A winemaker with a magician’s touch

2017 Barbera d’Alba This incredible new Italian red shows the lip-smacking nebbiolo grape off to the highest standard.

Matthew Jukes
By Matthew Jukes
published

2017-Barbera-dAlba

2017 Barbera d'Alba, Aves, GB Burlotto, Piemonte, Italy£21.95, reduced to £19.75 each by the case, Lea & Sandeman, 020-7244 0522, leaandsandeman.co.uk

I am extremely excited to introduce you to this incredible new release from Burlotto. There is a stunning counterpoint between this wine's old-fashioned label-design, which has barely changed since its founder Giovan Battista Burlotto's time (he passed away in 1927 after supplying his wines to the Royal Court of Savoy), and the thrilling, modern, uniquely fruit-focused flavour contained inside this beautiful bottle.

In spite of the fact that the Barolos made at this amazing property are still foot-trodden and subjected to extended macerations, the flavours in every new wine are as bright and summer-pudding-soaked as any I have ever tasted.

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Watch out for the 2015 vintage releases of the Barolos from this historic property Monvigliero, Cannubi, Acclivi (a blend of Burlotto'scrus)and the estate Baroloare all remarkably precise and aromatically splendid.

While these nebbiolos will take a while to soften and billow, you can crack on with the forward-drinking Aves. GB's great-great-grandson, winemaker Fabio Alessandria, has a magician's touch with this wine. Deeper than the regular Barbera cuve, Aves is an expressive wine. It shows this lip-smacking grape off to the highest standard at the same time as capturing the nostalgic allure of Burlotto.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

Matthew Jukes
Matthew Jukes

Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.  

Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.

He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.

Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’.  He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner. 

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy.  His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.

 

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