Sometimes people ask if I have ideas about which wines will become far more valuable in the future. I do have those ideas, but the secondary wine market is fickle, some wines seem to take off out of nowhere, and it's just not that interesting to spend much time thinking about which one will be next. I'd rather drink something fabulous and spend time telling you why you should buy it for a reasonable price, rather than speculate on speculation... but here I am today...
I can't see 2017 Oddero Barolo (pictured above) becoming a sensational legend. It is a fabulous wine, and I would encourage you to buy it, drink it or save it for a decade or so. A different story: 2018 Oddero Barolo.
Why? Not because it was a great vintage for Oddero, but because it was an incredibly difficult and complicated growing season, and out of this great difficulty emerged a very special wine.
Oddero usually makes five crus in addition to a Barolo blended from a few crus, but in 2018 they made just two crus, Brunate and Vignarionda, plus the blend. In 2018 the list of extra crus in their blended Barolo reads like a star-studded cast*: Rocche di Castiglione, Bussia Vigna Mondoca, Villero, Monvigliero... the usual roster - Bricco Chiesa, Capalot and Fiasco - always combine for a great wine, but the addition of these four extra grand cru sites made a huge impact on the wine.
I just had a quick taste of the 2018 Oddero Barolo last Tuesday, but its charm and balance were immediately apparent. What's more, this wine had arrived from a transatlantic voyage just days before, so it was certainly not even close to showing all its powers. I am certain that the 2018 Oddero Barolo will be worth following a couple decades, and I really wonder what the world will think of it when it is mature. I imagine great things. I hope some of you go long on this one and find out.
Oddero Barolo 2018 - $53
Classic stuff. A study in cherries and roses, subtle herbal and earthy nuance too. Elegant, firmly dry, fine tannins. Deep and brooding. Long finish.
Please direct inquiries and orders to orders@craftandcru.com