To truly understand Barolo, it is helpful to look to the villages and vineyards of Burgundy. Like the Cote d’Or, Barolo is organized according to village, which can greatly range in expression. Today’s wine hails from Monforte d’Alba, which is known for its long-lived wines of immense structure. Wines from this village can often require decades to reach their peak, but today’s offer, from the 2005 vintage, hits the sweet spot for earlier consumption. With the muscular structure and persistent tannins the village is known for, the rich fruit from this warmer vintage results in a wine that is primed for perfection in just over a decade. This particular wine is sourced from the village’s most prized vineyard, Bussia. At 280-300 meters above sea level with east, southeastern exposure and rooted in calcareous clay marl and sand soils, Bussia delivers the very best of what the Monforte d’Alba village has to offer.
The Monti Estate was founded in 1996 by Pier Paolo Monti when he purchased sixteen carefully chosen hectares in Monforte d’Alba. The winery boasts state-of-the-art equipment in its underground cellar where the talented winemaker, Roberto Gerbino, crafts these beautiful wines with modern technology and an eye toward tradition. This 2005 Bussia Barolo is hand-harvested and meticulously sorted in the field as well as the cellar. The pristine fruit is macerated and fermented in climate-controlled vats for six days. Half of the wine is racked into new French oak barriques while the remainder is aged in one-year-old French oak barriques for twelve months. The wine is blended then aged in 16-hectoliter French oak barrels for an additional twelve months. The finished wine then rests in stainless for three months prior to bottling. The result is a harmonious Barolo with the undeniable structure of Monforte d’Alba that is ready for a night you’ll never forget.
This wine displays a dark crimson center that quickly moves to garnet and heavy orange rim variation, showing its decade-plus of age. The nose exudes classic, mature Barolo with aromatics of dried plum, dried black cherry and dried orange peel laced with dried rose petals, vintage leather, dried tobacco leaf, anise, dried leaves, a hint of carob chips, a touch of soy and crushed rocks. The palate is rich in body with quintessential Monforte structure, with flavors that mirror the nose, and concludes with an herb-driven finish that seems to linger for minutes. This stunning, aged Barolo is at its peak now, but still requires air to open up. Decant for 20-30 minutes and serve in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Each bottle evolves differently with air, but necessary time in the decanter will quickly become apparent. This wine is firing on all cylinders now, although we would advise enjoying it over the next few years. This Barolo is magnificent with just about anything you throw its way, but we recommend
this recipe for rabbit braised in red wine. Serve it over mascarpone polenta and enjoy.
