Christopher Deas, Italian Wine Merchants: “This wine is now in a magic spot with eight years of maturity from the 2012 vintage, as the tertiary flavors are just entering the profile. The Tortoniano label is best known for its soft inviting fruit and elegance, showcasing a more feminine side of Barolo. Well, it’s silky texture and exotic nuances are on full display today. The nose reveals notes of dried cherries, roses, potpourri, and black tea. On the palate, sweet cherries, blood orange, cinnamon, cocoa, tobacco, a touch of smoke, leather, truffle, and underbrush all join the party, adding an umami element to this richly layered expression. The wine becomes more herbal and tea-like on a dry and coiled finish that hints at further aging. But for today, what’s not to like? This is simply fun drinking, seamless Barolo, delivered at a ridiculously fair price. Let the wine breathe an hour or two for best results.
- COUNTRY: Italy
- REGION: Piemonte
- SUB-REGION: Barolo
If you are familiar with Piemonte, you know that Michele Chiarlo is an important name and figure in Barolo with prized holdings in the crus of Cannubi, Cerequio, and Asili, not to mention other efforts throughout the region. At times, the wines of the estate have been too modern for both Sergio and the IWM team; however, it is the 2012 Barolo Tortoniano that showed us a more mature side of this producer and flagship label. The eponymous wine is a nod to the “Tortonian” epoch and the magnesium and manganese soils that formed more than nine million years ago and contribute to making this Barolo so rich and unique. It is worth further noting, this expression does include fruit from the prized Cerequio vineyard.
|
