red fruits, medium-bodied, good acidity, light on tannin.
Conclusion: this wine is a blend of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 15% Merlot and 5% Canaiolo (NB Montepulciano grapes are not used to make this wine, nor are they used for Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano – if you want to drink Montepulciano, try Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the Marches region). It only spends about 4 months in oak which might account for why we didn’t notice any oak here at first. Priced at 191RMB, this is an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian red for more or less immediate consumption.
Rating: 16/20
2001 La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Tuscany
Appearance: deep purple colour with slightly orange rim.
Nose: dark black and red cherry fruit, ‘tart’ nose, discernible oak but this is well-integrated.
Palate: lovely tannins here (moderate and spiky in nature), fine acidity, pleasant dark cherry fruit and good length.
Conclusion: this wine is aged in different sizes of oak barrel for 12 months (with a proportion in barriques). It’s lovely stuff. 347RMB from Summergate.
Rating: 17.5/20
2001 ‘Marchese Antinori’ Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany
Appearance: dark purple, slightly orange rim.
Nose: marked black cherry fruit, savoury oak, slight spice, complex.
Palate: medium-high chewy tannins, lovely acidity, strong fruit, good oak and very good length.
Conclusion: a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter adding some richness and slightly darker fruit whilst the former dominates with its strong cherry quality. The oak in question is new, one-year and two-year old Alliers and Troncais French oak and the wine spends some 14 months in oak after blending. 450RMB and clearly very good.
Rating: 18/20 [but could be higher with time]
2001 ‘Pian delle Vigne’ Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany
Appearance: medium purple-red, slight orange rim.
Nose: complex red and black cherry fruit, some oak, savoury but with sweet fruits, complex.
Palate: very elegant with lovely closely knit but ripe medium-high tannins and beautiful Sangiovese fruit. Very balanced. Great length.
Conclusion: entirely Sangiovese, the wine spends some two years in a range of different sized oak vats and is also aged for a further year in bottle before release. This is clearly a very high quality Sangiovese (744RMB).
Rating: 18.5/20
Notes on the wines of Prunotto and the other Tormaresca reds to follow.
Saturday, November 10th, 2007
Gaia Gaja of famed Piemonte producer Angelo Gaja came to Beijing for a book-signing (at the Hilton Food & Wine Experience) and a special dinner arranged with importer ASC. She kindly consented to an email interview arranged around her busy schedule. Dragon Phoenix (hereafter DP) is very grateful to Gaia Gaja (hereafter GG) for her time and effort. With luck, she will be back in China in 2008.
DP: You recently visited Beijing to show-case your wines. What is your perception of the market for fine wines in China?
GG: The Chinese market is certainly one of the future, as China is a factor in all things: because of its growth and the increasing acquisition of wealth. Fine wine will undoubtedly be part of this expansion.
DP: How would you say Piemonte wines specifically are appreciated in China? Or is it too early for the market to understand the complexity of the Piemonte region?
GG: I believe our wines are accepted equally in China; just as all other fine wines in the world are. Their complexity is an added value which, with time, will be more and more appreciated.
DP: Your company has a number of business interests: including Gaja distribution, the Castello di Barbaresco as well as wine estates not just in Piemonte but also in Tuscany. How would you say your business experience has helped in establishing new markets for your wines in China and Asia as a whole?
GG: My mother has a little distribution company importing foreign wines to Italy (this is a business that concerns Italy alone). As to the Castello di Barbaresco, you are talking about the castle of Barbaresco which we bought in 1995 and restored. We were thinking of transforming it into a hotel but, in the end, we decided to keep it for the winery – so now there are offices and tasting rooms. So, we just make wine really. This is the only thing we know how to do and we will continue doing it just so.
We produce wine in Piemonte, in Montacino and in Bolgheri, as you know. The three wineries are working with different varieties: Nebbiolo, Sangiovese (in Montalcino), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (in Bolgheri). The three regions – what we call the ‘3 Bs’ of Italy, Barbaresco (and Barolo), Brunello and Bolgheri – are, in my opinion, the most prestigious in Italy. They provide the opportunity and real possibility of making long-ageing and complex wines. So, we have the same goal for the three wineries and the same style, but different expressions. The Chinese market can see the distinctive differences between these three wine regions with the distinctive Gaja flare in each case.
DP: Your family’s wine-making roots in Barbaresco date back to 1859 and Giovanni Gaja’s establishment of the winery. You have embraced both tradition and modern technology in your wine-making. How would you describe your company’s philosophy and outlook?
GG: My wines are easy recognizable in blind-tastings because they have a defined style that is obviously the style of our Barbaresco winery. The goal is to produce wines loyal to the area, and loyal to the history of the winery itself. To preserve their identity and dignity, we release them only in vintages when the weather conditions have allowed them to express all their beauties and to illustrate what Nebbiolo in Barbaresco can do.
The wines are, therefore, not produced every year. For example, our Piemonte winery did not produce any wine in 2002,1992,1984,1980 and 1972. The single vineyard wines (Costa Russi, Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin, Sperss, Conteisa) were not even produced in 1994,1992 and in many other older vintages. Pieve Santa Restituta did not produce any wine in 2002 and in 2003; and Camarcanda was not produced in 2002 either.
To work like artisans, following every detail from the beginning to the end: this is our philosophy. We do not buy in grapes but only use what we produce from our estate vineyards which have been selected over several generations. We also personally select the wood for part of the barriques we use, and we are working on several other details in the winery too.
DP: Piemonte wines are very food-friendly. Do you believe your wines will pair well with different Chinese cuisines?
GG: I don’t know enough about Chinese food, but I had the pleasure to pair several of our wines with different Shanghai-ese dishes (which were more oily and generally sweeter to the taste than some of the other Chinese regional cuisines I’ve heard of). They paired extremely well.
DP: Angelo Gaja was the first wine-maker to use French barriques and introduce international grape varieties to the Langhe. How would you describe the difference between your ‘international’ wines and your Barbaresco DOCG or is there no difference in your wine-making philosophy for these wines?
GG: Even the international varieties that my father introduced and started to produce in Barbaresco (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay) are producing wines (Darmagi, Alteni di Brassica and Gaia & Rey) that are very Piedmontese in their personality. The grape varieties are a vehicle to express the flavours of the place where they are grown. Piemonte wines reflect minerality, earthiness, and can have fabulous ageing potential where the aromas develop exquisitely. All of these characteristics are expressed in the Darmagi, Gaia & Rey and Alteni di Brassica wines.
DP: Some of your top Barbaresco wines – Sori Tildin, San Lorenzo, Costa Russi – and the Barolos, Sperss and Conteisa, are ‘de-classified’ to Langhe Nebbiolo DOC because this allows you to add up to 15% of other grapes. Do you find that blending helps tame some of the more difficult aspects of Nebbiolo, e.g. its sometimes harsh tannins? Or is there another reason for blending?
GG: My winery has produced Barbaresco since 1859. And this is why Barbaresco is the most representative wine from our winery. The single vineyard concept was introduced in the late 1960s (in 1967 we produced the first single vineyard Barbaresco: Sori San Lorenzo). Clearly, Gaja became well-known through this Barbaresco, the only wine of the winery for generations; and the reason behind the re-classification of the single vineyards was to go back to Barbaresco as the only Barbaresco of the winery.
When we changed the denomination for the single vineyards, we discovered the advantage of being able to add, if we wanted, other varieties. The variety we are most interested in adding (and from 1997 did so) is Barbera: a local variety with very good acidity, excellent fruit and not too much tannin. In warm vintages Barbera is useful because it gives the wine a certain drinkability whilst also aiding ageing-potential. It works very well with Nebbiolo.
DP: Do you think it is easier for consumers to understand international grapes – for example, you make straight a straight Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc – than the complexities of Italy’s DOC and DOCG system? Or is the Piemonte region itself of more importance to you and your customers?
GG: I think that one important reason why the international varieties are more understandable is that they are more well-known than the DOCs or DOCGs. So people are more used to drinking them and knowing what to expect from them. These varieties are like an international language that everyone can, on some level, speak and understand.
In Italy we have such a large selection of local varieties, all produced in such tiny quantities and areas, that it becomes very difficult to know them well. They are very much niche products. The international varieties give the chance to wine lovers to compare the results of certain grapes coming from different wineries and from different parts of the world.
DP: Nicholas Belfrage MW has written about your pricing policy, observing that this ‘seems to be paying off handsomely, with international buyers willing to spend any sum for a top name’ (Barolo to Valpolicella: The Wines of Northern Italy, p. 86). Belfrage does not dispute the very high quality of your wines, but wonders about global prices in the fine wine market. Do you think that buyers will continue to pay ‘any sum’ for top wines?
GG: The markets are undeniably growing and the new increasing demand cannot be absorbed by the offer of certain wines alone (as some wines cannot be produced in sufficient quantities to meet the demand). At the same time the production of wine is growing all over the world as well as the quality level (more countries are producing wines of better quality). So, for sure, in the case of certain top wines the prices will inevitably continue to grow. Fortunately, though, there will also be a good offer of wines at more moderate prices.
DP: In China, wine education should improve the market for fine wines as consumers become more confident in purchasing. How do you hope to support the appreciation of your wines in the Chinese market(s)?
GG: I like to explain my wines personally (and be there to explain them in person). I like to meet the people that drink and talk about my wines; and to hear their questions. This is one of the pleasures of my work. I will continue to come to China, maybe more often than I have in the past, and continue to explain what my wines mean to me to the people I will have the pleasure to meet. This is central to my life and work.
Friday, November 9th, 2007
2005 Il Nero di Casanova, La Spinetta, Italy
Appearance: medium red-purple, clear rim.
Nose: largely red and black cherry with some almond notes and slight clove.
Palate: medium-bodied, pleasant cherry fruit, refreshing medium-high acidity and medium chunky tannins. Quite good length.
Conclusion: La Spinetta is well-known as a producer of top Piemonte wines (having two properties in the region). However, the company also owns a property in Tuscany in the village of Terricciola. This Tuscan IGT was first made in 2004 and is predominantly Sangiovese with some Colorino thrown in (a grape indigenous to Tuscany that, as its name suggests, apparently does add colour). Easy-drinking, well-made and a very food-friendly Tuscan red.
Rating: 17/20
Sunday, November 4th, 2007
1997 Barbaresco Vigneto Gallina, La Spinetta
Appearance: darkish purple-red, only slightly orange rim.
Nose: very complex mix of red and black fruits: red and black cherry, redcurrants, red and black plum. Perfume also evident here with slight tar smell (but not in the tarry league of some Barolo wines). There’s also that slight peppermint I’ve noticed on Nebbiolo before. Savoury oak and a wine that kept on developing in the glass.
Palate: intense fruit, chewy ripe and not too tightly knit tannins, superb balance of high acidity to oak to fruit to tannin. Very, very long.
Conclusion: this wine is still very young, but was not closed. It had wonderful fruit and amazing complexity. This is one of La Spinetta’s top wines and is capable of considerable ageing, particularly from the famed 1997 vintage. Superb.
Rating: 19/20
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
Before the Barolo Cerequio vertical, I interviewed Michele Chiarlo - see Interview: Michele Chiarlo brings Barolo to Beijing and Featured Tasting: Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio - and then tasted a number of other Chiarlo wines:
2006 Gavi, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deepish green gold
Nose: lots of lemon, pear and apple fruit. Very clean on the nose.
Palate: lovely acidity, good fruit and refreshing length and finish.
Conclusion: a lovely expression of the Cortese grape and actually the most successful wine in Asia for the Chiarlo family. Good.
Rating: 17.5/20
2004 Barbaresco Asili, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: medium purple-red, slightly orange rim.
Nose: extremely perfumed and very delicate showing red fruits and slight spice.
Palate: lovely acidity, moderate slightly grainy tannins, good fruit, and very ‘refreshing’ (not something usually said about Nebbiolo).
Conclusion: Barbaresco, unfairly, is seen as playing second fiddle to Barolo, but its wines can show very pure examples of Nebbiolo in a delicate style. Asili is a single vineyard, but not one I’ve had before (most of the single vineyard examples I’ve had from the Produttori del Barbaresco).
Rating: 18/20
2003 Barbera d’Asti La Court, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deepish purple-red colour, clear rim.
Nose: shows a lot of oak, even although the wine sees only 50% oak; but much would depend, of course, on what proportion of that is new oak and what happened in 2003 itself where very ripe fruit may have called for heftier oak. Has very attractive dark cherry fruit as well, however.
Palate: lots of alcohol here, but there’s good acidity, pleasant chewy tannins and impressive length.
Conclusion: obviously a very fine example of Barbera and a pleasure to drink now (with some modest ageing ability there too).
Rating: 18.5/20
1999 Barolo Riserva ‘Tortoniano’, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: elegant red cherry and redcurrant fruit, violets.
Palate: not too tannic, ripe, possesses lovely acidity and the tannins that are there are grainy and also ripe. Good length.
Conclusion: A lovely expression of a readily drinkable Barolo; ready now, but one that will also improve.
Rating: 18/20
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo, Vertical Tasting
Presenting his wines at Aria restaurant in a tasting organized by ASC, Michele Chiarlo revealed that the family owns some 6 hectares of the Cerequio vineyard or about 40% of the total (with the likes of Angelo Gaja, Roberto Voerzio and Aldo Conterno controlling the rest of the vineyard).
The yield is generally at 35 hl/ha. He affirmed the care taken in extracting the better tannins from Nebbiolo before the bitter tannins take over: something the grape can easily show in less carefully made examples. 33% of production is sold in Italy with the rest going overseas, principally to the US and UK.
2003 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deepish purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: Very ripe red cherry, some ‘heat’ from the alcohol here, but there are still Nebbiolo characters coming through with some tar aromas. Oak is not over-dominant and with most of these notes I’ve hardly talked about oak because it’s well-integrated and almost hidden as Nebbiolo takes over.
Palate: big fruit, tight and close but ripe tannins; has impressive acidity for such a difficult vintage, some almond character and also peppermint and clove.
Conclusion: a very good wine for such a demanding vintage. Sensibly, they did not de-leaf in this vintage knowing that the grapes hardly needed much exposure to the sun in the fierce 2003 heat. Good, but it will never be a great Barolo year, not even from this vineyard and this producer.
Rating: 17.5/20
2001 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: toasty first nose, a lot more immediately perfumed than the 2003 with a gamey aroma and beautiful red fruits (cherry, redcurrants, even cranberry).
Palate: has ripe large grainy tannins, excellent acidity and considerable finesse. There’s a great balance here on the palate with delicacy, freshness and lovely length.
Conclusion: Very good. A lovely expression of Barolo in a fine year.
Rating: 18.5/20
2000 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: Deep purple-red (deeper colour than the 2001 certainly), slightly orange rim.
Nose: More tar on the first nose than perfume. Lavish fruit: more black cherry here than the red fruits you’d normally expect from most Piemonte Nebbiolos (at least those that haven’t had a bit of Barbera added!).
Palate: tannins are ripe and chunky. Considerable black fruits, but there isn’t the staying power here of the 2001 and there’s a slight problem with the palate. It’s not that the wine is short in length: there’s a gap between the generosity of the nose and a palate that gives a little less.
Conclusion: the palate notes here sound overly critical; but I can see why Chiarlo himself has more time for his 2001. This won’t last as well as the 2001 and will be an attractive earlier drinker, still of impressive quality.
Rating: 18/20
1999 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim (similar in colour to the 2001).
Nose: Very perfumed indeed – in that way that Nebbiolo at this level is indescribably perfumed, just like great Pinot Noir. Very concentrated ripe red fruits.
Palate: has the feel of ‘sweet’ fruit on the palate, excellent acidity and gripping, ‘angular’ tannins (whereas the tannins on the 2000 were chunky and chewy).
Conclusion: very, very good indeed and, along with the 1997 and 1990, probably my favourite (with the 2001 being a close contender).
Rating: 19/20
1998 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim (but orange rim is less extensive than that on the 1999).
Nose: has an immediate clove nose with tar, pepper and ripe cherry fruit.
Palate: tannins are chunky here and the palate is very much like the 2000 but with a better overall structure, i.e. the ripe cherry fruit is more integrated and there’s a better balance between fruit, tannin, acidity and alcohol.
Conclusion: very interesting to taste comparatively. Obviously similar to the 2000 in style, but better overall. Although the below rating is the same as the 2001, I think I prefer the 2001 to the 1998, at least in this tasting.
Rating: 18.5/20
1997 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: Medium to dark purple-red (I know this sounds strange, but these wines are a real mix of colours and hues)
Nose: first nose has lots of violets, perfume and also rose petal. Throughout, there is the ‘sweet’, ripe red fruits of the 1999 vintage.
Palate: similar to the 1999 with ripe red fruits and perfume, but the tannins are bigger here. Excellent length.
Conclusion: the 1999 is more ‘delicate’ or lighter on the nose and palate than the 1997, but the 1997, with its relative burliness, might last longer. There are both wonderful vintages, however, and point-for-point, this and the 1990 were my top wines.
Rating: 19.5/20
1996 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: dark purple core with a real spread of red to orange in the rim.
Nose: shows a very clove and tarry nose – like the 2000 and the 1998 – with concentrated, even closed, red and black cherry fruit.
Palate: fruit is riper and ‘sweeter’ on the palate than expected with very big, chunky tannins and good acidity.
Conclusion: this wine will need a lot of time. Could do 10-20 more years and may well be superb eventually.
Rating: 18.5/20 [but could be higher with further age]
1995 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: lots of peppermint, tar and perfume with a mixture of red and black cherry fruit.
Palate: has ‘dusty’ big fruit, hefty and chunky tannins, acidity that seems higher here than on other vintages (or is more noticeable).
Conclusion: obviously impressive, but not as conversation-stopping as some of the other wines. Still very good, however.
Rating: 18.5/20
1993 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.
Nose: has a very ‘Christmas cake’ first nose with clove, cinnamon and candied fruit.
Palate: shows more peppermint on the palate with lovely red fruits, decent marked acidity and ripe ‘fresh’, i.e. light, tannins (no doubt mellowed with age).
Conclusion: Ready to drink, although will still improve. A lighter, attractive vintage.
Rating: 18/20
1990 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo
Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim (still has considerable colour but has a wider gradation of orange rim than the other wines)
Nose: white truffle nose – the first wine to have this truffle quality – also other mushrooms, red fruits and some perfume.
Palate: mellowed but still lean tannins with generous fruit, complex truffle flavours and great acidity.
Conclusion: this wine still needs time in my book. It’s obviously a massive vintage and it would certainly be better to drink the 1993 before this wine. Stupendous and extremely generous of Michele Chiarlo to bring this over from his personal cellar.
Rating: 19.5/20
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
Interview: Michele Chiarlo brings Barolo to Beijing
(see also Featured Tasting: The Wines of Michele Chiarlo including a vertical of his Barolo Cerequio)
I found Michele Chiarlo giving a class to the service staff of Aria restaurant. Afterwards we sat down and talked for an hour, joined by Giovanni Oliva (Asia Brand Manager for Grandi Vini d’Italia who represents Chiarlo in Asia) and ASC’s Cindy Jia. Chiarlo explained that his first visit to Beijing had been about 12 years ago and that his wines had been on the ASC list for some 8 years.
He likened the development of the Chinese market to that of the US or Japanese fine wine markets several years ago: with the exception that China is set to grow much more quickly in the early stages. He agreed that international wines will only make sense in this new market if they are paired with China’s many diverse cuisines and he recalled a successful wine-and-food matching dinner hosted by ASC in 2006 showing both Chiarlo’s wines and those of Umbrian producer Lungarotti; although he also confessed that it can be hard to make clear the virtues of Italian wines in general and Piemonte wines in particular to Chinese restaurant managers.
Chiarlo is from a family that has been working the Piemonte slopes for seven generations. They have vines in the Barolo, Calamandrana and Gavi zones (owning 50 hectares themselves with access to some 110 hectares overall). His son, Stefano, is currently the wine-maker working alongside oenologist Gianni Meleni. Michele himself has seen some 51 vintages, a tall, modestly dapper gentleman, equally modest in his conversation, but bursting with enthusiasm.
Chiarlo talked of the progress of the 2007 vintage: the weather was consistently mild throughout the year, although there was just enough rain when needed. Most of the grapes – even the fiendishly difficult Nebbiolo with its very long hang-time – achieved great phenolic ripeness. Average daily temperatures in August were around 30 degrees Celsius, with nightly temperatures of down to 14 degrees (ideal for preserving acidity). Whilst many of the wines will be impressive, Chiarlo was particularly excited about the Moscato harvest.
I asked about the developments he’d seen over his career in the vineyard and cellar. Chiarlo began green-harvesting about twenty years ago around 1984-5, following the innovations of Elio Altare, Angelo Gaja and Aldo Conterno. When pressed over the ‘traditionalist’ v. ‘modernist’ debate of the 1990s - basically, the choice between preserving traditional methods but making wines that are hard to drink young OR adopting new techniques to produce fruitier, softer wines for early drinking but ones which can lack varietal character – Chiarlo explained that producers had now learnt from both schools.
On Chiarlo’s view old style wine-making can indeed keep varietal character but too many wines have tended to suffer from rough edges, unripeness and unruly acidity. New techniques such as ageing in French barriques (or adopting micro-oxygenation to make wines softer and more approachable) can obviously compromise varietal character and mask origin, but then the new attention to fermentation and what’s done in the cellar has reaped huge benefits. Most producers now have a composite approach.
Such observations have brought about changes in the Chiarlo cellar. Traditionally, Chiarlo used to macerate his Nebbiolos for about 35 days: now he opts for 15-16 days of skin contact to extract the best rather than the bitter tannins. But he still favours large barrels instead of barriques because of his desire to keep grape character and terroir intact.
Above all, Chiarlo wants wines of freshness, finesse and with enough concentration that they will express grape and vineyard/region exactly. He doesn’t want wines that will blow your head off or even ones that should be taken too earnestly. As he remarked: ‘drinking wine is not an exercise but a pleasure’. The question is, as Chiarlo then asked, ‘how much of a particular wine would you be happy to drink? One glass or more?’ This is the ultimate test of a wine’s appreciation.
Before the vertical tasting of his Barolo Cerequio, we turned to the characteristics of particular vintages and how Chiarlo decides on what to do each year. Generally speaking, Nebbiolo is not merely the last grape to be harvested: it also needs enough time in barrel before deciding what to do with it (age for longer in new oak or older wood, decide how much fining should be used, when to rack etc.).
Although, Barolo is famed for its longevity, Chiarlo insists that certain vintages have been hyped: although 2000 was a good year, for example, he would not agree with Wine Spectator’s 100 point award for the vintage (‘Perfection in Piemonte’ ran the header). Like many Piemonte producers, he prefers 2001. 1996, 1999 and 2001 are all high-quality Barolo years for the long haul. 2004 also looks to be very strong, but the excessive heat of 2003 will not, generally, give long-lived wines. The early 1990s were difficult with only 1993 pulling some weight in terms of quality and ageability; although many 1993s are essentially ready. The dreadful weather in 2002 also forced Chiarlo not to make any Barolo or Barbaresco, a difficult decision but an honest one. This integrity is reflected in the overall quality and purity of the Chiarlo range.
(see also Featured Tasting: The Wines of Michele Chiarlo including a vertical of his Barolo Cerequio)
NV McGuigan Sparkling Shiraz Black Label, Australia (RMB 128)
