Trials & Tribulations of 2013 Barolo

The article below was originally published at The Cellar Table Blog in 2018 but has since been erased.

What a year it has been for Barolo lovers. Thinking back to this time last year and my first report on the 2013 vintage, I was thrilled to get the word out on what I believed to be one of the best young vintages I had ever tasted. A constant flow of producers made their way through our offices, and you could easily see the proud expressions on their faces as they poured. In this business, they say the current vintage is always going to be referred to as the best by the producer who reared the bottles, but with 2013, it was genuine love and excitement for a selection of wines that they had been waiting years to show to the world.

I myself was caught up in the excitement. At the time, there was a rumor that 2013 could be as good as 2010 but with another level of richness and vibrancy—a perfect storm of a vintage. What I found held up to all of my expectations. With ten years of tasting Barolo under my belt, I found the 2013s to be everything that they were being hyped up to be and more. I announced my favorites and bought deeply for my own cellar.

The Problem with Securing the Top 2013 Barolo

Surprisingly, once the professional scores came out, many collectors felt a level of trepidation. This was a result of comments by a professional critic that the vintage was great, but not quite as good as originally expected. Also, there was speculation that the next vintage, 2014, would have a number of overperforming gems. The combination of minor backpedaling by the media, a belief that there would be plenty of wine to go around, and speculation on the next vintage added confusion to the market.

As a result, sales of the 2013s were slow at first. However, consumers who visited the region and tasted the wines were coming back thrilled by what they had found. The wines began to sell very quietly, and before the majority of collectors realized that the top wines were increasing in value and scarcity, many were already gone. Suddenly, frustration over 2013 Barolo broke out onto the message boards as collectors clamored to find no longer available wines. In the worst case, wines like Bartolo Mascarello, G.B. Burlotto Monvigliero, Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate, and Vietti Ravera quickly became heavily allocated, which sent pricing in the secondary market through the roof.

That’s All Behind Us Now

The good news was that, beyond the chase bottlings, there was a wave of overperforming wines at a much better price point. I see 2013 as a truly great vintage mainly because you could buy wines that were at the same level as the best of the best, yet at a much lower price point. Great examples included GD Vajra Bricco delle Viole, Sandrone Le Vigne, and Brovia Rocche del Castiglione. The quality extended far beyond that, with wine after wine, from the entry-level vineyard blends to the crus, wowing us. Simply open a Vietti Barolo Castiglione or G.B. Burlotto Barolo to see what I mean.

You could build a deep cellar full of 2013 Barolo, excluding only a few highly limited wines, and feel assured that you had decades of great drinking ahead. Over time, the wines did sell out, as this is not a region known for high production numbers, but even today, we are treated to a handful of late releases, and many of them are fantastic.

La Festa del Barolo

This brings us to the beginning of 2018 and Antonio Galloni’s La Festa del Barolo, which showcased the 2013 vintage and allowed collectors and enthusiasts to taste through fourteen selections with the producers who had created them. The best part was that many of the wines shown are still available at retail. I found myself very satisfied by the general consensus of the room, feeling that the 2013 vintage really was something special, and that the tasting did nothing but confirm those thoughts in the minds of its participants.

A Few Brief Impressions on 2013 Barolo

After an entire year of tasting 2013 Barolo, and right through the Saturday morning Master Class of La Festa del Barolo, I’ve formed a few personal opinions about the vintage that I thought would be helpful to share. It’s essential to remember that I have also been able to taste many of these wines on multiple occasions throughout the year.

• The wines have continued to improve over the last year. Last February, the primary fruit was front and center, but today, the wines are showing significantly more nuance, as well as the expected tannic clout that comes as Barolo usually closes down in its youth. Dare I say that the vintage is getting even better in the bottle?

• I found that the Cannubi vineyard did remarkably well in 2013. I can now firmly state this, having tasted a number of wines from different producers. E. Pira, G.B. Burlotto, Paolo Scavino, Francesco Rinaldi, and Giacomo Fenocchio all made an outstanding Cannubi.

• From my tastings, it appears that of the best-known communes of Barolo, it was La Morra that came in behind the rest in 2013. There are exceptions, such as Vietti’s Brunate. However, in most cases, the softer nature of La Morra wines has created a slightly dull and fruit-forward expression that doesn’t show the energy of the best ‘13s.

• Wines made from a blend of vineyards continue to gain momentum, and they are drop-dead gorgeous in 2013. This is noticeable at the top, with Bartolo Mascarello, Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, and Paolo Scavino’s Carobric.

• The qualitative dividing line between the top wines and those that come in below them has gotten so thin that it’s becoming hard to tell the difference. Great examples include the comparison of G. Rinaldi Brunate to F. Rinaldi Brunate, as well as the Vietti Ravera pitted against the Elvio Cogno Ravara Bricco Pernice. Trying to decide which of these wines may be better is like splitting hairs, and this is great for consumers because the pricing is in their favor.

• Lastly, the hottest commune in the region continues to be Serralunga, and it seems that there is no end in sight. The combination of fruit and vibrancy in 2013 matches perfectly to the earthy austerity of Serralunga fruit. Meanwhile, the most balanced is Castiglione Falletto, as I expect that the majority of these wines will be the ones that we will be enjoying for many decades to come.

On to the Tasting Notes in the Order They Were Poured

Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Bricco Rocche 2013 - The nose showed bright, spiced cherry with hints of fresh mint, red licorice, clove and dusty minerality. I found soft, velvety textures on the palate with fleshy ripe cherry contrasted by orange-tinged acidity, with hints of savory herbs and fine tannin. The finish was long and structured with great persistence of red berry fruits and sweet inner florals. (93 points)

Fratelli Brovia Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2013 - The nose was darker and earthier than the Bricco Rocche next to it, showing crushed stone with bright cherry, wild herbs, dusty soil tones and an emerging note of animal musk. I found feminine textures on the palate showing pure cherry and strawberry fruits, with zesty acids and inner floral tones followed by saline minerality. The finish was long with hints of licorice and rosy inner floral perfumes. It was remarkably pretty, yet full of energy and complex. (97 points)

Like last year, Roagna showed a late release from the previous vintage, which I included here for any participant who would use these notes for reference.  I found the 2012 La Pira VV hard to taste against this selection of 2013s, as it shows the qualitative differences between the vintages, especially since the La Pira VV is one of the top wines of 2012.

Roagna Barolo La Pira Vecchie Viti 2012 - The nose was dark-earthy yet also so pretty and floral, showing black cherry tones, as sweet balsamic spices emerged, along with notes of moist soil, crushed stone and wild herbs. On the palate, I found soft, feminine textures with saline-minerality up front, as hints of pure cherry and inner rose came forward, yet I found myself craving more toward the middle. The finish was long with hints of fine tannin lingering along with pretty red berry and inner floral tones. It’s a wine of contrasts, as it’s remarkably pure and understated, yet layered, just showing a hint of the complexities that will develop over time. (94 points)

Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Enrico VI 2013 - The nose was rich with dark red berries, dried roses, cinnamon, allspice, hints of balsamic and savory herbs. I found incredible purity on the palate to its dark mineral-infused red fruits, with hints of mulling spice and inner florals. The finish was long and structured, as saturating tannin slightly dried the fruits, yet zesty acids made the mouth water. (94 points)

Poderi Colla Barolo Dardi Le Rose Bussia 2013 - The nose showed dusty cherry and mineral tones up front, gaining dried rose, raw honey and hints of animal musk. On the palate, I found soft textures with crushed strawberry fruits, sweet herbs, inner rose and juicy acidity. Fine tannin mounted throughout the finish with floral tones, licorice and long-lasting dried strawberry and raspberry. It’s a very pretty wine. (94 points)

E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Via Nuova 2013 - The nose was initially withdrawn, showing black cherry, cedar, dried roses, hints of undergrowth, earth and animal musk. On the palate, it was lifted and feminine with zesty acidity giving energy to tart red berries, cedar and hints of spice. Its structure came forward throughout the finish, showing the wine’s youth, along with dried berries and hints of spice. (95 points)

Luciano Sandrone Barolo le Vigne 2013 - The nose was dark and brooding with black cherries mixed with dusty soil and mineral tones, as hints of balsamic spice and floral undergrowth evolved in the glass. On the palate, I found wonderfully silky textures with saline-infused cherry, spice and minerals washing across the senses, leaving a coating of fine tannin in their wake. The long and structured finish showed dried strawberry, cherry, salty minerals and lingering spice. Gorgeously fresh, intense and detailed; it’s a gorgeous wine. (97 points)

Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Barolo Brunate 2013 - The nose was dark, gaining freshness over time, with a mix of blackberry, cherry and sweet herbs, as notes of dusty spice, crushed stone, dried roses and hints of animal musk came forward. On the palate, I found silky textures with contrasting tart cherry, spice, dark minerality and fine tannin; however, there was an enlivening acidity here that added focus and drive. The finish was incredibly long and structured, as tannin saturated the palate with a mix of dark red fruits, licorice and hints of spice. Wow. (96 points)

Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate 2013 - The nose was intense, earthy, dark and animalistic, with crushed black cherry, overripe strawberry, sweet herbs, moist soil and animal musk. On the palate, I found silky textures ushering in pure ripe black cherry with zesty acidity adding energy, as hints of sweet herbs and spice splashed against the senses. The finish was long with a coating of fine tannin and a lasting impression of spiced blackberry. (94 points)

Azelia Barolo Margheria 2013 - Here I found a bouquet of dusty florals and soil tones up front, followed by hints of mineral-laced cherry and floral undergrowth. On the palate, unexpectedly juicy textures with focused ripe black cherry, cedar tones, saline minerals, zesty spice, and dark inner florals prevailed. The finish was long, long, long, as the wine flexed its structural muscle with saturating fine tannin mixing minerals and dried black cherry.  (94 points)

Massolino Barolo Margheria 2013 - The nose was restrained, yet with coaxing became exotic, yet always refined, revealing black cherries in dusty earth, spiced-dried orange peel, hints of animal musk and rich sweet spices hiding in the background. I found silky, cool-toned textures on the palate with a mix of tart red berry, spicy inner florals, and a hint of grapefruit. The finish was long, slightly tart and structured with lingering red berry, saturating minerals, spice and gruff tannin. It’s currently a bit unruly, yet the Margheria is positioned to mature into a very interesting wine. (95 points) 

Fratelli Alessandria Barolo Monvigliero 2013 - The nose was remarkably pretty, with layers of mineral-laced strawberry, smoke, violets, roses and dusty soil. On the palate, I found silky, energetic textures with saline-minerality up front followed by ripe strawberry and inner floral tones. The finish was long with structure coming forward, dried berries and floral tones, yet still exuding energy and verve through balanced acidity. (95 points)

Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2013 - The nose showed the classic Burlotto Monvigliero bouquet with black olive tapenade, roses, violets, crushed cherry and minerals. I found soft textures on the palate with pure strawberry fruits, inner florals, and life-giving acidity. The finish was medium-long with lingering cherry, minerals and olive-tinged inner florals. (95 points)

Azienda Agricola Elvio Cogno Barolo Bricco Pernice 2013 - The nose was dark and enticing with crushed black fruits infused by zesty citrus and mineral tones, as notes of savory herbs, undergrowth, stone dust and a hint of menthol came forward. On the palate, I found the silkiest of textures, with notes of ripe black fruit, minerals, rosemary, saline minerals and perfectly-balanced acidity. It finished long and structured, as fine tannin saturated the senses yet maintained freshness through hints of bitter herbs and light citrus tones. (97 points)

Vietti Barolo Ravera 2013 - The nose was layered and surprisingly elegant with spiced rich blackberry, minerals, dried orange, black earth and a hint of exotic spice, yet it was incredibly lifted and pretty. On the palate, I found silky textures with contrasting tart blackberry, black cherry, savory spice, minerals and mounting tannin. The finish was long, cheek-puckeringly tense and structured with deeply saturating minerality and tannin, along with hints of dried citrus and dried blackberry. Wow. (98 points)

Goulash, The ultimate comfort food

Nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to food. Having grown up only blocks away from some of the best German restaurants in New York City, many of my nostalgic memories from childhood are of German cuisine and one in particular, Goulash. To this day, a rainy autumn afternoon or snowy winter night will always stir in me the desire for a warm bowl of goulash. Its moderate heat is perfectly tempered by the rich sauce and natural sweetness of the onions. When perfectly cooked the meat nearly melts in your mouth and becomes part of the sauce. This is the ultimate comfort food.

The recipe included below may be very different from what a chef would learn in school or what the typical cookbook may provide, but I assure you that it will create a Goulash of incredible depth and richness. The ingredients are simple, but it requires a certain amount of patience from the cook and passion for the food. This preparation wasn’t taught to me by one person; instead it was constructed from an old traditional recipe and then fortified by the knowledge of a number of people that credit themselves as Goulash aficionados. One may have wanted nutmeg, another to brown the meat, but in the end I took the knowledge of all of them and, through experimentation, constructed what you see below.

However, there has always been one piece missing in this equation: what wine should I pair with it? Firstly, my experience with German reds is limited and most restaurants I’ve dined at consider beer to be the beverage of choice. Even the wine list at one of my local favorites, and possibly the best German Restaurant in New York City, has only a small number of Rieslings and one or two German reds. Secondly, a good Goulash will usually have a certain amount of heat to it, which poses another problem, where it might overpower the average red. Then it dawned on me: Zinfandel.

I choose to pair two wines with this dinner because, like most varietals, Zinfandel is made in many different styles. The one style I wouldn’t recommend with this dish is the heavily fruited and almost sappy sweet Zinfandels that sometimes cross your path. Instead I went with one of my most trusted producers, Ridge, and a bit of a wild card that I discovered this year while in Napa Valley, Trespass.

2006 Trespass Zinfandel, from Napa Valley was, surprisingly, a light ruby red color with aromas of bright red fruit, cranberry sauce and a bit of chalk dust. With time the fruit became darker with clove spice and plum, providing beautiful contrast to the heady, rich, beefy aromas of the goulash. On the palate it showed dark blue fruit, cedar and clove, adding complexities to the dish’s earthy flavors of rosemary and paprika. It's full-bodied and zesty acidity worked wonders, carrying the fruit through the spicy heat of the goulash to end in a long finish reminiscent of sour cherry cough drops. This was a beautifully nuanced and complex zinfandel that ended up as the majority favorite of the night.

2007 Ridge Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard was in many ways the yin to the Trespass Zinfandels yang. The wine was a dark purple color in the glass and wafted aromas of black cherry fruit followed by confectioners sugar, sage, and a bit of nail polish remover (I mean that in a good way) which added a floral perfume and kept me with my nose to the glass for minutes on end. On the palate it delivered big, lush brambly fruit with spicy vanilla and dark chocolate flavors. The wine complimented the Goulash by standing up to its big bold flavors and providing a contrast of lush fruit and firm tannin between each bite of savory beef. The Ridge Ponzo Vineyard was a big, structured, rich, full-bodied Zinfandel with a long red fruit finish. It’s a wine that will age for years in your cellar but probably only moments in your glass.

In the end, I have to say that both wines performed equally well but for totally different reasons. Each wine is, in my opinion, a superior expression of Zinfandel and while the Trespass will capture your soul in its web of elegant fruit and spice, the Ridge will quicken your pulse with its racy perfume and palate of rich bold flavors. The most difficult part of this pairing was deciding what to do next, eat or drink. The Hungarian Goulash captured us all in our own way. For me it was nostalgia while, for one guest, it was a wild and new experience, and another saw it as a taste of home. And for a fellow chef, it was trying to figure out how it was possible to achieve such complexity with so few ingredients. I think it’s time you try it for yourself.

Hungarian Goulash

The first thing to understand is that this recipe is all about patience and low, even temperature. The best cooking vessel to use depends mainly on how much you want to make. The recipe below is made to serve 7 – 8, and the reason I choose this high yield is that you can always use the extra as leftovers and, due to the time it takes to make it, you might as well have extra. For the 7 –8 servings I suggest using a heavy stainless steel roasting pan that can span across two burners on your stove. However, if you were to choose to cut this recipe in half for a small group then I would suggest a cast iron or earthenware vessel such a Le creuset.

Secondly, this recipe can be made the same day you plan to serve it; however I highly recommend making it the night before so that the sauce and meat can truly come together and develop a deeper, richer flavor. This also frees you up to better entertain your guests while also impressing them by how effortlessly you are able to produce such a wonderful meal.

5 pounds beef chuck (fat trimmed, cubed or cut about 1 ½ inch long, ¾ inch thick)
5 large yellow onions (sliced thick wedges)
8 Tbls tomato paste
2 Tbls hot paprika (Go for real Hungarian paprika)
1 Tbls sweet paprika (Go for real Hungarian paprika)
2 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
3 branches fresh rosemary
about 4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
5 cups water
2 Tbls AP flour
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (as needed)
4 Tbls sweet butter (for the finish)
1 lb fettuccini (Can use egg noodles; serve with potato dumplings or even rice)

1. Place roasting pan over two burners on your stovetop and pour enough olive oil to coat entire bottom of the pan. Set burners to low-medium flame. Once the oil is heated, add onions with a healthy pinch of salt and toss to coat in the oil. Cook over low-medium flame until onions turn translucent but do not allow them to take on any color.

2. Reduce flame to low. Make sure the onions are evenly spread out on the pan bottom and add the beef slices by placing them on top of the onions in an even layer. The beef should cover the onions completely but make sure that none of the pieces touch the side of the pan. The onions should create a cushion between the pan bottom and the beef.

3. Sprinkle another pinch of salt over the beef. Next, sprinkle all the paprika over the beef evenly (I like to use a sifter for this to create a fine and even layer.) Now add the oregano and nutmeg again, evenly over the beef. Lastly, place two (of the three) rosemary branches on top of the beef. (Do not disturb the layers you have created.)

4. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Check to make sure that the flame is on low. After about 3 – 5 minutes you should hear the mixture bubbling. Allow the mixture to cook like this for 35 minutes and then loosen the aluminum foil to allow a little steam out of the pan. After another 5 – 10 minutes remove the foil (do not discard) and turn all the pieces of meat over. Check to make sure the onions are not burning. You should notice that the meat and onions have released a lot of their juices. Place the foil back on top of the pan (loosely) and allow the mixture to cook over low heat for another 45 minutes.

5. Now place saucepot on the stove over medium-low flame, add the five cups of water and whisk in the flour slowly, making sure that no lumps form. Now add the tomato paste and again whisk until it is combined. Allow this mixture to come up to a gentle boil but make sure to whisk regularly.

6. Remove the foil from the roasting pan, remove the two branches of rosemary from the pan and add the boiling water-tomato paste mixture. Turn the beef and onions over in the sauce. The cooking liquid should just barely cover the beef and onions. Bring this mixture back to a simmer over medium-low flame and cover loosely with the foil so that steam can escape from the pan. Cook this mixture for an hour to an hour and a half, and stir gently once or twice to make sure that the mixture is cooking evenly.

7. It’s at this time that you should taste. Check to make sure that the beef is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Then turn off the heat.

8. If you want to serve the same day, let this mixture sit for about an hour before going to the next step. If you want to use this for the following day, move the mixture to a bowl and place in an ice bath to cool it quickly, then cover it tightly and place in the refrigerator.

9. When ready to finish, place Goulash in a pot and set over low heat. Bring another pot of well-salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the package.

10. While waiting for the pasta, set the butter out on the counter and cut into cubes. Strip the last branch of rosemary for its leaves and chop them. By the time the pasta is finished, the Goulash should be perfectly heated through. Taste for seasoning one last time and then add the butter and stir gently until combined.

11. Strain your pasta and toss in olive oil. Set the pasta on a plate and hollow out a circle in the middle. Pour one or two (depending on the party) ladles of goulash into the center of the plate and sprinkle with the fresh chopped rosemary. Clean the rim of your plate with a warm, moist paper towel and serve.

12. Be prepared for praise.

The Resurrection of Collina Rionda

In Search of Piedmont’s Greatest Terroir

by Eric Guido (Originally published at The Cellar Table Blog)

As trends go, one which seems to have affected nearly every producer throughout Barolo is the desire to explore the terroir of Serralunga.  With nearly every visit to the region, I am told over and over again, often in hushed tones by a wide-grinned winemaker, that they are incredibly excited to be making wine from just about any vineyard in Serralunga.  In some cases, these proclamations are about vineyards that have yet to make a name for themselves or prove their worth.  However, that doesn’t matter to the lucky few who can buy or rent parcels here, because most of the region believes that Serralunga will be a big part of Barolo’s future.

Much of this has to do with consumers, who have liked what they've tasted from this village for many years now, especially as the great vintages of the last thirty years have matured into such beautiful wines, pushing their collectibility and prices through the roof. Then there’s Monfortino, produced by the Giacomo Conterno winery, one of the first wines of the region to demand prices on the same scale of the best Grand Cru Burgundy.  Of course, many wines have followed suit over the last decade or two, but Monfortino led the way, and today’s current releases nearly double or triple in price the moment they hit the secondary market.  

Then there are the vineyards, some of which are only just beginning to show what they are capable of in the right hands, and a few that history has firmly placed among the best in the village.  You can count them on one hand: Cascina Francia, Falletto, Brea, Lazzarito, and what is considered by most to be the Grand Cru of Serralunga--Vigna Rionda.

In fact, Vigna Rionda has a way of creating a fanaticism among lovers of Barolo, as they search for the best expressions from each of its many terroirs, the bottles that have made it famous, and the wines and producers that have either been obscured by the passage of time, or have only just emerged.  As these wine lovers recount the history of Vigna Rionda, they often do it with an excitement and bravado that you’d expect from a great tale or one of the most closely guarded secrets of the world.  This is the fanaticism that I speak of, and you know what, I’ve been guilty of it myself.

One such story involves what is easily one of the greatest wines ever made in all of Italy; some would even argue that it was “THE” greatest wine ever made in all of Italy: the 1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda, from the Vigna Rionda vineyard.   

For those of you that may have just found their way here without knowledge of Bruno Giacosa, he was without a doubt one of Piedmont's top winemakers for nearly fifty years.  He was a visionary, with a style that no one has been able to copy, and with an ability to find the best expositions and fruit from within any vineyard.  This was one of his greatest assets, as throughout his life, he often purchased the fruit, while working to add his own famous vineyard holdings to the portfolio, such as Falletto.  Yet it was his ability to find and purchase the best fruit that helped him to create the renowned Collina Rionda, which was only ever made in fourteen vintages, starting in 1967 and ending in 1993.  However, it was the 1989 vintage of Collina Rionda that forever sealed it in vinous history.  After 1993, Bruno Giacosa lost access to the fruit from this noble site, and so the story seemed to end.  As time passed and the vintages of Collina Rionda matured, it became obvious that Bruno had indeed found the best location within the vineyard to produce his wine.

However, my interest in Vigna Rionda was actually spurred by a different producer: Massolino. Currently run by Franco and Roberto Massolino, this family winery is the largest land-owner within the vineyard, and it makes what has become the benchmark wine from its slopes, the Vigna Rionda Riserva.  It was this wine that introduced me to what was possible here, as I searched for vintages after tasting the great bottles of ‘89, ‘90 and ‘96.  To this day, it’s one of the greatest wines that you can find from the vineyard, yet it takes decades in the cellar to mature.  This search one day led me to an opportunity to spend some time talking with Franco about his winery and the Vigna Rionda Riserva.  During this conversation, it occured to me that I didn’t know who Bruno Giacosa was buying fruit from when he created Collina Rionda.  

The Quest

The fact is that there are quite a few producers that make a wine from Vigna Rionda (Massolino, Luigi Pira, Oddero, Anselma, and Terre del Barolo, to name a few), but it’s important to understand that the vineyard crests around a hillside, where the vines face west toward Monforte, while the rest of the vineyard faces south-southwest, meaning that not all Vigna Rionda is created equal.  And so with the question in mind, and sitting with the largest land owner within the vineyard, I chose to ask Franco if he knew where Bruno Giacosa was sourcing his fruit from--and he didn’t.  This conversation started me on something of a quest to figure out who was using this fruit and what wine they were making with it.

This question became the most common thing I would ask any Serralunga producer I ran into, and for years, no one could tell me the answer--until 2015.  

While sitting with Luca Currado, of Vietti, at Centro Storico in Serralunga, he reached over to a bottle on the shelf and said, “This wine, watch for this wine, because this comes from the same vines that Bruno used for Collina Rionda.”  You can only imagine my surprise, after so many years of asking, to have someone simply tell me.  This started my interest in the Giovanni Rosso winery and my search for the Tomasso / Ester Canale Barolo Vigna Rionda.

Finding Vigna “Collina” Rionda

The reality was that the answer had been right in front of me for quite a while.  What’s more, I even had wines in my cellar made from the same vines.  The answer was Tommaso Canale, who had been tending to the family’s 2.2 hectare parcel within Vigna Rionda, a parcel planted in 1946, some of the oldest Nebbiolo vines in the region.  Rumor has it that not only did Tommaso’s Father, Aldo, supply Bruno Giacosa with fruit, but that in some cases he even provided him with finished wines (a rumor I would love to be able to substantiate, but haven’t yet.).  Where the fruit went after that is still a mystery to me, although it’s been said that Tommaso preferred selling only to private clients, yet sourcing from Tommaso later happened again between 2003 and 2006, when Luca Roagna began to buy from Tommaso and produce his own Roagna Barolo Vigna Rionda, a wine that I have tasted, loved, and even own some bottles of.  In 2007, Luca lost access to these vines, and Tommaso himself produced (yet didn’t release) a 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Unfortunately, Tommaso passed away in December of 2010 without a will, and his plot was split between the three surviving relatives, Ettore Germano, Guido Porro and Giovanni Rosso.  There was only one problem--much of the vineyard required replanting, and both Ettore Germano and Guido Porro replanted their entire sections of the vineyard.  

However, Davide Rosso, of Giovanni Rosso, had a wonderful idea.  He decided to replant all but a small section of the original vines at the top of the Rionda hill, in his mind, the best of the old vines, which he would use for massal selection of the new plantings, and also to make a Barolo Vigna Rionda.  It’s a wine that only sees between 1800-2000 total bottles made each year, and since Ettore Germano and Guido Porro have replanted, it makes the Giovanni Rosso “Ester Canale” (his mother) Barolo the only wine being made from the same vines as the famous Barolo of Bruno Giacosa.

What is a lover of Barolo and Vigna Rionda to do?

With all of the pieces in place, I decided that I had to taste these two wines together.  It was with that in mind that I first worked to find the wine being made by Davide Rosso, which was much harder than you might think.  In fact, after having been denied the ability to buy the wine in the last two vintages, it was in 2018, with the release of the 2014, that I had finally gotten my hands on one.

Then, as fate would have it, a friend contacted me about a tasting he was organizing that would include Icon wines from Barolo and Barbaresco, and he hinted that there might be a Bruno Giacosa Barolo Collina Rionda at the tasting.  Somehow the stars had aligned.

You can imagine the anxiety I felt leading up to this event.  What if one of the wines was corked?  What if the Bruno Giacosa wasn’t a perfect bottle? What if I got sick the day of the tasting?  Luckily, none of that happened, and both myself and the group were able to taste two pieces of history, a mystery solved, and share one of the few times that these two limited and amazing wines would be able sit next to each other at a table.

Yes, the 2014 was young and from a difficult vintage, yet it’s also a vintage that many have called a throwback to the Barolo styles of old.  Still, the ‘89 lived up to its reputation, and the 2014 was an experience I hope to never forget.

The Tasting Notes

1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda - The bouquet was remarkably deep and layered with masses of pure black cherry and ripe strawberry fruit, giving way to a mix of sweet mineral-infused Indian spice, hints of balsamic, and smoky crushed stone. On the palate, I found the most silky, fine textures imaginable, like a veil being pulled across the senses, ushering in vibrant, fleshy cherry fruit, offset by savory minerals and spice, with inner rose and cedar notes, as hints of fine tannin slowly mounted. The finish was long and showed the first signs of the ‘89’s twenty-nine years, as savory minerals, moist earth, and dried floral tones resonated amidst saturating dried cherries and spice. I am in awe of how the ‘89 Collina Rionda has lived up to all of the hype. (99 points)

2014 Giovanni Rosso Barolo Ester Canale Rosso Vigna Rionda - The ‘14 Vigna Rionda was so densely packed and poised, a quality that I don’t often associate with the vintage. The bouquet was beautiful, both savory and spicy, showing zesty tart cherries and cranberry with hints of spiced dried orange, crushed stone minerality, sweet rosy florals and savory botanicals. On the palate, I found soft textures, which were firmed up quickly by a mix of saline-minerality and brisk acidity, as notes of citrus-kissed strawberry, cedar, and earth tones emerged along with grippy mineral-laden tannin. The finish was long and structured with fine tannins saturating the senses, while dried red berries, savory herbs and hints of cedar lingered. This was one of the most structured and backward 2014s I’ve tasted, in need of a long slumber in the cellar, yet gorgeous. (95 points)

** As a bonus, from the newly planted vines of Vigna Rionda, Davide Rosso creates the Ester Canale Nebbiolo, and if this is any clue to how good these wines will be when these vines are old enough to produce Barolo, then we are in store for something very special.

2015 Giovanni Rosso Ester Canale Rosso Nebbiolo Rionda - The nose was dark, rich and layered with masses of dried florals and earth tones, bright cherry, and hints of animal musk. As it spent time in the glass, its bright cherry evolved into ripe strawberry, also adding hints of leather and crushed stone. Like silk on the palate, it washed effortlessly across the senses, brightened by zesty acidity, as notes of dried cherry and inner rose resonated, showing amazing purity and with slow mounting tannin. The finish was long, opening with dried cherries, then cleansed by zesty acidity, leaving hints of strawberries and rosy florals in its wake. The ‘15 Nebbiolo Vigna Rionda Ester Canale is gorgeous. (94 points)