Barolos with a bit of age

Drinking Barolo is always a special treat! Drinking Barolo with a bit of age on it is all the better because Barolo is a wine that needs time to age to be all the more drinkable. Giorgio Lavagna from Fontanafredda, the largest and oldest monopole of Barolo in Piemonte, came to Los Angeles with half a dozen different Barolo wines five, eight, nine, ten, 20 and 24 years of age. Drinking these wines from an historical estate was a treat as I wrote about in the Napa Valley Register and share here. It is that time of the year when the Italians come to the United States to showcase their newest releases of Barolo and Barbaresco wines. This is usually to the great delight of those who are able to taste them. And this year is no exception, as 2016 is reputed to be one of the best vintages in decades. But the issue is that when you taste a 2016 Barolo or Barbaresco in 2020, the wines are still babies. They are high in tannins and not ready to fully enjoy. What we want to drink are Barolo and Barbaresco wines with 10, 20 or more years of age. And that is what I got to do when Giorgio Lavagna from Fontanafredda in Piemonte came to Los Angeles for a wine lunch.