2013 Flavio Roddolo Nebbiolo d’Alba
The wine presents itself as a young Nebbiolo wine which will later evolve into Barolo. The specific wild flavors and
Producer
Flavio Roddolo
I have reviewed five wines from Flavio Roddolo, from the 2010 to 2017 vintages, across Nebbiolo d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, Langhe and others. Scores range from 94 to 96, averaging 96; the highest is the 2013 Flavio Roddolo Nebbiolo d’Alba (96 points). Flavio Roddolo also features in one journal article on this site.
Flavio Roddolo is the last of the Mohicans: a reclusive farmer in the hills of Monforte d’Alba whose wines have cult status. He works alone — he farms, ferments and bottles everything himself, with no marketing, no consultants and no shortcuts — and ignores trends and often the telephone. Production is tiny, and the wines are hard to find even in the Langhe.
Everything is estate-grown on a few hectares. Fermentations are spontaneous, the wines rest in large neutral wood, and Flavio releases them only when he decides they are ready, years or even decades after the harvest. The Barolo, from a bygone era in the best sense, offers dried cherry, worn leather, forest floor, anise and iron. His Nebbiolo d’Alba behaves like a young Barolo, wild and full of cherry skin and rose petal. He is perhaps most famous for Dolcetto d’Alba, aged for years before release from low yields, proving the grape can have serious structure, and his Barbera d’Alba Superiore shows the same concentration with balsamic lift.
The surprise is Bricco Appiani, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Monforte — herbaceous, dark-fruited and earthy, with no polish and plenty of soul. Roddolo’s wines are savory and uncompromising, and they keep evolving in the glass for hours: a reminder of what tradition in Barolo actually looks like.
2017 Flavio Roddolo Dolcetto d’Alba Superiore
The combination of deep color and strong structure in this Dolcetto comes from Roddolo’s minimal harvest and prolonged aging process.
2010 Flavio Roddolo “Bricco Appiani” Langhe Rosso
Yes, Cabernet—from Monforte. Roddolo transforms Cabernet into something completely different when he works with it. Herbaceous, dark-fruited, and earthy, with
2010 Flavio Roddolo “Bricco Appiani” Langhe Rosso Read Post »
Flavio Roddolo – The Hermit of Monforte
There is a lot to say about this small producer, it is the definition of eclectic and out of the
2014 Flavio Roddolo Barolo
The 2014 Flavio Roddolo Barolo stands as an insider’s treasure because it remains traditional while expressing soulful and artisanal characteristics.
2012 Flavio Roddolo Barbera D’Alba Superiore
The wine presents itself with both intense flavor concentration and elevating lightness while combining balsamic scents with red cherry flavors.