2011 Barolo, Part 2 (Late Releases)

The 2011 Barolos continue to impress for their radiance and sheer appeal. After the epic, cellar worthy 2010s, the 2011s will give readers plenty of choices for delicious near and medium-term drinking. This article focuses on late released 2011s.

Barolo is typically bottled during the summer months of the third year after the vintage, which means most 2011s were bottled during the summer of 2014. Some producers prefer to give their wines more time in barrel. Since Barolo is almost always bottled in the summer, when the weather is warm, this pretty much means an additional year in cask. I found a number of the late-bottled 2011s to be lacking in freshness. Readers will remember that 2011 was a vintage with an early start to the growing season, a coolish summer and a final blast of heat in the weeks leading up to harvest. If there was ever a vintage to bottle on the early side, 2011 is it. For more, readers might enjoy revisiting my article 2011 Barolo: The Here and Now.

Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino's cellar is carved out of rock, Monforte d'Alba

The 2011 Growing Season