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ROERO
The region north of Alba and west of the
Barbaresco zone...
Roero reds are usually comprised of Nebbiolo grapes, but the law does
permit a tiny percentage of the white grape, Arneis or a very minor
amount of other "local" red grapes.
The normal bottlings of Roero red must be 20 months old and have spent,
at least, 6 months in wood. For the Riserva designation, the wines
still must spend 6 months in wood as a minimum and they can only be
released when they're 30 months of age. One winemaker told me
"We're the Sonoma region of the area...Barolo and Barbaresco:
they're Napa."
The wines of the Roero come from sandier soils than those found in
"Napa," so the wines have a slightly different
structure. Many, though, have a moderate amount of tannin, but as
a group, they don't seem to have the longevity of many Barolo wines.
CLICK
HERE FOR A MAP OF THE REGION
My Top Wines of
the 2004 Vintage
(Keep in mind, not every winery participates)
3 stars is tops, with one star being quite good and two stars being very
good. The descriptors give you an idea of what to expect from the
wine presently, while the stars are a purely personal notation of my
appreciation for each wine.
I only included wines with some level of "excitement," so I
did not post notes from wines which had "no stars." |
CASCINA CA' ROSSA
2004 Roero
"Mompissano" |
Nice fruit, woodsy notes
are prominent on the nose, with hints of vanilla. Charming.
Mildly leathery. Nice long finish. Now-2012+
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MATTEO CORREGGIA
2004 Roero
"Roche d'Ampsej" |
Mildly resiny notes,
reminiscent of mint or eucalyptus with some cedary tones. Nice
structure, with a 'crisp' edge to it. Good tannins. Finishes
nicely. Cellarworthy. Now-2015
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MALABAILA
2004 Roero Superiore
"Castelletto" |
Lots of red fruit aromas,
this is a good, young, fairly tannic red. It is a bit closed and a
bit coarse presently. It will take 5-10 years before this
blossoms. 2012-2017+
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MALVIRA
2004 Roero Superiore
"Trinita" |
Here's a wine with lots
of Nebbiolo character...hints of leathery, cherryish fruit. It's
dry, with nice acidity, medium-bodied and mildly-tannic. Not a
powerhouse, but good. Now-2014+.
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MALVIRA
2004 Roero Superiore
"Mombeltramo" |
More oaky than the
Trinita bottling, this seems to have more structure and tannin.
It's a bit closed or shy at this point, so I gave it the same one star
rating as it's sibling, though with time, it may warrant a higher
designation. 2012-2017+
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MONCHIERO CARBONE
2004 Roero
"Printi Per Lucia" |
This has a darker color
than most, so I wondered whether or not it had a bit of Barbera,
perhaps, added to beef it up. There's quite a bit of wood here and
lots of dark fruit aromas. Some tasters may find it atypical, but
for those who prefer a bigger, more concentrated wine, this is quite
interesting. It's drinkable now and should remain good through
2020, I suspect.
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PACE DI NEGRO Fratelli
2004 Roero |
What a contrast with the
previous wine (above)! This smells tarry and resembles an older,
more mature wine. It doesn't have great cellaring potential, but
if you like old Nebbiolo, this is quite immediately enjoyable. I
wouldn't advise cellaring it, though.
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PACE DI NEGRO Fratelli
2004 Roero Superiore |
What a contrast between
this and their 'regular' bottling! Aromas here are of dark fruits
and berries. It's difficult to imagine the two wines are made by
the same vintner! This can be cellared for 5-10 years.
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CASCINA CHICCO
2004 Roero
"Montespinato" |
Red fruit aromas with
mildly spicy notes on the nose...nutmeg, perhaps? Faintly herbal
with a streak of cassis and some nice cherry fruit. Mildly
tannic. Good.
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BUGANZA (Renato)
2004 Roero
"Bric Paradis" |
Very ripe red fruit
aromas with some pleasantly woodsy notes. This is mildly floral
with ripe pear fragrances and a hint of cinnamon spice.
Medium-bodied. Nice tannic structure suggests 5-10 years of
cellaring.
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ALMONDO (Giovanni)
2004 Roero
"Bric Valdiana" |
Here's a rather "fine" or
elegant rendition of Nebbiolo. The fruit aromas are classically
"Nebbiolo," with red fruit tones. It's deeper on the
palate and has a nicely balanced, if a bit tannic, finish. Quite
fine. 2012-2020.
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NEGRO (Angelo & Figli)
2004 Roero
"Sudisfa" |
Loads of brown spice fragrances
here, with ripe red fruits and a touch of candied orange peel. The
flavors offer a bit more dark fruit and it has a leathery finish.
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NEGRO (Angelo & Figli)
2004 Roero
"Prachiosso" |
Nice brown spice tones are a bit
more pronounced in this bottling from Negro. Cinnamon and nutmeg
tones are quite pretty on the nose and the wine has good depth and
moderate tannins on the palate. Deep. Quite good. Long
finish. Impressive.
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CASCINA VAL DEL PRETE
2004 Roero |
I'm certain that some
tasters will not find this to be to their liking, as it's an
oak-dominated wine. Woodsy, lumber-yard sorts of fragrances will
probably horrify those looking for classic Nebbiolo, but if you're a fan
of New World Cabernets (for example), this will be of interest. I
liked it, but it's not for everyone.
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DELTETTO
2004 Roero
"Prachiosso" |
Mild red fruit
aromas...ripe cherry notes. It's a medium-bodied red...intensely
Nebbiolo. Dry, tannic and needing some time to blossom.
Drinkable 2012-2020.
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CASCINA CHICCO
2004 Roero
"Valmaggiore" |
Here's a wine with more
intense color than most of the others. Lovely dark fruit aromas
are backed by a floral aspect on the aroma. Complex and
charming. A hint of brown spices and nice red fruit flavors.
Good on the palate. Tannic, but teeming with fruit.
Showy. 2012-2018.
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VICO (Giacomo)
2004 Roero Superiore |
Having mild red fruit
aromas and a light touch of oak, this is a finely balanced
Nebbiolo. The tannins are fairly 'round' and match up nicely with
the red fruit flavors on the palate. Not needing a lot of
cellaring, this is fine now-2012, or so.
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MONCHIERO CARBONE
2004 Roero
"Sru" |
Mildly resiny notes on
the nose, this has a hint of eucalyptus fragrances. It's difficult
to believe it's the same winemaker as the darker-colored "Printi"
bottling listed earlier, but it does have good texture and structure
with nice red fruit flavors. This wine is drinkable now and should
remain in good condition for a few more years.
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