Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Finely tuned on the nose, which suggests citrus, fresh herbs, rose stems and dried nutmeg. Medium-bodied on the palate, which is very subtle in its delivery of citrus and berries. Fine tannins. Drink from 2021.
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Wine Enthusiast
Subtle aromas of camphor, forest floor, wild herbs and blue flower lift out of the glass. On the smooth, juicy palate, notes of clove, white pepper and nutmeg accent a core of ripe black cherry. It's already approachable, but will offer several years of pleasure. Enjoy through 2023.
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Wine & Spirits
Fontanafredda’s “Silver Label” is a blend of grapes from all 11 communes of Barolo. The 2015 is fresh and lively in the context of the warm vintage, with flavors of red cherry, pomegranate and orange peel framed by light, raspy tannins. With its medium weight, it’s ready to drink now, and it’s well priced for by-the-glass programs.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.