Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia Cicala 2011 750ml

The 2011 Barolo Bussia Cicala shows a slightly warmer side to the Bussia cru, although in general I am very impressed with how this single vineyard has performed. You get subtle wood influences here, but the quality of fruit is on prime display. Black cherry, cassis and wild berry lift graciously from the bouquet. Heavier aromas of spice, resin and black licorice add a sense of gravitas and grounded vigor. Bussia Cicala is aged in Slovenian botte for 28 months and already shows excellent potential for a sure and steady evolution.

• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont
• Appellation: Barolo
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Nebbiolo

The Nebbiolo grape varietal is widely understood to be the fruit responsible for Italy’s finest aged wines. However, its popularity and reliability as a grape which gives out outstanding flavors and aromas has led it to be planted in many countries around the world, with much success. These purple grapes are distinguishable by the fact that they take on a milky dust as they begin to reach maturity, leading many to claim that this is the reason for their unusual name, which means ‘fog’ in Italian. Nebbiolo grapes produce wines which have a wide range of beautiful and fascinating flavors, the most common of which are rich, dark and complex, such as violet, truffle, tobacco and prunes. They are generally aged for many years to balance out their characteristics, as their natural tannin levels tend to be very high.