2014 Barolo Cicala
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Tasting notes
There was no Granbussia in 2014 and only small quantities of the rest. South-facing site and old vines. ‘An intriguing vintage for us. A super-cold, wet summer’, is how Conterno describes 2014. ‘Each bunch had a problem, eg unripe and rot, variously. We decided to clean each bunch and then wait until the end of October. October is usually wet so we could have lost everything but October 2014 was 100% dry so we picked up to the beginning of November.’ Many producers didn’t make any single-vineyard 2014s. At Aldo Conterno, they reduced skin contact from the usual four to two weeks to avoid bitterness. They made just 6,000 of the 22,000 bottles allowed. Bright crimson – unusually deep with a hint of blue. Lots of rather floral fruit. And plenty of impact and bright fruit. Brave and impressive. Lovely nose and very intense. Vibrant. More concentrated than the Colonnello 2019. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Aldo Conterno's 2014 Barolo Cicala is a powerful, dark, brooding wine. Iron, smoke, game, cedar, tobacco, menthol and red cherry jam infuse this potent, unctuous Barolo from Aldo Conterno. A wine of gravitas and power, the 2014 possesses outstanding depth and plenty of character to match its driving personality.
Lovely rust and iron aromas on the nose, giving a sort of bloody note. Pure black cherry fruit and potent, aggressive tannic grip on the palate. This is such a great example of how extreme Nebbiolo can be in structure, yet still delivering plentiful perfume and fruit. (RH)
The 2014 Barolo Bussia Cicala comes from a 3.2-hectare parcel, and only 5,400 bottles are made despite the fact that there is the potential for higher volumes. Both the Cicala and the Romirasco sites are relatively steep and therefore enjoy longer sunlight hours each day of summer for ripe and concentrated fruit. Of these new single-vineyard releases from Poderi Aldo Conterno, Cicala is my top choice in 2014. The wine shows a pure and enduring mouthfeel with salty or saline minerality that makes it such a pleasure to drink. The wine boasts a direct and vertical delivery of aromas, with cassis and dried raspberry that burst to the top with brightness. Cicala is a more direct and focused expression next to Colonnello, which tends to be more broad and horizontal instead.