Tenuta Carretta Barbaresco Cascina Bordino 2004 (Piobesi D'Alba - north of the Barolo/Barbaresco zone and grandfathered in due to their location outside the zone.)

Imported By Specialty Wine Co, Sandusky, OH
13.5%

I picked this wine up by phone from a shop in Ohio. The owner turned out to be my high school girl friend's best friend's brother. When I mentioned that I had dated his sister's best friend, his only comment was, "Dude, you rock! You dated X?" - funny to hear 40 years later from a stranger over the phone! I'm actually going to Sandusky this spring so maybe I'll see if I can pick up some more of this wine as very little of it comes to the US.


I focused on this Bordino vineyard because their other vineyard is Cannubi - if you were able to get a top spot in Barolo, it's likely your single spot in Barbaresco might be a top one also. Furthermore, Le Colline, who took over Monsecco (of Gattinara fame) in the '70's from the Count Ravizza, also made a Bordino in the '80's. I always admired the quality of the Le Colline Monsecco so I figured they also had made a strategic choice with Bordino and so I have always wanted to try the vineyard. I've had Tenuta Carretta's Bordino from 1988 but the cork was soaked all the way to the top so I don't think it was a sound bottle.

Bordino is in the Treiso area of Barbaresco, a backwater for Barbaresco as it was originally considered too high in elevation for Nebbiolo to ripen (cold winds, etc) and because none of the famous Barbaresco producers had a famous vineyard in Treiso, like they do in the other two area of Barbaresco. Bordino is on the very eastern edge of Treiso by itself, not to be confused with the Bordini vineyard, well over on the other side of Barbaresco made by several other producers. The Wine Atlas of the Langhe says that Bordino is one of the great vineyards of Barbaresco, that it has good SE facing slopes at 300 to 360 meters that are very steep and produces elegant wines vs. muscular ones. They mention it has whiter, lighter soil.

This was an excellent wine, decanted one hour and it probably could have used more. I didn't take any notes but the wine had a wide spectrum of flavors it switched among, some of which seemed quite unusual for nebbiolo. The spectrum of flavors was well integrated and balanced - the winemaking talent was obvious. There was a seriously deep, dark undercurrent that seemed ready to emerge further with more air or age. It was a cool, smooth Barbaresco. Maybe a hint of the modern style. Beautiful rose nose. A serious wine with some really different flavors that worked well. Ready to drink now or could age for some time. Somewhat of a fruit forward wine. My first 2004 and a real treat! I have several vintages of this wine, which I am excited to try. Excellant with crispy roast duck, porcini polenta and fennel bulbs in a fontina sauce.

Thanks
Fraser


Edited by fraser (02-25-2018 09:41:50)