Prices for the greatest red wines of Barolo and Barbaresco have mostly caught up to those of top red Burgundies. And they’re worth it. But there’s still the occasional wine like today’s—from a best-of-the-best vintage, no less—that makes you feel like you’re getting away with something.
Consider the credentials of today’s bottle: a “founding father” Barolo family; the landmark 2001 vintage; proper provenance (straight from the winery to the importer’s warehouse to us); and a ‘grand cru’-equivalent vineyard source within the famed “Bussia” cru. This wine, at this price, is such an absolute steal I’m not sure anything more needs to be said about it. But there’s so much to say: Now in the prime of its life and displaying the full dynamic range of the Nebbiolo grape, this profound wine is like spending time with a wise and charismatic elder. Everything about the experience will stay with you, and yet it still has more stories to tell. For all you Barolo lovers out there, jump on this quickly before it disappears: Our small supply limits us to just three bottles per person until it’s gone.
The “Bussia” vineyard is, as Barolo fans know, one of the largest ‘cru’-designated sites in all of Barolo. Vigna Mondoca is a beautifully situated parcel within Bussia, with a prime southwest exposure (or sorì, in Piedmontese) that allows it to soak up warm afternoon sun. The soils, which turn white during the dry summer months, are a mix of marl and sandstone, with altitudes in Mondoca reaching to a relatively high 300+ meters. It’s part of one of the Barolo region’s most impressive vineyard portfolios, which now spans more than 35 hectares and includes not just this prized piece of Bussia but a ‘who’s-who’ of Nebbiolo parcels throughout the Barolo zone. Today, Oddero organically farms about 35 hectares of vineyards in both Barolo and Barbaresco, with pieces of great ‘cru’ vineyards in La Morra (“Brunate” and their home vineyard, “Bricco Chiesa”), Castiglione Falletto (“Villero”; “Bricco Fiasco”), Monforte (today’s “Vigna Mondoca”), and Serralunga (“Vigna Rionda”).
The Odderos were bottling Barolo wines by the late 1870s, but there’s evidence that their viticultural roots go back farther than that. The modern history of this benchmark property was written by Giacomo Oddero, grandson of the founder (who was also named Giacomo) and father of the estate’s current-day proprietor, Maria Cristina. He is credited with building the estate up to its current size (it’s one of the larger landowners in the appellation) and for sticking to a resolutely traditional methodology in the cellar; only large Slavonian and Austrian oak botti, with capacities up to 75 hectoliters, are employed to age the family’s assorted Barolo wines.
Today’s 2001 is a special-occasion red, plain and simple: It merits careful handling (stand it upright a few days before opening, to concentrate any sediment at the bottom of the bottle) and your nicest Burgundy stems. In the glass, it’s showing its nearly two decades of age with a garnet core moving to brick-orange at the rim, and the complex, heady aromatics follow suit: dried black cherry, red currant, cranberry, orange peel, black tea, tobacco, ground coffee, and leather. The way it toggles back-and-forth between deep, dark fruit sweetness and profound mineral savor is what makes a great older Barolo. It is medium-plus in body and still showing some tannic grip, but those tannins are (a) perfectly ripe and (b) sanded down to a much finer grit. The warm, long, hauntingly aromatic finish is driven by fresh acidity and, again, that Nebbiolo-specific tangle of bright red fruit and dried mushroom/bouillon cube savor. Decant this wine about 30 minutes before serving, watching out for sediment, and watch it unfold over the course of a great meal. You know the kinds of foods this is meant for: wild mushroom risottos or pastas; braised meats; maybe something with truffles if you can get your hands on some. Given the mature, “secondary” aromas in the wine, the attached recipe spoke to me. The inclusion of some heady Madeira in the sauce sounds like a winning way to showcase a wine you won’t soon forget. Enjoy!
