When is my Barolo ready to drink: the most asked queston on occasion of our tastings
Posted on: 26-11-2019 om 16:40:36
| Karina Imschoot
One of the biggest misconceptions about Barolo is that you have to wait decades before the wines are ready to drink. The first question we get during a wine tasting at Barolo is: how long can you keep it and when is it ready to drink?
Although this advice may once have been true, it no longer applies to today's Barolos. Essentially, the wines made from around 2000 onwards can be drunk much earlier, even after eight or ten years. For some of the warmer wines, waiting too long can even lead to bitter surprises.
Best of all, despite being accessible earlier, top wines still have great aging potential.
So, what has changed? Everything.
Until the 1980s, most Barolos were made by large companies using an extensive network of winegrowers. Many of these farmers were more interested in quantity than quality. With other crops to manage for them, growers harvested when it was convenient, rather than when the grapes had reached ideal ripeness.
Cellar technology was also quite simple and the maceration time after fermentation could take months.
The climate was another important factor. Cooler, wetter growing seasons meant that for each decade there were only two or three good or big wine years. This largely resulted in Barolos being aggressive tannins in their youth, with acidic backbones that took years to integrate.
Today's Barolos are more complete and accessible at a younger age than ever before.
Today, most growers have long been Barolo producers in their own right, focused on consistent quality. Major improvements in the winery and cellar equipment, including temperature-controlled fermentation, soft pressing and better quality oak, have all been fundamental.
But the most important changes have taken place in the vineyards. Lower yields, and the omission of aggressive chemicals have made a big difference. Other factors such as the planting of grass between rows, timely harvests and a rigorous selection of grapes are key to creating Barolos with more refined, noble tannins.
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