Trader Joe’s Barolo? We review the 2020 Serre Alte Barolo di Monforte d’Alba.
Nebbiolo from from Monforte d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy. There isn’t any information available on the wine, but as Barolo it must be aged at least 38 months before release, with a minimum of 18 of those in barrel. According to the back label, it is also vegan friendly.
Barolo is expensive, so we were happy to see this example at Trader Joe’s for $29.99. According to the back label it is produced by TDV which is Terre Da Vino whose own Barolo has an average price of $45 on wine-searcher and generally scores over 90 points.
Of course we don’t know how similar this wine is to that one, but at least they seem to know what they are doing when it comes to Barolo. Let’s check this one out.
From the bottle:
Serre Alte Barolo DOCG di Monforte d’Alba 2020
Crafted from select parcels across top vineyards in Monforte d’Alba, this Barolo shows classic aromas of dried flowers, leather, and tar. The palate is structured and persistent, with aging potential of over a decade.
Bottled by T.D.V. S.p.a. – 004013
Imported by Latitude Wines
14% Alcohol
The nose on the 2020 Serre Alte Barolo di Monforte d’Alba is a bit shy at first but opens with time. Even then it’s not terribly aromatic but what is there is attractive and harmonious and includes black cherry and lots of floral notes. Forest floor, cedar and some other little touches also come out with time.
The wine tastes juicy, structured, elegant and smooth. It features similar flavors to the nose and while it’s still a bit young, it has some true Barolo character and good aging potential.
It ends dry, rather grippy, juicy and with good length. We didn’t think it was quite as good on day 2, which was a bit disappointing as we were hoping for a bit more evolution, but it’s still worth the relatively low price of entry here for Barolo.
As always you can find an updated list of our recommended wines from Trader Joe’s as well as more info on their pricing model and some tips and tricks for shopping the store in our giant guide.
You can also find more of our favorite Italian Wine selections here!
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