Barolo 2013: 133 wines tasted

Young Barolo is far easier to taste than it used to be, and probably all the better for it. It has little to do with the varying approaches of traditionalists and modernists, and everything to do with extraction: grapes tend to be picked at higher ripeness (and thus with riper tannins too) and extraction is far gentler.

Scroll down to see Stephen Brook’s top 20 Barolo 2013 wines to seek out

This means not only that the wines are better balanced and more enjoyable in their youth, but also that you no longer need to wait 10 or 15 years before pulling the cork.

That’s why it makes sense to assess a relatively recent vintage such as 2013 eight years on. True, there are some wines – especially traditional Riservas – that demand more bottle age in order to be enjoyable, but most Barolo 2013s can already be drunk with pleasure, although almost all will evolve further over the next five to 15 years.

2013 in Barolo

The Barolo region is notorious for its climatic variability, and 2013 was no exception. The layout of its vineyards, with multiple elevations and expositions, means that quality and nuance can vary hugely from site to site.

Nonetheless, 2013 was a very good vintage in Barolo. The early spring was cool and it rained copiously in May. The weather improved in June, with good flowering conditions, and July was fine. August was hot – but not excessively so.

There were few summer days with very high temperatures, and mildew and downy mildew continued to strike, but their effect could be minimised by timely leaf removal and green- harvesting. Most of September into early October saw a stretch of sunny days and cool nights that meant there was no rush to pick. Most growers, therefore, picked relatively late, until temperatures dropped in mid-October.

View all 133 Barolo 2013 wines from the tasting

The upshot of the growing season was that the wines, while structured, were more marked by perfume and finesse than by power, and the tannins were usually delicate and fine-grained.

Although weather conditions were fairly uniform across the region, variations from village to village were discernible, though in some cases the characteristics of a wine may be due as much to the skill of the producers as to local microclimates or the best terroirs.

Many village Barolos – those without a cru name on the label – had charm and brightness, and showed that a label showing a cru name (or MGA: Menzione Geografica Aggiuntive – specified sites of quality rather than individual vineyards, so closer to the French ‘climat’) isn’t a guarantee of superior quality.

It’s not an easy vintage to compare with its predecessors.

There is less grip and tension than in the magnificent 2010s, but more freshness and zest than the fleshier 2011s, and more structure and complexity than in 2012.

Although some wines seem quite forward, I suspect many, including some that may seem disappointing now, will blossom after more time in bottle. Overall, 2013 is a vintage to be enjoyed over the next 10 years, although some wines will power on beyond.

This tasting confirmed that while the top vintages such as 2010 and 2016 will age brilliantly, less stellar years such as 2011, 2013 and 2014 can give great pleasure just a few years after release.

Barolo 2013: my must-have wines

• Cavallotto, San Giuseppe Bricco Boschis Riserva 95pts

• Michele Chiarlo, Cerequio Riserva 95pts

• Mirafiore, Lazzarito 95pts

• Brezza, Cannubi 94pts

• Ceretto, Brunate 94pts

• Palladino, San Bernardo Riserva 94pts

The Riservas

This is not the first occasion that I have raised doubts about the usefulness of the Riserva category. The main criterion is additional ageing of the wine, and the assumption is that only the very best grapes have been selected to produce it.

It’s a concept that’s popular in Italy and Spain, but scarce elsewhere.

In Bordeaux, for example, you wouldn’t expect to find both Château Palmer and Château Palmer Réserve; you’d hope that the estate would always try to make the best wine possible from the grapes available. Anything not up to standard can always be declassified to protect the estate’s reputation.

This is not to say that there aren’t magnificent Barolo Riservas from this vintage, as from most others, but longer ageing doesn’t necessarily translate into a superior wine. Some of that ageing can, legally, take place in bottle rather than oak.

In general, however, a Barolo Riserva will spend far longer in wood – as long as five or even seven years. The result can be superb, or it can be leathery, super-tannic and tired.

I’ve been surprised by how many Riservas were produced in this very good, if not exceptional, vintage, and some of those wines did not come across as intrinsically superior to the estate’s regular bottling.

Given the premium charged for a Riserva, a Barolo lover might find that two bottles of a winery’s Cannubi may be a better (and better value) purchase.

Brook’s choice: 20 Barolo 2013s to seek out

View all 133 Barolo 2013 wines from the tasting

View all 133 Barolo 2013 wines from the tasting

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