Barolo 2006: Panel tasting results

Sufficient time has now passed for the quality of the top wines to shine through – the best 2006 Barolos offer both maturity and freshness, and many will continue to age well.

With only 29 wines to be tasted, our judges agreed it was impossible to draw any broad conclusions as to which of the Barolo communes performed the best. But in fact, the top 10 featured at least one wine from each of the major Barolo communes, with six wines in all awarded an Outstanding score.

Covering cross-communal blends, single-vineyard (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive, or MGA) bottlings and Barolo Riservas, our judges were faced with a diverse line-up. Nicolas Clerc MS said he was ‘pleasantly surprised’ by the wines, adding that, ‘although it’s not a vintage I have come across often, I have heard about it a lot – it’s a kind of controversial vintage’.

The Tasting Notes

Marcarini Barolo “Brunate” DOCG 2006

96 Points

The Marcarini family has been producing wine in Piedmont for six generations and owns much of the Brunate vineyard area where the grapes for this Barolo are grown. The 4.5ha site is 300m above sea level and is made up of calcareous clay soils with low-yielding vines between 30-40 years old. The juice and skins undergo a minimum of four weeks’ maceration, followed by a period of malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in medium-sized oak barrels for at least two years. Stephen Brook: Fairly deep red, not that evolved. Perfumed red-fruits nose. Quite rich, but there’s a welcome fluidity here, concentrated but reasonably fresh, though with a firm tannic backbone. Probably time to drink up. Nicolas Clerc MS: Discreet, earthy and complex, rich and ripe, savoury and tertiary, a real charmer. Fleshy texture, dense, with distinctive tension, a generous finish and stunning tannic structure, firm and distinguished. Superb. Aldo Fiordelli: Dried flowers, potpourri, Earl Grey, depth of evolved fruit of dried prunes and toasty notes yet with minerality and vibrancy. Full, plenty of liquorice, firm yet condensed tannins, chewy and perfectly balanced.

Drinking Window 2020 – 2027

Ca’ Rome Barolo “Rapet” Gold Label DOCG 2006

90 Points

Packed with dark, rich fruit, liquorice and roasted coffee; smoky and sleek with a meaty overtone and a rounded texture.

Drinking Window 2020 – 2027

Read the Full Article

By Stephen Brook | Decanter