Any Barolo drinkers here?

I love a good Barolo. Old school is the best school. I'm sitting here sipping an opened bottle of 2008 Giusippe Rinaldi 2008 Brunate. One of m two favorite producers, the other being Bartolo Mascarello.

What happened? I bought my 08's and 10's at around 125-150. Just checked and the 2013's are like $300-$350. Took a look at the '08 I was having and the only bottles available are $500. This isn't Burgundy or Bordeaux.

Any other fans of Barolo and anyone else getting sticker shock? I don't buy much but I always get 2-3 bottles in a special vintage. Really loving the 08's which are drinking well. -Mike G

Moved to the OT. #cheers

The few Barolos I have are old, but not yet old enough. I was told 25 years. Can't speak to the price.

i can't wait 25 years. life is short. after 5-7 years the good ones are usually drinkable. i bought some 98's back in 2006 or thereabouts. i can't say i thought the additional time made them that much better.

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I brought this home twenty years ago. Funny, earlier today I came across old photos the Italy trip.

I am, when I was stationed in Italy, I brought home 112 bottles of wine including several Barolos, but my favorites were always from Brunello. They're all consumed now. I was on Sardinia, most of the wine I brought home were Cannonaus which were the primary grape of the north end of the island where I lived. There was a bar next to a wine store where you could get any wine that the store stocked, 200ml at a time. I'd make lists of what I enjoyed and then ordered cases from next door.

I was at the Brunello Vineyard in 2014 for a tasting and lunch with my then 14 year old son. It's the only wine he's had, as far as I know. I doubt that 18 year olds are sneaking around drinking vintage reds from Tuscany.

Okay, I am going to open one. There's no time like the present.

On the high end wines, barolo is still relatively inexpensive. Go try to buy a cult wine like Screaming Eagle or Harlan. Or a Petrus.

It's all relative.

The problem with expensive wine is the expectation that goes along with it. I shared a '94 Unico with a friend, and was underwhelmed. I had a '95 Vina Real a few weeks ago and was transported.

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Originally Posted by ides1056

The problem with expensive wine is the expectation that goes along with it. I shared a '94 Unico with a friend, and was underwhelmed. I had a '95 Vina Real a few weeks ago and was transported.

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totally agree. i've opened up some premier cru wines that i paid a little too dearly for. if they were less expensive i might not have minded but when my world wasn't rocked i was very disappointed. higher price means greater expectations. on the opposite note, i've raved about bourgognes that exceeded my expectations when their price was reasonable.

What I understood opening the Vina Real is how cumulative the sensory experience is. I am not well informed about wine, but took the opportunity a dozen years ago to buy enough to learn. All were traditional, most were Spanish. There are only a few bottles left from the cases I had, and when I open one up my memory kicks in, sort of Proustian. Which is really appealing.

Meant to drink a Barolo last night but forgot, and reached for a can of Temporary Sanity from Abandoned Building.

The one Barolo I ever had was sublime but alas I will not pay that kind of coin for wine. Will gladly accept bottles from anyone who wants a review written by someone who isn't an oenophile.

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Originally Posted by HorsCat

The one Barolo I ever had was sublime but alas I will not pay that kind of coin for wine. Will gladly accept bottles from anyone who wants a review written by someone who isn't an oenophile.

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I've had some nice nebiolas that go for $20. They're not as evolved as Barolo but quite good. I remember Vietti Perbacco was always good but its been years for me. Also Barbaresco hasn't had the same price inflation as Barolo but some do get up there. For now. I'm done buying Barolo until the 2016 vintage, assuming it doesn't go up any more.

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Originally Posted by bigbill

I was at the Brunello Vineyard in 2014 for a tasting and lunch with my then 14 year old son. It's the only wine he's had, as far as I know. I doubt that 18 year olds are sneaking around drinking vintage reds from Tuscany.

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Famous last words!

If you like Barolo and Barbaresco, check out the wines being made by Dave Fletcher https://www.fletcherwines.com/the-wines--vineyards.html. I don't think he distributes to the US.



Declaration of interest: He and I worked at the same winery a few years ago. We share a belief that new oak and Nebbiolo don't mix, on the other hand he believes in biodynamics which I think is bullshit.

Nebbiolo d'Alba or Nebbiolo di Langhe are the value picks. Some of these wines are merely metres the wrong side of the Barolo DOCG line, and many are made with the same care as their more costly cousins.

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big wine


I worked at the Garden Project in Covelo with Alan Chadwick 1976-79. With Jonathan Fry, Alan York, Chris Tibbets. It was magic. Not biodynamics, per se. Magic.