Mauro Sebaste 2019 Barolo Releases – Impressive!
As the 2019 Barolo’s were only recently bottled, as expected they were tight and wound-up when first opened, which required following them for three days to fully understand them. At this very young stage in their development, they require proper oxygenation to reveal their beauty, so I suggest decanting them for a few hours prior to serving. Once they’ve had some cellar time to settle down, they should be more approachable, but for the time being they are quite compact. Sebaste also produced Barolo Prapò and Ghè Riserva in 2019, the latter of which continues to age in their cellars. It will be released in January 2025.
2019 Mauro Sebaste, Alta Langa DOCG, Avremo (RT93) This wine is made using “motodo classico” (classic method) and has zero dosage. This bottle was from L-21920. Showing a deep golden hue, this is active in the glass giving off an array of small bubbles. The aromatics are fresh, bright, and generously ripe, revealing an almost tropical character reflecting its 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay blend. Yellow peach, golden apple, and lemon curd establish the aromatic core as notes of limestone dust and crushed rock provide detail. The palate softly echoes the bouquet as ripe fruit and soft acidity creates a delicious expose’. An enticing sparkling wine, northern Italy continues to impress with their growing sparkling market. Drink now-2029
2019 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo, Trèsüri (RT95) Crafted from fruit sourced from a variety of vineyards including cru Cerretta in Serralunga, Monvigliero in Verduno, and Roncaglie in La Morra, the grapes are hand-selected after harvest, and then aged for 36 months in a combination of 1600 liter French oak casks and 400 liter tonneaux. Consistent with Mauro’s 2019 Baroli, this wine is pale and light in its garnet hue, initially showing a very compact and unexpressive character. But with time, it comes out of its shell revealing Morello cherry, mentholated red raspberry, spices and rose water packaged in a powerful, laser focused elixir. Notes of tuffaceous dust and sappy cedar emerge with time in the glass, as its sexy, mouthcoating palate shows an ever-so-slightly candied aspect, yet it remains bone dry. The palate is amazingly weightless, checking in at zero gravity! This is a superb cocktail of fruit, acid and silky tannin with a long future and will be entertaining to follow its evolution in the coming years. Drink 2027-2044+
2019 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo, Cerretta (RT96) The sizeable Cerretta vineyard contains calcareous and iron-rich soils, creating a backdrop for the structured wines that emerge from this Serralunga Cru. Grapes are hand selected and softly pressed, and after fermentation aged in 400 liter Allier tonneaux for 36 months. The presentation is light and pale garnet, even lighter than the Trèsüri. Here the aromatics soar with mentholated lift as bright notes of raspberry compote, red stone fruits, cranberry and laser focused minerality build a core of intriguing aromatics. The mouth texture is precise and linear, every dimension carefully delivered and perfectly balanced. The tannins are sweet, ripe, and velvety in texture, reflecting superb vineyard management. The overall presentation reveals a wine of utter weightlessness. Another amazing wine from Mauro Sebaste and his team. Drink 2027-2049+
2019 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo, Selezione Limitada (RT97) A limited 40th Anniversary bottling celebrating Mauro’s long term dedication to his winery, this was bottle 966 of 3,500. There was just one large, 15HL barrel of this wine produced, and is a selection of the best fruit aged for 30 months. 65% of the fruit for this wine was sourced from the Cerretta cru, and 35% from the Roncaglie cru in La Morra. The aromatics are deep and brooding, in stark contrast to its pale garnet hue. Notes of black cherry, spiced ripe plums, masculine rose petals and summertime sappy balsam resin emerge. The bouquet conveys a large scale, manly overall package, while the palate is equally structured and power packed with its mega-ripe fruit and massive overall scale. Caressing acidity and sweet, succulent, ripe tannins bring-up the long finish. This goes on and on in the mouth and the tannin integration is impressively articulated. A true thing of beauty, the 2019 Selezione Limitada is a force to be reckoned with. Drink 2032-2049+