2003 Barolo by Antonio Galloni
The Wine Advocate
October 2007
“The 2003 vintage has turned out to be better than expected although it remains highly irregular in terms of overall quality. The best wines tend to come from Serralunga, Monforte and parts of Castiglione Falletto, on the eastern part of the zone, where the more compact soils were able to provide the plants with access to at least some moisture. Older vines with deeper root systems, and therefore greater access to water, were also favored. The most variable wines come from the western part of the zone, and in particular, La Morra, where the soils tend to be more loosely packed and contain a higher percentage of sand. The town of Barolo falls somewhere in the middle. A number of the finest wines in 2003 come from unexpected sources. Sites considered less favorable due to their exposures offered the plants respite from the scorching heat in 2003 and have yielded surprisingly good wines.
The scorching hot, dry growing season was without precedent. Bruno Giacosa, one of the very few people with first hand knowledge of vintage conditions, told me the only year like 2003 was 1947. The unrelenting heat and lack of water caused the plants to go into hydric stress. The cool evenings that serve to develop perfume and color in the wines did not exist in 2003. As result, the grapes reached alcoholic ripeness well in advance of phenolic ripeness (the ripeness of the skins and seeds). Growers were forced to pick their Nebbiolos several weeks earlier than normal. The defining characteristic of the 2003 Barolos is the hard, unripe tannin that is found to varying degrees in nearly every wine. I have been tasting these Barolos since late 2003, and the wines have undergone a remarkable transformation. Many are surprisingly fresh and have found a sense of balance in bottle. As outstanding as some of these Barolos are, however, when wines start to lose a sense of identity with regards to the vintage, producers are treading on a very slippery slope.
It is tempting to group 2003 with other recent hot vintages, but this is a vintage with a personality all its own. In warmer years such as 1997, 1998 and 2000, the aromatic qualities and the delineation in the wines are diminished, but in exchange, the wines gain body and volume from the additional ripeness of the fruit. These vintages tend to accentuate the differences among sites, robbing the wines of some of their character. On the plus side, the wines have historically been more approachable when young yet have also proven to age well. Fresher vintages like 1996, 1999 and 2001 are characterized by an additional level of aromatic complexity, nuance and detail. At their best, the wines have notable transparency and are much more expressive with regards to site. These Barolos are often massively structured when young and require significant bottle age before they fully blossom. Although Nebbiolo is not a variety rich in color, cooler growing seasons give the wines vibrancy and liveliness in tonality which are often compromised in warmer years.
The 2003s don’t fit neatly into either of these categories. The wines are very ripe, but not cooked, yet also structured. The main question is how and to what extent will these wines develop and age. That is difficult to answer, but my impression is that the hard tannin that the wines possess will never entirely melt away. Many of these 2003 Barolos will require patience. Wines that have the stuffing to provide balance to the tannins should age best. Those that are skimpy on fruit, however, will suffer. As those wines lose their baby fat, the tannins are likely to become more accentuated. Among the surprises of the vintage are a number of very strong normale bottlings. Many of these wines are blends from vineyards in different communes, which is how Barolo was traditionally made by past generations. The ability to blend fruit from sites with different characteristics was a huge advantage in 2003.”
2003 Elio Altare Barolo La Morra
Retail Price: $66.99
Pre-Sale Price: $51.76 Savings: $15.23
90 Points Wine Advocate
Elio Altare is universally acknowledged to be one of the world's greatest winemakers. Altare was a leader of the revolution in cellar and vineyard technique in the Barolo zone; among his many now-commonplace innovations were the use of rotary fermenters, a short maceration period, and the use of small barriques for aging. The resulting wines, from Dolcetto to Barbera to Barolo, are often considered to be the ultimate expressions of the soft, fragrant and lush qualities characteristic of the commune of La Morra.
2003 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra
Retail Price: $91.99
Pre-Sale Price: $71.37 Savings: $20.62
93 Points Wine Advocate
“The 2003 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra is even better than the Pajana, with a superbly well-delineated bouquet and deeply nuanced layers of violets, spices, menthol and sweet dark fruit. It fully captures the essence of Ginestra, one of Barolo-s greatest sites, in the rich, ripe style of the vintage. This gorgeous Barolo is only in need of further bottle age after which it should drink beautifully to age 20, perhaps beyond. It is one of the highlights of the vintage. Ciabot Mentin Ginestra is made from higher-altitude plots than Pajana and typically offers more aromatic
complexity and detail to the rounder expression that is characteristic of Pajana. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023. Few producers' wines have given me as much pleasure over the years as those of Domenico Clerico. Based in Monforte, Clerico has been turning out spectacular Barolos since the mid-1980s. I find a spirituality and character in these wines that puts them in a class with few peers. The last few years have seen an evolution in Clerico's philosophy.”
2003 Luigi Pira Barolo
Retail Price: $45.99
Pre-Sale Price: $35.29 Savings: $10.70
90 Points Wine Advocate
“Giampaolo Pira’s style favors rich, super concentrated expressions of Nebbiolo. In 2003 that could have been a recipe for over the top wines, except that Pira is based in Serralunga and therefore had the benefit of working with some of the sites that were among the most favored in this vintage. The 2003 Barolo is loaded with flavor as well as character. It offers sweet aromatics, dark ripe fruit and mentholated, balsamic overtones with notable intensity and vibrancy.”
2003 Paolo Scavino Barolo
Retail Price: $62.99 Pre-Sale Price: $51.99 Savings: $11.00
90 Points The Wine Spectator
“Big and rich, with loads of blackberry and Indian spices on the nose and palate. Full, chewy, long and rich. This is focused, fresh and structured. Best after 2010. 900 cases imported.”
2003 Paolo Scavino Barolo Cannubi
Retail Price: $140.99
Pre-Sale Price: $109.99 Savings: $31.00
92 Points The Wine Spectator
“Very ripe strawberry and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, chewy and very rich. Layered and powerful. Fantastic for the vintage. Better than the 2001 and close to the 2000. Best after 2011. 100 cases imported.”
2001 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric
Retail Price: $104.99
Pre-Sale Price: $82.34 Savings: $22.65
92 Points Wine Advocate
“The 2001 Barolo Carobric opens with a perfumed nose of freshly cut flowers, crushed raspberries and menthol. It offers flavors of ripe red fruits with excellent structure and length, closing with good freshness on the finish. Made from the Cannubi, Rocche di Castiglione and Bric del Fiasc vineyards, it comes across as very classic owing to its blend of fruit sourced from parcels from different communes, and therefore understandably lacks the focus and definition of Scavino’s single-vineyard wines.”
2003 Seghesio Barolo la Villa
Retail Price: $52.99
Pre-Sale Price: $41.99 Savings: $11.00
90 Points Wine Advocate
“Seghesio’s 2003 Barolo La Villa is made in a generous, full-bodied style that captures the best qualities of the vintage. This sweet, sexy Barolo is loaded with macerated cherries, menthol, spices, chocolate. It reveals outstanding length on the palate and an engaging, sumptuous personality. A few years of bottle age should help smooth the tannins.”
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