Barolo, by Dan Berger | Creators Syndicate – haroonabadvital.com

In the introduction to their 1990 book “Barolo, Tar and Roses,” authors Michael Garner and Paul Merritt describe the aroma and taste of the classic red wine from Italian Piemonte, Barolo:

“The initial sensations are fleeting: fruit, especially black cherries, raspberries, peaches, sometimes… strawberries. These are followed by flowers, often violets and the classic ‘faded rose petals’ mixed with herbs such as mint and eucalyptus.

“Then the secondary aromas… where the wine’s extraordinary power begins to assert itself – aromas of tar, licorice, truffle, bitter chocolate, ground coffee, tobacco, burnt coffee, anise, and other spices; the list could go on and on.”

That’s quite a statement, especially for a wine that is difficult to sell in the United States.

Despite those glowing descriptions of one of the world’s great red wines, there’s a problem with it when it’s young. For me, Barolo conjures up the image of a nurturing bear, growling so he can tame his claws when he grows up.

Good Barolo contains high amounts of tannin and requires time for aging. Ten years is common. Well-made Barolos can cost up to $30.

Things changed 30 years ago when some new winemakers created a modern style of Barolo. The wine was lighter and more elegant. This modernist Barolo generated some excitement for wine here in the mid-1980s.

This friendlier version of the more age-worthy Italian red made a wine that would have been easier to consume earlier. The sentiment I have seen towards it has been seen in higher degrees by some of the major wine magazines.

But in the end, the traditionalists won. Now I see a trend towards better winemaking. Most traditional producers returned to older versions, much to the delight of those who understood the wine.

For me, the current style of Barolo is better than ever, because it has some of the fruits of the newer style but the “grip” of the old style.

In the previously mentioned Barolo book, the authors admit that Barolo has a “notorious grip of tannin,” which some New Style producers tried to wring out of wines to make them more manageable earlier.

In this they succeeded. But some critics have argued that the newer style of wine won’t age as well.

For those of us who are fans of the older Barolo style, the 2019 and 2020 vintages were so exceptional that demand for the wines rose significantly. Recent critics’ scores have been as high as they have been in decades, and although many of these wines are expensive, they come in at good value every now and then.

By returning to the old style of Barolo, many traditional producers have made a more interesting and provocative Barolo. This wine is not for everyone. But it shows how a great grape variety can survive even misguided efforts to improve it.

Barolo’s main problem today is that the best wines remain very expensive. Most major producers’ wines range in price from $80 to $100 per bottle. Expensive? Yes – but much less than the cost of Napa cabernets.

One reason is that the number of dedicated Barolo fans is limited. Bordeaux and California Cabernets sell to a much wider audience.

However, quality Barolo remains one of the most fascinating and obscure niche markets in the wine industry.

Wine of the Week: 2018 Boassa Barolo, Serralunga ($60 / see below) – This 50-year-old house has been making Barolo in the traditional style for a long time, and this is a very good wine that has attractive red fruit, sour cherries and mineral elements that let it Being drunk much sooner. It definitely still needs to be served with food. I bought several bottles because it is a good example of Barolo at a fair price. Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, California, has this wine for $37.99 and can be shipped. https://bottlebarn.com/products/2018-boasso-barolo-del-comune-di-serralunga-dalba

Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, California, where he publishes Vintage Experiences, a weekly wine newsletter. Write him in [email protected]. To learn more about Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

Image source: danilo.alvesd on Unsplash