Barolo

Barolo is a powerful, dry red from Piedmont in northern Italy, made entirely from Nebbiolo. Expect red cherry and raspberry with rose, herbs, spice and complex earthy flavours, backed by high acidity and serious tannins. It’s brilliant with steak, roast beef, lamb, beef ragù, mushroom risotto, truffle pasta and mature cheese.

Taste:

Pale in colour. Huge in personality.

Barolo is typically dry and full-bodied, with high acidity and famously firm tannins. Expect red cherry, raspberry, cranberry and redcurrant, often joined by its classic aromas of rose and violet.

Then things get more savoury. Dried herbs, liquorice, spice and earth are common, while ageing can bring complex flavours of leather, tobacco, dried fruit, mushroom and truffle.

Young Barolo can be seriously structured, but time allows those tannins to soften and the flavours to become increasingly layered and complex.

Basically, Barolo isn't really into instant gratification. It knows you'll wait.

Food Pairings:

Barolo's tannins and acidity make rich, savoury food its natural territory.

Try it with steak, ribeye, roast beef, braised beef, beef short ribs, beef stew, roast lamb, lamb chops or slow-cooked lamb.

Italian dishes work beautifully too. Pair Barolo with beef ragù, lasagne, pasta with slow-cooked beef or rich meat sauces.

Mushroom and truffle dishes are particularly good matches for Nebbiolo's earthy flavours, so try mushroom risotto, porcini pasta, mushroom pasta or truffle pasta.

For cheese, Parmesan, Pecorino, Taleggio and other mature, strongly flavoured cheeses all have enough character to hold their own.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Barolo, Barbaresco absolutely belongs on your list. It's also made entirely from Nebbiolo in Piedmont but is often associated with a slightly more elegant and approachable style.

Nebbiolo from elsewhere in Piedmont can offer a great way to explore the grape in potentially younger, more accessible expressions.

For another powerful Italian red with high acidity, firm tannins and serious ageing potential, Brunello di Montalcino is well worth getting acquainted with.

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More About Barolo:

Barolo comes from a small group of communes in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, northwestern Italy, including Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto.

The wine must be made entirely from Nebbiolo and is subject to minimum ageing requirements before release, with even longer ageing required for Barolo Riserva.

Differences in soil, altitude and vineyard exposure mean styles can vary noticeably across the appellation, from more fragrant and approachable wines to intensely structured bottles built for long ageing.

Barolo is often called the "King of Wines and Wine of Kings", which is quite the LinkedIn headline.

To be fair, it has the CV to back it up.