Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
july 2014 / the tasting panel / 1 19 While I have been on plenty of long and grueling runs, I can't claim to have run an actual marathon. But blind-tasting 50 to 100 new-release Nebbiolo wines every morning for five days straight made me feel like I could be running one. My easiest "miles" included those through the 2010 La Morra and Serralunga d'Alba single-vineyard Barolos. I knew where I was and my pace was set. The best La Morra 2010 Barolos will charm with remarkable freshness and an ever-present perfume (rose, fresh herbs, wet forest); their bouquets harmonize well with dark fruit components (black plums, licorice, red cherry jam). From Serralunga d'Alba, the wines are bolder (kirsch, roasting coffee beans, river cobble and pine forest), but still brilliantly balanced. It was a pleasant stretch through the rest of the 2010 Barolos as well. The wines from the village of Castiglione Falletto are pretty and the tannins fine (cinnamon, mint, rose, earth), whereas Monforte d'Alba wines show the pure power of a solid and classic vintage (ripe, almost candied fruit, dark roast espresso, gritty tannins). Out of all the Barolos, the 2010 Monforte wines will need the most time, but once the tannins ripen, they'll be stunning. From the Barolo village, the wines are earthy and rich (fresh tobacco leaves, bak- ing spices, blue and black fruit, gravel). Overall, 2010 is an outstanding vintage for all of Barolo; the wines gracefully and vividly express the individual personalities of the villages Non-profit orga- nization Albeisa is committed to promoting Langhe and Roero wines. Blind-tasting 50 to 100 new-release Nebbiolo wines every morning for five days straight made me feel like I could be running a marathon."