Monvigliero Barolo Nebbiolo

Believe it or not, Fratelli Alessandria was the very first to commercially offer a single expression of Monvigliero (1978); three years before Comm. G.B. Burlotto. That being said, both have played a role in defining the style of this, most famous MGA in Verduno.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2010 Monvigliero pours a bright garnet color with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of ripe and tart, mostly red and some dark fruit: wild forest strawberries, mixed brambles, Morello cherry, pomegranate, truffle, roses, dried green herbs, licorice, some tar, forest floor and dry gravelly earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and slightly savory. I think this is in a really lovely spot and anyone who has multiples should try one during this phase of its evolution. That being said, this has a long life ahead. Drink now with patience through 2050+

Incredibly smooth and highly perfumed modern barolo. Drinks beautifully now, the Nebbiolo character comes true in the after burn. Will be interesting how this develops over the next 10 years. Incredibly fine tannins.

Vintage 2019 | perfumed smell, clearly impressions of a stable smell, very earthy taste. Good Barolo but not my taste.

The 2014 Barolo Monvigliero has really tightened up after its recent bottling. Today, what comes through is an unusually potent, virile expression of Monvigliero, rather than the more aromatic, perfumed style that is typical of both this site and wine. Readers should expect a brooding, classically austere Barolo that is going to need a number of years to unwind. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2018)

Took some time to open up (PnP not the best decision). Was very good initially, but blossomed with air and time into delicious, classic, 9-ur-old Barolo. Delicious, and SO reasonably priced...

Floral, sick aroma, super juicy and clean. Balanced and textured. Juicy and long a tiny bit of heat.

I had high expectations for this wine. Had the 2017 San Lorenzo a few months back, and it was at a really good place, so I was thinking this wine would show well too. Unfortunately, the Monvigliero is really disjointed right now. I decanted for three hours, and after the decant it was closed off. After a lot of air in the glass, it did seem to open a bit. The flavor profile reminded me of the San Lorenzo, with nice dark cherry, spice, and balsamic flavors coming through. It had good depth on the palate with a nice, autumn spice finish. But then the tannin monster decided it wanted to ruin the party. After a while the tannins seemed to completely dominate the palate and finish. Perhaps if it was paired with a more robust dish the tannins would soften a bit? I had it with a traditional bolognese, and the tannins were over the top. I saw glimpses of tastiness, so rating this at a 9.1, and I’m thinking the tannins will soften further in a few years. I left a glass worth in bottle for day 2 to see how it develops. At day 1 though it’s definitely not at a good place. Day 2 update: Had the final glass, which I had kept in the bottle rather than decant. Some interesting new notes of violets and white pepper that I didn’t notice yesterday. After the first few sips all seemed good, except perhaps the wine was somewhat closed. Then the tannins took over, and they started to completely dominate. There were also some mineral/iron notes that seemed to exacerbate the bitter astringency.

Encore passablement austère, les tanins font sentir leur présence. Le fruit (noir) est présent mais en arrière-plan, ce sont les notes de bitume qui attirent l'attention. C'était ma dernière bouteille de cette cuvée. Je crois que je l'aurais davantage appréciée dans 5 ans. Fort bon tout de même, mais clairement plus intellectuel qu'hédoniste.

Has the structure and acid, just needs the age

Madness you say to drink a 2013 Alessandria Monvigliero so young. Decant got it in good shape & grilled pork shoulder really brought it home. Beautiful bottle of wine on Saturday night in the big town.