Happy New Year to All - La Loggia 2003 Barolo

Well, it is 6pm on New Year's Eve and Aisha and I are about to go to a friends for a meal and many glasses of wine. We will be drinking Pinot's and Champagne, along with whatever our hosts and other guests bring. I doubt there will be any Nebbiolo grapes in the offing, so not much critiquing will be available.
So what did we do, went to Trader Joes and surprisingly found a $12 Barolo. YES I KNOW IT IS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD, but we promised ourselves we would try every Piemonte wine we could, from the ugly to the sublime. So here goes:
La Loggia 2003 Barolo $12 at Trader Joes:
Fresh from the bottle:
Color:
Right out of the bottle it has a ruddy color, no garnet shine as expected from a Barolo. "It looks like blood," Aisha says. It actually looks like blood that is drying up and oxidizing quickly.
Nose:
Strong acids that tickle the nose and leave little remaining. A slight cherry and pepper behind the assault.
Taste:
Surprisingly strong and pleasant cherry flavor behind the strong acid and pepper. No oakiness at all, but I hopeful that it could become something. There is a long and satisfying finish that rolls into blackberry. Might we have another steal at $12?
10 Minutes

Nose:

The nose is losing its acidity quickly, but unfortunately all that remains is pepper tones. No real fruit in the olfactory which is shedding away some of the hope.

Taste:

There is no real change in the structure and while it has only been ten minutes I am concerned

20 Minutes and beyond

Nose:
The nose has lost its acid but gained nothing in return. No pleasantries left.

Taste:
Without any real fruit this wine has widdled down to a peppery flavor that boasts nothing else. It is like a flat Zinfandel with an amazing long finish. Ironically the tongue enjoys the wine much more at about 3-4 seconds from a good chew.

Overall

I guess if you wanted to show off, or pretend to, the $12 is good. Otherwise, I have had better wines of EVERY VARIETAL for under $7. It might be good to pour for 20 people 5 minutes after opening so it had no more time to release its boredom.

A poor wine that I hope we never replicate.

Wine Review 1: Barbaresco "Che Storia" 2003

Our first official post will be a wine review, and as we move through the months towards grape buying and crush, we will attempt to put many different wines in front of you. In my online travels, I have found a great blog site called, http://winecast.net, and here is a link to a great podcast on the Nebbiolo grape http://winecast.net/category/varietal/nebbiolo/.

We start with a $12 Barbaresco from Trader Joes. It is the Barbaresco “Che Storia” 2003. As a reminder, I we will sample the wines like a maker, fresh from the bottle and as it develops in a decanter.

Fresh from the bottle:

The wine is dark and a bit ruddy in color. It has a nice nose, a bit acid. Strong strawberry and licorice tickles the nostrils. The first taste pulls velvety and long from the glass. Chewy and big with more of the licorice. Real oaky flavor. I cannot wait to see what breathing does.

Ten minutes:

The nose has softened; more cherry than strawberry now. The licorice is still strong but velvety instead of a tickle. Still a long full drink. Big and chewy but the acid has softened. Breathing well and holding its flavor.

Twenty minutes:

Fully matured, soft and a well. A good table wine and a GREAT VALUE. Nothing special or overly complex but the smokey oak, potent and long lasting licorice and consistent cherry flavor sit on your tongue long after the sip is gone. Delicate and fun finish.

Thirty minutes:

The last of the bite has left and all of the bouquet is left. Strong bouncy wine that would be great with a hearty meat or tomato sauce.

I have to say for the $12 I expected an overpowering tannin or flat wine. Surprisingly the only major flaw in this wine was the color, which lacked life. Chewing this wine really made for a lot of character and I will buy more for easy drinking with big tasting meals honoring the spice of the wine.