2017 Barolo, Diego e Damiano Barale, Piedmont, Italy
Critics reviews
Grapes come from the Monrobiolo di Bussia, Cannubi and San Giovanni crus.
Lustrous mid ruby. Gorgeous nose of spice and cherry. Great depth of fruit on the palate with chewy tannins. Succulent finish with bite. Great balance and style, hedonistic and ageworthy too. Great effort for this torrid vintage.
Drink 2021 - 2030
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com (Jan 2021)
About this WINE
Diego e Damiano Barale
Situated in the village of Barolo, Barale is one of the great winemaking names of Piedmont, with a winemaking legacy dating back to the 17th century. Brothers Diego and Damiano Barale are the latest and most exciting new branch of this impressive lineage. The brothers took the helm in 2012, following in the footsteps of their late father Carlo, and are committed to producing incredible vintage-specific wines from select parcels across Barolo and Monforte.
The brothers practice organic viticulture to best articulate their terroir, although you won't find certification on the label. Vinification is very traditional, slow and natural, taking place in steel tanks. The crus are co-fermented for Barolo – this historical technique is gaining favour once more, as it builds complexity and balance in the wines from their inception. The wines are then aged in French tonneaux, in the ancient, vaulted cellar of the cantina.
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.
A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.
Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.
Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Grapes come from the Monrobiolo di Bussia, Cannubi and San Giovanni crus.
Lustrous mid ruby. Gorgeous nose of spice and cherry. Great depth of fruit on the palate with chewy tannins. Succulent finish with bite. Great balance and style, hedonistic and ageworthy too. Great effort for this torrid vintage.
Drink 2021 - 2030
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com (Jan 2021)
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