As I rush to pack the car and get out of town for a few days of R & R, I wanted to make sure I got in this past weeks top wine. As a good friend commented on Facebook, I have a "Barolo problem". I fully admit that the region of Barolo has me 100% hooked and I could not be happier. My passion for this tiny region in Piedmont began early in my wine career at Central Market in Austin, Texas. Since then I have been on a never ending quest to drink as much Barolo as I can get my hands on. This past Friday I had a "man-date" with a new friend and we went total "wine geek" at La Ciccia. We started with a few glasses of Passerina, a beautifully textured and aromatic grape from the Marche. We then launched into a bottle of Asprinio d' Aversa DOC, followed by a bottle of Ciro DOC from Calabria. Now for most, that should be enough but I could not control myself and we went for the Barolo, a 2001 Mauro Veglio Castelletto 2001. It was surreal!
Winery: Mauro Veglio
Wine: Barolo, Castelletto
Vintage: 2001
Grape: Nebbiolo
Retail: $75
Website: Mauro Veglio
Fun Fact: Mauro Veglio started producing estate wines in 1992 when he decided, with advice from his friend Elio Altare, to stop selling his grapes and make his own wine. The Castelletto vineyard is owned by Mauro's father-in-law.
Tasting Notes: Mauro Veglio's wines are more modern than most Barolo producers that I prefer, but this wine shinned at dinner. The wine does age in French oak (50% new) for 24 months so when it is younger the oak is very dominant. The 2001 showed hints of its time in oak but the fruit really was the star with beautiful aromas of ripe cherries, wild boysenberries, rhubarb, mixed with dried leaves, dried herbs and a slight hint of worn leather. The tannins were soft (they do use roto-fermentors to soften the tannins) but still present to let you know you had Nebbiolo in your glass. The finish was long lasting and with every bite of lamb the combination made a flavor experience that rocked my core. A wonderful combination of elegance, forward fruit and structure.
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