Sarmassa tasting with the Barolo Boys
67 Pall Mall
Tasted Tuesday, September 27, 2022 by NickA with 194 views
Introduction
"Sarmassa is the real Brunate", claim the Barolo Boys... it sits between Cannubi and Cerequio, in the commune of Barolo, so is undeniably well-situated, but is generally regarded as a second-tier cru. Mostly calcareous marl, though with some clay towards the bottom where Brezza's plot is situated. It's at a consistent altitude of c. 250-300m, so neither high nor low.
The typical characteristics of a Sarmassa wine are, apparently:
- fruit forward and approachable
- sweet tannins
- high alcohol (it's a hot vineyard)
- some light menthol notes, especially in the traditionally-made wines.
The tasting seemed to bear this out.
The 2018 vintage is balanced and therefore the wines are transparent to the producers' choices. The wines tasted were all six of the Sarmassa wines produced in that vintage.
Flight 1 - Mandorla section (3 Notes)
Flight 2 - Merenda section (2 Notes)
Flight 3 - Bottom slope (1 Note)
Closing
Definitely an interesting session, getting a full horizontal across a cru, but the wines didn't make me sit up and think I need more Sarmassa in my life; hard to say to what extent that's the terroir, the producers or the relatively weak vintage, though. Scarzella appears to be a potential exception to that: a genuinely good wine.
2018 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Sarmassa
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
24 mos in barrique. Plot right at the top of the cru, next to Cerequio.
Hard to rate this, as the style is so divisive, and after an hour or so the remaining wine in my glass had essentially died, reminding me more of vinegar than a product priced around £200/bottle. At first I really liked it, especially the silky, smoky, musky nose, which was creamy from the oak but not overdone. The palate had copious and extremely prominent tannins, but these melted away in the mouth to leave a tasty, ripe-fruited finish. After trying the traditional wines the oak started to annoy me, and then... it just seemed to collapse. Hmm.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Bergadano Pier Carlo Barolo Sarmassa 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
12 mos in tonneaux, 12 mos in botte. Plot right below Voerzio's.
A bright nose, with lots of juicy blackcurrant and some balsamic. Very drinkable - "crunchy" - with a savoury, liquoricey finish. The tannins were more recessive than the Voerzio's, but also less refined, almost rustic. An honest and tasty wine.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2018 Azienda Virna Di Borgogno Barolo Sarmassa 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
12 mos tonneaux, 6 mos botte. Plot right below Bergadano's.
A lot less oak influence on the nose than the other wines, and some sexy strawberry notes with more air. Very pure, lots of red fruit (especially cherry), some savoury, meaty notes and a spicy finish. A neat and tidy wine, but a little too high-toned and overly primary, at least for now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue