Barolo 2000

[Elissa]

and would you recommend anything in particular?

[Brad Ballinger]

Well... it depends on what you like from Barolo. Of course, the wines won't be released until next year some time, but they are being offered as futures. The buzz is that 2000 is similary to 19997 in terms of vintage character -- lush, rich, full, fruity. The wines will be ones that will make big impressions when drank young. So if you like that style go for it. 2001, on the other hand, is reputed to be more like 1996 -- structured, layered, etc. -- rewarding the patient collector.

[Craig Camp]

1. No

2. Why buy the 2000s at super high prices fueled by overdone press reports and bad exchange rates when you can buy wonderful 99s, 98's and 96's at discounted prices?

3. Read this

[Brad Ballinger]

2. Why buy the 2000s at super high prices fueled by overdone press reports and bad exchange rates when you can buy wonderful 99s, 98's and 96's at discounted prices?

Damn, I wish I could see some of those "discounted" prices where I live. What I'm seeing is discounted 94s and 95s. I guess I should just be patient.

[Craig Camp]

2. Why buy the 2000s at super high prices fueled by overdone press reports and bad exchange rates when you can buy wonderful 99s, 98's and 96's at discounted prices?

Damn, I wish I could see some of those "discounted" prices where I live. What I'm seeing is discounted 94s and 95s. I guess I should just be patient.

Many 95's are very nice too!

[Marco_Polo]

Not all Barolo need be exhorbitantly expensive. Small winegrowers who in past generations sold their grapes to the larger houses (and sometimes still do when the need arises) are now making and bottling their own wines that can be exceptional - and available at a fraction of the stratospheric prices that wines from the superstars fetch.

An example: Mario Fontana of Cascina Fontana has Nebbiolo vineyards on the cru sites of Villero and Valleti in the commune of Castiglione Falleto, adjacent, in fact, to the privileged vineyards of Bruno Cerreto. These vineyards have been in Mario's family for generations. He, his wife Luisa and his mother work the vineyards by hand themselves; they harvest and make the wine in the traditional manner (not capello sommerso but seeking full extract to result in wines with tannin, fruit and power), age in large Slavonian oak casks, bottle when ready to drink, and sell almost their entire production to private customers. In fact, Mario regularly loads up his van and delivers his wines direct to customers in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and, yes, Devon, England.

I'm currently drinking the 1996 and the 1998. The '96 is a massive wine with the chewy and complex character of aged Nebbiolo at its best; the '98 is more supple, with an underlyng backbone of tannins that are sweet and not in the least aggressive, providing structure to a gorgeous harmony of dense fruit and vegetal aromas and flavours. Of course it's still young, but gorgeously approachable and enjoyable even now. I don't think the 2000 is yet released (I'll check with Mario) but I'm sure it too will be good. If it's not, in any case, he doesn't make Barolo, preffering instead to declassify to produce an always superlative Nebbiolo d'Alba.

Mario's Barolo (produced in very limited quantity) is currently selling in the UK for about 15 pounds a bottle, which I think is very good value (available from execellars). The Dolcetto d'Alba and Barbera d'Alba wines are also worth considering - I adore the Barbera and knock the stuff back in frighteningly prodigious quantity as our everyday house wine (well, it's not just me, honest - my wife loves it too).

MP

[Brad Ballinger]

Many 95's are very nice too!

And I have a stash of those, particularly from G. Rinaldi.

[Echezeaux]

I'm not a huge fan of the 1998 vintage in Piemonte, but we tasted the Le Strette and it is outstanding. Costs less than $40 and it offers wonderfully complex aromas and bouquet, it's nicely balanced on the palate...blah, blah, blah....So now I'm gonna have to start re-tasting some 1998s to see how they're progressing (tough work, I know).

Went to taste the Empson portfolio of Langhe wines. The 2000 Barolo wines are certainly nice, but hardly worth (to me, anyway) the prices they're asking. The 2001 Barbaresco wines are nice, but costly.

Given what's still available of previous vintages (bought with stronger dollars), consumers ought to explore that territory before buying the much more costly recent vintages.