For this month’s Cellar Gems and Fails, I started off with a couple of Nebbiolos from the overall cool, wet 2013 vintage, a Barolo and a Valtellina Superiore. This was a challenging vintage in the Langhe due to a cold, wet spring that delayed ripening. Nebbiolo fared better than initially expected thanks to good climatic conditions in September and October that ended up extending the harvest into early November. Growers in Barolo had to put a lot of time and energy and all their know-how during the spring and early summer to obtain good ripening for Nebbiolo. Those who carefully carried out green harvesting and leaf stripping in the right moments made radiant wines with excellent aging potential. In Valtellina, it’s considered a classic vintage and the harvest also took place in late October and early November and produced classic wines with vibrancy and great aging potential.
I then tried two Barolos from the 2011 vintage, the polar opposite of 2013 due to extremely warm weather and an early harvest. I also tried an Etna Rosso from the same year before revisiting one of my two 100-point Barolos from the phenomenal 2010 vintage.
A magnum of Brunello from the scorching 2003 vintage and magnum of a Toscana IGT from the exceptional 2001 vintage were full of surprises. I also pulled out a 2001 Taurasi.
So how have these wines from some of Italy’s top denominations held up? Read on!
For previous Cellar Gems and Fails
For reviews of older vintages go to our database REVISITING OLDER VINTAGES
Kerin O’Keefe March 2025 ©kerinokeefe.com
