2013 Bel Colle Simposio Barolo DOCG 750 ml

As Traditional as Barolo Gets

As Barolos from the now-legendary 2013 vintage continue to arrive stateside, lovers of the Nebbiolo grape face an embarrassment of riches: Which Barolo to buy? We say, start with the 2013 Bel Colle Simposio Barolo. The beautifully structured Simposio comes from a Tre Bicchieri producer and third-generation winemaker, and according to our Master Sommelier Sur Lucero, "is as traditional as Barolo gets."

Wine Enthusiast called the 2013 Simposio “focused yet full-bodied” with “velvety tannins and fresh acidity,” in its 93-point review. 

So, what exactly makes for a traditional Barolo, and why do purists clamor for them? Traditionalists look for Nebbiolo’s signature perfumed notes: rose petals, violets, and the hauntingly beautiful minerality that, at its best, calls to mind tar or licorice. On the palate, traditional Barolo bursts with acidity, and the best are slow-maturing, capable of aging decades in the right cellar conditions.

Like Pinot Noir, the Nebbiolo grape is finicky, difficult to cultivate, and capable of producing the world’s greatest reds. It’s why lovers of Pinot tend to adore Nebbiolo, and vice-versa. Both grapes demand the right soils to perform their best. For Nebbiolo, this is typically calcareous clay marl. The world’s greatest bottles tend to come from vineyards on the hilltops of the notoriously foggy region of Piedmont, where vines are positioned to receive the maximum amount of sunshine, which is critical for ripening.  

Winemaker Luca Bossio works with hilltop vines that average 50 years of age, and produce small clusters of immensely concentrated berries, which are harvested in close proximity to the winery. After 36 months in Slavonian oak casks and another six months in the bottle, the 2013 Simposio is everything you want in traditional Barolo: It is lively and energetic, and shows marvelous rose petal notes, asphalt minerality, red cherry, and a layer of fresh tobacco—all of which is underscored by mouthwatering acidity.

Critical praise has reached a fever pitch for the 2013 vintage, which is jockeying with the excellent 2008 and 2010 seasons for recent Barolo supremacy. “If you love age-worthy Nebbiolo, then stock your cellar with 2013 Barolo,” advised Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which crowned the vintage with an “outstanding” rating. Antonio Galloni of Vinous gushed about how the “cool growing season and late harvest produced gorgeous Barolos with striking aromatics, silky tannins, sculpted, vibrant fruit and mid-weight structures,” calling the 2013s “utterly captivating wines that speak to the pedigree and class that are the signatures of the best Barolo vintages.” It simply doesn’t get any better than that. Claim yours now.