2017 Barolo

The Gianfranco Alessandria 2017 Barolo comes from a hot and dry vintage, but there are little evident signs of this. The wine reveals tart cherry and plum, with beautiful shadings of tar, licorice and smoke. You feel a hint of the 14.5% alcohol content although it is well integrated into the mid-weight texture displayed here. The wine opens readily (I came back to retaste my open bottle about six hours later), but that touch of heat and those tight 2017 tannins merit a food pairing rich in cream or butter when your bottle has completed its evolution. Some 10,000 bottles were made.

There are lifted aromas of tar in the 2017 Barolo of asphalt, dried raspberry, and rose petal. The palate is ripe through the mid-palate, with cherry lozenge, dried apricot, and dusty earth. There is a refreshment within the ripe red fruits that is quaffable, and ready for drink now or over the next 10 or so years. Drink 2021-2034. Located in Monforte d’Alba, Gianfranco Alessandria has 5.5 hectares of vineyards and rents an additional hectare. They practice short fermentation and maceration in temperature controlled stainless steel, and aging is carried out in small French oak barrels.

The 2017 Barolo EnPiasì is such a pleasure to taste. A whole range of floral and savory nuances open first, suggesting the presence of whole clusters, even though the wine is made entirely from grapes that have been destemmed by hand. Silky, nuanced and beautifully persistent in the glass, the 2017 is a Barolo of pure and total finesse. I would prefer to drink it over the next 10-15 years, a bit of youthful Nebbiolo tannin notwithstanding, as it would be a shame to miss out on the extraordinary purity of fruit that is present at this stage.