In this video Pio Boffa, owner of Pio Cesare, explains the 2010 vintage in Barolo. Pio describes it as “a typical great vintage for nebbiolo.” Climatically, the vintage was moderate in the sense that there were no excesses during the growing season – except for a cold week at the

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Sarmassa 2011 With all the raving about the 2010 vintage for Barolo still ongoing, it might be easy to forget altogether that 2011 is just beginning to appear on the market. Indeed, you could be forgiven for some initial puzzlement vis-à-vis that year’s growing season in Piedmont.

In this video, Alessandro Ceretto, chief winemaker of the famous Piedmont estate Ceretto, describes his views of the 2010 vintage in Barolo. For Alessandro, it is so far one of the better vintages of the century. Taking into account that we are only in its 14th year, he is cautious

You probably already saw my two reports on 2010 Barolo: Click here for the first one and here for the second one.  Indeed, it is a beautiful vintage producing very aromatic reds with lovely body and balance. They are not overly tannic. They are not overly concentrated. They have everything

What strikes you about 2010 Barolos is how, despite being relatively delicate and refined, they manage to show a depth of flavor and structure that suggests excellence. The best of the vintage are truly world-class. Take for example the wines of Giacomo Conterno, the master of Barolo. His two Barolos

After all the hype with the 2010 vintage in Barolo and Barbaresco, the Gaja family, like others in Italy’s Langhe region, seems just as keen about the quality of the 2011 vintage, particularly for their wines from the region of Barbaresco. In fact, their 2011 Barbaresco blend that is their

A hailstorm just struck Barolo and Barbaresco in July! Is this the end of the 2014 vintage for good? But the winegrowers have a secret weapon… Watch this video I shot with my phone. -JS

Barolo is to Italy what Burgundy is to France. But it can be complicated when you’re selecting a Barolo, because one winery may make numerous bottlings from different vineyards, from Cannubi to Brunate. Luckily it’s easy to pick up a great bottle these days, with so many excellent modern vintages.

While 2010 Barolo has been called one of the best vintages ever, the story in Barbaresco was quite different. Produttori del Barbaresco, a cooperative with 56 producers and more than 100 hectares of planted vineyards, decided that in 2010 they would not “bottle and define their single vineyards” and instead would blend