2000 Villa Rossa Barolo

[hotwine]

Had intended to wait until the game tomorrow to try this, but lost what little patience I have.

Sweet anticipation.... just sniffing the cork was a treat. Dark clear ruby in the glass. Subtly exotic from the two years in oak, with overripe berries and dark spices rising off the surface; a clean spiciness on the palate with just the right amount of oak treatment. Generous finish but not at all overdone. Delicious. Alc is 13.5%, price at Costco was $13.35. Another one to declare a dividend for and stock up. With smoked venison & pork sausage and hard Romano cheese. My first Barolo but definitely not the last.

[TheEngineer]

D@mn tha sounds nice....bet it would work well with a nice plate of jamon serrano......

[Drew]

Sure whished our Costco (Price Club as it's known here) handled wine...sigh!! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/frown.gif[/img]

Drew

[hotwine]

Have read a while back in the WSJ that Costco sells more wine than any other retailer in the country.

Drew, is it a "local option" problem in your county that prevents wine sales at your Price Club? Costco's website shows there are 14 outlets within 50 miles of you. Would think it would be worth your while to drive an hour or so if need be, even to an adjacent state. Of course, once you got there, you might find they were sold out of the good stuff....

[Georgie]

Same here. No sales of alcohol in NJ except in stores with a liquor license. Can't buy it in a grocery store, a warehouse club, or a convenience store.

[wondersofwine]

Hotwine, do you have a high tolerance for tannin? I've been advised that Barolo should be cellared for at least 10-15 years but you seemed to enjoy one that was only five years old.

[hotwine]

Wonders, I'm definitely in the camp that prefers tannic wines to fruit bombs; however, wine-making styles for Barolos have been changing. Larousse states,

"Since the late 1970s there has been a trend toward producing wines that are drinkable much earlier (than the 20 years of earlier styles). Traditionally, the wine was fermented in contact with the skins for up to two months and was then aged for years in large oak or chestnut barrels (called botti). Wines made in this way have a massive concentration of rich fruit and are extremelyt tannic; they need a decade or more in bottle to become drinkable. There are still producers making this monumental brew, though their methods have changed somewhat and yields have been reduced for greater concentration of flavor. Most contemporary producers limit skin contact, some to as little as ten days, and age the wine in wood for the minimum time allowed by law, which is two years. Some use small barrels (rather than botti) for part or all of the aging. These Barolos may be ready to drink five or six years after the vintage. Both styles exhibit great structure and complexity. They are not quaffing wines, and hold no immediate appeal for the neophyte wine drinker, but great pleasure awaits those willing to give them a try." (Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine, 1994, p. 359.)

Judging from the condition of the cork (pale and soft, with only 1/8" of stain), this one was bottled very recently; so suspect it was held for a couple of years in a large vat after the required two years in barrel, then bottled and released for sale. A recent release, not one that's been cooking in a warehouse somewhere.

Had another last night with more venison sausage, confirming earlier impression. Going back for more.

[Innkeeper]

I think it also has something to do with the big wine, big price and vice versa syndrome. I know this is true of the Barberas of the same region. I don't even like the expensive ones.

[Grape Junkie]

Hey guys! I'm also a structure and nuance rather than hedonisim kinda person, but I must admit, the Enzo Boglietti Barolo 'Fossati' was a treat. It is done in barriques and Enzo goes for the "international style" without losing his roots. BRAVO! Also, if any of you see his Barbera around, you might wanna snatch a bottle for immediate and affordable ($20 in NY) sensorial pleasure. Tchau!

[hotwine]

Sales of all alcoholic beverages sold in Texas are governed by the state's alcoholic beverage commission which issues licenses, collects taxes, inspects facilities, etc. There are probably differenct classes of license within the state, with the most common being the beer license. But most supermarkets (in "wet" counties) are able to sell both beer and wine within specific hours, while a more restictive policy governs sales of distilled spirits. Under "local option" provisions of state law, some counties have opted to stay "dry", and not even allow the sale of beer within their borders. But since the 1970's, most have gone "wet" to at least some degree, for the tax revenue generated.
Just don't get thirsty on a Sunday morning.... ain't gonna find an ounce of alkie for sale anywhere in the state (except in the form of cough syrup or mouthwash).

[wondersofwine]

I encountered a local (?) blue law when I attended a Charlotte Panthers game at Clemson Stadium before the Panthers stadium in Charlotte was ready. I stayed overnight Sunday night in Greenville, SC rather than drive back after the game (motels in Clemson were full). Went to an Italian restaurant Sunday night and asked for a chianti. The waitress said "We don't serve wine--it's Sunday!" as if I were a backsliding sinner. I wanted to bring up Jesus drinking wine with the disciples, turning water into wine at Cana etc. but didn't see the point. I think in Fayetteville the restaurants don't serve liquor on Sunday before noon but this was dinner time in South Carolina.

[wondersofwine]

Hotwine, thanks for the explanation, BTW. It makes sense that some producers would be speeding up the maturation process by not leaving the must/juice in contact with the skins for as long and not aging in wood as long.

[hotwine]

Snagged a box of this magnificent juice a few days ago, and had to pop one with pizza tonight. Fan-tab-ulous! Deserves a finer pairing than pizza, but I'm not a patient man, and that's what was available. Earlier notes apply.

[jmcginley1]

at that price, I need to hunt this baby down.

Adding to the above conversation, some of the costcos in NJ do sell liquor, but they were the lucky few to obtain a liquor license. It is a shame, but at least we have many discount liquor warehouses around in NJ to make up for it.