Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 18.5+
Serralunga d’Aba. Cask sample. Lustrous ruby. Beautiful freshness and at the same time depth and focus; ripe raspberry with plenty of minerally notes. Truly cool climate and embryonic on the palate (‘2013 is much more ready, this is still so young. I love 2014!’). Gorgeous, fresh succulent and focused palate with finely chiselled tannins that go on and on. Sensationally balanced, super-elegant, deep and yet lithe. (WS)
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2034
Vinous 100/100
Another last minute addition to this tasting, the 2014 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is a preview, as it had not been officially released at the time of this tasting. In fact, guests at this dinner were the very first people to taste the 2014 outside the winery. And in magnum! I am glad they did, because the 2014 has subsequently closed down, at least in magnum. The 2014 spent a year less in barrel (six years instead of seven), but its release date was the same as always, as if it had spent seven years in cask. That means that by the time it arrived in the market, it had been in bottle for more than a year, which is quite unusual, as the wine is usually bottled in the summer and then shipped immediately a few months later. I always advise readers who want to taste Monfortino young to do so right upon release, before the wine starts to shut down. That was virtually impossible with the 2014. But on this night, it was spectacular, with that intoxicating mix of soaring aromatics, silky fruit and nearly imperceptible tannins. I don’t know what else I can say.
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2054
Robert Parker 96-98
“Roberto Conterno’s unbridled excitement for the 2014 Barolo Riserva Monfortino seems to underline his belief that this is the best edition of Monfortino ever made. “”I just love this wine,”” he affirms, with an elegant Zalto tasting glass in hand. In my mind, the jury is still out on whether this is a perfect wine. I hope to have more clarity within the next two years, if given the opportunity to follow its cellar evolution. I can say that the 2014 fruit is already very expressive and bright. You get floral notes and wild rose with a tight vein of nervous acidity at the back. This wine buzzes over the senses with enthusiasm and furore. Let’s see if it can keep up that choreographed dance.”
Anticipated maturity: 2025-2055
