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Crémant d'Alsace
Fresh and elegant, sparkling wines from the AOC Crémant d’Alsace are produced according to the exacting demands of the traditional method, which is the same method as in Champagne.
Barolo and Barbaresco, rank among the world's best wines and are made from Nebbiolo grapes, grown near the town of Alba in Italy's Piedmont. There are 3,000 acres of Nebbiolo producers in the towns of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, and Serralunga d'Alba.
Of the towns in the area, the "left" hills have compact soil and produce long lasting wines. The "right" hills have softer soil, making a wine that should be drunk more quickly.
LEFT HILLS RIGHT HILLS Diano d'Alba Roddi Grinzane Cavour Verduno Serralunga La Morra Castiglione Falletto Novello Monforte d'Alba Cherasco
Barolo, a robust red, is full bodied and very dry. It's high in acidity, alcohol and tannin. The aroma is similar to ripe strawberries, tar, roses, violets and truffles. It is a chewy wine.
If Barolo is produced in the traditional style, it can be "hard" when young. It needs to be aged in order to become "mellow." In fact, production rule stipulates that Barolo is not Barolo until it has aged for at least three years at the winery. If it is to be called, "Riserva," it must age at least five years. Barolo is best with additional aging and is often left to age for between ten and twenty years after the vintage year.
When serving a Barolo, open it at least an hour ahead of time to allow for proper aeration. Barolo is best served with food. It nips the taste buds and enhances an exquisite dining experience.
Growers in Piedmont also widely plant two other, less important grapes, Barbera and Dolcetto, in vineyards not suitable for Nebbiolo.
It is important to buy Barolo from a good producer. One Barolo can differ from another based upon the production method applied. Some producers are using short fermentation periods in small French oak barrels, at least for part of the maturation period. These barrels add an oaky flavor to the wine, as well as tannin. These are ready to drink sooner than traditional Barolos.
Good Producers of Barolo are:
2009 90 2008 90 2007 94 2006 93 96 2005 92 92 2004 97 90 97 2003 90 87 90 2002 72 79 72 2001 96 95 96 2000 95 97 95 1999 94 92 94 1998 94 92 94 1997 95 93 95 1996 98 95 98 1995 88 88 88 1994 74 82 74 1993 89 86 89 1992 78 79 78 1991 73 80 73 1990 96 97 96 1989 93 97 93 1988 91 88 91 1985 93 93 1982 95 95 1978 97 97 1966 89 89 1961 90 90 1958 95 95
For Piedmont, and the Barolo zone in particular, the 1990s got off to a relatively unexciting start with a series of mediocre growing years in 1991, 1992 and 1994. The 1993 vintage was only moderately good, but then came a string of wonderful harvests, beginning with 1995. Wines from the 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 growing years make up an extraordinary group of six memorable vintages, each with its own unique characteristics. Never before in the history of Barolo winemaking has such a succession of superb years been witnessed. In the past, epoch-making vintages - 1947, 1961, 1964, 1971, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990 - have been the exception, not the rule.
Only 2002, with its unpredictable weather throughout the growing year and the disastrous hailstorms that hit several parts of the Barolo zone in early September, regrettably interrupted the sequence of unforgettable vintages. However, the good years seem to be continuing with 2003, although the very hot, dry summer posed more than a few problems for the vegetative balance of the vines. If we restrict our comments to the years from 1996 on, and the wines they yielded, we may reasonably claim that there are two distinct groups of three vintages, the first including 1997, 2000 and 2003, and the second 1996, 1999 and 2001. The wines in each group present similar characteristics and one vintage, 1998, has its own unique qualities.
We might say that 1998 was a vintage of balanced, harmonious, beguilingly attractive wines that are very approachable, yet true to the Barolo type. Wine lovers who prefer traditional Barolos, with outstanding ageing potential and serious extract that requires more time to express itself and "come out", will find wines from the 1996 and 1999 vintages to their tastes. Barolos from 2001 are also developing along similar lines. The 1997 and 2000 vintages, and the prospects for 2003, we have to talk about seriously good wines, especially Nebbiolo-based products. The particularly hot growing years, and prolonged ripening of the fruit on the vine, produced wines richer in sugars and with higher alcohol content, very intense colour, and warm, intense fragrances that are delightful even when the wine is young. The well-expressed fruit lends the wines more breadth, depth, structure and sheer drinkability than usual.
TEMPERATURE - Temperature is the most important factor and the factor that should be sought after above all others. The optimum temperature is 50 to 55°F (10-12°C). However, any constant temperature within 40-65°F (5-18°C) will do. More important than the actual temperature you will be able to achieve, is the degree and rapidity of fluctuation the wine is subjected to. A slow change of temperature of ten or so degrees between winter and summer is not a big problem. But this kind of fluctuation on a daily or weekly basis will cause damage to your wines and age them prematurely. You will notice damage of this nature from the sticky deposit that often forms around the capsule. In time, as the wine expands and contracts, it will damage the integrity of the cork. When this happens minute quantities of wine may make its way alongside the cork possibly even allowing oxygen to seep back in.
Wines kept at too high a temperature will age faster than wines kept at a cold temperature. Theoretically, wines kept at 68°F will age twice as fast as those kept at 50°F. At 55°F (12°C) wines will age so slowly with ultimately greater complexity that you will never have to worry about them. This is not to say the colder the better. Wine that is stored too cold can develop deposits or other suspensions in the wine. Finally, keep in mind that white wines are affected far more by temperature problems than red wines.
HUMIDITY - Moderate humidity is important so as to keep the corks in good resilient condition and thereby preventing them from shrinking. A relative humidity of 50-80% is the acceptable range, but about 70% is recommended. Excessive humidity will not harm the wine but will cause the labels and any other paper products like cardboard boxes you have in the cellar to rot. Insufficient humidity may cause the corks to dry out, lose their elasticity and thereby allow air to get into the bottle.
DARKNESS - Light will prematurely age a bottle of wine. Naturally, clear bottles are most susceptible to this problem, but ultraviolet light will penetrate even dark colored glass. Ultraviolet light may give a wine unpleasant aromas and ruin it. Extra care should be given to sparkling wines as they are more sensitive to light than other wines. It should be noted too, that incandescent or sodium vapor lights are better for a celler that fluorescent lighting.
CALM - Constant vibration from machinery or a nearby road disturbs a red wine's sediment and can be harmful to all wine. This is not commonly a problem in the average home as dangerous extremes are rare and obvious. It should be remembered that excessive sound creates vibrations that may be harmful as well. Wines should be stored in such a way that you don't have to move them around to get at a particular bottle. Once a wine is laid down, it should stay there until it is opened.
CLEANLINESS & VENTILATION - The space should be free from smells and debris. Extraneous smells can enter through the cork and contaminate the wine. Proper ventilation will help with this problem and keep the cellar from giving the wine a musty taste. Finally, debris that could be a home to insects that might infect the corks untreated wood, food should be removed. Never store fruits, vegetables, cheeses or any other food that is capable of fermenting.
ANGLE OF STORAGE - Table wine is stored horizontally so that the wine stays in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork moist thereby preventing air from entering the wine. Fortified wines other than port, are stored standing. If bottles are stored with the labels up, it will be easier to see the deposit of sediment that forms on the opposite side of the bottle when it comes time to open it.
Beni di Batasiolo Barolo 2000 (Piedmont) $38 Boroli Barolo 1999 (Piedmont) $38 Famiglia Anselma Barolo 2000 (Piedmont) $45 Vietti Barolo Rocche 2000 (Piedmont) $65
THREE STARS 2001 Andrea Oberto Barolo ($56) THREE AND A HALF STARS 2001 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo ($80) THREE STARS 2001 Boroli Barolo Bussia ($75) THREE STARS 2001 Cascina Bruciata Barbaresco Rio Sordo ($45) THREE STARS 2003 Cigluiti Barbaresco Serraboella ($70) THREE STARS 2001 Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga ($50) THREE STARS 2001 Massolino Barolo ($49) 1998 BAROLO MARCHESI DI BAROLO "CANNUBI" **** 1998 BAROLO RENATO RATTI MARCENASCO **** 1998 BAROLO RENATO RATTI MARCENASCO "ROCCHE" ***** 1998 BAROLO PIO CESARE **** 1998 BAROLO PIO CESARE "ORNATO" **** 1998 BAROLO GIOVANNI VIBERTI "BUON PADRE" 1998 BAROLO VIETTI "ROCCHE" 1998 BAROLO VIETTI "LAZZARITO"