Act Three: 2008 Barolo Then & Now

~ 2014 Gallina Vineyard Nebbiolo ~

Scavino.  An iconic producer crafting Barolo from some of the regions best vineyard sources.  In fact, he bottles many wines from many of these plots.  Why the effort to separate the Cru's rather than blending the wines into a single homogenous Barolo?  Elisa Scavino tells us why.

 

"We believe the quality of a Barolo resides in the terroir and in the ability of a winemaker to grow exceptional quality grapes. The technique of winemaking or aging is a mean not an end. We never try to do stylistic wines as“traditional” or “modern”. Our aim is to make Barolo which express, in a pure way, the terroir and the complexity, elegance, and identity of the Nebbiolo grape. This is one of the reasons we have many Cru wines, to show the differences of the terroirs. Likewise, vinification and aging are the same for all our Barolo, precisely to underline vineyards diversities."

 

In this latest installment of  "Barolo Then & Now" we take a look back at the 2008 Bric del Fiasc. 

 

Barolo Then......

 

Winery Representative Riccardo Sgarra once told me that this was Scavino's most muscular, masculine Barolo. I asked him where it fit in with Cannubi and he said: "Bric del Fiasc is the King, Cannubi is the Queen." 

 

The Bric del Fiasc is indeed powerful. A brawny behemoth of a Nebbiolo that requires decanting or cellar time or both. We opened this for 2 hours in a decanter and it just began to show some aromas. There's a huge core of red berry fruit with traces of minerals and flowers on the nose and palate. The stature of the wine is significant and you get the sense that there's plenty of development lurking underneath. There's a distinct fennel laced spice on the finish that is very attractive. Even with the Fiorentina, this was a brawny wine. With Gorgonzola, it fleshed out more. That may be the best way to approach it now. Cellar it for 10 years. 93-97 points.

 

Barolo Now........

 

 

Ahhh, what a difference only a year can make!  With the earnest arrival of Autumn,  I have been craving Barolo.  This weekend we had some assorted items:  sauteed porcini, ragu bolognese, aged pecorino, NY Strips..... and we opened this wine along the way. 

 

The 2008 Scavino Barolo Bric del Fiasc is still a muscular wine.  Yet after 3 hours of decanting, the wine's tannins were fleshy, dusty and utterly seductive.  On the nose, the wine has compelling aromas of roses, smoked meat, fennel seed, and tons of ripe cherry fruit.  Those notes carry through on the palate where the wine is rich, full bodied and yet somehow retains an elegant frame that borders on regal aristocracy.  Utterly captivating and left us wanting more - from cheese to pasta to meat, this wine danced nimbly on into the night.  We liked it even more than last time. 98 points.  Disclosure: This bottle was an importer provided sample.

 

~ Gorgeous deep ruby color on this 2008 Nebbiolo.  Young now, but oh so hard to resist! ~

Salute!