A note about this wine: there is much more of it on the Main Line than in Philly. For reasons unknown, this is often the case. It’s a shame since there are at least 20,000 people in Philly who read our newsletter, and there is rarely enough of the great wines to go around.
There are several towns that produce Barolo the wine. One of those towns is Barolo, the other four are La Morra, Castiglione. Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte d’Alba.
Monforte is where this bottling hails from. These wines are typically massively tannic and demand a decade in the cellar. This bottling is pretty much the opposite. It is great now, and only a few years of aging will be required for this wine to reach its peak.
The nose is classical Barolo, with aromas of dried roses and smoke. The palate offers bright acid and a full body along with notes of both saddle and sandalwood. Chocolate and tobacco play with cherry and game. A complex and compelling wine that manages to be both idiosyncratic and typical: a delicious contradiction.