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