So, after an amazing tasting at Gaja and a wonderful lunch (if not a bit full of mushrooms), we headed back to the hotel I Castelli. While functional, this hotel had zero charm. For being, what we were told anyway, the nicest hotel (heard about a few great Inns, but that didn't help us...) in Alba, it really wasn't much. Later that afternoon we had an appointment at
Marchesi di Barolo. To say I was underwhelmed would be a serious misuse of the word... There was nothing wrong with it, per se, it just wasn't a "wow" experience. MdB is a very traditional Barolo producer, havin made wine for over 200 years. They age their Barolos for 1 year in smaller french oak barrels then transfer them to larger, very old Slovenean oak casks.
Malo for all but the Barolo & Barbaresco is done in concrete, with fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The single vineyard Barolos get 30% new oak and the malo is done there. They rack every 3-4 days from fiberglass/concrete. They do a destemming with a 12-18 day maceration. The Barolos hit 32 degrees Celcius during fermentation. They own 10ha of the Cannubi vineyard which lines the road up to Barolo. There are two soil types - Totillano (clay) and Helveciano (sand). On to the wines... The
2006 Roero Arneis (calcareous &sand, up to 2 months for fermentation at a low temp with no skin contact, no malo) Brilliant pale straw with a greenish reflection. Granny Smith Apple, White peach, Bosc pear, less intense, very floral. High acid.
2005 Gavi (Calcareous & Clay, low Guyot) - fresh and floral, slight herbal note (green almonds).
2004 Nebbiolo d'Alba "Michetti" (Langhe & Roero, 1 yr aging (6mos Slovenean Oak) - tar, leather, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, red rasrpberry, slightly fruity. Ok, not great. As a side note, the labels says "contains sulfites" in 9 languages... The
2001 Barbaresco Riserva (2yrs Barrel, small % NFO, 2yrs bottle, Graia Vineyard, hand picked over a 15 day period.) was a dark garnet with notes of dusty dried leaves, violets, cherries, strawberries, tar & tobacco, M+ tannins, pepper. The
2003 Estate Barolo Riserva (14.5% ABV, 2yrs FO, 18mos bottles). Smoky, herbal, touch of tar, black truffles, roses. Hazelnuts, big tannin, black cherries, bl currants, bl pepper. Nice. Had a tour of their cellars (old bottles of Barolo...)
Then to dinner at the winery. The
2005 Dolcetto d'Alba Boschetti was dark purple with bright fruit, bl plum and cherries, figs, prunes, light and easy to drink but almost opaque. Served with Carpaccio w/ endive balsamic vinaiger, parmesean cheese. The
2003 Paiagal Barbera d'Alba was spicy with black pepper, fresh black cherries, currants, sage, thyme, clove. Fruit and ncie - but not great. Anise and cinnamon candy. Served with an asparagas flan w/ Parmesean. The
2003 Barolo Cannubi was over the top. Black tar, cherries, herbal notes. This wine was too high in alcohol and too closed to be drunk now. Not sure why it was served. Ditto to the
2003 Barolo Sarmassa. Loads of alcohol on the nose, black tar, cherries, black plum, more open and tannin though... tar and herbs. Too young. Not great. The two Barolos were served together with Veal braised in Barolo. For dessert, the
2006 Zagara Moscato d'Asti was good and light, a nice end. The digestif was the
MdB Barolo Chinato. This version is very Fernet Branca like. Medicial... I've now found upwards of 10 Chinato producers...
So, after an amazing tasting at Gaja and a wonderful lunch (if not a bit full of mushrooms), we headed back to the hotel I Castelli. While functional, this hotel had zero charm. For being, what we were told anyway, the nicest hotel (heard about a few great Inns, but that didn't help us...) in Alba, it really wasn't much. Later that afternoon we had an appointment at Marchesi di Barolo. To say I was underwhelmed would be a serious misuse of the word... There was nothing wrong with it, per se, it just wasn't a "wow" experience. MdB is a very traditional Barolo producer, havin made wine for over 200 years. They age their Barolos for 1 year in smaller french oak barrels then transfer them to larger, very old Slovenean oak casks. 
Malo for all but the Barolo & Barbaresco is done in concrete, with fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The single vineyard Barolos get 30% new oak and the malo is done there. They rack every 3-4 days from fiberglass/concrete. They do a destemming with a 12-18 day maceration. The Barolos hit 32 degrees Celcius during fermentation. They own 10ha of the Cannubi vineyard which lines the road up to Barolo. There are two soil types - Totillano (clay) and Helveciano (sand). On to the wines... The 2006 Roero Arneis (calcareous &sand, up to 2 months for fermentation at a low temp with no skin contact, no malo) Brilliant pale straw with a greenish reflection. Granny Smith Apple, White peach, Bosc pear, less intense, very floral. High acid. 2005 Gavi (Calcareous & Clay, low Guyot) - fresh and floral, slight herbal note (green almonds). 2004 Nebbiolo d'Alba "Michetti" (Langhe & Roero, 1 yr aging (6mos Slovenean Oak) - tar, leather, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, red rasrpberry, slightly fruity. Ok, not great. As a side note, the labels says "contains sulfites" in 9 languages... The 2001 Barbaresco Riserva (2yrs Barrel, small % NFO, 2yrs bottle, Graia Vineyard, hand picked over a 15 day period.) was a dark garnet with notes of dusty dried leaves, violets, cherries, strawberries, tar & tobacco, M+ tannins, pepper. The 2003 Estate Barolo Riserva (14.5% ABV, 2yrs FO, 18mos bottles). Smoky, herbal, touch of tar, black truffles, roses. Hazelnuts, big tannin, black cherries, bl currants, bl pepper. Nice. Had a tour of their cellars (old bottles of Barolo...)
Then to dinner at the winery. The 2005 Dolcetto d'Alba Boschetti was dark purple with bright fruit, bl plum and cherries, figs, prunes, light and easy to drink but almost opaque. Served with Carpaccio w/ endive balsamic vinaiger, parmesean cheese. The 2003 Paiagal Barbera d'Alba was spicy with black pepper, fresh black cherries, currants, sage, thyme, clove. Fruit and ncie - but not great. Anise and cinnamon candy. Served with an asparagas flan w/ Parmesean. The 2003 Barolo Cannubi was over the top. Black tar, cherries, herbal notes. This wine was too high in alcohol and too closed to be drunk now. Not sure why it was served. Ditto to the 2003 Barolo Sarmassa. Loads of alcohol on the nose, black tar, cherries, black plum, more open and tannin though... tar and herbs. Too young. Not great. The two Barolos were served together with Veal braised in Barolo. For dessert, the 2006 Zagara Moscato d'Asti was good and light, a nice end. The digestif was the MdB Barolo Chinato. This version is very Fernet Branca like. Medicial... I've now found upwards of 10 Chinato producers...
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