I love Barolos for their paradoxical nature – often light ruby to salmon in color yet also tannic and structured, meaning a demanding and austere wine. But it’s this austerity that addicts you, challenging you to find Barolo’s traces of opulence and hedonism. When you hit this sweet spot, it’s like suddenly find joy amid sorrow or hearing a clear, silvery chime amid sheer silence – and it’s this expression of vulnerability that makes it beautiful.
Our Wine Choice this week, the Giovanni Sordo Barolo Monprivato 2019, gives off just this vibe and more. It is a generous, layered and seductive expression from the much-coveted Monprivato “cru” in the commune of Castiglione Falletto – one of the finest sources in the world for perfumed nebbiolos on soils rich in limestones with silty, blue-gray marl.
The southwest-facing Monprivato vineyard is a monopole owned by the Mascarello family, and Sordo is the only producer that makes a Monprivato from a leased parcel within the six-hectare vineyard, releasing only about 3,000 thousand bottles a year.
I loved this wine’s clarity, structure and mineral, chalky austerity with sharp, citrusy nerviness, which contrasted nicely with the exquisite quality of aromas and flavors that verge on red plums laced with savory tonalities of airy sous-bois and spices.
It is a scented, graceful and supple even though the tannins remain true to the Barolo identity, making it attractive now, but it will also continue to show even more nuance as it ages. Paradoxically austere yet joyful. A young but very approachable Monprivato from a very good to outstanding but inconsistent vintage!
– Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor
