A couple of 1997 Baroli Oliver brought along in September. Timeo Danaos...?! Not necessarily! ;^)
Elio Grasso Barolo "Rüncot" 1997
Thanks to Oliver. Whereas the Gavarini "Vigna Chiniera" and the Ginestra "Casa Maté" are both aged in Slavonic oak foudres of approximately 2000-4000 litres for two years, plus another year in bottle before marketing, the Rüncot is Elio Grasso’s „semi-Riserva“ aged in barrique for 24 to 30 months (depending on the vintage), plus another 18 to 24 months in bottle. Some sediment, best decanted before serving. Deep garnet-ruby-black, virtually opaque at the center. Deep nose and fruit on the palate, but lots of tar and asphalt to the lightly rustic marzipan-scented oak and tannin, along with touches of dark and milk chocolate. A bit dry and oaky, at the same time sweet and complex and deep, not quite separate entities of course, but there are barrique-aged Piedmontese Nebbiolos that age more harmoniously. Quite full body, with the 14.5% alcohol well enough integrated. Tannic finish that is not too long. Best on the nose, as Oliver says. More powerful than Grasso’s Casa Maté from the same vintage, thicker and sweeter but also heavier, as well as drier, tarrier and more rustic and grainy (tannin quality rather than quantity is what makes or breaks Piedmontese Nebbiolo). The rare case in which the style irrefutably detracts from the quality, as the wine is not just oaky like many modern-styled wines (a matter of preference/personal taste), but here the oak is clearly ill-applied in the sense that it masks terroir expression, at least some subtlety and finesse of fruit, and roughens the tannin quality (= a dimension is being taken away instead of being added, regardless of what one’s feelings about that “dimension” are) – the latter is particularly ironic given that many Piedmontese vintners who defend the barrique (not alluding Grasso, never been at the winery myself, perhaps Oliver knows?) do so among other referring to a “more seamless tannin quality versus traditional-style Nebbiolo” that in reality appears the exception rather than the rule in barrique-aged Piedmontese Nebbiolo. Rating: 92(+/-?)
Luigi Pira Barolo Vigna Rionda 1997
Thanks to Oliver. There were just 700 bottles (one new 600-litre foudre) produced in this, the first vintage of this bottling, compared to about 2000 bottles in later vintages. Black garnet colour. Virtually sediment-free at this stage. Marzipan (from the oak, but so much less “woody” than in the Rüncot), lavender-like rose petal, almost liqueur-like cherry chocolate truffle. Similarly concentrated yet lighter on its feet. More finely-grained tannin, fruitier and much longer and finesseful on the finish. But no more depth, at least at this, for a 1997 still relatively early stage (a variable vintage in this regard, with wines ranging from barely adolescent to already over the hill). Even so, more minerally as well as fruity, with the per se soft acidity nicely ripe. A mintier touch of chocolate here, too, as well as less heavy and sweeter asphalt. The (identical, at least so far as labelled) 14.5% alcohol is very well integrated. Ultimately as, or more complex than the Rüncot with a few hours’ worth of airing. So harmonious yet youthful I may be underrating this at this still relatively early stage. Rating: 93+?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
