Buy 2001 Barolo

Merchant's Corner

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Posted 01/16/2008 at 10:52 PM by Jeremy

The 2001 Barolos had the misfortune of coming on the heels of the 2000 vintage from Piedmont. So what you say? Well, the leading Italian wine critic from Wine Spectator, James Suckling, gave the vintage a perfect 100 points. And what the market saw with 2000 Barolos reminded me a lot of the hype and hoopa that swirled around Champagne and the Millennium ... everybody wanted a piece of perfection. Now, don't get me wrong ... as a wine merchant I was OK with the buying craze...but it created uneven buying practices and consumers loaded up on this one vintage and passed over a truly classic one.

It reminds me a lot of the 1996 and 1998 vintages from Piedmont ... again, classics that were missed.

I was so personally excited about 2001 that from the best producers I have socked away a fair amount (My wife may say too much!!) of Barolo. It will be a vintage that needs time to show it's true potential, as any big/structured vintage would, but man will it be worth the wait!!

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About the Authors

Jeremy Noye

From farm boy to culinary student to sommelier, wine has led Jeremy Noye down some interesting paths. His specialty at Zachys is Bordeaux and the wines of Spain, but his interests include Burgundy, Rhone, Loire and Italy, to name a few.

Rachel Imbrogno

Rachel Imbrogno grew up in an Italian-American household where Italian red wine was part of every dinner. Working at Zachys has broadened her horizons and deepened her respect for wines produced in other countries such as Argentina, Spain and Australia.

Andrew McMurray

Andrew McMurray is Zachys' expert on Italian and Spanish wines, as well as Champagne and Sparkling wines from around the world. For over ten years he has been sampling, buying and discovering wine gems.