Another fun and memorable trip. :-)
The first and foremost overall impression is that 2001
seems to be a stellar vintage in Piemonte. One for the Hall of Fame. I
have but a brief career in the wine loving business, soon to approach
only its 10 year anniversary but I must admit that I have never tasted a
Piemonte vintage in its youth that has exhibited such a delight and
immediate drinking pleasure as well as future promise. Interestingly, I
have yet to meet one single wine producer or in fact any individual
related to the wine business in the region, that claims the 2000 vintage
is better that 2001. Sure, they are both good vintages, each with its
own distinction and characteristics but the general view, at least
locally among the producers and wine retailers is that 2001 is the
vintage with the highest "potential", followed by 1999 and then 2000. In
that context it was interesting to see James Suckling yet again
pounding the same drum about the 2000 vintage. I believe he's dead wrong
but that's only my personal palate. Looking towards the future I can
suggest that you should skip 2002 altogether, that 2003 seems to be good
for Barbera but with considerable trouble for Nebbiolo while 2004 seems
to be yet another "annata importante" as they say over there. It's never a "good vintage" but an "important vintage".
I haven't tasted any 2004s so my comments derive only from all the
happy smiles by wine producers when speaking about the vintage. No
matter to whom you speak they seem to be very happy with the 2004
vintage. 2005 on the other hand, seems to be only average because of
rain before harvest.
Giacomo Conterno
While in Piemonte I had the pleasure to dine at Osteria Veglio in Annunziata and tasted the 2003 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia.
Full of blueberries, ripe fatness, and jammy fruit style as suspected
from the warm 2003 vintage. A sense of asphalt (somebody constructing a
road nearby?) Definetely a 90+ point wine in my book. I also had the pleasure to try the 2004 Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia
which Roberto Conterno generously provided from barrel. It was a
completely different creature. Still a sense of jam-packed fruit but
much cleaner and with greater freshness and more spices - and blueberry
forest! Easily a 90+ point wine to me but at this stage I prefer
the more voluptious Barbera from 2003. Which by the way is a real
bargain in my book at 17 Euros at the stores of Alba and only a few
Euros more when enjoyed at the restaurant.
Gaja
I'll come back to Roberto Conterno as this was the second stop during my
stay in Piemonte in January this year. Together with my best friend I
had an initial appointment at Gaja in the beautiful little town of
Barbaresco. There was some confusion as we entered since there seemed to
be a group of people visiting at the same time and when they were
instructed to follow a representative of the winery we followed but were
quickly motioned to stay behind and wait in a separate room looking
like a cellar with a long, long table set and prepared with glasses for
three persons at one end. While we were waiting I was taking some photos
of the old Gaja bottles displayed on a shelf as a man entered and
slightly obstructed my view. I turned back and thought I'd kindly ask
him to move away as to get enough distance between the bottles and my
camera but when I looked up I realised there was no time for more
pictures. It was Don Angelo Gaja himself. Now, I don't
know how to fully describe the forthcoming three hours but let me say
that this winery visit turned out to be one of the most surprising as
well as enjoyable I have had the fortune to experience. Apparently the
set table was prepared for Angelo, myself and my friend so without
further due we sat down to what I thought was a friendly chat with
Angelo. Well... Those who have met him are probably laughing out loud
now (knowing what will come) but believe me when I say that I wasn't at
all prepared for what was waiting around the corner. Having only seen
Gaja on photos in wine magazines I have pictured him as a modest, quiet
man in posh suits. Not quite so... This brilliant wine-maker shares the
same kind of burning passion for wine as all the other masters I have
had the fortune to meet, with the only difference that his passion is
articulated so much more vividly and loudly. The first time I nervously
looked at the time was after what might been an hour and a half of
intense discussion on wine, when Angelo in the middle of a sentence
stopped himself and asked if we by any chance had more time to which we
of course nodded YES! (while secretly worrying how to make it in
time for today's second appointment, which was Giacomo Conterno). What a
wonderful thing to worry about! I only wish I had more of these kind of
dilemmas... It was amazing to see Angelo in action. The word passion
doesn't do justice to him. He's articulate, he's intense, he literally
screams out his passion. At one point he was standing up behind his
chair, jumping upp and down and shouting out his opinions so
passionately and loudly that the echo was bouncing back and forth in the
small cellar with such intensity making you almost believe there was an
earth quake around the corner. I LOVE this kind of passion! What seemed
to trigger Mr Gaja the most was the notion by many wine critics that
his generic Barbaresco was anything less that his vineyard designated
Barbarescos. He explained that the generic Barbaresco is the backbone of
Gaja with no less attention to detail than the single crus and he
wanted people to understand that it is not "just" the Barbaresco but a
wonderful wine on its own, sourced from the best parcels. Angelo also
showed us a summary of, I believe, several different magazines and
reviews of 2001 Barbarescos which all had the same result - the number 1
rated Barbaresco was Gaja. Well, what can I say? I haven't tasted all
the others on those lists but Angelo opened a 2001 Barbaresco and
I can only confirm that his pride of this wine is well-founded. The
first thing that comes to your mind is balance. It seems to possess a
complete harmony between nose, palate and structure. The nose offers
wonderful aromas of spices, roses, licorice and cherries, repeated on
the palate. Difficult to describe but harmony or balance with many
layers of flavors is the best description I can offer. Utterly fresh and
enjoyable, I rated it 94 points. Very much well-deserved. It
offered such an immediate gratification already now. It's amazing in a
way, because I later tasted Gaja's single vineyard crus and although I rate
them higher because I felt even more concentration or structure in them
(which equals higher points in my scroing) but the question is if it
isn't the generic Barbaresco that gives the most drinking pleasure, the
more HEDONISTIC experience. It kind of sings to you in a
wonderful tone. If I had never experience hedonism before and wanted to
know all about it, this particular bottle would be my choice of
preference. God knows how this will evolve - my experience of Gaja is
too limited. Then he opened the 2001 Barolo Sperss.
Interestingly, this was much denser than the Barbaresco, with "more" to
it of every flavor but not as balanced and frankly I rated it somewhat
below the Barbaresco, 92-93 points. It has those wonderful
flavors of the usual suspects: licorice, roses, sweet fruit, and that
walking-in-the-forest-scent that later often turns into those lovely
mushroom flavors in older Barolo. Angelo wasn't satisfied with only
these offerings so he went searching for another bottle and opened an
additional vintage of Sperss just as a comparison. The 1990 Barolo Sperss.
Wow, I really like this wine. So typically Barolo with it's secondary
dryer fruit and mushroom nuances. It's just a matter of taste, what you
prefer at this particular moment and although I loved the 1990 I
preferred the fresher 2001. Thinking about it, sooo many 2001s from a
whole array of Piemonte producers have had this utter freshness while
maintaining all those layers upon layers of aromas that you would
suspect emerge only with more bottle age, so if you're into Piemonte, Mr
Parker, I recommend you stock up with as many as your wallet can
handle. Angelo was also anxious to show us his Chardonnay, so he opened
the 1987 and 1997 Chardonnay Gaja & Rey. I have only tasted
the 1997 once and wasn't that impressed. Sure, it was a nice Chardonnay
but an expensive one for all I know and I only had a half-bottle. As
Angelo poured the wines we eagerly swirled the glass and were prepared
to taste but then he suddenly stopped us in our motion and said "No-no, you have to WAIT for at least half an hour!".
Puzzled we asked why and were told that the wine will evolve immensely
in the glass. However, indeed we tasted a sip or two after all and the
impression is one of a quite fresh and minerally Chardonnay, even the
1987. Almost like a Chablis Grand Cru. Fresh, minerality, but with a
subdued concentration of creamy fruit. Then came the surprise. The 1997
remained basically the same, with a little more added weight and more
fruit, but the 1987 had completely changed into another creature. This
one suddenly brimmed with butter scotch, with nuts, butter cream and
ooozes of tropical fruit. What a wonderful wine! Hadn't it been for
Angelo's recommendation, I would have taken a sip and finished the glass
or bottle within the first half hour and probably never experience the
transformation. Isn't it exactly THIS that makes wine so fascinating?
You never know what will happen in the glass. Wine's a living thing, it
breads, it evolves in the glass, it provides pleasure but not the SAME
pleasure depending on time of opening, time of airing, time of storage
and so on. I can't help myself from thinking of "Maya" in Sideways and her explanation on why she got into wine. Can't stop thinking of Maya (Virginia Madsen)
either, when I come to think about it... But that's a whole different
story. If anyone knows is she's available, please let me know. Oh,
sorry, I seemed to have lost focus here, forgive me. Nevertheless, The
Gaja experience was absolutely fascinating. This man is the very
definition of true passion. I always admire honest passion straight from
the heart and it is difficult to imagine a clearer expression of this
love. After almost three hours Angelo excused himself and said that he
had other things to attend to but before he insisted he we receive two
copies of the book portraying the history of Barbaresco and it's wines ("The Vines of San Lorenzo - The making of a great wine in the new tradition"
by Edward Steinberg). Incidentally it was the very same book my friend
and I had looked at in a book store in Barbaresco just before the visit.
Gosh, I wish my life had more moments like this...
Oh, by the way, I was lucky to taste through the whole 2001 Gaja range at my work just days ago. The 2001 Gaja Sperss
seemed identical to when I tasted it with Angelo in January. Perhaps
even a little more depth than I can remember and I would rate this 93 points if numerical values need to be used. The 2001 Gaja Conteisa
was more polished, more herbs, more flowers, more feminine. Really
silky and similar to the wonderful harmony of the 2001 Barbaresco. I'd
give it 92-93 points. The 2001 Gaja Costa Russi is a step
up the ladder in concentration. Funny, but to begin at the end of my
review I come to think about my impatience with this wine as I had to
wait and wait for the taste to disappear in my mouth to allow me turning
to the next bottle. The "problem" was the same with the remaining
bottles. Amazingly, like the generic Barbaresco, the Costa Russi feel
ready for business - now. A lot of red cherries, spices, roses and that
Men At Work - "careful, we're-paving-the-road-now-asphalt". A solid 94-pointer. The 2001 Gaja Sorì Tildin
was similar yet different. Does that make any sense? It's seems to be
more concentrated and structured than the Costa Russi, yet more velvety
and balanced. Hum... A larger finish even than the previous wine and
with that wonderful spiciness, I'd say this is at least a solid 95-96 point
wine. Probably more with time, I guess. I have only tasted Sorì Tilden
once before and it was the 1990. Seemed like a baby when I had it 3-4
years ago. This one is approachable already now but will probably evolve
considerably. Lastly, the 2001 Gaja San Lorenzo, well... Wow!
Again. I'm trying to remember and think of a way to describe it.
Definately more massive than the Costa Russi. Layers upon layers of
cherries, more dark than red fruit, spices, herbs, asphalt, licorice and
a impressive structure. Not as approachable as Sorì Tildin but
definitely a 95+ point wine. Unfortunately, Mr Parker, I don't
know if I can recommend them as a purchase, as they will be prohibited
expensive. I'd recommend you to go for the 2001 Gaja Barbaresco,
offering by far the most bang for the buck and a true hedonistic
experience in itself. Surely you of all people will know how to
recognise true hedonism. :-)
Giacomo Conterno
Back to Piemonte! Luckily we managed to step on the brakes to skid into
Giacomo Conterno's property just in time for our next appointment. I
still recall the time when we were stuck in the cellar at von Schubert
and couldn't call Manfred Prüm to announce that we wouldn't make it in time.
(Explanation: I was visiting Mosel with my best friend and we had been trying to get
an appointment at the ever reluctant Herr Dr Manfred Prüm. While
visiting Hans-Leo at Christoffel Erben we met another fellow wine lover
who had stayed in the valley for three weeks, constantly calling Manfred
Prüm, begging him for an appointment, to no avail... So when we finally
received a green light to visit, we were of course delighted. However,
we had just one stop prior to our Prüm visit and that was von Schubert.
Carl-Fernindinad himself (and his dog) met us at the beautiful estate
and soon we were on our way through the underground catacombs. Not only
did he give as a complete tour and generously shared with us his
thoughts and ideas of wine making but above all he generously opened
bottles from various Prädikats, vineyards and vintages like there was no
tomorrow. You know what they say, time pass by quickly when you're
having fun. We looked at our watches, then at each other, trying to
discern from the other's look what to do. The answer was obvious when we
heard that familiar "plopp" as von Schubert was opening yet another
bottle - we just couldn't leave. We were staying! And since we were
underground, we couldn't pick up the cellular phone to give Prüm an
advance warning. After what seemed like hours we finally emerged above
ground again, bought some bottles (I especially enjoyed the 1999 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese and Auslese)
and then called Manfred Prüm on the phone. He was basically speechless
when we cheerfully announced that we just couldn't make it today (as was
quite obvious to him at this point, two hours after our appointment)
but said that it's okay, because we could pop in tomorrow instead. There
was complete silence... And then someone grasping for air, as he
stammered out - Are YOU the same people who HAD an appointment and chose not to turn up!!??
"Yes!", we happily announced. I don't know how or why, but somehow we
made it to Prüm next day and were allowed to buy some bottles, to the
mercy of Herr Doktor Manfred Prüm.)
I think Roberto would
have been equally surprised if we had called him and just laconically
said that he should forget all about it. Same passion as Angelo, but in a
more calm and collected manner, Roberto Conterno took us through his
impressive cellar. Wow, I just love these gigantic, humongous barrels
from Slovenia (my country of birth); I believe they contain 5
hectoliters. And when you walk between these skyscrapers and read the
notes written with chalk - Monfortino... Cascina Francia... Wow! Isn't
it amazing, by the way, that perhaps the most traditional of all the
Barolo producers, Roberto Conterno keeps the cleanest cellar I have ever
seen? You could literally drink wine from its floors. It's utterly
clean and tidy. Roberto asked us if we, before we proceed to the tasting
room, would care to sample some Barbera d'Alba from 2004. Well, how are
you supposed to reply to a question like that? I pretended to hesitate
for a while, ponder for a moment, and then said, "well, maybe, if we
must", which resulted in a big laugh from Roberto. Obviously he's aware
that when he asks people if they would like to sample his wine from cask
he makes an offer people can't refuse, to quote Marlon Brando as Don Corleone
in the Godfather. Well, Mr Parker, I have already given you my review
of Giacomo Conterno's Barbera elsewhere as well as purchasing
recommendations so I'll jump to the two Barolos we tasted together with
Roberto, the 2001 Barolo Cascina Francia and the 1998 Barolo Riserva Monfortino.
Both were sensational. I found myself not even wanting to taste the
wines as my nose was stuck to the glass trying to follow the different
layers of aromas emerging from the glass. The 2001 Barolo Cascina Francia
literally pumps out the flavors. How could you ever drink a wine like
this when all you want is to stay there with your big nose and enjoy the
scents oozing up from the glass? On the palate it reveals everything I
come to expect from a good Nebbiolo. Roses and more roses. Well, throw
in some additional roses to that as well. And then some spices,
cherries, licorice, even that type of subtle mint-licorice. So powerful
and concentrated yet so softly balanced. Everything Pinot Noir and
Burgundy aspires to but fail to reach... Points? Well, could we just
settle for "a very fine and good wine indeed"? If not, then a solid 95+ point wine. It makes no sense to label it as 96 or 97 points
or whatever at this stage. It's a beauty, period. If you like this type
of Barolo, Bob, then it's a must buy. Unfortunately, for people's
wallet, the 1998 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is even darker and
more powerful. Deep, dark fruit with everything that Cascina Francia
offers but add some more concentration, make the fruit a little darker
and add a finish that simply refuses to go away. I remember Roberto's
facial expression when he saw us drinking the Monfortino - he was
smiling. A satisfied smile, and a confident at that - he KNOWS he
produces first class magic in a glass. Wow, must that be a great feeling
or not!? That there is never a doubt, you simply KNOW that you have
created a masterpiece. This is pure hedonism and much easier to rate as
it clearly leaves the somewhat diffuse "95+" level and places itself in
the higher territory approaching somewhere near those elusive three
digits. I'd say this is a 97-98 point wine, without hesitation.
Roberto, smiling, asked if we'd like to pour ourselves some more
Monfortino before we go. We looked at each other and probably asked the
other the same question through telepathy - Who's driving!??
Bruno Giacosa
Speaking of enjoying wine at local restaurants, we had dinner at a
lovely little restaurant (a name which eludes me for the moment) in the
center of Alba where we ordered a bottle of 2000 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Asili
for a little over 100 Euros at the restaurant. Now, THIS is good shit!
Imagine everything Burgundy aspires to but never seems to achiev (I'm in
it again, all DRC admirers, roll the dices!).
Balance, harmony, concentration yet utter lightness. This was an
absolute delight to enjoy over dinner. I know I'm repeating myself here,
but blame the Nebbiolo, not me, because it has all the usual
characteristics of roses, roses and more roses, or more flowers, I
should say. My friend Sverker pointed out minerals as well, and that
lovely cool, light yet concentrated red fruit, with spices and forest
floor scents and that wonderful grace. Remember Seinfeld? Jackie Onassis had grace. Grace is something you have, or have not. Grace cannot be acquired
(directed at Elaine during the job interview). It's pumping out its
flavors and as with all truly great wine you almost hesitate to drink it
since you're stuck with your big, fat nose (mine is) into the glass,
enjoying all the wonderful aromas. If nothing else is, THIS is pure hedonism,
Bob! I recommend you scoop up as many bottles as you can find.
Unfortunately I didn't find any bottles in the wine stores so this is
the only bottle I will probably ever try. The numerical rating must be
high for this one. Not perfect but not far from it. Let's deduct two
points because the dinner company across the small table was merely my
good old friend Sverker (sorry, old pal), and not Serena Williams. So make it 98 points. I wonder what a bottle of this would cost in the US?
Luigi Pira
Another mandatory stop along our Barolo route, both last summer and now
during winter, was of course one of the rising superstars in the region,
Luigi Pira. Gosh, I'm I happy so few people are aware of this stellar
wine producer. Interestingly, he even has 1999s to sell and definitely
2001s while the less impressive 2000s are gone, all scooped up by
Americans (thanks for the help, Suckling!). Well, Bob, I don't need to tell you
of all people about this producer since you are the very one who
pointed us to this extraordinary value. I can't help but laugh when I
consider the fact that I'm drinking one of the world's greatest Barolo
(or wine, for that matter), paying 30-35 Euros for it, while people are
running after bottles for hundreds and hundreds of dollars because they
happen to live with the misfortune of being hooked to a particular
expensive brand, or even because of Label Lust. Giampaulo exhibits the
usual characteristics of a Barolo winemaker, quiet, humble and with a
happy grin on his face when he notices our impression of his wonderful
Barolo-wines. When we sat down with Gaja, I joked with Angelo that his
Barolo Sperss is quite good, yet not the best from the Marenca vineyard,
since Luigi Pira crafts better wine out of that particular slope.
Angelo just laughed but said with a serious face that frankly, Luigi
Pira is one of the best. When I told Giampaulo about this he was very
modest and didn't want to believe me, despite my friend's reassurance
that it was absolutely true. Of what I can remember I really liked the 2003 Barbera d'Alba Rocche du Tarpun,
with violet, licorice and that fatty, dense feeling that so many 2003
Barberas possess - which I like. We tasted through all Pira's 2001
Nebbiolo-based wines. Can't say that I remember much if the Langhe
Nebbiolo but even the regular 2001 Barolo was a joy to taste. Perhaps hovering around or just below the 90 point mark. The 2001 Barolo Margheria
was all spices and luscious fruit and what I remember surprised me the
most was that despite its concentration it was so accessible already
now. I would rate this wine around 91-92 points depending on the mood of the day. During our summer visit the 2001 Barolo Marenca
(same vineyard as Gaja Barolo Sperss) outshined the others. Perfumed
and more dark than red fruit comes to my mind, with (again) roses,
licorice and tons of spices. Again one of those wines you hesitate to
drink because it has such wonderful aromas that you'd like to stay with.
It's concentrated, with a good grip and feels so fresh in your mouth -
maybe it's just me but I have always felt that every new Barolo I have
tasted has felt like it needed 6-7 years to come around but every 2001
seem to be ready for business now. Clearly a wine that parks itself,
well-deservedly so, at the mid-90s points. To be honest, the 2001 Barolo Vigna Rionda
felt even darker and more concentrated but I agree on Sverker's
analysis that last summer it felt more tight than the Marenca but when
retasting it a little more than a month ago I must say that it's on par
with the Marenca. Feels like a V8 engine buzzing in the background. I
love the long, persistent finish. It's only a matter of personal taste
if you consider it being even better than the Marenca but if this will
continue to add weight with more age then, well, as I said, it's a
personal taste.
Revello
A favorite visit is Revello, probably because of patriotic ties with one
of the Revello brothers (Carlo) being married to a Swedish girl. I must
admit that although I somehow feel that the Nebbiolo-based wines from
Luigi Pira are "better" in a sense that I feel they have an extra gear
when needed, I wonder if Revello isn't the "revelation" of the year for
me and the winery I'm most impressed with if taking into account
price/performance ratio. I just LOVE their whole range of Barolos! Even
the basic Barolo is a beauty. Bob, I will base my opinions based on my
tasting through the complete range at the winery and from the bottles
opened and enjoyed here in Sweden but I can tell you that since Daniel
Thomases has given up the task of working for the WA, I can tell you
that I have later seen reviews on Revello from both Antonio Galloni and
James Suckling. Galloni seems to hover around the 90-point mark for most
of the wines while Suckling is jumping up to the 95-mark. I must
confess that I'm more stuck in the middle, with occasional samples
leaning more towards James than Antonio. The basic 2001 Revello Barolo is just a joy to drink now. No questions asked - just enjoy it as solid wine around the 90-point
mark with a price few can beat. And by the way, that's the very MAIN
impression I get from tasting every single Barolo from the 2001 - they
seem to be so absolutely juicy, fruity and delicious already now, while
still having a backbone that promises an exceptional future. Frankly, I
believe 2001 will surpass at least all vintages 1997-2000 and possibly
1996 as well and it seems as if I'm not the only one with this
prediction. What's so nice with Revello is that you can set up a
wonderful tasting from just one producer since they have so many
vineyards. The 2001s from Revello seems particularly fresh and balanced
already now, almost like an aged Burgundy but with more power and layers
of aromas. The 2001 Revello Barolo Gattera, as I remember it,
was more structured and closed than the regular Barolo, with fruit more
resembling red, than dark red fruit (more plum, than blackberries and
black cherries). 90-91 points in my book. The 2001 Revello Barolo Giachini
was an absolute delight. Very fruity and perfumed with dark licorice
and chocolate. And vanilla from the oak. I would give it a solid 93 points.
Had the fortune to buy both the 2001 and 1999 for future comparison -
and try as well, as Enzo generously opened up every bottle we pointed at
on the list. The 2001 Revello Barolo Rocche d'Annunziata is
produced in very small quantities, something like a 1000 bottles only.
It seems more structured, more perfumed and not as fruity as the
Giachini, but with more spices, herbs and roses. More a classic than
modern Barolo. I especially remember the long, succulent finish.
Difficult to place a numerical value on this one but clearly at least on par with the Giachini. My favorite of the lot was the 2001 Revello Barolo Conca.
Wow! Not for the traditionalists as the oak is clearly present but it's
integrated so well because of dominating fruit. This is like a New
World Barolo if such would ever exist. One could argue if the sheer
density of this one is the same as complexity or simply a simpler but
fruitier wine. I for one liked the layers of dark fruit. I would give it
94 points. Interestingly, the terroir follows the vintages as the 1999 Conca exhibits the same fruity, succulent characteristics.
Again I must say that it's such a revelation to visit wineries in
Piemonte, or should I say Italy or even Europe. You knock on the door,
which is also a home, not and official reception at a major winery, and
not to a man or woman in a suit but a farmer. With boots and a tractor.
Many times when we have arrived and just taken a chance by making a
surprise visit without any prior appointment, relatives have called on
the cellular to the winemaker who's been sitting on a tractor somewhere
or working in the vineyard. You literally come home to a farmer, not a
business man. Not like so many New World places where, unfortunately,
there seems to be a trend toward an official "Cellar Door", most
of the time with employees that, well, work there as any other regular
desk job and not always because they have a great passion for - or
knowledge - of wine. I'm not saying this is bad - rather I would say
that I'm astonished that there is still this possibility to actually
come home to a world famous producer, shake his hand and sit down for a
sip before he gets back into the vineyard and continues his work. How do
they have time? From my perspective, as a consumer and wine
afficionado, I'm immensely grateful to be able to visit like this,
taking up their time, drinking their wine and having the possibility to
discuss the product directly with the artist. However, my most common
experience is that THEY, the world famous winemakers, have been happy
that YOU, the consumer, the wine lover, have taken your time and
actually looked them up and made the effort to visit. I have seen this
on numerous occasions, time after time again. And not from some unknown,
obscure wine estates, but from persons like Helmut Dönnhoff,
Wilhelm & Oliver Haag, Willi & Christoph Schaefer, Johannes
Selbach, Christoph Tyrell, Nik Weis (of St Urbains-Hof), Tim Fröhlich,
Werner Schönleber, Laurence Feraud
(of Pegau), Troy Kalleske, Paulo di Marchi (of Isole e Olena), Massimo
d'Alessandro, Maurizia di Napoli Rampolla, Enzo & Carlo Revello,
Enrico & Enrica Scavino, Giampaulo Pira, Elio Altare, Mauro &
Daniela Veglio, Aldo Vajra and Roberto Conterno, as well as the folks at
Mocagatta, Paitin, Corino, Conterno-Fantino, Sandrone, Tua Rita and Le
Pupille to name a few that I have experienced first-hand. They have all
thanked US for coming, for taking our time, for taking interest in their
wine and for sharing a common passion. To me it's mind-boggling that
this true, honest atmosphere still exist. I mean, I would like to thank THEM
for taking their time, not having to face the vice-versa situation...!
I'm sure that you, Bob, are accustomed that the doors are opened widely
wherever you come but what astounds me is that even regular, private
wine afficionados are treated in the same generous way.
Clerico
We also tried to visit Clerico. For the 5th time, to no avail... He was
off to Tuscany but we didn't have an appointment (we've had friends with
an appointment, still without succeeding in meeting this elusive
genius, Domenico Clerico). I've had numerous blind wine tastings of
Barolo where the same damn familiar while label on the bottle has stared
back at me as the WOTN when the curtain has fallen - Clercio. One day I
hope to make a surprise attack and meet him when he's at home. For one
of the restaurant meals we ordered a bottle of the 2000 Clerico Barolo Chiabot Mentin Ginestra.
A solid wine, with pleasant perfume and red fruit, nice balance and
somewhat subdued fruit. Not a blockbuster but a very pleasant 90-point
wine. Later, after returning back to Stockholm, Magnus (of joint 2002
DRC fame on this board together with yours truly) generously opened a
bottle of 2001 Clerico Barolo Chiabot Mentin Ginestra and this is
a totally different creature. Cool, cool dark, dark fruit, perfumed and
with a wonderful balance and a tremendous finish. This is all spices
and minerals. So fresh, so concentrated, so balanced. This is a pure
beauty. I had it blind and still remember my comment when I starred at
the glass - "This is good stuff". That usually means 95+ points
and so it is. To be modest. This will probably evolve beautifully but
wow...what a joy to drink it already here and now! How can it be so
accessible and provide such a pleasure already now? Could anyone help me
with that question, please? I didn't feel the same with newly released
Barolos from 2000 or 1999 or 1998.
V.D. Vajra
V.D. Vajra is always a pleasure to visit whether it's Aldo himself or
his wife Milena that greets you. We stopped by there this January just
to thank them for a wonderful visit previously last summer, when Milena
took us through the whole range at Vajra. I must confess that I'm a
sucker for their Moscato. It's so flowery and fresh and posses a creamy
texture. I would say that Paulo Saracco is my first hand choice for
Moscato d'Asti, followed by Spinetta and Vajra. The wine I liked the
most was not surprisingly the 1999 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. A more femininte type of Barolo, with dry fruit, cherries, herbs, and an elegant structure with a long finish. I rate it 91-92 points. Less impressive was the 2000 Barolo delle Viole
but I should add that I seriously overdosed on the Moscato prior to
tasting it. People who like different grape varieties should check out
their Freisa Langhe Kyè made by the Freisa grape. Apparently a
grape that doesn't normally produce great wine, Aldo seems to not agree
and makes a pleasant, fruity wine for immediate pleasure that I would
rate close to the 85-point mark. I also tasted the 2003 Langhe Bianco Riesling,
a dry, yet fruity Riesling with minerality similar to a Wachau
Riesling. This is more to my friend's liking who enjoys dry Riesling. I
liked it for what it is and would argue that it would be interesting to
have this one among some dry Riesling from Germany, Austria and Alsace
in a blind shoot out. I think it would stand its ground among far more
famous Riesling labels.
Sandrone
Yet another wonderful visit where Luciano's daughter took us around for a
complete tour. Here, I will focus on two wines only, the 2001 Barolo
Cannubi Boscis and the 2001 Barolo Le Vigne. The 2001 Barolo Le Vigne,
mixed from several vineyards is of the more sturdy, classic Barolo. It
possesses structure, minerality and dark fruit with a persistent finish
yet so utterly elegant already at this stage. 93 points. However, let me turn to the sibling wine, the 2001 Barolo Cannubi Boscis. Oh My God! THIS
is great fermented grape juice! Immediately on the nose you are
allerted to the fact that this is one of "those" wines. You simply KNOW
you have a 95+ points wine when you can't drag your nose from the glass.
Licorice! Which I happen to love, then mint, roses, spices, dark,
pitch-black cherries - it'z oooooozing of fruit and has such a wonderful
elegance and grace on the palate while being tyrbo-charged in its
massive concentration. A long, long finish and only time will tell how
much high this will fly. Currently extremely enjoyable and available, I
would give it 96+ points while stressing that "+" mark behind the number. This is a true beauty. Giacosa, Gaja, Clerico and Conterno - watch out!
Scavino
A visit to Piemonte without a visit to Scavino is, as everybody in the
wine world knows, impossible. Let's leave it at that without further
elaboration. I have had the pleasure to visit Scavino several times,
each time guided by the ever enthusiastic and shining Enrica Scavino.
Ever wondered why Piemonte has so much sunshine? Well.. Oki, back to the
wines. On this occasion we actually didn't have an appointment and my
intention was just to knock on the door to see if Enrica was at home to
hand her a CD disc with some pictures from previous visits in the region
as thanks for all those generous winery visits. Yes, she was at home
and had that same kind of warm, shining smile despite having recently
injured her leg while skiing (so those meeting Enrica on that Wine
Experience Tour arranged by the Wine Spectator in the US - please be
polite and offer her a seat!). We were, of course, not allowed to just
hand over the CD disc and then leave, without tasting some wine. What
was so thrilling with this visit was that it was the first time I met
with Enrico Scavino, depsite numerous prior visits to the estate. Again,
like Angelo Gaja, like Roberto Conterno, you get to understand where
the wine comes from, where the passion originates, when you meet the
winemaker in question. And with Enrico you get a sense of a warm, kind
and generous uncle as he stands there and opens some bottles of his own
creation. Having tasted Scavino's 2001s both last summer and now on this
visit and again some days ago I have quite a vivid impression about the
wines. But first of all I must wave the flag for their 2001 Barbera d'Alba.
Elegant but still jammy with dark fruits and spices it's a yummy drink
now, today, here, open it! A pleasure to drink and a solid 90 points wine. The 2001 are all spectacular in my book. The 2001 Barolo Cannubi
is all about perfume and spices, with a feminine touch of herbs,
flowers cherries and an overall elegance. Always a joy to drink. 93 points. One might think that I would automatically praise the more expensive 1999 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata
to the skies but in fact, this one is the to me the "least impressive"
of the lot. It exhibits red, perfumed fruits, with cherries and
raspberries but also a greater tannic structure and a fruit component
that seems more subdued and poised for the long run. The concentrated,
massive finish points to a bright future. 92+ points. My fellow
Nebbiolo afficionado Joakim (from this board) argued, when I said I was
more impressed by the 2001, that he clearly remembers how the 1990 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata
tasted when young and that many complained it felt very structured and
powerful but the he had tasted it later on several occasions saying it
has turned into a balanced and wonderful expression of Barolo - making
him wish he had bought more bottles when he had the chance (The 1990 was
released at about 40 Euros in Sweden). I believe him! The 2001 Barolo Bricc del Fiasc
is superb! I remember Joakim's comment when we had it side by side to
Gaja's Barbarescos and Barolo, saying that "Hey, this is of the same
quality!" and I agree with him. It's a massive Barolo, dense,
concentrated, packed with layers of flavors and yet again you can't help
yourself from lingering with your nose over the glass without tasting
(a typical indication of a 95+ points wine). Dark fruit, ripe, minty and
a sweet cherry feeling with almost blackberries on the palate, stuffed
with spices, licorice and a massive finish. You can't escape the
tannins. Wow! 95+ points with an upside potential. But, as with
all 2001s - would you believe it? - so utterly fresh and vivid right
here, right now. A hedonistic experience! Scavino at it's best. The 2001 Barolo Carobric
isn't as impressive but not far behind its sibling. Still dense but
maybe not as elegantly massive as the Fiasc, with softer structure and
similar fruit components, maybe more red than dark fruit. And a
wonderful, long finish. At this stage I hold this one as more impressive
than the Cannubi and rate it 93-94 points. Basically they are on
on the same quality level but it's a matter of personal taste which you
like the most. Of course... we weren't allowed to leave without a gift
as thanks for taking our time to visit (when I would gladly have
polished their shoes out of gratefulness for visiting them!) so Enrico
pulled out an unlabeled bottle of their not yet released new Barolo
which is their first wine from the new vineyard at Roddi, Bricco Ambrogio.
Well, I'm approaching the end of the road here. I'd like to continue by
giving you some more accounts from interesting visits to Paitin,
Moccagatta and Conterno Fantino but it's getting late in the afternoon
here and I must rush to work. Please look
at these personal observations as a WA Issue # 163 with "Special Supplement: Miran's Personal Piemonte Report". Consider it free of charge now that Daniel Thomases has vanished from the scene.
Bob, I must confess that you have played an important role in the growth
of my wine interest, not only because of your extensive knowledge about
this favorite wine region of mine but also for the passionate way of
writing about wines you singled out as overachievers. It was difficult
not to seek out the wines in question after your eloquent reviews but
above all - it sparkled interest in the region and a fueled a desire to
seek out information on my own, to expand my own knowledge, to read the
works of more critics and authors, and to visit Piemonte in person. You
ARE missed among the Italian nebbiolinos out there, as well as the lovers of Tuscany. I know it's futile but Bob, please come back...
Here endeth my story. Thank you for reading!
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar