The story today is simple: You can drink one of the greatest red wines in the world, from a great vintage, for a remarkably affordable price. For those of you who love Barolo but don’t get to drink it as much as you’d like, grab a bunch, because it’s already drinking beautifully and poised to get better.
As for those who find Barolo too spend-y, or too challenging when young, this is your gateway wine. I’ve been hyping the 2015 Barolo vintage all year, chiefly because of the ripe tannins and exceptional balance of the wines. Usually, a new-release Barolo requires some speculation on the part of the taster as to what it is likely to become over time. But most of the ’15s I’ve tasted have already begun the seduction—jumping right out of the gate with a mixture of ripe red fruits and the potpourri of savory herbs, spices, minerals and florals that distinguish the Nebbiolo grape. No waiting is required, but I’d speculate that patience will be rewarded, too—which is to say, this is a win-win for anyone who wants the full Barolo experience for the price of what many producers charge for their Langhe Nebbiolo bottlings. Sourced from vineyards in villages of Verduno and La Morra, which are known for their prettier, more ‘Burgundian’ styles of Barolo, this is an impressive showing from Stroppiana and a wine to consider purchasing in quantity—it’s the kind of affordable upgrade we live for here at SommSelect!
It’s a quite similar story to that of red Burgundy: namely, that the wines, due in large part to their prestige and relative rarity, are predestined to be expensive. When we encounter one that isn’t expensive, but nevertheless delivers the goods, it’s cause for celebration—and, of course, about 500 words of breathless copy here. But what can I say: A wine that delivers this level of complexity, varietal character, and terroir expression, at this price, is something to get excited about. It’s the most enjoyable part of the job!
Having offered Stroppiana’s “Leonardo” in previous vintages, we were expecting fireworks from the 2015 edition and, yes, we got them: The Leonardo bottling is effectively the estate’s “base” Barolo, sourced from vineyards in La Morra and Verduno, most of which have near full-south exposures at elevations reaching 400 meters. After fermentation, the wine spent 24 months in French oak barriques (they don’t indicate what percentage were new, but the oak component is quite subdued) before being transferred to larger oak casks for a short period before bottling. It then spent another year in bottle in their cellars before it was released into the market, as is typical in the region.
The slightly higher percentage of clay (mixed with limestone marl and sandstone) in the soils of La Morra and Verduno makes for slightly gentler expressions of the notoriously tannic Nebbiolo grape—and in 2015, we got both ripe tannins and an extra layer of red-fruited goodness. The color leans a little darker than usual, with a deep garnet core moving to crimson-pink at the rim. The aromas are bright, fruity and highly perfumed, with notes of black cherry, red currant, blood orange peel, rose petal, pipe tobacco, and sandalwood. There’s some nice, lush fruit on the mid-palate, which masks the firm, fine tannins underpinning the structure—lending the wine a relatively silky texture at this young stage in its life. The finish is wonderfully long and aromatic, with violet-scented florals and a nice dollop of cherry kirsch lingering for what seems like minutes. Decant this explosively aromatic red about 45 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems for best results, keeping the temperature around 60-65 degrees. I never get overly creative with food pairings, because the wine has so much to say I’d rather stay out of the way—keep it earthy and relatively rich and you’ll be in good shape, and with a good supply of this on hand you are well-prepared for the winter ahead. Seriously, stock up on this—and enjoy!
