Renato Ratti & Produttori del Barbarsco - A Tale of Two Wine Tastings in Two Cities (Part One)

Having any wine producer from Italy in Australia is a rare event. Having the opportunity to taste and discuss practically their entire range in Australia is even rarer. Last week, by sheer luck of circumstance, I managed to catch up with Pietro Ratti (Renato Ratti) and Aldo Vacca (Produttori del Barbaresco) in both Melbourne and Perth as they hosted in depth master classes focusing on both Barolo and Barbaresco respectively. With a mere handful of wines the same in both cities, it was a great opportunity to gain an in-depth and broad look into two very important Piedmontese producers. With permanent suffrage of the 'tyranny of distance', such chances should be enthusiastically embraced.

Part one focuses on the wines of Barolo producer, Renato Ratti


RENATO RATTI - Barolo
The historical importance and impact the Ratti family has had on the Piedmont region cannot be understated. Renato Ratti was a true modern pioneer of his time when it came to promoting the region and not only encouraging quality, but embracing technology. Along with his nephew Massimo Martinelli, his written works on the Piedmont region, especially the sub regions and vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco continue to remain some of the most important reference material on the region. Passing away in 1988, his son Pietro continues his work.

The Ratti wines have been highly praised and highly awarded, especially in the US. Whilst there is no denying the pedigree of fruit richness, concentration and power of their wines, in the past I've found some tend to have an element of 'rusticity' that subdued fruit and dried out the palate. A point highlighted by the 2000 Marcenasco we tasted. Now this is not so much the case with the more recent vintages, as many of the wines presented in both Melbourne & Perth showed much more vibrancy and freshness. A factor perhaps due to moving out of the famous Annunziata Abbey in 2004 and into the brand spankingly new gravity fed winery.

It was the line up of the 2006 Barolos that I was keen to taste, as only a few have landed in the market so far. Having read what I could on the 2006 Barolo vintage, getting a true understanding is always best done by tasting and listening to those with first hand experience. Pietro explained it was warmer than average (especially in July) with the weather more uneven than in 2005. The result was a somewhat challenging year, though with some very pleasing results. I'm sensing you should buy with care and follow the producer. This is a useful adage regardless of the vintage.

Below is a brief selection of notes from the tasting �

Renato Ratti Dolcetto d'Alba 'Il Colombe', 2009
Super bright, irresistibly purple in colour full of the perfumed aromas of blue and purple fruits. There is a slight savoury edge on the palate though hardly noticeable thanks to the generosity of the juicy ripe and fragrant fruit. True to the variety, it's not a heavy-weight with the soft tannins making it refreshingly easy to drink. Light to medium bodied.

Renato Ratti Nebbiolo d'Alba 'Ochetti', 2008
I tried this wine at both tastings and it was remarkably fresher in Perth than in Melbourne (later to discover it was in fact an 07 in Melb!). Deep in colour for the variety, it has a good level of spice and subtle mountain herb aromas mixed with a surprisingly generous core of red fruit. Drying tannins and a firm mineral backbone gives it the classic savoury finish you'd want from the variety. A good and solid example of Nebbiolo.

Renato Ratti Barolo 'Marcenasco', 2006
From a small subzone part of the hamlet of Annunziata in La Morra (close to Barolo itself). Deep and dark in colour, it has an immediately noticeable level of oak, though underneath has a rich and ripe core of dark red fruits on both the aroma and palate to balance it out. Very impressive both aromatically and structurally; a real mix of La Morra perfume and Barolo (Commune) weight. A favourite in the line up.

Renato Ratti Barolo 'Rocche', 2006
From the famous & large La Morra vineyard, this again showed some variation from each tasting. It looked better the second time round with less 'rusticity' and denser, concentrated, peppery red and juniper berry fruit. Fair bit of VA is present but is adding an aromatic lift, though leaving a slight drying sensation on the palate to conclude. Regardless, there is good concentration of textured fruit with a firm but fair tannic structure. Needs time.

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