Wine Advisor
Roberto Voerzio, Barolo Brunate 2010
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Opening to a dark garnet color, the 2010 Barolo Brunate exhibits a great deal of focus and clarity that is further reinforced by the mineral character of the wine. Dark fruit, balsam herb, cola, spice and black tar peel off in generous layers. Like all of Voerzio’s wines this vintage, the Brunate shows a steady firmness of structure that is uncommon in 2010 (his plant density is a whopping 7,000 vines per hectare, a strong factor in terms of mouthfeel). Drink: 2017-2035. Roberto Voerzio started buying prized vineyard parcels in 1982 and has since amassed one of the most important portfolios of single-vineyards (15 parcels over totaling 12 hectares) in La Morra (with Sarmassa and a piece of Cerequio in the neighboring township of Barolo). He follows a unique winemaking philosophy that is somewhere on the spectrum between traditionalists and modernist, but Roberto himself brushes off these broad stroke categories with a shrug and a smile. “In the years between 2003 and 2007, my approach to oak changed over and over. I went from larger containers to smaller ones and back again to larger,” he says: “Ultimately no one really noticed. What is noticeable however is his non-interventionist’s approach. He uses ambient years without sulfites for the fermentations followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentations and does not filter. He also chooses different bottle formats to represent each wine (with a generous array of large format bottles) and sells them in meticulously numbered lots. Fossati was latest acquisition with 20 and 30 years vines. Importer: Winebow, www.winebow.com
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of blueberries and plums with hints of flowers. Full body with chewy tannins and a fruity finish. Very chewy. A little lean but pretty depth and structure. Better after 2015.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Barolo Brunate is incredibly silky and polished in this vintage. Pine, menthol, licorice, black cherries and plums flesh out in a dark, gorgeous Barolo loaded with class and elegance. The Brunate can sometimes be a bit hulking in style, but in 2010 it is incredibly refined. The 2010 boasts striking depth, power and richness.
About the Producer
Based in La Morra, Roberto started in 1986 with just a few hectares and the goal of producing the finest Barolo in the region. His viticulture is characterized by high density plantings and extremely low yields (750g /vine). The techniques he meticulously applies in the vineyards of pruning, green harvesting and bunch-thinning leave the fruit riper and more concentrated in flavors and sugars while maintaining a balanced acidity. The Voerzio vineyards are located in the finest Crus of Barolo: La Serra, Brunate, Cerequio, Sarmassa, Rocche del’Annunziata and Fossati, with complimentary vineyards of Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo all in the commune of La Morra. 20 hectares in total are farmed, all organically. In the winery, he is considered a classic ‘modernist’, with short fermentation on the skins, not exceeding one month. With the help of his son Davide in the cellar, the wines are aged in French oak barrique and botti, the Barolo for at least 2 years. Voerzio’s perfectionist approach in the vineyards, combined with his unrelenting quality of production and engagement in sustainable practices make his wines legendary, and are widely considered to constitute the superlative expression in the category.
