Saturday 16 January 2016

Two Lovely 2011 Barbaresco Bottles From La Ca´Növa


When I tasted through the sortiment of Brix Wine earlier this year I fell in love with the Barbaresco´s from La Ca´Növa, even though I only tasted two. :-)
I bought some bottles of the Montefico I tasted and also of the Montestefano - time to test drive them over two days at home, where you have the time and focus on the wines, compared to a trade tasting where you spend a couple of minutes with each wine. But that kind of tasting also has its merits, because otherwise I wouldn´t have discovered these beauties.

2011 Barbaresco Montestefano, La Ca´Növa
Right out of the bottle this displays charm and ease, with lovely notes of rosehips, red cherries, red tea, fir forest and lots of gravel. Cool and fine, and some smoke aromas after a while. Develops nicely over the evening and the red cherries become sweeter. Day two it has deepened and the fruit and structure is even more harmonious and classy. This is really fine.
The taste is young, tight and pure with notes of  red cherries, rowanberries, lots of rose petals and crushed rocks. There are some finely tuned, sweet tannins in the long finish. Very stylish. Day two it has toughened up, with lots of cool red cherries, red liquorice and minerals. The finish is long, dry and structured. Will need 4-6 years in the cellar. Great stuff!
93p   (tasted 2016/01)



2011 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina, La Ca´Növa
This is as good as when I tasted it earlier this year. The nose is a masterpiece with its stunning aromas of red and black cherries, cigarette ashes, dried ceps, hard cherry candy and violets. It is a bit darker in the fruit than the Montestefano. Just wonderful. When I stick my nose in the glass on day two it is filled of crushed black cherries, spruce and that lovely perfumed fragrance you get when you walk into a Ermenegildo Zegna store. Beautiful!
The taste is tight and intense with notes of cool red and black cherries, liquorice, forest floor, violets and cigarr smoke. The tannins are juicy, perfectly polished and very young. Needs time. Day two the tannins dominate even more, especially in the finish, but the fruit is marvellous in its concentration even though the wine seems airy and refined. In 6-8 years time this will be pushing upwards the three digit score. Gotta get me more!
96p   (tasted 2016/01)

3 comments:

  1. Hello. The montestefano was a little more closed right now compared to a bottle I had 6 months ago. I have also 4 bottles of the montefico. Can I drink one now for the young fruit. Or should I let all rest in the cellar. Decant? For how long? Thanks / Karl

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    1. Hi Karl, you could definitely try one of the Montefico now. I saved about 10 cl in each bottle one day more and they were both best on the third day. If I were to drink a bottle now I would decant it in the morning for drinking in the evening.

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