2011 Italy
Wine vintage Report for the North & Central Italy: unseasonably early, warm and dry spring, followed by a mild, dry summer and hot August, peaking at 40 degrees during the last couple of weeks. Some rain during the first week of September, remaining warm andwindy until the early harvest, one that favoured early ripening varieties. Sun burn was a risk for those who de-leafed.
Vintage Report for the the South of Italy - the vintage was marked by a dry, hot summer followed by outbreaks of rain during September, paving the way for a small harvest and very promising, fruity wines.
Reports from Barolo:
Davide Rosso reported an early harvest (for Nebbiolo). He added that the warmest S/SW facing sites were most at risk from fruit overripeness; otherwise the fruit looked clean and ripe. Timing of the green harvest was important; too early/zealously risks overly inflated fruit. Meanwhile the Barbera performed well; the Dolcetto however seemed to suffer from the hot days and fresh nights.
The 2011 wine vintage for Barolo started promisingly with another deep winter but then, as with most of Europe, March/April/May was unseasonally dry and warm; echoes of the 2007 vintage as the season leapt forward by at least a couple of weeks. Since then it's been a strange summer with hot weeks alternating with cooler fresh days.
There was lots of 'afa' (humidity), important for photosynthesis under hot conditions, but little disease pressure to speak of; storms threatened the worst but never materialised, leaving only a fresh, windy wake. August was consistently hot (30 - 35 degree days) with fresh nights - the opposite of 2010. Yields were normal, nowadays maintained at a regular level through green havest.
David Berry Green, Italy Buyer
Prices:
Bottle
£23.25
Bottle 6 x 75cl17cs
David Berry Green
Bottle
£35.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
One of the oldest, and finest Barbaresco estates, Cascina Luisin is located close to the village itself, overlooking its prime vineyard of Rabajà. Son Roberto is gradually filling the shoes of his father Luigi Minuto: there has been a renovation of the large oak botti, with Austrian Stockinger oak, along with a new family reserves cellar for all those magnificent old bottles. Alongside the pretty Barbaresco Paolin and more structured Rabajà, this year we are offering the first release of their old-vine Asili.
Bottle
£46.30
Bottle 6 x 75cl11cs
Lisini's Brunelli remain among our most traditional; in youth they are focused, quite serious, with crunchy-cool poise, and an almost Burgundian, herbal, cassis edge in 2011. Yet it opens up more on the palate, after 3.5 years’ oak-ageing after all, with juicy currants, gleaming cranberry-purity, cleansing acidity, red cherries, thick redcurrant-skins.
Bottle
£49.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl6cs
Giuseppe Mascarello & Figlio surely ranks as one of Barolo’s finest producers. The family business dates back to 1881. All the wines are traditionally made using a combination of epoxy-lined cement and stainless-steel cuves, before being aged in large Slavonian botte; capturing the vineyards' full expression.
From one of the finest vineyards in Monforte, Santo Stefano di Perno is an old-vine, iron-rich Barolo that displays luscious but trim classic tar and roses notes, balanced by a vibrant acidity. Laced with fine aromas of roses, wild berry and truffle. The palate offers notes of tobacco and white pepper. The finish is long and crisp with lively menthol notes on the close.
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl4cs
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl6cs
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle
£68.70
Bottle 6 x 75cl3cs
What a pretty wine: a striking violet-rose colour, so bright and transparent – so Barbaresco. The nose swoons with kirsch, raspberry and violet lift and zing. The full yet delicate palate is at once taut and alive. Such fluidity, such clarity; this is full of joy and raspberry essence. No surprise, perhaps, given the wonderful Pajé vineyard, with its 45-year-old vines, perfectly sheltered, on white Barbaresco soils.
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl26cs
Nora Tadros Molinari is at the helm of this much-lauded Montalcino property, while her husband Diego recovers from a bout of poor health. More fortunate are the grapes that grow on their three hectares of alberese soils at perfect altitude on the northeastern shoulder of the Montalcino zone. The Molinaris have been there since 1977, gradually building up the reputation of their tiny estate through traditional practices. It’s now regarded as one of the very best.
Bottle
£177.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl13cs
Given the state of the vineyard, planted not just with Nebbiolo but also Dolcetto & Barbera, Davide has already replanted three-quarters with Nebbiolo; the remainder being prime old Nebbiolo vines, priceless plant material but producing only circa 2000 bts per year until the new vines come of age (in 2020?). 2011 is therefore Davide’s first vintage making Vigna Rionda, vinified in static stainless-steel, cement & in single 16hl slavonian oak large botte. Full bodied yet at the same time so agile, profound, mystical even. Think about drinking from 2021 at the earliest.
David Berry Green, BBR Italian Buyer
Bottle
£238.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl35cs
Magnum
£575.00
Magnum 3 x 150cl16cs
Bottle 3 x 75cl5cs
Bottle 3 x 75cl3cs
The fruit purity that characterises much Nebbiolo in 2011 is evident in this wine, with cranberry, redcurrant and ripe strawberry notes layered with minerals and spice on the nose and palate. There is a fine balance between delicacy and finesse, concentration and structure; resulting in a wine that is both accessible now and serious enough to reward those who can resist temptation and leave it in bottle for a while longer.
Magnum
£238.85
Bottle
£290.00
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, October 2014
Case price (Magnum 1 x 150cl)
Magnum 1 x 150cl3cs
Asx12 btl 1 x 900cl1cs
Asx12 btl 1 x 900cl1cs
Produced from Aglianico and Piedirosso (an ancient variety from Campania that –when treated with care – gives good body, soft tannins and gentle minerality), Galardi’s top offering is no shrinking violet, but combines its power with fine definition and poise that has elevated this hidden gem to cult status.
Matthew Tipping - Private Account Manager
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Langhe Conteisa is made with Nebbiolo (and a tiny part Barbera) from the Cerequio vineyard in La Morra. The 2011 vintage is slightly broader than past vintages, but this wine promises a long drinking evolution regardless. Drink 2017-2035
94/100 Monica Larner, eRobertParker.com #219 Jun 2015
David Berry Green
David Berry Green
Since its inception in 1981 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia very quickly gained international recognition and established itself as a world-class producer. Located in the medieval village of Bolgheri, made famous by the presence of the pioneering estate Tenuta San Guido, this coastal area of Tuscany had already established itself as a region whose finest vineyards were able to produce wine of the highest calibre.
It is, no doubt, a stunning landscape with towering cypress trees lining ancient Roman roads however in wine terms its proximity to the sea is key. Not only are the finest vineyards spared the highest temperatures found further inland due to cooling sea breezes, grapes ripen earlier here, often before the arrival of autumn rains, bringing a degree of consistency across vintages that should not be overlooked.
Today the wines of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia may rival those of Tenuta San Guido, notably Sassicaia, however many feel that its wines offer a more ‘international’ expression of the terroir of Bolgheri. As you would expect, the wine is produced primarily from the fruit of the estate’s younger vineyards, and aims to combine the pedigree of Ornellaia itself, with the intensity of outstanding terroir balanced by freshness and approachability.
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl3cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
This is an especially fine and pretty kirsch red fruited example of the the Cannubi vineyard in the village of Barolo, as made by the Borgogno family at the vineyard's heart, from the sunny, earlier drinking 2011 vintage: a blend of three different parcels of Cannubi, 'Cane' (named after the previous owenr), 'Nuova' and 'Battista' (the most favoured, south facing), vinified by owner Marco, his daughter Emanuela and their new enologo Luca, this particular bottling comes from one single 50hl slavonian botte (barrel) # 19, selected by me.
Pale strawberry red in colour, the nose sings with delicate strawberry and tea leaf notes, refined and persistent; to taste meanwhile, it's generously fleshy, with sumptuous summer fruit, fresh and lively. Indeed it possesses an almost glass slipper quality, with porcelain cassis fruit and immense charm. Bottled mid December 2014, having been fermented in large oak before being racked to botte #19, the three years' wood ageing has meant that no stabilising, clarifying or filtering has been required, so retaining the wine's intrinsic, stripping nothing away.
David Berry Green
Matthew Tipping - Private Account Manager
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl5cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Matthew Tipping - Private Account Manager
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl2cs
Bottle 3 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 3 x 75cl1cs
Marion is one of the most beautiful estates, just north of Verona on the site of a splendid 15th-century villa in the valley of Marcellise, once owned by the Conte Marioni, subsequently bought by the Campedelli family in 1986. Together with his wife, Nicoletta Fornasa, and brother Marco, Stefano started bottling in 1995; now the property has 22 hectares. Since 2006 they’ve been assisted by the talented Damiano Peroni. The estate lies just outside the Classico zone on predominantly chalk soils.
Manuel assumes charge of the defiantly traditional, 12-hectare Marcarini estate, along with his three children. Central to this historic, 19th-century cantina, based in central La Morra, with sweeping views over their vineyards below, are the two Barolo vineyards – La Serra and Brunate, of which they own fine plots.
David Berry Green On the nose, Sicilian lemons entwine with honeysuckle and a hint of gunflint. Well balanced and charcterful, this works wonderfully well with food.
Alice Cave, London Shop