The
wines of
Roberto Voerzio,
Piedmont
,
Italy
Roberto
Voerzio is one of the stars of
Piedmont
, famous
for his stunning Barolos, which are now ‘cult’ wines. He’s a
modernist to the extent that he steers clear of the traditional tannic
style, but while his wines show good ripeness and he uses new barrels,
they’re not over-extracted and oaky. Because there’s an eager
market for Barolo, and good Barolos are never cheap, unsurprisingly
Voerzio’s top wines are trophy items priced out of the range of mere
mortals like me.
This
was a small selection of his wines, ranging from the relatively
affordable Dolcetto to the exciting Barolo La Serra. As an aside, I
find the Nebbiolo-based wines of Barolo and Barbaresco thrillingly
different: well handled Nebbiolo is quite unlike any other grape
variety, and is one of the hardest to ‘get’, with its complex
non-fruit flavours and aromas. But it is worth the effort.
Retail
prices are given in brackets. Wines are available from
UK
agents
The Wine Treasury (tel. 020 7793 9999), who will also have details of
the relatively few retail outlets that carry them.
Roberto
Voerzio Chardonnay Langhe ‘Fossati’ 1999
The last vintage of this wine: the vineyard has since been
replanted with Nebbiolo. Intense herby nutty nose is complex and full.
Rich, softly textured palate with appealing herby, savoury fruit. Very
good/excellent (£15.25)
Roberto
Voerzio Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Priavino’ 2001
Intense vibrant fruit on the nose. The palate displays
concentrated spicy-edged berry fruit. Deeply savoury and quite an
intense wine. Very good+ (£11.35)
Roberto
Voerzio ‘Vignaserra’ 2000 Langhe
Predominantly Nebbiolo with a dash of Barbera and Cabernet
Sauvignon. Slightly faded colour, and the nose is a little closed. The
palate is taut, savoury and spicy with a concentrated herby edge. Good
concentration and great potential for future development. Very good+ (£20.65)
Roberto
Voerzio Barolo ‘La Serra’ 1998
Quite deep coloured. Intense, tight-knit savoury nose is full and
spicy with tarry, leathery undertones. The concentrated palate is firm
and spicy with lots of tannic structure. Great balance and lots of
potential here. A very exciting expression of Barolo. Excellent (£90)
Roberto
Voerzio Barbera d’Alba Riserva ‘Pozzo dell’ Annunziata’ 1998
Opaque red/black colour. Sweet, intense liquoricey nose with
herbal complexity. Lovely inky texture on the palate: hugely
concentrated and tannic with a spicy finish. Brilliantly done. Very
good/excellent (£155 per magnum)
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