WTN: Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2001

Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2001 was the last wine in a tasting of wines from France, Italy and Spain last week and coming after a bunch of young boisterous Spaniards, it was rather a shock. In fact some of the people at the tasting couldn't handle it at all and I had the misfortune to be sitting two seats way from someone who pronounced it as poison. But I was going to let those vocal protests influence me because as I inhaled the wine deeply, the fragrant, complex, old fruit cake, worn leather and spiced orange zest aromas stirred my senses.
It was faded in colour, a see-through deep orange red and very dry in the mouth, so much so that on the first taste it seemed a little thin but it developed a lovely vinous richness and a full-bodied intensity and as my mouth adjusted to the initial onslaught of powerful tannins, I tasted old fruit cake flavours with a savoury saltiness, nutty oak, a rich spiciness and bright acidity with an evolving winey sweetness to the ever-increasing succulent finish.

I remember when I was studying wine styles, a key indicator was the one-liner, 'Barolo smells like tar and roses'. Well, this one definitely has a floral fragrance and a tarry depth to the palate. And my notes don't indicate any primary fruit at all.

According to the producer's website, it had over 2 years in big Slovenian oak barrels and a further 12 months in bottle before release. The label indicates 14% alcohol, the bottle has a cork closure and the price tag was NZ$99.

Cheers,
Sue

Wonderful description of what sounds like a lovely Barolo, Sue. I don't claim expertise in Barolo, but "tar and roses" has always struck me as an accurate but inadequate attempt to capture Nebbiolo's perfume in words. Your aged fruit cake and old leather and orange zest all make me thirsty. As Jenise's friend once said of Bordeaux, it's not about the fruit, it's about everything else. And I think you really hit the nail on the head in describing texture--for me Nebbiolo's full-bodiedness, if one calls it that, comes more from intensity than weight or viscosity.

Wonderful description of what sounds like a lovely Barolo, Sue.

Why, thank you, Clinton. I wasn't at all sure if the Bussia was representative of what a young Barolo was meant to smell and taste like, so your comments are encouraging.
I've only had Barolo about three or four times before. My first experience, which I can still see if I shut my eyes, was a Pio Cesare from 1990 or 1991 and although pulling the cork was committing vinfanticide (ie it was far to young to drink), I remember this as being massive and opaque in colour and the tannins were completely overpowering, but there were some lovely complex winey nuances too. Then the next Barolo I had, a couple of years later, was a transparent, tawny coloured like like this Bussia, which I found a little confusing.
Cheers,
Sue

OK! I am going to a dinner Saturday night and you guys have made me decide to bring my last bottle of Mauro Segaste 2001 Barolo!!!!

OK! I am going to a dinner Saturday night and you guys have made me decide to bring my last bottle of Mauro Segaste 2001 Barolo!!!!

Oh neat. Just did a search and found your notes from Feb, so hope your last one shows as good as the one 'last summer'. Looking forward to your notes.

Great notes, Sue. You're making it difficult for me to hang onto the one Barolo I have, which happens to be a 2001 also.

Great notes, Sue. You're making it difficult for me to hang onto the one Barolo I have, which happens to be a 2001 also.

I seem to have given the impression that the wine is ready! I wouldn't have thought so. But my experience with Barolo is so minimal I don't know if the tannins ever soften. So if you do open yours, what will you pair it with? Something to cut through the tannins, I hope, without overpowering the subtle flavours.
Cheers,
Sue

Great notes, Sue. You're making it difficult for me to hang onto the one Barolo I have, which happens to be a 2001 also.

I seem to have given the impression that the wine is ready! I wouldn't have thought so. But my experience with Barolo is so minimal I don't know if the tannins ever soften. So if you do open yours, what will you pair it with? Something to cut through the tannins, I hope, without overpowering the subtle flavours.
Cheers,
Sue

No Sue - you definitely indicated that it could have cellared for quite some time, but it sounds like you still enjoyed it immensely. I've experienced other wines like that - a 2002 Numanthia that I drank in March and a Cali cab, a 2002 Ch. Souverain, that although the tannins were far too young and bold, the other things going on in the wine (and the thought of what amazing potential there was!) made them an enjoyable experience even at this young age.

A co-worker is trying to talk me into buying an older Barolo so we can try it...maybe we'll split the cost and I'll just hang onto that '01. But if I did have it now, I'd probably just have it with a simply flavored medium rare piece of beef...my default tannin-buster!