September 2008
One enters the courtyard at Burlotto through a small door in a big metal gate. ... This is one happy wine. 88ptsVerduno Pelaverga 20071 week maceration in tini, temperature controlled to retain freshness and aromatics, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by three months in... Read moreOne enters the courtyard at Burlotto through a small door in a big metal gate. ... This is one happy wine. 88ptsVerduno Pelaverga 20071 week maceration in tini, temperature controlled to retain freshness and aromatics, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by three months in botte.Intensely herbal on the nose at first this slowly segues into layers of mineral, thyme, cherry juice and spice that lean heavily towards white pepper. A lighter weight wine yet with some tough tannins keeping things wrapped a bit tightly, good balance with soft acidity. The flavors build in intensity with notes of spicy wild red berries and light gamey meat notes playing off each other. Notes of mahogany and herb add some interest on the back end and lead to a long, fresh, slightly peppery finish that is cleansing and ends on a brisk note of raspberry fruit. 90ptsDolcetto dAlba 20061 week maceration in tini, temperature controlled to retain freshness and aromatics, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by ageing, half in stainless and half in botte for several months depending on the vintage.Lovely floral tones soar from the glass, big violets then some dark coal, mineral notes, black earth, black cherry builds into lovely rich deep, dark fruits with background notes of sweet, tropical flowers but they never obscure the depth of fruit. At first this appears lean and elegant in the mouth but quickly adds impressive density with strong structural elements that make this both chewy and bright. This retain great freshness to the palate that offers up great inner mouth perfume of cocoa, sweet spices, floral and red berry notes but is a bit blocky at this point. It finishes with impressive follow through and good purity so it looks like it may need some time to relax a bit in the mouth. 89ptsBarbera dAlba 200610 day maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by about 10 months in botte.This offers intense and focused notes of black fruit and moist earth that are so typical of Barbera. With time notes of rose petals, sweet spices, and a touch of forest fruits add to the perfume. Elegant with lovely balance in the mouth one finds very lovely balance here with fine acid serving like the frame of a kite supporting a sheen of transparent fruit, no need for tannin here. This is easy to like with pure black raspberry fruit and subtle notes of black spices and rosemary adding interest. The finish is classic Barbera, bracing with cleansing acids offering great precision to the spread of black cherry fruit. Maybe a bit simple but broad and with good length. 90ptsBarbera dAlba Aves 2006This comes from a select parcel of the vineyard that offers a better exposition yielding grapes that are a bit riper. Yields are kept a bit lower here as well to add to the richness of the wine. 10 day maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by about 10 months in wood, half in barrique and half in 30 HL botti. The percentage of new wood varies as barriques are replaced as needed.A bit smoky on the nose but packed with dark fruit. There is an obvious touch of chocolaty oak with some toasted cookie/toasted coconut notes as well so some of the wood was recently replaced. This is well balanced and certainly has more impact across the midpalate than the regular Barbera but there are super acids here and they keep everything lively. The pure, deep, spicy fruit is enlivened by the acidity and while there is a bit of cheek-grabbing tannin here it is unobtrusive. Not the most complex wine but the wood spice tones do add a bit to the ever so jammy black berry fruits. Eminently likeable and while the tannin does creep in around the edges the acid offer great pushback and leads to a touch of mulberry on the finish. 92ptsFreisa 2006 1 week maceration in tini, very variable elevage due to vintage character and quantities produced. Averages 3500 btls so usually fit only in smaller vessels. Vines were planted in 200, 2004 was the first vintage. Offers a bit of a winemaking challenge as this tends very heavily towards reduction.A bit reticent on the nose but with time opens to reveal earthy, red berry fruit with a slight confiture edge, a bit flat but does add a touch of spice with time. The palate is full of contrasts, the texture is light and bright with clean acids and a touch of stiff tannin yet the flavors are dark and tarry. This shows a touch of bitterness and leans towards the savory end of the spectrum with notes of blue slate, bresaola, and old wood. Finishes with solid intensity of flavor and reveals a core of Ranier cherry fruit but ends on a very brisk note with austere tannins on the finale accentuating the slight bitterness of the wine. This would be better served with food. 86ptsNebbiolo dAlba 2006A young vines cuvee. 1 week maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by about 20 months in botti. This starts off with a gently floral tone and a tarry top note over small forest fruits but continues to open and evolve revealing very thistle herbal tones, sandy soil notes, a touch of seaweed, slightly smoky, not fruit a fruit driven nose, though there is a nice base of lightly roasted red cherry fruit emerging, but with excellent complexity. Cool and crisp on entry with good density and lovely, very ripe tannins that offer impressive density for simple Nebbiolo. The flavors are fresh and mimic the nose with their herbal and soil driven tones. Tangy in the mouth with a slightly candied edge to the cherry and wild raspberry fruits, develops a bit of pomegranate and intriguing mineral tones on the back of the palate which lead to a very long, crisp fruit skin finish. This is great Nebbiolo and is example A in why Nebbiolo dAlba is the greatest wine value on earth! 92ptsBarolo 200415 days maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by about 30 months in botti.Opens with a whiff of tar, which is followed by very pure fruit notes and a strong balsam edge that highlights the herbal qualities of the nose. Fine open rose notes emerge but then the aromatics draw back a bit. Fresh and crisp with great tannins framing the medium weight here, really fine balance, precise. Dark fruits but still feeling very fresh, perhaps a bit closed but very pure expression of Nebbiolo with red fruits, rose petals, green herb and slight menthol tones that lead to a cleansing precise finish. The wine is consistent from nose to finish but feels a bit folded in on itself. Seemingly a textbook base Barolo but in need of3- 5 years in the cellar. 90ptsBarolo Acclivi 2004A blend of their three finest vineyards, Monvigliero, Neirane, and Rocche dellOlmo. 15 days maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Malolactic fermentation in Stainless followed by about 30 months in botti.Intense ripe fruits greet the nose, red fruits with a slightly musky tone, pomegranate, menthol and a subtle dried fruit tone all add to the mix. Really develops fine complexity with emerging tones of dried strawberry, dried mushroom, a bit of calcium and fine womens perfume. A bit weighty, like plush hanging drapes with folds and pleats to the dark core of fruit. The fine acidity keeps things bright in the mouth and the balanced tannins support the layered palate which features notes of earth, faded Middle Eastern spices, licorice and floral tones. Finishes very tight with taut red fruits leading to an earthy finale with notes of walnut and dried mushroom adding interest. 92ptsBarolo Monvigliero 2004This benchmark wine undergoes a traditional vinification and by that I mean not only that it is macerated for a full 60 days, virtually unheard off nowadays, and fermented in those open top tini, with cappello sommerso but all the work is done manually, or pedaly as the case may be! Tread by foot, an anachronism in Piemonte for sure but there is a reason behind this seeming madness. By using only soft feet to crush the grapes, and thus keeping the seeds intact, one avoids extracting their hard, astringent tannins that can dominate a wine that has enjoyed such a prolonged maceration. This throwback technique allows Fabio to extract the maximum from his musts without throwing the wine off balance! After the fermentation is completed the wine rests for 30 months in neutral oak botti then its allowed to rest for an additional 2 years after bottling.Huge intensity on the nose here with an initial blast that is almost bacony. Richly perfumed with notes of leather, rose stems, a bit of dried pork, very perfumed and almost Christmas holiday spice like in nature with a touch of ginseng. Big plummy fruit emerges with time, as does the trademark black olive note, very complex if atypical. Approachable and elegant with good acidity and very refined tannins that never get in the way of enjoying the depth of the wine. Opens with fine notes of tea and tartuffi, then dark fruits balanced by aggressive minerality, not overly fruit driven but there is plenty of dark plum fruit and a slight candy apple top note. Tannins are so soft and ripe that this almost feels like animal fat in the mouth! The finish is long and savory with a slightly peppery fruit just peaking out on the finale. This may very well close down in the bottle but is a brilliant effort! 94ptsBarolo Cannubi 2004100% Lampia clone from vines averaging 20 years old. 15 days maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Aged 10 months in small, 3-5 HL, French oak barrels where Malolactic fermentation takes place. Aged an additional 20 months in botte.Slightly liquory fruit at first with a touch of fresh sawdust on the nose then turning very sweetly fruited and expressive with handfuls of freshly picked aromatic herbs, sandy soil tones, bright spicy red fruits, ever so jammy currants, sharp notes of dry, white soil, beautifully perfumed. A powerful yet elegant expression in the mouth with great structural balance that support a rich core of red fruits with a subtle medicinal edge. Very aromatic in the mouth with almost spearminty sweet herbs, dark spice notes and an edge of fennel. This offers up an impressive core of sweet-tart wild cherry fruit that shines brightly on the finish accentuated by subtle fennel seed and bitter cherry pit tones. Classic Barolo in need of 5-7 years in the cellar 93pts (hide)
Starting at $13.69 
