Tasting Barolo and Barbaresco

Last night I attended a tasting of Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy’s premium and most expensive red wines cultivated in South Piedmont with the Nebbiolo grape.

We tasted 7 of the wines and the cheapest was £24. Be careful in particular if you see cheap Barolo in the wine section of a supermarket.

Barolo must remain in its large barrel for 18  months and not released for 4 years. We tasted one, a 2013 Barolo, and it was too immature. A  good tip with a Barolo is to decant it 24 hours before you drink it. Barolo is a big heavy wine at least 14% alcohol and sometimes more.

Barbareso is a lighter wine, the alcoholic content is 13-14%. The minimum period in barrel is 9 months and thereafter released only after 3 years.

Another tip: the 2014 is going to be outstanding.

Both wines rise in value over the years so once released this should be worth buying and then drinking.

My verdict on both wines though is that the investor and imbiber would find it too expensive and better value exists elsewhere. Other Piedmont growers with less known reputation some using the Dulcetto  grape indicate you do not have to look too far.

I bought some Te Mata wine from Amazon. I always thought Amazon set the bar when it came to delivery. My order only comprising 2 bottles could not be made as no one was in and was not left in my preferred place.

The explanatory note from Amazon was too confusing and only when other one arrived I understood it has to be signed for by an adult. As I have other deliveries of Te Mata scheduled over the next few days I  can see these going back and forth. Online wine merchants and the Wine Society have a simpler delivery policy.