Barolo in the bush?
Well, three actually, and one Barbaresco, which is not exactly what you expect to come across when gathering out the back of prime McLaren Vale vineyard country. But the allure of great nebbiolo runs far and deep in the world of wine and, as unlikely as it may seem, there’s something strangely satisfying about the persistent fine tannin of great nebbiolo in the warm dry air of a South Australian summer night.
A mission to a nearby cellar saw the opening of this three-plus-one grouping, all from vintage 2005, decanted into half gallon flagons and left to breathe for half a dozen hours or more while we swam in the nearby ocean. They opened without disappointment, oozing personality, all superbly defined, distinctively styled wines, closely aligned under the common banner of vintage, variety and a far away place.
They presented uniform characters too though, the first being the sturdy assertiveness of the tannin, an established trait of the classically structured 2005 vintage. Yet here, these tannins all came without any semblance of aggressiveness or hardness, a sort of pleasing assertiveness, really satisfying. The journey in cellar had these wines now starting to emerge in their first phase of maturity and the fruit had grown smoothly in bottle.
The second was the integration of oak, facilitating the undistracted glorification of the nebbiolo grape; all four (some more or less oaked) allowed nebbiolo to take center stage. None of the four wines showed excessive oak in terms of fragrance, flavor or tannin texture.
The third was the supporting role of acidity, in all cases serving to backlight the considerably dense fruit seen across this vintage and add definition to tannin. And the fourth? It was the magnificent fragrance of all four wines, again distinctly different in each case, but all built in waves over several hours between opening and drinking.
The lone Barbaresco, the 2005 from the cellar of Pio Cesare, opened with deeply ripe cherry fruits and almost earthy, terra cotta-like aromas. Plenty of tannin here, but these were crisp, polished and refined. A classic case of iron fist in a velvet glove, strong yet elegant.
The first Elio Altare Barolo was the Vigneto Arborina and this showed a strong herbal edge that pervaded both nose and palate, with plenty of foresty undergrowth and spice. The tannins came on dense and thick, darker fruit flavors melded with savory spice and chocolate, long and impressive.
Served alongside this was Altare’s 2005 Brunate, a playfully fruity expression of sweetly-spiced pink strawberries and lighter cherry fruit notes, super floral. The palate delivered tannins of impressive definition with a crisp outline; this was easily the least evolved of the four wines.
The last was the most understated and the most cryptic: the 2005 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia from the Serralunga d’Alba commune. It was a moody thing, oozing dark crushed rose petals that were lightly buried in sweet moist earth.
The slowest to open, it showed immense fragrance, power and potential. The palate was mapped out by thick, lush and velvety tannins; very long, commanding, deep and yet soft. Flavorsome dried and spicy dark and red cherry fruits were tucked in every layer and, like every great bottle, this was a wine still full of suggestion at the very last sip.
Contributing Editor Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.
