I’m trying to remember the first time I had a Travaligni wine, it may have been just before or around the time the grapes for this wine were grown. I recall what I tasted (I wasn’t such an obsessive about keeping/writing notes, I just enjoyed it back then – and that’s where it began and…
Category: Nebbiolo
Exceptionally beautiful, 2012 Cascina Chicco Barolo Rocche di Castelletto
I’ve not tasted this wine since its release. At that time, the wine was, not unexpectedly, a bit closed. In the interim, I’ve had many 2012 Barolo wines from a good cross-section of producers. Results have been, for me, generally quite good, with very few falling into an exceptional category; I’ve only come across a…
Az. Agr. Gilberto Boniperti – another rising star in Alto Piemonte
This is a really small winery, but they’re producing some big results. I have to ask myself, is the quality so good because there’s just 3Ha to farm (i.e. because it’s possible to give greater attention to the vines/land than if there were, say 20Ha), or, what might be possible if there were 6Ha, and…
Le Pianelle – another great gem from the Alto Piemonte
Recently, I had the chance to taste the wines of Le Pianelle. Since that time, I’ve had a chance to further investigate this project – what I’ve learned so far points in a few directions, consistently: it’s a story of quality, fortitude and vision. You can find plenty of good information on Le Pianelle HERE…
La Prevostura – four wines you need to know
I recently attended the first of what I genuinely hope becomes an annual event, TasteAltoPiemonte, 2017, in Novara, in the northern half of Piemonte. The setting was in the Castello di Novara,; once inside the tasting area, there are few vestiges of a ‘castle’, as the room is clean, bright and modern, i.e. the opposite…
G.B. Burlotto – 2013 Barolo wines, and more
I’d contacted Fabio Alessandria, winemaker at G.B. Burlotto, several months in advance of my trip to Langhe – I know how busy he is, not only in the vineyards/cellar, but also marketing the wines in London, New York City, etc. And even though I saw Fabio on 2 April, at the Grandi Langhe 2017 event that morning…
Really impressed with this – 2011 Cascina Chicco Roero Riserva Valmaggiore
It’s not often (enough!) that I’ve got a glass of wine that makes me repeat, like a broken record (dating myself here, oh well) exclamations, like wow!, and fantastic!, or really?, that’s amazing!; this was one of those wines/experiences. (below: inside a part – there are more than half a dozen – of the old…
Nebbiolo, you rascal you – 2010 Pietro Cassina Coste della Sesia Ca’ Daj Tass
There’s a certain amount of excitement that comes with tasting a wine for the first time; maybe there’s some trepidation, too. That said, what I’ve come to expect from the red wines of Alto Piemonte, and in particular, those that are 100% Nebbiolo, is to have my expectations exceeded. The degree to which things exceed,…
Exactly as it should be – Az. Agr. Monchiero Fratelli
Sometimes it happens when we least expect it – we come across something that stands apart, it rockets up from a set of expectations, and it enters your inner circle along with all your other prized memories, possessions, experience, etc. That’s precisely what happened one day when I happened to stop by the Cantina Communale dei…
HOW TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION – MASSOLINO (AZ. AGR. VIGNA RIONDA), PART II
Referring to the map he’s provided me with, Franco (a graduate of the oenologic school in Alba) gives a quick overview of the Barolo area – he mentions the eleven communes/villages (see below), and points out the Massolino Cru (i.e. single) vineyards, three of which are in Serralunga d’Alba proper, and one, Parussi, located in…
ItalianWineReviews.com 