After-Work Bottle of Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo 2004
May 11, 2011
Grape
100% Nebbiolo, pronounced as it reads, neh-bee-oh-low.
Nebbiolo is most certainly the king of red wines coming out of the Piedmont region of Italy. It isn’t debatable. It’s a fact. The name Nebbiolo is believed to stem from the Italian word nebbia, meaning fog. Supposedly fog usually sets into the region during grape harvest.
Facts
Barolo’s typically aren’t your everyday after-work gluggers, but last night I was feeling fancy! Why wait for a reason to open a decent bottle of wine? I say a hard day’s work is reason enough!
The Damilano winery was founded in 1890 as a result of a marriage between Giacomo and Borgogno Damilano , The Damilano winery is one of the oldest Barolo brands in Italy, also specializing in other classic Piedmont reds such as Dolcetto d’Alba, and Barbera d’Alba.
Barolo’s are often deemed one of the greatest, if not the greatest Italian wine.
It used to be that Barolo’s were made in such a style that left them unapproachable for sometimes as long as 10 years in the bottle before the cork could be popped! A lot has changed in the last ten years! In order to make the wines more accessible, and appeal to the wider international market, a more modern style was introduced which generally cuts the fermentation time, and typically ages the wine in smaller barrels.
The vines harvested for the Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo range from 30-50 years of age.
Barolo’s which have been aged for at least 5 years before that are released onto the market are allowed to bear the Riserva designation.
Click here for the Damilano website, but you’ll need Google Translate in order to understand it.
Place (click map for larger view)
Piedmont is at the top left part of the boot, and sits just below the Alps and Apennines. The word Piedmont literally translated means at the foot of the mountain.
Piedmont ranks around 6th place in terms of total production in Italy.
Unlike the Tuscany region of Italy, the red grape varietals of Cabernet and Merlot have made very few inroads into the region.
The climate in Piedmont is perfect for grape growing. The fog in the region blankets the vineyards, allowing a longer hang-time for the grapes, thus slowing down ripening.
Only a few whites are made in Piedmont, with reds dominating. A few other noteworthy appellations in Piedmont are Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Asti.
Taste
Decant the arse out of this wine! I decanted for an hour beforehand, and still it was extremely subdued on the nose.
Once allowed a little longer to open up, the raw power really started to come through! Brambly black fruit and an almost Chambord-like quality dominated. Licorice, anise, leather, tar and bitter chocolate. I could easily give the wine another 5 years in the bottle.
Pairing
I’m thinking a nice and light lemon souffle…..….just kidding…….that was a test!
No seriously though, if you’re going to pair with a wine such as the Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo, keep it heavy and rustic! Braised beef or lamb, stews, truffles and mushrooms, sausages, red sauce pasta and game.
Saying all of that, I’d love to see what this wine can do with a large slab of Chocolate Ganache Cake!
Price
Expect to pay around $44 retail, a very reasonable price for Barolo!
