My Article: Traditional and Modern Barolos Diverge

(LOS ANGELES, JAN. 25, 2011)

I went to dinner last night with a friend to Osteria Mozza, arguably the best Italian restaurant in the city, and he said at the beginning of the meal, “Pick two Barolos – one traditional and one modern.”

I went through the list and I was trying to figure out what to choose. I decided on two 1998 Barolos: Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio and Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste.

For me, it made sense to have two wines from the same vintage. I think that 1998 Barolos are starting to drink really well. The 1998 vintage was always overshadowed by 1996 and 1997; I like to think that in style it was like a mix of the two, but not on the same great level of those legends.

The Voerzio was aged in new French barrels or barrique, while the Rinaldi was matured in large old wooden casks, or botte. That’s why some would say the Voerzio was modern and the Rinaldi was traditional.  I honestly thought that the two would be hugely different in character when they were decanted and poured into our glasses. But they weren’t.

Maybe the Voerzio had a little more new wood as it should, but in the end it was not that different in rose petal, citrus and plummy fruit character as the Rinaldi. The tannins were equally chewy in the two Barolos. As the wines evolved in their decanters and our glasses, they did diverge slightly, with the Rinaldi becoming more acidic and the Voerzio more polished. But there wasn’t that big of a difference in the two wines.

I think that in the end, the Voerzio was a slightly better made wine with more fruit intensity and better balance than the Rinaldi – but not by that much. Below are my tasting notes.

1998 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste: This is fresh and bright with citrus fruit and plums on the nose and palate. It’s full and very crisp with a tangy and fruity finish. Will improve with age, but no use waiting. 14+23+23+32 = 92 points

1998 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio: The light new wood with dark berries and rich fruit is just coming through. It’s full and velvety with lots of fruit. Refined in a ballsy way. Just coming into its own. 14+24+24+33 = 95 points

My impromptu tasting of 1998 Barolos at Mozza made me think that a noble grape like Nebbiolo and great vineyard areas such as Cerequio and Brunate are more important than how a wine is made – traditionally or modern.

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