2008 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Barolo Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano 750 ml

Rodolfo’s Outstanding Cru Barolo — The “Suave, Seductive, and Totally Impeccable” 2008

Thirty years ago, a group of renegade Piedmontese winegrowers began experimenting with a different approach to the farming and making of Barolo. The “Modernists” were led by the likes of Elio Altare, Valentino Migliorini, Paolo Scavino, Angelo Gaja, and Roberto Voerzio.

In the vineyards, the Modernists trimmed back yields and pulled leaves aggressively, pushing the envelope on maturity, the effect of which was multifold. The Nebbiolo clusters at harvest were riper. Natural sugars were higher, while acids were somewhat lower.

The Barolos released by the Modernists in the mid-1990s changed the face of the appellation. Naysayers claimed that the new school was denuding wines of a sense of place. But critics — led by Robert Parker, Jr., Stephen Tanzer, and Antonio Galloni — applauded the new approach. “Simply put, today’s Barolos no longer require decades of cellaring to deliver the fireworks that make Nebbiolo such a singular grape,” wrote Galloni in one such report.

Of those Modernists who were defiant agents of change, Valentino Migliorini was perhaps the most revolutionary. In the land of reds, he led the charge in adopting the méthode champenoise style for producing sparkling whites. He also championed Barrique-aging of Nebbiolo and Barbera — radical ideas for the 1970s that challenged conventional wisdom and led many other producers to rethink their approach to Barolo.

Sadly, Valentino passed away in December of 2007. His son Rodolfo assumed responsibility for the winery operations, and vowed to carry on in the modernist spirit of his father. The gloom of a cold and wet winter in 2007-2008 seemed fitting to those still mourning Valentino. April and May were also cool. A rainy June provided little respite. From the first of July to mid-August, temperatures remained mild, and the vines remained a full 2-3 weeks behind the norm.

But, as we’ve reported so often, particularly in the case of these late-maturing varieties, vintage stories are largely told in the weeks just before harvest. The weather turned on a dime around August 15th, bathing the steep limestone hillsides of Monforte in sunshine. By September, days were hot, and though sugar levels spiked, cold nights kept acids firmly in check. Rodolfo would wait well into the third week of October before harvesting a tiny crop of pristine Nebbiolo in the coveted Santo Stefano vineyard.

The 2008 Poderi Rocche Manzoni Valentino Barolo Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano shimmers deep ruby to the rim. There is an incredible Pinot-like sensual sweetness that makes this wine so approachable in its youth. Juicy plum, pine, and licorice notes meld into an expressive core of dark fruit. Rich and marvelously accessible on the attack, filled with a luscious mix of black currant, crushed red fruits and sweet spice, bolstered by fine-grained, chalky tannin, finishing with typical Modernist flash — round, supple personality and sumptuousness.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate praised this 94-point Barolo’s “polish and finesse,” raving about how the wine “saturates the palate with layers of intensely perfumed dark red fruit.” Stephen Tanzer was equally bowled over, writing: “For a Barolo from a modernist, this is rather classic.”

Direct from the cellars in Monforte d’Alba — perfectly aged. Released at $140. Available today at the WineAccess-exclusive price of $80/bottle. Only 180 bottles. Shipping included on 3.