Barolo Riserva 2013: 'Some first-rate wines'
Are the 2013 Riservas worth buying?
Nebbiolo is arguably Italy’s greatest red grape variety, responsible for the great reds of Barolo and Barbaresco.
The thick-skinned grape produces a range of fabulous violet and rose-like perfumes and flavours of truffle, fennel, liquorice and tar. It’s a tricky grape variety to grow but rewards growers with good acidity and plenty of tannins. Its elegance and ability to translate terroir has been likened to that of Pinot Noir in Burgundy.
Nebbiolo is named after the ‘nebbia’, or fog, which enshrouds the limestone hills of Monforte around Alba.
Small quantities are grown in California and Australia, although it has yet to show the pedigree of its Italian counterpart.
Are the 2013 Riservas worth buying?
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