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ALESTE Barolo 2017

 

Tasting notes

The hot vegetative cycle of 2017 gave the Aleste Barolo a long, fruity and dense structure.

There are the typical aromas of sweet red cherry and raspberry, with a touch of oak and complex balsamico notes.

 

On the palate, the wine fills the mouth, full and rich, ample, heady at the front, then structured at the center and finish. The red fruit flavors are deep and rich, as is typical for the site in a warmer year, then followed by a well-structured mid palate with racy tannins that will need 4-6 years of bottle age to soften.T

 

he fruit impression is balanced by long and mineral finish with fine-grained tannins. This prized site always gives us wines that are ripe, full and elegant – and 2017 is a great example for mid-term cellaring.

 

Ratings for the vintage 2017
Falstaff 94 points
Gambero Rosso 3 bicchieri 
Gardini Notes 99 points 
Kerin O'Keefe 97 points
James Suckling 96 points
Vinous 95 points 
Weinwisser 18.5 points
Wine Enthusiast 97 points 
Wine Spectator 93 points 
Wine&Spirits 95 points
Wines Critics 97 points

 

Download wine description

 

Evolution of the vintage 2017

"Warm and dry" are the best words to briefly and clearly describe the 2017 vintage. Alleviating the heat were the excellent diurnal temperature shifts that brought cool air during the night, which provided a little relief to the vines even in the hottest days of July and August.

 

The mild winter led to early bud break. But, in an atypical return of cold in mid-April, the vegetative cycle was slowed by very cold temperatures which even brought frost to the valley floors. During the periods of pre-flowering and flowering, the cold clearly determined the formation of the grape bunches, leading to looser bunches with better internal air circulation. After May 16 the vegetative cycle was defined by the hot, dry weather that remained until the end of August. The high-pressure zone that formed over Europe for the entire summer led to early maturation.

 

The summer, warm and dry but with good diurnal temperature shifts, defined the ripening of the grapes. In particular, the veraison was very early, even compared to other early vintages.

Starting from the first week in September, temperatures dropped appreciably, and growing patterns were nearer seasonal averages, with considerable differences between day and night temperatures. This situation was further helped by the polyphenolic profile of the red wine grapes with a medium-long vegetative cycle, such as Nebbiolo and Barbera, for which the data differed to those recorded in other “hot” vintages. As a matter of fact, the values observed this year are better in terms of both quantity - accumulation of anthocyanins and tannins - and extractability, an essential factor in wines for ageing.

In short, the cycle was early this year, but the vine was able in any case to enjoy a full development cycle.

The lower yield recorded in the vineyard is in keeping with a year in which there was sparse rainfall.

Based on recorded data, this vintage can certainly be remembered as one of the earliest of recent years, given that the picking of the Nebbiolo grapes began in the middle ten days of September, and ended early in October, around two weeks earlier than the norm.

 

The 2017 vintage has given us wines showing great promise considering the fears of the beginning of summer, confirming once more how well-suited and well-equipped the hills of the Langhe are for winegrowing.

 

Harvest took place on September 27th.

 

 

 

Vintage

 

sibi et paucis

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