Morning all,
 
I did not have a catastrophic hangover yesterday after the staff party. No, I did not!

Simon’s Wine of the Week is Barolo Michele Reverdito Castagni 2016

I try and keep my Wines of the Week in the realms of the affordable; these are trying times and you don’t need me pontificating about wines that are out of most people’s price range. But we all deserve a treat now and then, and I’m firmly of the belief that most outlets should have an option if people want to celebrate or splash out. So, occasionally, please indulge me with something a little more ‘fine wine’ as a Wine of the Week.
 
I tasted this as part of my WSET teaching course (of which I start my first ever teaching a week today!). I love a bit of Barolo and this one was nigh on spectacular. So, it would be churlish not to share my love of this wine.
 
Barolo is quite simply one of Italy’s great wines. Made in Piedmont in Northern Italy for at least 2,500 years, it’s a wine that has been described as ‘The Wine of Kings, The King of Wine’. I’ve also heard it described as ‘Like being kicked in the face by a ballerina’, or ‘A slap round the face from a beautiful brunette’. Because, whilst Barolo is truly a great wine, it is also the very essence of an iron fist in a velvet glove. On the one hand it has very pale colour in the glass, scents of roses and violets, and flavours of fresh summer fruits.  On the other it’s a tannic powerhouse with so much acidity it’ll make your mouth pucker. You may be thinking why on earth would anyone drink that, let alone pay a hefty sum for it. Because Barolo achieves that most wonderful of things – balance. When everything is right drinking Barolo is an almost unworldly experience, a visceral encounter that leaves indelible marks on the soul. Do you ever get the feeling I really like Barolo?

 
The grape variety is Nebbiolo, grown mainly in this part of the world, where it also makes its almost as famous sibling, Barbaresco. As a grape it doesn’t seem to travel well; there are wines made from Nebbiolo in other countries but so far nothing comes close to the power of the real thing. The other thing Nebbiolo usually needs is age to tame those tannins. Luckily, the laws governing Barolo take care of some of this. It needs to be aged at least three years before release with at least 18 months of that time in barrel. This ageing softens the tannins right down. It’s also best to allow it to age a little in the bottle before drinking to further dampen them down. This wine is from 2016 so it’s had 5 years of ageing, which for me is just enough.
 
The wine itself then. In the glass it is absolute benchmark Barolo colour – a pale, translucent garnet. This pale colour may deceive you into thinking it will be light. It isn’t! On the nose it is super intense with rose, violet, redcurrant, raspberry, cherry, kirsch, liquorice, and chocolate all fighting for supremacy. The mouth is dry with very high acidity, very high tannin, lots and lots of flavour, more notes of violets, rosewater, chocolate, and cherry, plus hints of raisined fruit and dried herbs. The finish is long and luxurious.
 
In terms of food matching, make like the Italians – around 20% of all special occasion meals in Italy are accompanied by a bottle of Barolo. It loves red meat, or anything nice and fatty. If you’ve got a decent mushroom and truffle risotto on the go, a wild boar ragu, or a venison stew, then reach for a bottle.
 
It’s obviously an expensive wine and it’s not going to fit on everyone’s list, but if you need something at the top end that is going to absolutely wow your customers then this is a great choice.
 
Have a great week,
 
Simon