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先有 Henry 從老遠的加拿大回來，與我們一起品味了一瓶澄明如多倫多之冬的 Monfortino 1947（見前文﹕The Four Seasons of Barolo（上篇））。

春節剛臨，Michelle 又從不遠的台北突然趕至，她說她是看了我的「Barolo 的四季」才動起念頭的，至于是為了送別Henry 還是為求一親 Barolo 的香澤，我到現在還弄不明白。

從天而降的 Michelle 一家

 

說來湊巧，我們正好約好了 Henry 為他送行，也剛好找到幾瓶來自不同葡萄園的 Produttori del Barbaresco 2000，我便用我剛研究出來的 SODD 醒酒法（Slow-O 加上 Double-decanting）與一眾百會友人共盡了這幾瓶春意無限的好酒。

 

我如常一大清早開瓶，兩個小時後順次試了四瓶酒一次，這個溫暖年份所特有的濃如果醬的味道明顯不過，但四個葡萄園的不同性格，則有點像霧鎖香江一樣，暫時難以辨認。

 

從北到南走一遍，我發現﹕

• Ovello 有點燒焦的氣味，然後是海草，四瓶中以她的酸度最高；
• Montefico 最香，類玫瑰花瓣和香草，口感以她最細滑；
• Paje 比 Montefico 較緊閉，但仍有輕微的花香和微弱的果味；
• Rio Sordo 最緊閉，只聞到海草的氣味，入口像一堆海草裹著的濃湯

我決定讓 Rio Sordo 有最充分的 DD，Paje 與Montefico 有最少的 DD，而Ovello 則在兩者之間。

 

 

我把每瓶的 ¼ 分量換倒另一個瓶子﹕Rio Sordo 換到一個 750ml 的瓶子，Ovello 換到 375ml，而 Paje 與Montefico 則換到 187ml 瓶子。又四個半小時之後，晚飯開始。

 

四瓶酒在這時候已經完全綻放，她們的不同性格也表露無遺。

• Ovello 最瘦削，有幾分黛玉的體態，四瓶中數她最平衡與典雅，考慮到 2000 年是很暖的年份，她的這種表現應該是最 textbook Barbaresco 的，也就是說具備纖細的特性。
• 與Ovello 剛相反的是 Rio Sordo，有著碩大無朋、黑實的果味，結構最強，也因此可以說她最像她有名的鄰居 Barolo。
• Paje 與Montefico 在兩者之間，其中 Paje 圓潤與密實，在她身上找不到任何稜角，果味無邊無際，感覺不到丹寧，像個圓圓的大氣球；Montefico 最有質感，口感細滑如絲，丹寧細緻，也因此這是四瓶中最有層次的。

最有 textbook Barbaresco 風味的 Ovello，葡萄來自11 個酒農

 

我們以前喝過一點Barbaresco，Produttori del Barbaresco 也喝過不少，但像這樣的 mini-horizontal 還是第一次。

連我自己也覺得驚訝，原來Barbaresco 的 terroir 變化也可以那麼大的。像很多人一樣，我以前一直覺得Barbaresco 是 Barolo 的女性化版本，也就是說Barbaresco 是 Barolo 的副牌，但今天我突然覺得這看法有點跡近性別歧視。大概是受了 Giulio Gambelli 和 Gianfranco Soldera 的啟示吧，我想正如 Sangiovese 的 elegance 可以有很多不同的演繹，Nebbiolo 的 finesse 在 Barbaresco 也同樣可以變化多端的，絕不是一句「女性化」便概括得了。

讓我們走近看一下 Barbaresco 吧。

 

 

Nicolas Belfrage 把 Barbaresco 與 Barolo 的關係說得最中肯，也代表了最經典的看法﹕

The Barbaresco zone is similar in virtually every way — soil, altitude, type of exposure, style of producer — to that of Barolo, and some of the best producers make wines in or from both.  They might almost have been brought together under one name … Barbaresco’s disciplinare may call for a slightly lower minimum alcoholic degree and less ageing time; but these are slight variations on a familiar theme, and in practice it is very difficult to distinguish Barolo from Barbaresco in a blind tasting with communes and perhaps vintages all mixed together.  Perhaps Barbaresco is — in general, certainly not invariably — less structured, less robust, more “feminine” than Barolo.  But then so is La Morra compared with Serralunga.  It is merely a matter of degree, not of fundamental difference.  On the other hand, you could say the same of neighbouring sub-zones in the Cote d’Or.

[Nicolas Belfrage: Barolo to Valpolicella: The Wines of Northern Italy, pp. 82-83]

一句話﹕Barbaresco 與 Barolo 本是同根生，他們的分別不在于 terroir。

那麼他們的主要區別在哪裏呢？Antonio Galloni 有如此看法﹕

While the vast majority of Barolo is exported, a far greater percentage of Barbaresco is consumed within Italy.  The mentality of producers here is much more closed than that of the Barolo producers … Barbaresco’s image problem is easily demonstrated by Nebbiolo grape prices, which are available at a significant discount when compared to Barolo-designated grapes.  Too many wineries have been chronic underachievers, a pity considering the stupendous quality of the vineyards.  As the younger generation assumes control of many estates, there is good reason to hope that Barbaresco will soon be able to put in inconsistent past to rest.

[Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide No. 7, pp. 796-797]

 

我自己覺得Galloni 只說對了一半，那就是Barbaresco 的市場地位從一開始便比Barolo 低，但把責任完全放在 Barbaresco 酒莊的不思進取，好像有點因果倒置了。市場的偏見有時候不是個別酒莊可以輕易改變的，在意大利便有 Chianti 低于 Brunello，而 Brunello 又低于很多 Bordeaux-blend Super Tuscans 的例子。至于在國際市場上，Barolo 的地位遠遠低于 Bordeaux，這也是沒有任何道理的事實，任憑Barolo 的酒莊有多進取也是無可奈何的。

 

 

This could just be a pipe dream from one who spends a lot of time dreaming, but my hope is that enough young folk in places like Barbaresco tire of their fine linen and Ferrari life style and go looking for a simpler, quieter more meaningful life on the little patch of earth they call home. Barbaresco is a very special place; I have loved it from afar for years and years. And it feels a little like home; open spaces, a little warm (even under a blanket of snow) and a sense of time and purpose.

 

I have hope for the Langhe and for Barbaresco. The native wine is such a treasure to Italy and the world.

If I were young that would be my mission, to fight to return and keep Barbaresco out of the hands of the few and the wealthy, and available (and wonderful) to all who love wine and Nebbiolo in one of her best (and few) expressions.

[See: http://acevola.blogspot.com/2012/01/langhe-report-barbaresco-at-crossroads.html#more]

世皆嚷嚷的時候，有人忙于趕潮流，但我更愛獨行。既然生來是個 contrarian，倒不如一反到底。

所以我現在放膽的說﹕Barbaresco 這邊風光獨好。

從今天起，我會跟在 Bruno Giacosa、Gaja 和 Produttori del Barbaresco 的後面，逐個探訪他們的好鄰居。等著我吧，Roagna、Marchesi di Gresy、Cantina del Pino、Moccagatta、Albino Rocca、Bruno Rocca、Cigliuti、Paitin、Fiorenzo Nada、Pelissero、Giuseppe Cortese、Pertinace！   

借電視劇《中國地》主題曲的兩句，我想放聲高歌﹕讓我的心中陽光永不落，讓你眼中有美麗 Barbaresco。

http://www.yinyuetai.com/video/228095

 

記否我們當 contrarians 的歲月？