巴羅洛 — 王者歸來

巴羅洛是意大利皮埃蒙特的一座小村莊，也是意大利最棒的葡萄酒產區之一，被譽為“酒王”的巴羅洛葡萄酒便產自這里。豐富的口感、桀驁不馴的個性，造就了巴羅洛葡萄酒的王者風范。

Barolo is a small town in the Piedmont region in Italy. As one of the best wine regions of Italy， Barolo is known for making the world’s richest and most unyielding wines.

Tips

巴羅洛風格分兩種

巴羅洛酒漫長的釀造周期不僅增加了生產成本，也減緩了全球市場對巴羅洛酒的接受熱情。所以在上世紀后期，巴羅洛出現了一批“革新派”酒廠，他們嘗試著釀造新風格的巴羅洛酒。這些新巴羅洛的單寧被減弱，果香味更豐富，而且需要盡快飲用，最佳飲用期為出廠后2年至5年。所以在巴羅洛，存在著新、舊兩種風格的葡萄酒。選購巴羅洛酒時，應該先確定自己想買哪一種風格的酒，然后再咨詢酒商產品是“革新派”還是“傳統派”的。

Tradition v.s. Modern Styles

As the traditional styles of Barolo wine making is too slow and costly. In the late 20th century， a group of reformative Barolo producers started making more modern， international styles of Barolos that are fruitier， less tannic， and drink best after 2 to 5 years. Before you select a Barolo， remember to decide on your preferred style before contacting wineries.

在40年前，如果有人說一個意大利葡萄酒產區能夠與法國頂級產區平起平坐，那就像今天說中國隊將與西班牙爭奪2014世界杯冠軍一樣，純屬無聊的冷笑話。上世紀70年代，就連意大利美食家伊麗莎白·大衛（Elizabeth David）也在自己的書中識趣地建議讀者：品嘗意大利酒時要抱著“樂觀和友善的探索精神，而不是苛刻地拿它與法國酒作比較。”

那時所有人都知道意大利酒上不了臺面，但在產量上這個國家卻一直是世界第一。意大利人太熱愛葡萄酒了，他們每天大口吞咽著同樣的葡萄酒，而且是沒有牌子的。餐廳里很少能見到酒單，通常只有老板簡單的一句：“紅的，還是白的？”簡而言之，那時的意大利酒重量不重質，而且口感比較粗糙。

到了70年代后期，一些離經叛道的改革者開始帶頭改造意大利葡萄酒。這場革命一直持續了十多年，一些富有特色的意大利產區開始在全球嶄露頭角，并且漸漸與法國頂級產區并駕齊驅。在這些崛起的產區中，皮埃蒙特的巴羅洛村就是其中最杰出的代表，那里被認為能釀造出意大利最好、最具個性的葡萄酒。而在全世界品酒家的眼中，巴羅洛葡萄酒也是最桀驁不馴的佳釀。

40 years ago， if someone told you that an Italian wine region could compete with top French wine regions， you would react as if someone tells you now that China will compete with Spain in the 2014 World Cup final. In the 1963 edition of her book Food， Italian sommelier Elizabeth David advised readers to approach Italian wine \"in a spirit of optimism and amiable inquiry， rather than with harsh comparisons to the wines of France.”

Despite the lack of reputation， Italy has always been the world’s largest wine producer. The Italians love wines and drink wines every day， although most of them of not branded. If you went to an Italian restaurant back them， you would be offered the choice of “red or white？” In those days， Italians focus more on quantity than quality.

In the late 70s， some unorthodox reformers started to reform Italian wines. After over 10 years， some wine regions carrying unique Italian characteristics gradually rose to international fame and caught up with top French wine regions. Barolo is one of best. In the eyes of sommeliers， Barolo produces the world’s most unyielding wines.

“王者之酒”沉浮記

雖然巴羅洛的葡萄酒最近幾十年才享譽全球，但它卻有過輝煌的歷史。早在中世紀，巴羅洛葡萄酒就有“酒中之王、王者之酒”的聲譽，曾受到薩魯佐女侯爵、薩丁尼亞王子、教皇約翰·保羅二世的喜愛，甚至是路易十四餐桌上的常客。不過隨著法國葡萄酒的崛起，巴羅洛在隨后幾個世紀里逐漸遭到冷落。

“葡萄酒之王”為何也會被人遺忘？美國葡萄酒專家愛德華·斯坦伯格（Edward Steinberg）曾如此回答過：“葡萄酒就像食物，若風味太特別，就很難廣受歡迎。這就是頂級巴羅洛葡萄酒的困境。”巴羅洛葡萄酒的口感太濃烈、太深沉，需要儲存太久的年頭才能喝。

直到1976年，美國人梅納·埃莫林（Maynard Amerine）還在其著作《葡萄酒：感官評鑒》這樣寫道：“巴羅洛不管新酒還是老酒，嘗起來都很苦澀。即使經過15到20年的窖藏，也無法醞釀出極佳的香氣。”當時的美國人正在對拉菲、瑪歌等波爾多名莊酒瘋狂崇拜，他們耐不住性子去慢慢品味陳年的巴羅洛葡萄酒。

到上世紀八、九十年代，巴羅洛葡萄酒才漸漸被全世界所接受。不過此時的接受并非無條件的。在許多世界級品鑒會上，酒評人們一邊給予陳年巴羅洛葡萄酒“豐富” “強烈” “令人印象深刻”等好評，一邊又會說它“奇怪” “對喝慣波爾多葡萄酒的人來說顯得很特異”。可在真正欣賞巴羅洛葡萄酒的人看來，巴羅洛與波爾多，就像高爾夫和足球，真正能欣賞前者的畢竟是少數人。

到上世紀90年代后期，巴羅洛開始重新占據它“王者之酒”的地位，開始和波爾多等世界頂級酒莊并駕齊驅。越來越多品醇客對巴羅洛陳放數十年之后綻放出的奇特香氣著迷，巴羅洛美學漸漸開始征服世界。

Rise and Fall

Although only rise to fame in the recent decades， Barolo wines had a glorious history. In the Middle Ages， Barolo wines had been called the “king of wines” and was favored by people like Marquess Saluzzo， Princess Sardegna， Pope John Paul II， even Louis XIV. But with the rise of French wine， Barolo wines lost favor in the following centuries.

The reason， as explained by American wine expert Edward Steinberg is that， “Like foods， however， wines can be too distinctive to be universally appealing， Such was the predicament of great Barolo wines.” Barolo wines are too tannic that it takes years of aging to create a good taste.

As late as in 1976， Maynard Amerine wrote in his book， Wines： Their Sensory Evaluation， that “Barolo appears most often bitter astringent when young and also when old. Even at fifteen to twenty years， the aging does not produce an outstanding bouquet. ” The Americans at that time were too crazy about bordeaux wineries including Laffe and Chateau Margaux to spare time for Barolo wines.

In the 1980s and 90s， Barolo wines finally reclaimed worldwide reputation. But that does not come easily. At international wine tastings， sommeliers praised aging Barolo wines as “rich”， “strong”， and “impressive” but also claimed that they are “strange”， and “weird for people used to Bordeaux wines.” But for Barolo wine aficionados， Barolo is to Bordeaux as golf is to soccer. Only a very few could appreciate its true flavor.

In late 1990s， Barolo wines regained its title as “king of wines”， attracting more and more wine lovers to its aroma out of decades of aging.

賽樂圖

賽樂圖（Ceretto）酒莊是一座由三代人經營，超過70多年歷史的家族精品酒莊，其中最具代表性的就是碧高石頭園巴羅洛葡萄酒（BAROLO BRICCO ROCCH）。這款酒酒體復雜而優雅，口感平衡，有宜人的甜美黑色櫻桃果味，還有玫瑰花香，橡木香。一經推出即獲得眾多好評。

Ceretto

Ceretto is family owned winery that has been passed down for three generations over 70 years. Barolo Bricco Rocch is one of its renowned products. With balanced taste， rich texture， and sweet cherry， rose and oak aromas， the wine became an instant hit when first introduced to the Market.

納比奧羅的美學

巴羅洛的葡萄酒美學究竟是什么？

任何一位專業品酒師都知道，巴羅洛葡萄酒是全世界口感最強勁、含糖量最少的葡萄酒。強烈的單寧令新釀造的巴羅洛葡萄酒口感極其干澀，它們需要陳化至少30年，等酒體柔化后才能稱為“真正的巴羅洛酒”。然而一旦你嘗過陳化好的巴羅洛葡萄酒，馬上會認識到這種酒的偉大與尊貴。陳年的巴羅洛葡萄酒散發著紫羅蘭、玫瑰、甘草、胡椒類香料、松露、皮革、煙草等芳香，漫長歲月塑造的風格是其他任何名酒都無法模仿的。

巴羅洛葡萄酒之所以有這種獨特的魅力，很大程度是因為當地唯一的葡萄品種——納比奧羅（Nebbiolo）。這是一種只產于意大利西北部、非常特別的葡萄品種。意大利葡萄酒傳奇人物、嘉雅酒莊莊主安吉羅·嘉雅（Angelo Gaja）曾這樣形容納比奧羅：“赤霞珠（波爾多名品葡萄品種）就像美國電影明星約翰·韋恩（John Wayne）。當約翰·韋恩進入房間，他站在中間，非常平易近人，他很容易被見到。納比奧羅則像意大利電影明星馬塞羅·馬斯托依安尼（Marcello Mastroianni），他會走到房間的角落，如果你想認識他，你必須去接近他。”

這個比喻實在太貼切了，它恰好說明了為什么巴羅洛酒需要人們慢慢去發覺、接受，而波爾多葡萄酒總能第一時間打動你，后者顯得光芒四射，前者則更加深邃迷人。

不過，納比奧羅是一種非常難以駕馭的葡萄。它不僅需要適宜的土壤，還需要精益求精的釀造技藝，以及在酒窖里漫長的保存時間。由于這些苛刻的要求，使得巴羅洛產區每年只出產2000到3000箱葡萄酒，這樣的產量類似于法國勃艮第產區（以出產小產量、高品質葡萄酒著稱，其頂級產品比拉菲等波爾多列級名莊酒貴上十多倍）。正因如此，巴羅洛葡萄酒普遍都很昂貴。一瓶好的巴羅洛葡萄酒，當地價格至少要50歐元，而且售價還隨著陳年時間的增加而上漲。頂級巴羅洛葡萄酒更是步入奢侈品的行列。

Nebbiola， The Aesthetics of Barolo Wines

Barolo wines are the world’s most tannic and least sweet wines. They are very rich on tannin and could take more than 30 years for the wine to soften up and become ready for you to appreciate the greatness of “true Barolo wines”. Long years of aging endows Barolo wines unique aromas ranging from licorice， violet， spice， truffle， leather， to tabacco.

The unique features are attributable to the only grape in the Piedmont region， Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is a variety of grape unique to the northwest of Italy. Angelo Gaja， legendary owner of Gaja Winery once said： “Cabernet is to John Wayne， as Nebbiolo is to Marcello Mastroianni. When John Wayne enters the room， he stands in the center of the room and cannot help but be noticed. Nebbiolo is like Marcello Mastroianni： he enters the room and stands quietly in the corner， waiting for you to approach him.”

This explains why bordeaux wines could impress you at first contact， while Barolo wines takes time to be appreciated and accepted. Bordeaux wines are more glamorous， Barolo wines are more sophisticated and charming.

But Nebbiolo is a vine most elusive and difficult to master. It is notoriously demanding on soil， brewing techniques， and aging time. Barolo only produces 2000 to 3000 cases of wine each year， equivalent to the production of top Burgundy wineries （known for small production， high quality wines， the best of which are ten times expensive than Laffe and other bordeaux wines） and similarly expensive. A good Barolo costs at least 50 euros locally， and the price goes up as it ages. Top Barolo wines are considered by many as luxury goods.

最傳統的巴羅洛堅守者們依然有著自己的驕傲與堅持。作為“傳統派”巴羅洛代表的佳科莫·孔諾酒莊（Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia）的歷史可以追溯到18世紀。在近一個多世紀里，佳科莫·孔諾恪守傳統，并遵循著巴羅洛的格言：一瓶好的巴羅洛葡萄酒在剛剛裝瓶時應該令人難以入口，但在20、30、40年后，它會演變成一款偉大的酒。尤其是佳科莫蒙菲特巴羅洛珍藏酒款，只在特殊年份生產，普通的巴羅洛亦不是每年都會生產。

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia

Since its establishment in the 18th century， Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia has been following the traditional style of wine making， believing in the Barolo maxim that “a good Barolo may be too astringent to drink when it is bottled， but after 20， 30， or 40 years， it will become a great wine.” Giacomo Monfortino Barolo for example are made only in selected years. Of course， most Barolo wines are not produced every year.