The Langhe musketeers

Are these the greatest Langhe wines? Perhaps, but for sure a very restricted selection of top wines based on Vinogodi’s personal preferences.

Forgive me if here I am guided by my personal tastes and by no means do I wish to do any injustice to the other extraordinary Nebbiolo wines tasted this past year. This was an annus horribilis in regard to the quality of our lives due to the restrictions imposed by the lockdown that limited our movements and thus our visits to Langhe producers. However, the few times we were able to personally and directly interact with producers allowed us to have a fairly compete overview, especially in regard to the extraordinary estates that distinguish the blessed area of the Langhe.

Up until now, and in the articles of previous years, I selected three “Musketeers”. This year I added a fourth because an extraordinary wine from an equally extraordinary year allowed me to savor another wine masterpiece. Together with the latest vintages (Crichet Pajé a preview) of the now traditional wines from Giuseppe Mascarello (Barolo Riserva Cà’d’Morissio 2012), Roagna (Barbaresco Crichet Pajé 2012) and Giacomo Conterno (Barolo Riserva Monfortino 2014) we have added the 2016 Barolo Riserva Ester Canale from Giovanni Rosso.

Having had the fortune of tasting practically all the best Langhe wines every year, these four wines represent not a ranking but a very restricted selection of the top wines, without wishing to do any injustice to the other wines and producers who were again exceptional this year, especially considering the fact that 2016 was an extraordinary vintage that will go down in the record books.

I hope that in my next article I can do full justice to the top wines from this year, with a report on the performance of GB Burlotto with Cannubi and Monvigliero, Giuseppe (Mauro) Mascarello with his Monprivato, Bartolo Mascarello, Vietti, Massolino (a preview tasting of Riserva Vigna Rionda 2016 ... the 2014 is available today), Nebbiolo Ester Canale, Bruno Giacosa, Rinaldi and Cappellano.

But for now, let’s look at the Four Musketeers:

Barbaresco Crichet Pajé 2012 Roagna

99/100 - € 950 

I am amazed every time I taste this wine, in this case an absolute preview, and so I’ve reserved several further tastings before I review it for the next edition of our Essential Guide. Only 712 bottles were produced, a number similar to a vin de garage. The wine spent seven years in the barrel and one in the bottle and was made from the grapes of the oldest vines at the top of the Pajé amphitheater that were picked by hand, bunch by bunch, in one of the most spectacular settings of the whole district.

The red color has an electric luminosity. The inebriating and intense aromas offer a spectacular fruit spectrum and sensations of mint and eucalyptus, freshly cut medicinal herbs and wild strawberries. These are followed by notes of white pepper, pomegranate and even hints of incense. The mouthfeel has a rare energy and is very long, flavorful with pronounced and thick tannins. It is very difficult not to be impressed by this.

Barolo Riserva Ester Canale 2016 Giovanni Rosso

98/100 - € 380

The Vigna Rionda vineyards are in the town of Serralunga d’Alba. They were originally owned by the late Tommaso Canale, the historic Serralunga producer famous for making extraordinary Barolo, and before him Bruno Giacosa, who made the celebrated Collina Rionda wine. After briefly producing Barolo Vigna Rionda (in the middle of the past decade) with the Roagna winery, Tommaso Canale died and the vineyard was divided among his heirs. The vines were very old and were for the most part replanted. Giovanni Rosso kept many of the original vines intact and used them to make a wine dedicated to Tommaso’s cousin, Ester Canale, who still works at the estate and who I have had the pleasure to meet.

This is an extraordinary wine to say the least, with its lively red color and captivating tones. The aromas are ecstatic and complex, from the classic crushed rose to acute balsamic sensations, followed by notes of licorice, raspberry and sweet spice. The mouthfeel is severe and bold yet has a superfine balance. An extraordinary wine of which, unfortunately, only a few bottles were produced.

Barolo Monprivato Riserva Cà’d’Morissio 2012 Giuseppe Mascarello

98/100 - € 700

This year again produced a monumental wine. This not so much for its structure as for its overall organoleptic sensations, complexity, elegance and expressive force. 100% made from the Michet variety of Nebbiolo, it was first produced in 1993 and since then has exemplified the essence of the historic microclimate of Monprivato, further amplifying its already splendid sensorial characteristics.

The lively red color is not too dense and the bouquet almost represents the maison’s calling card: wilted flowers, wild mint, dried leaves, currant and suffused and captivating spice. The mouthfeel has texture to burn, a silk drape that caresses the palate without violating it despite the rather denser tannins. Its substance is superb, rich in volume yet despite this the drinkability is remarkable.

Barolo Riserva Monfortino 2014 Giacomo Conterno

100/100 dopo riassaggio meditato ed evoluzione in bottiglia nell’ultimo anno (nella Guida Essenziale 2021, al penultimo assaggio, “solo” 99/100) - € 1000 

After a careful re-tasting and further year in the bottle, I’d rank this 100/100 (in the 2021 Essential Guide, the nest to last tasting, it was “only” ranked 99/100) – 1,000 euros a bottle.

This was overall an awful year, wet and cold and some areas even saw hail. Only a few producers knew how to navigate these adverse conditions in the best possible way. Luck also played a part: the area of Serralunga and parts of Monforte saw no hail and the favorable drainage of the terrain limited damage. The Nebbiolo was late in ripening and, somewhat discouraged, many growers harvested during the traditional period while others delayed picking their grapes and got lucky. So lucky (and skilled), in fact, that a few producers came out with splendid wines (Riserva Vigna Rionda from Massolino and Giovanni Rosso’s Barolo Ester Canale, for example, as well as 100 the 2014 Burlotto wines). The gem that shined the brightest, however, came from Roberto Conterno. The result was outstanding, thanks to a drastically reduced yield and a late harvest that allowed all Nebbiolo production to be transformed into Barolo Riserva Monfortino. I have been able to follow this extraordinary wine for years now, first from the barrel (at least six tastings before it was bottled), and twice during its last year in the bottle. Its evolution has been outstanding, right up to a recent tasting (April 2020) for our Essential Guide and the last in mid-December, which confirmed its incredibly positive evolution.

The red color is relatively bold but has a hypnotic luminosity. The bouquet has explosive aromas of dog rose infusion and laurel, licorice, raspberry jam and black cherry gelatin, while the balsamic sensation is almost violent. The mouthfeel is harmonious and very rich, solemn, full and wrapping with very dense tannins that impressively stimulate the palate. The persistence is endless and even when the glass is empty you can recognize the volatile sensations.

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