Tasted at Vinitaly: Cascina Adelaide

I met Amabile Drocco at a wine taster's dinner in Piemonte a number of years ago -- A distinguished looking, pleasant gentleman who had recently taken over Cascina Adelaide, a winery in the Comune of Barolo, and I recall tasting his wines during the dinner and liking them. So I have made a point of stopping by his stand in the course of Vinitaly, and here are my impressions of the wines poured this year:

Dolcetto D'Alba Vigna Costa Fiore 2006
Barrel sample
Lively ruby. Very fresh bouquet that's rich for a barrel sample, with bitter almonds and bright berry fruit. On the palate it's full, rich, and quite smooth, with powerful fruit supported by moderate acidity and clean bitter tannins. Promising, and will be worth seeking out. Expect it to drink quite well with meat-based pasta dishes or light grilled meats.

Le Donne Barbera D'Alba 2005
Lot LMD05061
Unoaked Barbera, and it's elegant ruby with white rim, while the bouquet is bright, with lively tart berry fruit that gains depth from acidity and some greenish accents -- refreshing and warm. On the palate it's full and bright, with lively red berry fruit supported by clean raspberry acidity and smooth sweet tannins from Barbera that are light as Barbera tannins are want to be, and flow into a warm peppery finish that continues at length. Quite nice, and will drink well with red meats off the grill, light stews, and add greatly to the meat. Wanting to be brief, traditional in a scrappy key.
88-90

Barbera D'Alba Superiore Vigna Preda 2004
Lot PB03061ALC
This spends a year in a mixture of new and old wood, and is deep black cherry ruby with almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, and smoky, with red berry fruit supported by considerable hardwood ash with underlying sea salt. Pleasant. On the palate it's full and smooth, with fairly rich berry fruit supported by clean sweet tannins that have warm cedar overtones and flow into a clean berry fruit finish. It's more polished than the Donne Barbera, and while this may be in part due to greater aging, it's also the influence of the new wood. If you like the style it's delightful, but I found myself preferring the unoaked wine.
2 stars

Amabilin Barbera Superiore 2004
Lot BA 04061
This has an addition of 15% Nebbiolo, which is allowed by the DOC regulations, and is also a hearkening back to the days when farmers blended their grapes, in this case to obtain backbone and tannic structure from the Nebbiolo, and lively acidity from the Barbera. It's deep pigeon blood ruby with cherry rim, and has a rich bouquet with deft berry fruit supported by ash and hints of green leather and roses, which derive from the Nebbiolo. On the palate it's full and welcoming, with elegant tart berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that have a steely note to them -- again the Nebbiolo -- and flow into a clean tart finish. It's lighter and defter than the Vigna Preda, and more quick on its feet; it will drink very well with braised meats or stews, and will also be nice with hearty roasts along the lines of leg of lamb.
90

Jula Langhe Rosso 2004
Lot LJ 04061
This is a 50-50 blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo; it's lively garnet ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, and delicate, with smoky berry fruit laced with cool notes that bring dappled shade to mind, and spice; though it's quick to write there's a lot going on. On the palate it's it's deft, with clean fairly tart berry fruit supported by brambly acidity and clean brambly tannins that are still quite young and need a year to get their bearings. Pleasant, and will work well with hearty red meats, but it needs time.
2 stars

Barolo 2003
Lot not yet on the bottle (on any of the Baroli)
Garnet with almandine rim. The bouquet is welcoming, with delicate berry fruit, rosa canina, and delicate spice. Quite young. On the palate it's full, with red berry fruit supported by clean sweet tannins that are very young, and flow into a clean deft tannic finish. Graceful in its youth, and though one could drink it now it will develop nicely over the next 3-5 years.
2 stars

Preda Barolo 2003
Deep garnet ruby with almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, with elegant berry fruit supported by tar and wood smoke, with some green leather and alcohol. Nice balance but very young. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful young red berry fruit supported by tannins that are warm and have a slight cedary burr to them, and flow into a clean fruit laced finish. It's very much a toddler, and the tannins are greener than they would be in a more balanced year, but the wine does sidestep the more serious problems that can arise in a very hot summer. It will nicely complement rich meats.
2 stars

Barolo Cannubi 2003
Lively garnet ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is closed tight at the outset, though swishing brings up alcohol, warmth, rosa canina and spice. But it's in a quiet phase. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich tart red berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that do reveal warmth in their structure, and flow into a clean dry tannic finish with tart overtones. Pleasant, and again reflects the vintage, though it does compensate for the heat. By comparison with the Preda, it's a bit richer.
2 stars

Barolo Riserva 2000
Elegant almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rosa canina balanced by spice and green leather, with underlying alcohol that weaves all together. On the palate it's deft, with elegant tart berry fruit supported by considerable warmth and by clean sweet tannins that are becoming silky, though they remain young. Quite elegant, and will already drink very well with grilled or roasted red meats, though it will richly reward thosw blessed with patience.
88-90