MCF Rare Wine
A Trio of Traditional 2015s: Chionetti, Chicco and Cavallotto
It's August and, for me, being a highly-seasonal drinker, Barolo (especially of the young variety) isn't exactly at the top of mind (though I certainly will enjoy it on a warm night, from time to time).
But recently, I've tasted three Baroli from three different, fiercely traditional producers, that have really made an impression...and I feel compelled to share them with you.
So here goes the sharing...
CAVALLOTTO
Barolo Bricco Boschis 2015
I'll start with Cavallotto's Bricco Boschis, the ol' standby...the wine that seems destined to remain, pound-for-pound one of, if not the, best Barolos on the market. Given Cavallotto's burlier style, and a brawny vintage like 2015, I was certainly expecting a strapping, beast of a wine. What I tasted, though, was certainly 'athletic', but it was no 'dumb jock'. Yes, it's a dark, muscular, very firmly structured Barolo (in other words, a classic Bricco Boschis), but there's an undeniable element of balance and elegance to this wine that really grabs me - even more when put in the context of a warm vintage. No, I would probably not recommend opening this one tonight (unless you're looking to gauge for yourself how long to let it go), but there's plenty of aromatic precision and clarity buried inside the dark, dense fruit and structure. So, as is always the case with Bricco Boschis, there is a whole lot to look forward to years down the road. Cavallotto's brilliant streak continues...
CASCINA CHICCO
Barolo Rocche di Castelletto 2015
This is our second go-around with a new release of Chicco's Rocche, a wine we debuted with the lovely 2013 vintage. But, having tasted (and sold) a few older vintages lately ('06, '07, '09, etc.), I've become a convert to the Chicco cause, if you will. What is so interesting about Chicco's style, especially with the Rocche, is the way these wines blossom. In their youth, they're very racy and high-toned, with tightly wound set of aromatics and very fine tannins that, tasted blind, almost remind me more of Alto Piemonte than of something from the Langhe. As they age, though, they unlock their inner Barolo, releasing all manner of classic, weightier Nebbiolo character, all while retaining a wonderful sense of agility. All of that definitely applies to this taut, finely-delineated 2015 Rocche. It's certainly broader and endowed with a bigger frame from the 2015 vintage, but it's still a fragrant, high-flying race car of a wine, begging to be enjoyed by those of you who love the flowery side of Barolo.
CHIONETTI
Barolo Primo 2015
This is my (and everyone else's) first offer for a Barolo from Chionetti...because 2015 is the first release of Barolo from Chionetti...so, there you go. Chionetti has, for decades, been a benchmark producer of Dolcetto di Dogliani, churning out gem after ageworthy gem from Piedmont's 'third' grape. That being said, they've they've hit the ground sprinting on the Barolo front. This 2015 'Primo' is a gorgeous, focused, mineral Barolo that is super coiled up around its impressively firm, tree-trunk of a backbone. There's so much to love about the texture and disposition of this wine but, especially on the nose, the hints of what's to come are what's truly enticing. The profile is decidedly perfumed, but the structure here leads me to believe that, as this wine loosens up, it'll put on plenty of weight as well. In a way, I can see how this wine would be a perfect blend of the Cavallotto structure and the Chicco energy. Either way, it's going to be one hell of a wine...
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