2000 Barolo & Barbaresco Revisited

By: Eric Guido

So we all love to talk about how wrong the critics were with the 2000 vintage of Barolo and Barbaresco. Such a highly touted vintage that drank so well on release, yet that seemed to be all that it was. Now, with 13 years of age on these bottles, we take a glimpse into what they have matured into, and although I wouldn’t recommend aging these in your cellar, most of them are drinking beautifully.

However, to add insult to injury, we decided to add another twist to this tasting by stacking the deck with a number of "modern-style" Baroli. Modern-styled (or Internationally-styled) Barolo has become something of a bad word in Piedmont, with scores of producers now moving away from small French barrels and adding their own large Slovenian casks to their cellars for aging. There was a time when extremely low yields, roto-fermentors and small oak barrels were the mark of a modern producer. Cellars turned from dank caves into marvels of modern technology. The idea was to make a Barolo that was more approachable, younger-drinking and more acceptable to the international palate. The fact is that over the years the terms modern and traditional have become quite blurred. As even the traditionalists realized that there was nothing wrong with clean wine-making and lower yields, some even opting for roto-fermentation, yet sticking to aging in large barrel.

However, back during the 2000 vintage, modern-styled winemaking was still in its heyday. My fear was that the combination of the ripe vintage, higher concentrations and the use of new oak, would result in muddled, over-ripe, over-extracted and completely undrinkable wines; and for the most part, I was wrong. What this proves, for one thing, is that winemaking has more to do with the producer than the vintage. And another important point is that the quality of the fruit can outlast and outshine some of the most aggressive winemaking.

In the end, I wouldn't be buying these wines to put away in the cellar today. Most of them are drinking great now, and the few that need more time only need a few more years to come together. These can provide a lot of enjoyment at this time, and if you see some of the top bottles for a good price, buy them. You won't be disappointed.

On to the Wines:

2000 Michele Chiarlo Barbaresco Asili – The nose was classic and slightly rustic with aromas of cherry, forest floor, earth tones and hints of green stems. On the palate, it was amazingly soft and feminine with red fruits, inner floral notes, and a mineral core. The finish showed drying tannin and red fruits, begging for a few more years in the cellar. (89 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Elio Altare Barolo La Morra – The nose showed lush red fruits, red licorice, dried flowers, intense spice and herbs. On the palate it was soft and enveloping, coating the senses in concentrated red fruits with brisk acidity to keep it fresh, showing ripe cherry and earthy soil tones. It dried out slightly on the finish with notes of dark chocolate and tart cherry. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata – The nose was dark, and brooding with black cherry, cinnamon, spiced oak, saw dust, moist undergrowth and herbs. On the palate, it showed a smooth sheen of oak with tart red fruits, dark chocolate, cedar and wood tannin, which dried the palate. On the palate, a wave of refreshing acidity made the mouth water, leaving only a gentle tug of tannins at the cheek. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito – The nose was classic with dusty cherry, tobacco, minty herbs, minerals and savory, seared meat. On the palate, it was juicy throughout with notes of strawberry, herbs, a smooth hint of oak and a truly Burgundian feel. The finish turned tart, yet stayed juicy with lingering red fruits and cedar. (92 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Andrea Oberto Barolo Vigneto Rocche – The nose was expressive, rich, yet classic with roses, tart cherry, animal musk, tobacco and hints of spice. On the palate, it was unbelievably silky, yet turned grippy, with red fruits, cedar and a core of minerals driven by fresh acidity. The finish showed its youthful side with hints of drying tannin, saturating red fruits and tobacco clinging to the senses. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vignolo – The nose was intense yet brooding with a mix of red fruit, perfumed floral notes, soil and undergrowth; it was like smelling a bouquet of fresh cut roses, stems and all. On the palate, it was rich yet juicy with black cherry fruit, inner floral tones and herbs. The finish lingered on and on with dark, saturating red fruits. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Elio Grasso Barolo Riserva Rüncot – The nose was beautifully expressive, revealing layer upon layer of its enticing bouquet as it sat in the glass. Notes of black cherry, brown sugar and sweet spice gave way to a dark yet explosive array of mint, ripe strawberry, and sweet, spicy floral tones. On the palate, it was focused, balanced and still youthful, showing sweet ‘n sour cherry, herbs and minerals, which filled the senses. The finish was slightly tart, showing balanced structure and hints of tannin. I can see this wine getting even better with a few years’ time. Beautiful. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

For a deeper look at the 2000 vintage Baroli, check out "2000: Barolo Retrospective" from October 2010.

Elio Grasso: In The Spotlight

It was a bottle of Elio Grasso’s 2000 Gavarini Vigna Chiniera that started me on my path to loving Barolo. The Grasso family has been making great Barolo in the township of Monforte d’Abla since 1978. All of the Baroli are estate-grown; in fact, the Grasso family takes pride in being considered farmers first and winemakers second.

Borrowed from Elio Grasso's website

With holdings in some of the most well-known Barolo vineyards, including Ginestra, and Gavarini, the Grasso family turns out three single vineyard Baroli that are each unique and worthy of the lofty scores that wine pundits have bestowed upon them. However, it wasn’t always this way. For the longest time, the name Elio Grasso seemed to fly under the radar, with my initial purchases of the 2000 Barolo averaging in the $45 range. Now, with Gavarini Vigna Chiniera averaging at $69, it is still an unbelievable value for top-shelf Barolo.

Borrowed from Elio Grasso’s website

The style varies depending on the bottle, with the Ginestra "Vigna Casa Maté" and Gavarini Vigna Chiniera being more traditional in style, having been aged in large Slavonian oak botte. The Rüncot (a Riserva bottle from a parcel in the Gavarini vineyard and made only in the best vintages) takes a more modern turn with a sheen of oak from aging in new Franch barrique. Otherwise, the wines are made very similar, with manual harvesting, 12 – 16 days of maceration and fermentation in stainless steel.

Borrowed from Elio Grasso’s website

Below are my notes from some recent experiences with Elio Grasso’s Baroli, where even the Rüncot, with its new French oak, managed to turn my head with its purity of fruit and complexities. Also check out my notes on the '09 Dolcetto, which I had to include here because the wine was simply beautiful. These are all wines worth checking out, but with the press that the ‘08 Baroli are receiving, you may not want to wait too long.

On to the notes:

2008 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Vigna Chiniera - The nose show crushed red berries with rose and floral notes, spices and dusty minerals. On the palate, it was tight and focused yet wonderfully finessed with an almost weightless quality to its expansive presence. Intense red fruits and hints of spice lingered into its long, palate-staining finish with fine tannin making an appearance in the close. (96 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2007 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Vigna Chiniera - The nose was classic, showing floral rose and stem notes with strawberry and tree bark. On the palate, I found juicy, bright red fruit, which turned darker with time in the glass. Its structure peaked out on the long finish. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2007 Elio Grasso Barolo Ginestra "Vigna Casa Maté" - This bottle was drop-dead gorgeous with its first glass. It was very feminine and pretty with fresh strawberry, sour cherry, roses, cedar, cinnamon stick and little of its structure poking through. The palate was nearly weightless. Then it shut down through the next six hours, only to reemerge as a beautiful bruiser with a ripe dark fruit and spice profile. The nose was marred slightly by the noticeable presence of heat, but it was still lovely. On the palate, it was firing on all cylinders with wonderful focused red fruit. At every taste, the finish was amazingly long with staying red fruits that seemed to penetrate and saturate the taste buds. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2001 Elio Grasso Barolo Rüncot - This wine was painfully young, but there was such potential in the glass and, after time in decanter, a glimpse of what it may become shined through. At first, the nose was full of oaky vanilla and even a hint of nail polish, but this faded over the course of three hours, and what remained was dark red fruit, a dusting of brown sugar, and menthol. On the palate, I found an elegant and more feminine structure than expected with lush cherry fruit, herbs and cinnamon. The long finish showed fine silky tannin that left my palate dry but not fatigued. I’m very excited to think of what this may be in another ten years. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2000 Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Vigna Chiniera - The nose showed black cherry, rose, leather and a bit of heat that was moderate enough to not get in the way. On the palate, I found cherry and currant on a medium-bodied frame and a moderate amount of silky tannin. This wine balanced between ripeness and elegance. The finish carried sour red fruit to the close and stayed with me for what seemed like a full minute. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

This may be a blog post about great Barolo but I would be remiss not to mention the excellent Dolcetto made by Elio Grasso. Dolcetto is one of my favorite weeknight wines. It's not for everyone, but that's okay, because then there will be more for me. You owe it to yourself to check it out.

2009 Elio Grasso Dolcetto d'Alba dei grassi - The nose showed ripe blackberries, with floral undergrowth and a hint of bouillon. On the palate, it was soft and enveloping in a mid-weight style with blackberries, a hint of sweet spice and a touch rustic with juicy acidity. The finish was pleasant and fresh just as a Dolcetto should be. I thoroughly enjoyed it over the course of two days. (89 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!