Before start, Barolo is the Grand Italian Wine by definition, produced exclusively from Nebbiolo grapes.
The Barolo wine comes from the village in the Langa bearing the same name "Barolo". It is now produced in eleven ‘communes’, all situated on the scenic Langa hills.
Tasting wine means:
- to analyze it through the sense of sight, smell and taste, and this serves to evaluate its quality.
- learning to know it, to understand it. Through tasting you learn to recognize the smells, the aromas, the flavors.
Tasting wine is not a task only for experts and professionals. In reality it can be an exciting moment for any enthusiast or person who wants to approach the world of wine. The tasting of a good glass of wine stimulates new sensations, smells, colors, tastes and flavors that are often not used to.
Many are convinced that tasting wine is difficult and not within their reach. In reality it is not like that. Even the less experienced can learn with a few tricks to taste the wine. Today we are going to see how to successfully and properly taste a glass of Barolo.
What do I need to have in order to successfully taste a glass of Barolo?
- A bottle of Barolo (available here on our store)
- A clear ballon glass (the kind of glass used for important wines)
- A sheet of white paper
- A notebook to take notes
When you have a very aged red wine like Barolo, it may “throw” sediment. It is important to stand the bottle up vertically for about 24 hours prior to drinking which will help the sediments settle to the bottom.
If you don’t have time to think that far in advance, using a decanter or better yet a decanting cradle, would be essential. Here we don’t want to aerate this older and perhaps fragile wine too much because it may kill whatever fruit and vigor is left. In this case, a decanter with a narrow opening would be ideal. Slowly pour your wine into the decanter, being careful not to pour in the sediment.
Remember, in case you use or not a decanter you must use a large glass of wine (like a ballon glass) in order to spread the wine's fragrance!
Here are the 3 important steps that you need to follow in order to taste a glass of Barolo:
- The Sight
- The Smell
- The Taste
The recommended temperature to taste is 18°C.
1 - The Sight
First we carefully observe the wine while it is poured into the glass, then bring the glass to eye level to be able to evaluate its transparency, clarity and eventual effervescence.
At this point we take our white sheet of paper and put it near the glass to evaluate the intensity of the wine, its tonality and shades of color.
Once the color has been analyzed, we rotate the glass in such a way to wet the walls with wine.
We will note the formation of a ring of liquid from which descend the drops that flow along the glass.
This phenomenon is more easily observed in wines rich in ethyl alcohol. For example, in lighter wines, they glide fast, while in the heavier wines, such as Barolo, they remain longer on the sides of the glass. This phenomenon has been given many names, in Italian we speak of "archetti", in English of "legs", in French of "tears", in German of "windows of the church".
2 - The Smell
We approach the glass to the nose and inhale intensely and with eyes closed, marking on the notebook anything that comes to mind or remembers that smell. The smells of the wine are of various kinds, their classification is made by association with already known natural odors, such as flowers, fruits, herbs.
We slowly turn the glass on itself so as to release the odorous substances of the wine. Its fragrance can be associated with fresh or dried fruit, such as pears or almonds, it can remember the taste of cherries or even that of leather, gypsum or wood.
The Barolo in the nose recalls small red berries, cherries in liqueur and jam but also offers suggestions of roses, faded violets, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, vanilla and, at times, liquorice, cocoa, tobacco and leather.
3 - The Taste
After smelling it, we can finally taste it. When you taste the Barolo, you have to sip a small amount at a time, holding it in your mouth for a few seconds to catch all the taste sensations.
In order to taste the Barolo correctly, you have to try to notice the initial, intermediate and final taste.
There are four fundamental flavors that our language can recognize: sweet, bitter, sour, salty. Quality wines have a good balance between acidity, alcohol content and tannins.
Now that you know the 3 important steps that you should follow to taste a glass of Barolo, don't remember to enjoy it!
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