2006 Barolos - a Very Great Vintage!

The Nebbiolo grape is to Barolo what the Pinot Noir grape is to Burgundy.  Both grapes have made their wine-producing regions famous, for good reason since they both produce high quality, long-lasting wines.  While the Pinot Noir grape has made a successful transition to other wine-producing regions throughout the world – as TVC demonstrated in its New World PN tasting last month - the same cannot be said of Nebbiolo.  It’s extremely difficult to grow outside of north-west Italy and it’s rare to find it elsewhere because cuttings and clones are jealously guarded.  Hence, when we talk about Nebbiolo, it’s synonymous with Italy and as Italy’s greatest wine – Barolo - considered the King of Wines!  It’s a great wine variety, producing bigger, darker and more tannic wines than most other grape varieties, and consequently long-lived and very prized by collectors.

Barolo is a very robust red wine, full-bodied, tannic and very dry. It’s a “chewy” wine. The aroma is similar to ripe strawberries, tar, roses, violets and truffles. Barolos are not cheap, although not nearly as expensive as other benchmark wines like Bordeaux and Burgundy.

What about 2006 as a vintage? The wines can be described as of good depth, sturdy structure and fine elegance, already more open than the ’05s (which were rough-edged at this stage of their life) and which display appealing, snappy tannins and a nervy acidity. Robert Parker gives the 2006 Barolo vintage a 97/100!

More information on the wines

Date: Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016

Time: 6 PM

Price:  TVC Members: $84; Guests/Non-Members: $104 (includes appetizers & a reception wine)

Venue: Faculty Club, Univ. of Toronto, 41 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C7  - Map

Deadlines:

Mailed Reservations

         - Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016

Online Payments

         - Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016

Register / Buy Tickets 

(NOTE: all ticket sales are FINAL; no refunds issued unless we are oversold)

Barolo vs Barbaresco, May 12

Barbaresco and Barolo communes are situated in the Piedmont area of Italy about 10 miles apart and both produce wine from 100% Nebbiolo grapes.  Yet, despite the proximity of these two wine producing zones that use the same grape, they produce two distinct styles.  Many refer to Barolo as ‘masculine’ and the Wine of the King and Barbesco as “feminine” and wine of the Queen. Or to draw from the title of a popular book, “Barbaresco is from Mars, Barolo is from Venus”.

On May 12, Toronto Vintners Club explores these two communes with 8 wines (5 Barolos and 3 Barbarescos) from the 2004 vintage, a year described as "excellent" and "classic" with the wines expected to age for several decades.

Theme:  Barbaresco vs Barolo (2004 Vintage) Open this link for more information about the areas, wines and the list of wines we'll be tasting
Date: May 12, 2015
Time: 6 PM
Location: Faculty Club, Univ. of Toronto, 41 Willcocks Street, Toronto
Fee: TVC Member: $82; Non-Members/Guests: $110
Register / Buy Tickets 
Note: All ticket sales are FINAL.  We cannot refund any ticket sales unless we are sold out and have a wait list.

2001 Barolos Results, May 2012

This wasn't the first time - and probably won't be the last time - that Bernard Stramwasser of Le Sommelier Inc. was our guest speaker for a Barolo tasting. Previously it was the 1997 vintage and this time it was 2001! 

On May 15, 2012 we tasted wines from some of the Piedmont’s great wine producers Cavallotto, Marcarini, Ceretto, Giacomo Fenocchio, Paolo Scavino, Paolo Conterno, Giovanni Manzone, and Massolino.  Here's how we ranked the wines.

Name of Wine (in order poured)	Group Ranking	Guest Ranking
A - 2001 Giacomo Fenocchio - Bussia        $37.95	8	6
B - 2001 Manzone - Le Gramolere             $44.95	2	3
C - 2001 Paolo Conterno - Ginestra           $54.00	5	4
D - 2001 Cavalotto - Bricco Boschis           $54.95	4	8
E - 2001 Massolino, Serralunga d'Alba - Barolo $57.93	6	2
F - 2001 Marcarini - Brunate         $59.00	3	5
G - 2001 Ceretto - Brunate            $83.69	1	1
H - 2001 Paolo Scavino - Carobric    $87.95	7	7

1996 Barolo Rankings

We had a good turnout for our Barolo tasting on October 19 and were joined by Bernard Stramwasser, sommelier and co-owner of Le Sommelier Inc., as our guest speaker and also reception wine supplier. A lover of Barolos, Bernard spoke to us back in Nov, 2008 when we tasted 1997 Barolos. With his exceptional nose and keen palate, Bernard picked up some very interesting bouquets and flavours in the wines.

Sommelier, Bernard Stramwasser

Only one wine failed to show really well in Bernard’s opinion and that of most attendees - the Elio Grasso which Bernard described as Umami - soy sauce overtones.  It was a little over the hill but the other 7 wines still had considerable tannin and aging potential left even after 14 years.  The group and our speaker agreed on their #1 wine - the Marchesi di Barolo Barolo $44 from La Lorra which he said was a "most classic Barolo", "super complex on the nose - tar, roses, black cherries, loads of woods . . ." . Barnard ranked the Elio Grasso (Monforte d’Alba) at $49 as his #8 while the group ranked it 7th. The group ranked the Andrea Oberto Vigneto Rocche Barolo as #8 which Bernard ranked 5th.

The reception wine, supplied by Le Sommelier Inc. was a Schiopetto wine white from Fruili (Italy).  Robert Parker wrote, "A brilliant producer, Schiopetto is the reference point for just how flavorful, perfumed, and compelling dry whites from Friuli can be." Click the link for information.
http://www.lesommelier.com/wineries/entry/schiopetto/  To order, contact Le Sommelier at 416-603-7026 or send an email to vinfo@lesommelier.com.

A huge thanks to Bernard and Le Sommelier Inc. for making our evening so enjoyable!  Here are how the wines ranked.

Name of Wine (in order poured)	Group Ranking	Guest Ranking
A. Armando Parusso Barolo Piccole Vigne	5	3
B. Andrea Oberto Vigneto Rocche Barolo	8	5
C. Fratelli Revello Barolo	4	4
D. Elio Grasso Barolo	7	8
E. Mauro Veglio Barolo Gattera	3	3
F. Giacomo Ascheri Barolo Podere di Sorano	2	6
G. Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cerequio	6	7
H. Marchesi di Barolo Barolo	1	1

October 19 - 1996 Barolos

Next month’s tasting is of the 1996 vintage - one of five greatest vintages of Barolo in the past 20 years and with 14 yr of aging, these wines should be drinking well. You are encouraged to register early as tickets are limited!

Theme:  1996 Barolos
Date:    Tuesday, October 19
Time:    6 PM
Where:  Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks St., Toronto
Cost:    Members $64; Non-Members: $89

Register / Buy Tickets

Bowled over by '97 Barolos, Nov. 2008

Our November 2008 wine tasting was a very good showing of the 1997 vintage of Barolos with one exception - one bottle of the Fontafredda was corked. Nevertheless, even those who didn't have a corked wine rated the wine at or near the bottom of their favourites. The greatest consistency in ranking was on that wine. Otherwise, the group and even the two guest speakers tended to prefer different wines.

The group as a whole ranked the Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi, Marchesi di Barolo first while both Stramwasser and Phin had the Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia (the most expensive wine in the tasting) as their top pick.


Our club met for the first time at the University of Toronto Faculty Club with our reception wine being served in the comfortable setting of a sitting room. We were treated to a very nice, under $20 / bottle, 2006 Campolietit Ripasso Valpolicella, shown below.



After we tasted our wines, plates of appetizers were served. Our sold-out crowd was educated and entertained by the tag team of Bernard Stramwasser of Le Sommelier Inc. and Jason Phin, Sommelier for Vincor Canada. All in all, it was a really great evening.



Here's how the wines were ranked by the Group, by Stramwasser and by Phin.
Name of Wine (in order poured)

A. 1997 Giovanni Manzone Barolo le Gramolere, Giovanni Manzone.
Group's Ranking 6; Stramwasser's Ranking 3; Phin's Ranking 7

B. 1997 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco, Renato Ratti
Group 4; Stramwasser 8; Phin 5

C. 1997 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto, Cordero di Montezemolo
Group 3; Stramwasser 6; Phin 6

D. 1997 Ca Rome Barolo Vigna Rapet, Ca Rome
Group 7; Stramwasser 5; Phin 3

E. 1997 Giacomo Brezza e Figli Barolo Sarmassa, Giacomo Brezza e Figli
Group 2; Stramwasser 4; Phin 2

F. 1997 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi, Marchesi di Barolo
Group 1; Stramwasser 2; Phin 4

G. 1997 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga, Fontanafredda
Group 8; Stramwasser 7; Phin 8

H. 1997 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia, Aldo Conterno
Group 5; Stramwasser 1; Phin 1.

Only 4 spots left for 1997 Barolo tasting!

TVC Members - as of today, there are only 4 spots left for our 1997 Barolo tasting on November 26 so please don't want any longer to buy your tickets!

1997 Barolos

On November 26, 2008, Toronto Vintners Club will be presenting 1997 Barolos from a vintage that is considered to be 'fabulous'. Critics herald the 1997 as the richest, ripest, most approachable of them all (Wine Spectator rates it ‘99’ calling the wines "super-ripe, opulent, flamboyant" while Parker gave it a more ‘modest’ 93). Whether it's a 99 or 93 – there’s no denying that these wines should be fabulous to drink especially after more than a decade of cellaring.

Here are the wines we'll be tasting:

1. 1997 Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia, Aldo Conterno $75. Robert Parker [RP]: 91. Wine Advocate # 135 June 2001.
2. 1997 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco, Renato Ratti $54. RP: 91. Wine Advocate # 135, June 2001.
3. 1997 Ca Rome Barolo Vigna Rapet, Ca Rome $60. RP: 91. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
4. 1997 Giacomo Brezza e Figli Barolo Sarmassa, Giacomo Brezza e Figli $ 50. RP: 89. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
5. 1997 Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto, Cordero di Montezemolo. $54. RP: 90. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
6. 1997 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga, Fontanafredda. $40. RP: 92. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
7. 1997 Marchesi di Barolo Cannubi, Marchesi di Barolo $59. RP: 90. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
8. 1997 Giovanni Manzone Barolo le Gramolere, Giovanni Manzone. $65. RP: 87 -91. Wine Advocate # 135, Jun 2001.
   

This will be a popular tasting and likely to sell out so we encourage people (especially our members) not to delay in registering! To get more details about the tasting and the wines, go to: www.torontovintners.org/2008/1997barolos.htm

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Event Details

Date: Wed. Nov. 26, 2008
Time: 6 PM
Price: Members: $62; Guests: $77
Location: Faculty Club, Univ. of Toronto, 41 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1C7
Registration deadlines: Mailed Reservations - Fri. Nov. 21/08; Online Payments - Noon Wed. Nov. 26/08

Join Toronto Vintners first and then register for tickets.
To register without joining the club, click here.