MCF Rare Wine
Latest Releases from Roddolo
The other week, I learned sad news about one of the greatest producers in one of the greatest regions.
Flavio Roddolo, legend of staunchly traditional Barolo, Barbera and Nebbiolo (and Cabernet), is losing his battle with Alzheimer's.
He is still with us, and still involved with things during his lucid periods, but those periods are becoming fewer and far between.
There are two bits of good news, however -
His nephew, Ivo Roddolo, has been working with him for years now (and with significant benefit to operations, too), so I’m certainly more than optimistic about the Roddolo estate going forward.
The other piece of good news is that, seeing as he always held his wines in barrel and bottle for many years before selling them, we'll still see a number of releases of Flavio's wines over the coming years.
But it's time to start treating each release a bit more preciously, I'd say...
...and the release arriving right now of his 2015 Nebbiolo d'Alba, 2015 Barolo and 2010 Bricco Appiani Cabernet is a very special one, indeed...
FLAVIO RODDOLO
Nebbiolo d'Alba 2015 - this might be the most stunning release of the Nebbiolo that I think we've ever had from Roddolo. Made from the vines that sit just outside 'Barolo', this wine is breathtakingly enjoyable right now, striking the perfect balance between fresh/bright/floral and deep/balanced/complex. It's not cheap for something labeled 'Nebbiolo', but, then again, it drinks circles around most Barolo.
Barolo 2015 - from his best vines that, yes, sit within the Barolo boundaries, the 2015 Barolo takes all that ethereal beauty of the Nebbiolo and adds even more weight, complexity and wisdom. There is a special joy in being able to buy a bottle of Barolo, and drink it now, so...have some joy...
Cabernet Bricco Appiani 2010 - I've long referred this wine as 'Italy's Greatest Cabernet' and, truth be told, it's always arguably been my favorite Cabernet on Earth. It's so aromatic, so classic, so focused, so chiseled and so mineral, and then with the same extended elevage that Roddolo's other wines get (and often way longer) you get a wine that, for sub-$100 drinks at full maturity right out of the gate. We drank a bottle of the 2010 the other day and, wow is it good right now. It's a sublimely classic, dark, muscular Cabernet that has a fabulous tarry, savory/balsamic nuance to it that is both singular and mesmerizing. It's the Barolo of Cabernet. I'm serious.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
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