Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

AMONG THE GREAT WINES OF THE WORLD, Italy’s Barolo is perhaps the least well-known, the most obscure. Among connoisseurs, it ranks with the finest France has to offer.

A mong the great wines of the world, Italy’s Barolo is per haps the least well-known, the most obscure. Among con noisseurs, it ranks with the finest France has to offer and stands as the polar opposite of the lush California Cabernet Sauvignons that have come to define the “modern” style of winemaking. Barolo, however, is such an

ways that they don’t even with Burgundy. Get used to the idea of aging if you delve into Barolo.The wines already spend several years in oak barrels before they’re released, and that’s just the beginning. Ultimately, a ruby-red young Barolo needs to age for enough time to develop a distinctive brick-like orange color, at which point a riot of flavors emerges. Black licorice is common, along with notes of herbs and woody, resiny elements. Fruit flavors, such as black cherry, usually have a curious cooked or baked qual ity that’s nonetheless fresh and rich, a paradox that fascinates oenophiles. Given all this, top Barolos command high prices. The en stock older Barolos. Compared with similarly elderly Burgundies, these Barolos are a steal, and thanks to their obscurity, you can have the best all to yourself. When it comes to food matching, Barolo is definitely quite regional. An ideal accom paniment is something like a creamy pasta sauce covered in some shaved white truffles, fol lowed by roastedmeat.The high acidity and tannins in the wine slice through fat, but when paired with fish or simply grilled pro teins, I tend to find Barolo to be the wrong choice. It’s not a very good steak wine, either, in my opinion. If you like pork chops, however, you’re good to go. The labels to seek out and

insider’s wine that most oeno philes don’t get around to sam pling it until after they’ve gone throughCaliforniaCabs, Oregon Pinot Noirs, French Bordeaux and the manifold perplexities of French Burgundy. Hailing from the northern Italian region of Piedmont, Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape and has been around for centuries. In the past 50 or so years, the contemporary style has been codified. The Nebbiolo grape is often likened to Pinot Noir and the Barolo region to Burgundy, and for good reason — for much of its history, Barolo was bottled and sold by local wine agents who would buy up the grapes of finished wines from growers. Since the wine boom of

try point for the good stuff is typically well above $50, closer to $100 in most cases. And don’t forget about the upkeep. One of my favorite Barolos has been in my wine cellar since Bill Clinton was president, and it’s only just getting drinkable. Fortunately, better Italian restaurants, and notably ones that specialize in the butter-heavy cuisine of northern Italy,

the 1980s, Barolo has become identified with single houses, and there’s been an appreciable uptick in overall quality as some pioneering, entrepreneurial pro ducers have broadened Barolo’s global exposure. Not that the improved qual ity has necessarily led to more approachable wines. To the modern palate, Barolo is going to seem harsh and stingy with the fruit flavors at first; the wines are defined by very crisp tannins and high acidity. Over the years, these aspects fade and Barolos develop their hypnotic aromas and depths of taste, con tributing to completely unique profiles for a red wine. People genuinely get lost in Barolo, in

Barolo retains a throwback austerity that assumes you’re interested in WORKING FOR YOUR PLEASURE — and the rewards that come with it.

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