Barolo is perched in the steep, undulating Langhe hills in the foreground of the distant, snow-capped Alps. Comprised of five major villages, Barolo can vary in expression and personality as distinctly as the famous villages of Burgundy. Today’s wine hails from the south-central village of Monforte d’Alba known for its bold, rich Nebbiolo of immense structure, depth, concentration and firmness. The 2006 vintage was an excellent year for Barolo, which bolstered these wines with even more structure. Although these beautiful wines need time to integrate and resolve in the bottle, this particular example, at a decade old, is reaching an incredible point of drinkability now.
Benenti’s Barolo is derived from three hectares in Monforte d’Alba, which is situated at 400 meters in elevation at east, west and southwestern exposure. The vines range in age from 10-25 years and are rooted in sandy limestone marl, which delivers incredible minerality as well as power. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in climate-controlled stainless steel for eight days. Unlike the traditionalist who age their Barolo in neutral Slavonic botti, Benenti ages their wine in second-use French barriques and 17-hectoliter French barrels for 24-40 months. The wine is then aged in bottle for twelve additional months before release. The result is a beautiful and tempered expression of modern Barolo that hits the sweet spot between classic and more approachable Barolo. At this crazy price point, this wine is simply a no brainer for novices and Barolo-lovers alike.
This 2006 Barolo displays a dark garnet core with orange and amber reflections on the rim, consistent with its decade of age. The nose reveals beautifully ripe aromas of dried black cherry, black plums and a hint of raspberry liqueur laced with wet roses, fennel, leather, tobacco, orange peel, a touch of mushroom as well as crushed rock minerality. The palate is medium-plus in a body, immense in structure and has a lovely sweetness to the fruit that softens the persistent tannins. Flavors on the palate confirm the nose with additional notes of various wildflowers, leather, tobacco and subtle, well-integrated baking spices, which drive the long, fruit-filled finish. At a decade of age, this Barolo needs air—decant for one hour then serve in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. This Barolo is classic with pasta and ragu dishes but has more than enough stuffing to handle
this mouthwatering Osso Bucco recipe.
