Etualalla Sukuloiden nebbioloa, taustalla Barolon maisemia Cuoco Pazzolta katsottuna

Piru vieraili pari päivää sitten Sukuloiden tilalla paremman puoliskonsa kanssa, lipitteli kuohuvaa, punaista, rupatteli viinistä, Italiasta, ruoasta, kotoisista viinikuvioista, perunoista ja monesta muusta.

Piemonten aurinko porottaa, on lounasaika. Pienen hiekkatien päässä odottaa kivinen talo, joka on rakennettu rinteestä pengerretylle maalle. Toisella puolella rinne nousee jyrkästi, toisella laskee. Kyseessä on postikorttimaisema, jonka kumpuilevia näkymiä epäilisi photoshopatuiksi, ellei olisi itse paikalla. Taivaanrannassa siintävät Ranskan Alpit. Paljon lähempänä, köynnösten välissä, huhkii Jyrki Sukula.

Pohjois-Italia näyttää parhaita puoliaan. Pari päivää sitten asiat olivat kuitenkin huonommin.

- Kaksi yötä sitten satoi rakeita ja osa rypäleistämme otti osumaa, Jyrki sanoo.
- Pahimmillaan jopa kolmekymmentä pinnaa sadosta on mennyttä kalua, hän lisää päätään pudistellen. Aika näyttää.

Sukulat esittelevät rakeiden aiheuttamia tuhoja. Osa nebbiolo-tertuista on kärsineen näköisiä, puhjenneita, mikä ei ole ihme: toissayönä satoi saavista kaatamalla ja rakeita ropisi pitkin Piemontea. Myös Cuoco Pazzo sai osansa; terävät rakeet onnistuivat vahingoittamaan kallisarvoisia rypäleitä.

- Säälle ei kannata suuttua, Riikka Sukula, joka asustaa tilalla lähes ympäri vuoden, toteaa.
– Nämä jutut kuuluvat tähän hommaan. Sään murehtiminen vain pilaa viinin maun... Tämä on yksi ensimmäisistä asioista, jonka Rivetti (Cuoco Pazzon enologi-kummisetä) minulle sanoi, kun ryhdyimme tähän muutama vuosi sitten.

Rakeiden runtelemia nebbiolo-rypäleitä

Jos oikukkaan sään aiheuttamat takaiskut jätetään huomiotta, ovat asiat Cuoco Pazzolla lutviutuneet: dolcetto-köynnökset on kitketty nuorten nebbiolojen tieltä, kaikki köynnösten tukipylväät on uusittu ja asuintilojen kunnostustyöt etenevät. Sukuloiden ensimmäinen viini, La Langhetta on markkinoilla. Jyrki korkkaa piemontelaisen, samppanjametodilla valmistetun Valentino Spumanten, jonka maku pistää toivomaan, että olisin liftannut kärrypolut autoilun sijaan.

Hetken päästä italialaiset putkimiehet köröttelevät pakettiautolla pihaan ja jatkavat siitä mihin Jyrki on edellisenä päivänä jäänyt.
- Fiksasin tuossa hieman putkia. Lavuaari ja hana on vaihdettu, samoin putket. Olivat täysin ruosteessa. Pian vaihdetaan koko katto ja tuonne tulee uima-allas, nyt muksut käyvät naapurin altaalla.

Sukulat ovat olleet muutenkin vauhdissa. Köynnösten juurakkojen väliin jäävä maaperä on myllätty uuteen kuntoon, mikä vaati reilut 300.000 kuokaniskua, Jyrki ja Riikka laskivat.
- Oppimista riittää loputtomiin, uusia pieniä työvaiheita tulee vastaan tiuhaan. Kaikki pitää tehdä tarkasti oikein, muuten homma tulee vastaan uudestaan seuraavassa työvaiheessa. Fuskata ei voi.

Don Sukula tarkastelee tiluksiaan, Riikka ja perheen nuorin tulokas Alma nauttivat keskipäivän tummista varjoista

Allora, parte due, jatkoa seuraa!

Piemonte, Piemonte... Kun näitä köynnösten hallitsemia kukkuloita kerran katsoo, ei niitä hevillä unohda.

Vaikka maakunnassa on ihmisiä lähes Suomen verran alle 1/10 kokoisella alueella, on Piemonten tunnelma yllättävän raukea, elämäniloinen, maanläheinen ja hidas. Kukaties korkeat kukkulat vaikeasti kiemurtelevine teineen pakottavat ihmiset hitaampaan poljentoon, jotta he eivät menettäisi hermojaan; ehkä vuodenaikojen rytmiin takova maanviljelyskulttuuri lyö leimansa alueen asukkaisiin keskeisestä sijainnista (Euroopan ytimessä) huolimatta.

Ei liene sattumaa, että maailmalla kovassa huudossa oleva slow-liike (syö, juo, lomaile ja elä niin hitaasti kuin pystyt, ja aina kun pystyt) on kulminoitunut juuri Piemonten sydänalueella Brahan, kivenheiton päähän Barolon kylästä.

Jos tämä Alban kaupunkia ympäröivä alue on jotain, niin enotecojen ja cantinoiden luvattu maa. Kukkuloiden reunoja pitkin ajavalle tarjoutuu järjetön määrä mahdollisuuksia maistaa paikallisia viinejä sekä viinikuppiloissa, että eri tasoisissa ravintoloissa, joissa kuningas barolo löytää arvoisensa vastineen paikallisesta ruoassa (tilatastingit ovat sitten varsin omituisia: ”Signor, lasissanne oleva viini on aivan liian nuorta juotavaksi. Se tarvitsee aikaa. Ilman ruokaa se ei maistu oikealta”).

Kaiken kaikkiaan hyvä paikka viinilomalle: vähemmän turistoitunut kuin Toscana, herkullisempi ruoan ja viinin kannalta kuin Emilia-Romagna (anteeksi parmankinkku, parmesaani ja balsamico di Modena) ja kauniimpi kuin Lombardia.

PS. majoitussuositus: yhdistelmä tolkutonta vieraanvaraisuutta ja piemontelaista eleganssia, Villa La Favorita, majataloksi muutettu kartano, jota Roberta tyttärineen pitää. Oma orgaaninen viinitarha (nimikko-nebbioloa ja grignolinoa) ja siellä täällä notkuvat hedelmäpuut, joista vierailijoiden odotetaan napsivan kypsiä hedelmiä. Maaginen paikka.

Mission Codename: The Hills of Langhe

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Get on the trail of Agent Baco Noir, and find some great wines along the way.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Castelo di Verduno

Wine Subject: 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG

Backgrounder:

Barolo, from the Langhe region of the Piedmonte of north-west Italy is considered among Italy’s greatest wines. Barolo is made from the bold and tangy Nebbiolo varietal. Unfortunately, most people don’t give these wines enough time to mature and as such people find the younger versions a little hot and poorly integrated. But when cellared correctly, Barolo is the most expressive wine made from the Nebbiolo grape with heavenly layer upon layer of tangy fruit, spice, floral scents and more.

The Barolo DOCG is located around the city of Langhe with the best Barolos coming from single named vineyards (like this one – Massara). These wines are meant to age for upwards of 25 years and shouldn’t even be drunk at an age of less than 7 to 8 years. This particular Barolo is just starting to reach its maturity. Expect a bold powerful wine at while young growing in finesse and elegance as they age.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Clear dark ruby red and garnet hues, brick-orange edges with slow thick legs and a slightly viscous appearance.

Smell – Bold and tangy, 100% Nebbiolo in character, with tangy fruit including raspberries and blackberries, spicy pepper, toasted cedar with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather.

Feel – Initially smooth the bold dry and firm tannins kick in, this full-bodied wine is deep, tart and tangy in the mouth. Decante this wine and the tannins mellow, but the bold and tangy flavors continue to live strong.

Taste – Complex layers of tart raspberries and tangy sour cherry, spicy white pepper, with hints of tobacco, licorice and leather that emerge only after the bold fruit dissipates. Again, after some time, this wine mellows.

Finish – Long and clean with a crisp acidity that lingers with fruit, toasted cedar and hints of tobacco.

Conclusion – If you love big, bold and tangy Italian wines, then this one belongs in your collection. Attack this wine right after your open it and it hits you in the mouth like Mafia thug, but if you give it some time, it will sweet talk you like only an Italian lover can. At seven years old, this wine is just starting to show its potential, if you have the patience to cellar this wine, put a bottle or two away, of course, I can’t wait to pop-open my next bottle!

Mission Report:

Agent Baco Noir had long since gone A.W.O.L. Various reports had been coming it that she had been spotted in the The Hills of Langhe, but most of these reports proved to be unsubstantiated. It was extremely discouraging to our Ops Center s many of the greatest Italian wines we’ve run were initially sleuthed by Baco.

Being relatively familiar with the area, I decided to make a trip out. Through back channels, I put the word out that I’d be in the area and I wanted to arrange a meeting with Baco. Hoping that a mutual friend might pass the word on.

A long day of flying into Milan, then a train to Torino and car to Alba. Upon my arrival into Alba I stopped into the _Retrogusto Wine Cafe’ Di Canaparo Andrea_‎ where Giuseppe, one of my local contacts handed me a large manila envelope and quickly scuttled away. Once I had some privacy, I opened the envelope only to find a selection of grainy black-and-white photographs of Baco enjoying wine at various cafes and wineries throughout the area.

At least we had some leads. The first lead took me to Castello di Verduno. One of the photos showed Baco in her signature high-heels and dark glasses talking to the winemaker. I visited the winery, they had little information on Baco’s whereabouts, but did confirm that she had stopped by. Even going as far as to say, that I’d probably also stop by and ask for information and that I should try the Tre Bicchieri 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG.

The wine was great, this wine was just starting to hit its stride, and while I’m not always fond of Agent Baco Noir’s antics, she’s got a knack for finding great wines.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Castelo di Verduno can be seen in this satellite photo.

RISOTTO AL BAROLO
Ingredienti per due persone, una affamata e curiosa l’altra solo affamata 

Un quarto di cipolla rossa (perché avevo quella da finire)
150 g Riso (in realtà ad occhio)
Brodo di carne (ahimè solo brodo vegetale fatto leggero)
Olio extravergine di oliva
Burro
Parmigiano grattugiato (in realtà un po’ di pecorino rimasto da Cacio & Pepe)
Barolo 

Affettare la cipolla finissima e farla rosolare (meglio se metà olio e metà burro, io ho fatto olio e poi un po’ di brodo). Appena diventa morbida e trasparente si butta il riso (tre pugni a testa).Mescolare col cucchiaio di legno finche' il riso e' bollente (basta toccarlo col dorso delle dita).
Aggiungere mezzo bicchiere scarso (per due) di Barolo e girare fino a evaporazione quasi completa.Aggiungere due o tre mestolate di brodo bollente, girare un paio di volte e non toccare piu' fino alla prossima aggiunta di brodo. Continuare con le aggiunte di brodo a due o tre mestoli alla volta.A cottura quasi ultimata, invece del brodo aggiungere un mezzo bicchiere scarso di barolo.Spegnere il gas col riso ancora al dente, che abbia una consistenza "all'onda" (la mia preferita).
Aggiungere il parmigiano e una grossa noce di burro freddo, rimescolando freneticamente per un minuto.Mettere nei piatti, aspettando un paio di minuti prima di servire in modo che il tutto riposi e i sapori si omogeneizzino.

 

Il Barolo mi ha incuriosito per il colore ed il sapore. Per la foto, lo so, la prossima volta pulisco meglio il bicchiere.
Il risotto è stato gradito e credo di inserirlo nei miei piatti da cena con gli amici.

 

This months WBW is brought to us by Andrew Barrow over at Spitoon. Andrew asks us to pick an Italian red wine and describe it in just SEVEN words.  HOW COOL!

Wine – 2003 Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo

Grape – 100% Nebbiolo

Region – Barolo - Piemonte, Italy

Price - $35 Retail, we paid $58 at a local restaurant (Juleps) this past Saturday

My Seven Words -

Hey, who put cherries in my campfire?

Färgen är gudomlig, tegelanstruken men tät. Vi får en ganska klassisk barolonäsa, men den är också överraskande liten. Körsbärsfrukt och skolboksslånbär, plommon och fina unga jordgubbar. Tjäriga övertoner, och - efter en del lock och pock - fikon och hallonbalsamico. Bara den minsta gnuttan fatvanilj anas, liksom några korn mörk, finstämd krydda.

Vinet känns riktigt ungt i munnen, vilket väl är logiskt, men tanninerna är ändå ganska mjuka. Överraskande mjuka, faktiskt. Det känns nämligen rätt stängt överlag. Surkörsbär finns, något varmsött där fruktkärnan brukar sitta, och en violton. Syrorna är ordentligt norditalienska och biter ifrån bra.

När vi äter har den varit dekanterad i drygt två timmar. Lite senare anar man den där tonen av nykrossade bär som brukar betyda ungt lagringsvin. Men på det hela taget har det inte mycket av någonting utan smakar mest generalbarolo utan egen profil. Inte heller senare på kvällen vaknar någon Törnrosa i glaset.

Då undrar man förstås om det här ska förbli ett lite ointressant vin. Med en Rhônesyrah hade man kunnat sitta och diskutera tunnlar, men jag tycker inte att barolo brukar bete sig så. Och åtta år är ungt för en toppbarolo från ett år som 2000, men om det vore problemet borde det smaka just för ungt på ett igenkännligt sätt. 1999 Carobric häromsistens var också ungt, men underbart i sin kaxighet. Bara att vänta flera år på nästa flaska och hoppas på metamorfos.

Inte gott, alltså? Jovars. Men. Inte kraften hos Scavino eller Pio Cesare, inte elegansen hos Giacosa eller Roagna. Och inte det supersexiga finsnickeriet hos husets egen barbera eller nebbiolo från Valmaggiore. Vi dricker ur flaskan, ställer undan den och går vidare i livet. Större krav än så kan man ställa på en barolo i den här prisklassen.

//anders

Just another wedding weblog, vi starete domandando?

Ebbene sì.

Piccioncini's è stato concepito come mentore virtuale, una sorta di guida Michelin dell'ammore che vi aiuterà a districarvi tra le tortuose vie della Provincia Granda e orientarvi con passo sicuro tra le dolci colline delle Langhe. Il blog è aperto a tutti e potrete contattarci per ricevere maggiori informazioni o semplicemente per confermare la vostra presenza all'evento dell'anno.

Allora, siete pronti? Iniziate a curiosare, stampatevi le mappe e programmate un weekend indimenticabile nella Langa del Barolo. Vi aspettiamo!

Ali & Anto

Ora cerco una bella immagine per la testata.

It's a tough job disposing of all that left over wine.

Amorita Bastaja/Wine Contributor

Being a wine rep has its advantages; case in point spending Friday June 27th with Fiorenzo Dogliani, proprietor of Bene di Batasiolo. They are one of the biggest Barolo producers in Piedmonte, and have the top selling Barolo in British Columbia.

Fiorenzo has been coming to Vancouver for thirty years now, and knows more about the city than I do. Amidst the tastings, we pop in to visit many of Fiorenzo’s friends, other Italian gentleman who own restaurants all over the city and give new meaning to the word generous. Wine flows freely and food is ample. By the end of the day I am sleepy and sated. Fiorenzo offers me a gift, a bottle of Batasiolo Briccolina 2001, a single vineyard ‘cru’ Barolo, with promises that I will drink it in celebration.

I drive home after dropping off Fiorenzo at another restaurant owned by friends of his (I don’t know where he gets his energy!) and clean out my car. This is when I realize that I have thirteen half-opened bottles of wine. On a long weekend! Taking a page from Fiorenzo, I phone my friends and let the generosity begin.

Batasiolo Morino Chardonnay 2005 $29.00, Available at Private Liquor Stores and Restaurants

This single vineyard Chardonnay was fermented in small French oak barrels and then aged a further six months in French oak. The oak is well balanced and integrated with the acidity. A subtle tropical nose, with flavors of honey, vanilla and a creamy, buttery finish.

Batasiolo Sovrana Barbera d’Alba 2006 $24.00, Available at BC Liquor Stores

Batasiolo’s single vineyard Barbera is opaque and ruby-red in the glass, almost fringing on purple. A highly perfumed nose of flowers and vanilla. On the palate: plums, berries and tart cherries with slight tannin. An easy drinking red.

Batasiolo Barolo 2004, $36.00, Available at BC Liquor Stores

BC’s number one selling Barolo with good reason. From the Nebbiolo grape, the Barolo is deep garnet in colour with a brick rim. Intense rose petals on the nose and a palate of spice, leather and slight tar. Full bodied with ample tannin and acidity, this wine was made for consumption with food.

Batasiolo Barolo Boscareto 1999, $77.00 upon release, Available at Private Liquor Stores and Restaurants

1999 was a banner year for Italian wine, and this single vineyard Barolo is an excellent example. Tawny in colour and continuing to throw sediment (decant carefully!). Rich nose filled with flowers, leather, figs, cigars and cloves. Explosive on the palate with stewed plums, prunes, roses and leather. Tannins are fine but present and the silky finish lasts forever. Drink and be blissful.

Batasiolo Bosc Dla Rei Moscato D’Asti 2007, $19.95, Available at BC Liquor Stores

A wine made for brunch at only 5.5% alcohol. Straw-gold in colour with a frizzante sparkle. Intensely perfumed nose of flowers peaches, pears and nectarines. Similar on the palate, sweet, full bodied and refreshing. Fantastic with, or in place of dessert.

Eller inte. Det är 28 grader ute och de enda som inte får betalt för att vara där är yours truly och femtio procent av Finare Vinare. Rena spavistelsen - och all tid i världen att ta tempen på en del framtida releaser med skaparen (och importören) till hands.

Hur det smakade? Så här.

• 2006 La Spinetta Barbera d'Alba Gallina
Lite väl mycket fat i näsan ännu, men fin, läcker svartvinbärsmarmelad bakom. Något i doften säger sommaräng, och precis när jag ska skriva anis får jag klockren lakritspuck i näsan. Lakrits och vanilj, då, för den som vill bryta ned. Smaken är idel varm frukt med någon restsötma, mogna körsbär med en kant av vinbär och barberakrydda. Rejält med tanniner för en barbera, men lite dämpade syror; å andra sidan var den nog i varmaste laget. Bör tjäna på lagring.

• 2006 La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo
Egentligen en juniorbarbaresco från Starderi-vingården, där en del stockar (omkring sju år gamla, enligt signore R) inte kvalar in i toppvinet på några decennier till. F&V hyllade nollfemman, men den ligger fortfarande osmakad hemma. Den här årgången har en tydligt ung och lite parfymerad doft där körsbär, med kärnor och allt, dominerar. Lite hustypiska blomtoner finns, och en köttig komponent som komplicerar bilden fint. Faten är väl avvägda och ger mest lite rostat bröd i näsan.

I munnen är det lika ungt, men med bra tryck och stöddiga tanniner - Giorgios (och vinpressens) bild av 2006 som en mycket strukturerad årgång börjar få eldunderstöd. Det smakar syrliga körsbär med en liten beska, molto Piemonte, och en touch svarta vinbär.

• 2006 La Spinetta Pin
En gammal favorit i Spinettas lineup, den här blandningen av nebbiolo och barbera som döpts efter gammelfar Rivetti. 2006 års upplaga har en superattraktiv doft som öppnar med underbara söta blomtoner ovanpå svarta vinbär, körsbär och bittermandelfat. Bra djup, kryddig och generös; örter och choklad finns också, och efter hand lite nebbiolotjära åt asfalthållet. Smaken är mörksöt, gåtfull och aromatisk, särskilt i fullstort glas senare på kvällen. Cassis, lakrits och örter handlar det om. Pin har en bit kvar för att hitta sin definition, men biter ifrån bra och framtiden känns ljus. Eller mörk, om ni vill.

• 2005 La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi
Bara tungviktare kvar nu... Den ljusa barbarescon öppnar med superfin hallonfrukt blandad med jordgubbar. Sedan hojtar vi nästan i munnen på varandra, T och jag: Svartvinbärsbuske! Gnuggade blad och allt. Sötfruktig och generös, inte alls hårdfatad som huset ibland får kritik för; lite vaniljkex att lägga marmeladen på bara, och viss kryddighet.

Tyvärr kan smaken inte matcha. Cassis, plommon och tjära finns, men det känns knutet. Giorgio beskrev 2005 som elegant, och Starderi är lätt och fin i munnen men mittsmaken är väl vek och saknar karaktär. Tanninerna är påtagliga och rätt klistriga - herregud, vi sitter och dricker riktigt ung barbaresco här - och lagring krävs förstås, men risken är att den förblir i tunnaste laget för sin stil. Möjligen är jag lite hård på grund av höga förväntningar, men tar man 750 spänn får man tåla höga förväntningar.

• 2004 La Spinetta Barolo Campé
2000 gjorde barbarescobröderna från Castagnole sin första barolo i en nybyggd anläggning i Grinzane Cavour. Vi luktar på 2004 - och hittar en vinnare i en helt egen klass i kväll. Campé har en lite vresig men underbar doft, komplex och mättad, med kött och läder ovanpå rätt traditionella barolotoner av jordgubbssylt, körsbär och plommon. Dessutom kommer tjäran krypande, och en fantastisk blombukett med violer och rosor.

Trots en elegant lätthet är det ett jäkla drag i smaken. Och trots att den drogs upp dagen före är den länge rätt kärv och tjurig, men ändå härligt sötfruktig med jordgubbarna och körsbären från näsan. Löv och pinje ger mer barolocred. Ungt som tusan, men redan oerhört gott och på gränsen till drickbart med en tung köttbit. Det här är ändå en bit från Spinettas barbarescotrio, lite mer traditionellt i stilen och inte lika fruktdrivet. När det gäller fatdiskussionen har huset dragit ned på rostningen under 2000-talet, och jag tycker absolut att det har höjt kvaliteten.

"Not so bad", säger Rivetti om 2004 Campé, slugt leende, och sätter italienskt rekord i nationalsporten falsk blygsamhet. Undrar vad den här kostar när (om? Kom igen nu, Enosvez... f'låt, Enjoy!) den kommer i butik?

Kvällen på snabbspolning för modernt stressade människor: Campé är en strålande barolo som hamnar på önskelistan så fort jag har sålt av en njure. Pin levererar igen och kommer god tvåa om man tittar på ren karisma. Och när barbarescosystrarna från 2005 kommer har jag fått lite bättre ammunition mot en väldigt dyr frestelse. Tack T för trevligt sällskap - det hade nästan känts löjeväckande att sitta där och sniffa mol allena.

//anders

La Marchesi di Barolo è una grande azienda storica. Fondata nel 1929, trae origine da un'attività vinicola ancor più antica, ossia risalente al 1861, avviata per opera della Marchesa Giulia Falletti Colbert di Maulevrier.

Fu poi il commendator Piero Abbona a diffondere il Barolo in tutto il mondo, con grande successo. Così il Barolo divenne alfiere del vino italiano all'estero, primeggiando nel confronto con i vini francesi, come testimonia la collezione di corrispondenza dei lontani anni '30 raccolta nel sito dei Marchesi di Barolo (qui)

Oggi è Ernesto Abbona a dar voce, cuore ed anima al "suo" Barolo e ne parla con passione e competenza e quel pizzico di compassato e contenuto stupore, tutto piemontese.

Ma ora lasciamo parlare direttamente il Barolo. Annata 1997.

Si svela un vino di colore rubino cupo e austero, tendente al granato. Notevole l'ottima tenuta cromatica dopo 11 anni, come del resto ci si aspetta da un vino di grande longevità. Al naso rivela un ampio ventaglio olfattivo: dalle note fruttate di mora, gelsi fino ad un interessante bouquet floreale accompagnato da sentori di tè, camomilla ed una nota scura di grafite.
Al palato si conferma un fuoriclasse: subito imponente, largo, profondo. Tannino vibrante, acidità pronunciata ma senza eccessi. Lungo, lunghissimo il finale con assoluta coerenza gusto-olfattiva. Un vero capolavoro.

One of my most memorable spring 2008 tastings — a truly extraordinary experience — was a vertical dinner at Mozza in Los Angeles hosted by winemaker Mauro Mascarello of the Giuseppe Mascarello winery (Langa, Piedmont), where he poured bottlings spanning back to 1958.

I've had the opportunity to taste older Giuseppe Mascarello before but never had I seen such a remarkable collection of his wines. In fact, the tasting itself — open to the public — was a remarkable event: when it comes to "rare" wine (and I've attended and even poured at comparable however private tastings), rarely are so many exceptional vintages offered for public consumption. My friend David Rosoff, wine director and general manager at Mozza, orchestrated the dinner and pours with extreme grace and elegance.

The tasting spanned "six decades" and included the following wines:

1958 Barolo, 1961 Barolo Riserva, 1964 Barolo

The Mascarello family bought and moved the Monprivato estate and began making wine labeled simply "Barolo" in 1904. In 1919, Mascarello acquired an ice warehouse in Monchiero, with vaulted ceilings, said Mauro on the eve of the tasting, a storage space that later proved ideal for aging Barolo because of its natural cooling system. In 1922 (the year Mussolini marched on Rome), Mascarello grafted the vines with the Michét (mee-KEHT) Nebbiolo, a less productive but more structured and more age-worthy clone (Mascarello's website reports 1921 but Mauro said 1922 was the year of the newly grafted vines; I find it interesting that these two milestones — the acquisition of the ice warehouse and the grafting of Michét — occurred between the two world wars, a time of hope, a time when Italians were happy for the end of the Great War and the peace that followed yet unaware of the tragedy that would follow Mussolini's rise to power). In 1952 Giuseppe Mascarello began experimenting with Slavonian oak. He had served in the Italian military and Slovenia and had discovered that the more compact wood was better for long-term aging of his wines. In 1962, he started to experiment with the Michét clones, selecting those best suited for his vineyards.

This first flight — 1958, 1961, and 1964 — represented the end of the first era of Mascarello's history and laid the ground work for what many consider one of the most prolific names in Barolo. The 61 and 64 were oxidized unfortunately, but the 1958 — a very good year for Langa — was gorgeous, very much alive with fruit and acidity.

1970 Barolo Monprivato, 1978 Barolo Monprivato, 1982 Barolo Monprivato

The second flight also marked a landmark in the winery's history: 1970 was Mascarello's first cru (single-vineyard) bottling of the legendary Monprivato growing site (Mauro Mascarello began making the wine at Mascarello in 1967 and he would later purchase the entire growing site making it a monopole).

Mascarello's wines are so powerful and are made in such a radically traditional and by-the-way natural style that they often turn off those accustomed to drinking modern-style Nebbiolo. These wines — the 1970, nearly 40 years old — were drinking beautifully and even the modern-leaning guests were blown away. You really need to experience aged traditional Barolo to appreciate what more recent vintages of the wines will become. The 1970 and 1978 were incredibly, nuanced and poetic, with the indescribable lightness that old Nebbiolo takes on as its tannins began to mellow naturally.

The tasting also included: 1985 Barolo Monprivato, 1989 Barolo Monprivato, 1990 Barolo Monprivato, 1996 Barolo Monprivato, 1997 Barolo Ca d'Morissio, 1999 Barolo Monprivato, 2000 Barolo Monprivato, 2001 Barolo Monprivato, 2003 Barolo Monprivato. The 1989, 1999, and 2001 were stunning and the 1997 Barolo Ca' d'Morrisio, made from select parcels within Monprivato in top vintages, was still just a young, powerful thoroughbred colt, showing no signs of opening up yet (as many less traditional producers' wines in this hot-summer Wine Spectator-friendly vintage).

The Ca' d'Morrisio is named after Maurizio Mascarello, Mauro's grandfather (literally, Maurizio's house, so called because Maurizio resided there among the vines). One of the things that strikes me about Mauro (above) is that when you hear him talk about winemaking, he talks like a "natural" winemaker. He's a gentle, reserved, soft-spoken man, extremely humble and painfully modest. Like his wines, he is a traditional man, with a traditional Langa beard, always dressed in toned-down brown, grey, and blue suits it seems. He has none of the flair of the young generation of natural winemakers but to hear him speak is to hear an ardent supporter of natural winemaking — not as a new fad or wave of the future but rather a tradition that he continues to carry forward because it makes for the greatest expression of his land and his fruit.

When I tasted barrel samples of his 2004 Santo Stefano and Villero at Vinitaly this year, I asked him how he manages to maintain such a distinct style in his wines. "Because I let nature do her work," he told me with his thick Langa accent. "I try to let the earth express itself through the fruit. I try to do as little as possible in the cellar," said Mauro, accidental natural winemaker. No natural wine manifesto could have said it better.

But I also want to write about the wonderful people we met in Piemonte before the memories have faded.  

We went to this region of north-western Italy on the advice of friends, and many of the places we visited were on their recommendation. So Dick, Kristin and Matt, thank you -  your advice truly made our 2.5 days in the region hugely enjoyable. 

First thing to say about Piemonte is that it's not that pretty. But it's really not so bad looking either. If you took the rolling hills, vineyards, and fields of barley of Tuscany and scrunched them up into about one tenth the size, you would have the prettiest parts of Piemonte. The hills are lovely, they are just smaller and closer together. The vineyards are beautifully manicured with the vines in perfect rows, but there just aren't as many of them.  Even the kilometres seem shorter in Piemonte - I swear it took less time to drive five of them there than it did in Tuscany. 

The second thing to say is that the hospitality is truly the warmest I have experienced in Europe. This started at Villa La Favorita, which is a lovely B and B just outside of Alba, and is run by a fantastic woman called Roberta. The place itself is gorgeous - a wonderful old, grand and comfortable house with gorgeous gardens and its own little vineyard. When we arrived Roberta brought us ample brochures, maps, and her own suggestions of the things to see and do. But she knows how to go easy. "Go to the Montforte region and plan to spend the day," she implored. "Don't overplan. Just let the day come to you."  She also poured us hefty glasses of her own wine - a fresh fruity red from the Grignolino grape, native to Piemonte.  

We asked her for recommendations for dinner that night. She suggested Eno Club which is on a main square in Alba. The service was fantastic, the food delicious. Piemonte cuisine is known for being influenced by the French - mainly I think because it includes the use of many creamy sauces. We had a bottle of Barbera D'Alba from Sottimano. It was completely reasonable, and delicious. Dick had recommended this producer, and we deliberately sought out more Sottimano bottles from the village of Neive, close to his vineyards. When we asked for it, the shop keeper was enthusiastic: "Sottimano, Number one!" Andrea Sottimano also seems a real gentleman. I had written very last minute to see if he might have some time to show us his caves the next day. He replied a day later, apologised for not having seen his emails, and encouraged us to drop in next time we were through. This we found was very typically kind behaviour from the wine producers of Piemonte.  

We did visit two caves near Montforte, about 25 minutes from Alba. The first was Conterno Fantino. Here, we were both completely charmed by Fabio Fantino, who is 25. Dressed in a "Barolo boyz" baseball cap, jeans and a sports jersey, we both assumed he was helping at the winery. We didn't know he had been to Alba's "wine high school" and that he was carrying on his dad's winemaking tradition.

He took us down to have a look at the cellars, and explained the way grapes are harvested, the way the grapes, seed and skins basically spend time smushing together (called maceration) in huge steel vats, and showed us the barrels where the wine sits for months and years, depending on the grape.  

Down in the cellar, where the temperature stays about 14 degrees in winter or summer,  Fabio explained the history. 

He said his grandfather had been a small producer, but that in the 60's, many young men from the area, needing an income, went to work in the factories. There, they could rely on a paycheque, whereas producing wine was too precarious, dependent on the kindness of the weather. In the early 1980's, Fabio's father and uncle decided to try to make something of the vineyards. Through hard work and developing expertise in the vineyards, the composition of the soil, the angle of the sun, and the desires of the local grapes, their business has thrived.  And while the winery has adapted the latest winemaking techniques, Fabio believes in remaining true to the region's roots. 

"Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto grapes are native here," he emphasised, "So we need to capitalise on this, to make wine from these grapes which only grow really well in Piemonte."  People will know nebbiolo as the grapes which produce Barbaresco, but even better known, the great Barolos of Piemonte. 

He showed us the family's own cave, where they keep a small numbers of bottles from each of the vintages. They have bottles dating back to 1939. "When we make a small change in the winemaking process, testing these bottles helps us to know if the change worked," explains Fabio. "Because the wine takes time to age properly, we sometimes must wait several years to know whether a change we made, or an experiment we tried many years ago was advantageous." 

We loved talking to Fabio. He invited us to try some of the wines. We had a great time chatting to him more about the history of the vineyards in the area. My personal favourite was when he pulled out a map of the region with colour-coded sections marking every single vineyard. He noted that historically and today, they only grow Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo in the vineyards which face exactly south. He then showed us a print-out from Google Earth, at a time shortly after it had snowed. Sure enough, after a day or two, the snow patches in the vineyards remained everywhere but the vineyards which faced exactly south. And the hand-drawn map Fabio showed us matched EXACTLY the contours and lines of where the snow covered the earth, and the ground was bare. 

Fabio spent about 2 hours with us that morning. We bought just a couple of bottles of Fabio's wine, not because we didn't want more, but because we currently aren't working and don't have a home. And he so kindly gave us another bottle to "make present."  He also arranged for us to go see a friend of his - Gian Luca Grasso, who is the son of Elio Grasso, another famous winemaker from the region. 

First though, we went to get lunch at the little Albergo Fabio recommended in Montforte, Grappolo D'Oro. It's right on the town square. The main floor is a cafe/bar, and the 1st floor is the restaurant. We again were treated to wonderful, kind and patient service, and a fantastic, completely affordable lunch of delicious pasta accompanied by more affordable Barbera D'Alba. 

Onto Elio Grasso. Gian Luca welcomed us warmly, and proceeded to show us the winery. He, like Fabio, was proud, and also humbled by family and their business. "I'm a farmer. I'm the son of a farmer," he said.

He showed us a beautiful old cabinet, which his great grandfather had inscribed on a fateful day in 1885. I don't have the exact translation, but it basically said that on this day, it had hailed so hard for 30 minutes, that the vines, the fruit and the flowers had all been destroyed. He stresses that this remains a constant threat of course, and that as recently as 2005 hail destroyed 100% of some of the vineyards. 

His caves were remarkable, as he had recently dug a massive cellar under the house. There were two beside one another, each about 50 metres long, 15 wide, and 10 high. The first was for cask storage, where the humidity was kept at 90% in order to keep the corks and casks where they needed to be for the best results. This was done by running piping under the floor, which channeled natural springwater from the hills. The floors were terracotta, providing maximum breathability. The other side was for aging the wine in bottles, and here, the humidity was kept lower, at 70%, so the bottle corks would not dry out. 

Gian Luca was similarly generous with the wine tasting. We also wanted to purchase a couple of bottles. "No,these are presents," he said, giving us two excellent wines we would enjoy several days later.  

Gian Luca explained that his family's wine was selling so well, it was hard to keep up with demand. He said he liked to ensure his traditional buyers some bottles, but that is was difficult, and that this year's Barolos (produced in 2004 and released this year) were already completely sold out. 

We understood our 20 Euro was not going to make much difference. And, we so appreciated that this didn;t seem to matter to Gian Luca or to Fabio. Both truly just wanted to explain their family history, their vineyards and the ways they produce their wine. "Next time you are back, come for a visit," Gian Luca warmly encouraged. 

That night, we were surprised to run into Fabio in Alba. We saw him at a local wine bar. He was there with his friends, all of whom had gone to wine high school with him. They couldn't have been more charming - offering glasses out of bottles they were sampling, and local bread and cheese to go with their aperitivo. When we offered to buy them a drink, they wouldn't hear of it. "Salute!" we toasted together. And they each put their nose in their glasses, to take in the scent of the gorgeous wines from their homes.
 

As luck would have it, we are launching our 2001 Piemonte campaign at the same time as the French are taking orders for their greatest vintage in many a year: 2005. The great and the good of Bordeaux and Burgundy were greeted by Andrew Jefford’s wonderful header in Decanter (02/07) ‘I wish I could say it’s rubbish’, a sentiment echoed on Pillings Road. Jefford, however, goes on to extol the virtues of the vintage, reminiscing on happy times when a journalist could afford them (without the help of his financial columnist, my words not his). The offer is rubbish, especially when there is so much good wine from elsewhere: is Jadot’s generic Pommard good value at £ 320 (before duty, shipping and vat)? Surely not Ch. Montrose 2005 at £ 660 a case? The world has gone totally mad when Brovia’s Barolo 2001 can be in your cellar in a few days for only £285!

This is a great Nebbiolo vintage, the best I have tasted: it is an approachable one that will satisfy newcomers to the grape, whilst also enthusing those already passionate about this most beguiling variety.

Barolo 2001
2004 in Piemonte is shaping up to be a truly great vintage: not something I say often. 2004 Barolo will not be released until the autumn of 2008, so you can leave your money in your bank account until then making you interest, not us. We have popped Matteo Ascheri’s ‘Bricco San Giacomo 2004’, a Nebbiolo d’Alba, and Brovia’s ‘Sori del Drago 2004’, a Barbera d’Alba onto the order form, as both offer an insight into the greatness of this vintage. Ordinarily both are fresh and approachable in youth, but 2004 has has produced wines with a more taut structure that although rewarding now, will repay further cellaring. The Nebbiolo will be at full stretch around 2011 and the Barbera in 2009.

Brovia

Our principal Barolo producer is Brovia, who only make 60,000 bottles every year. It is a genuine family business, headed slightly unusually and very well by sisters Elena and Christina, with their father still very much in the frame. Alex (Elena’s husband) takes responsibility for sales. They make Barolo exclusively from their own vineyards and have excellent plots in Serralunga and Castiglione in the heart of Barolo country. The production of each wine is tiny. Amazingly, it is the Arneis that sells out even before it goes into bottle each year and we have finally secured a pitiful allocation of what is one the region’s best examples. The Nebbiolos were a problem, as we weren’t sure where to start or what to list - all were fantastic. In the end, we decided to list pretty much the whole lot. My pick is the Rocche: the clays on this site have a high content of sand, which lends an ethereal quality to the wine. The Ca’ Mia is one of the more impressive Barolos I have tasted. It is huge and really needs to do time before drinking and it is the one that will surely win prizes (if you’re into that sort of thing). The Barolo is made slightly differently from the Cru wines. It is very traditional and aged in large barrels for 2 years before being bottled without filtration (as all these wines are). No 2002 Barolo was made by Brovia, so this is the ast chance for a while to buy some.

CA’ MIA 2001, Barolo DOCG

A huge and slightly scary wine, massive damson and berry fruit, massive tannin, incredibly well balanced and remarkably quite floral with white pepper and savoury flavours. A wine for serious Barolo lovers with lots of patience or a palate to translate such a complex proposition. Best 2010 - 2025

RIO SORDO 2001, Barbaresco DOCG

This wine is the first release from this newly contracted vineyard, the only one which Brovia buy the grapes from. It is yet another extraordinary wine from an extraordinary vintage. The acidity is fresh and perfectly judged, the fruit delicate and full with mulberry, truffle, coffee and white chocolate. Best 2007 - 2015

BAROLO 2001, Barolo DOCG

A legend in the making, captivating mulberry, blackcurrant, truffle and violet aromas. The fruit is dark and rich with a fine tannic structure hosting any number of nuances, including pepper, spice and herb. A classic Barolo which is still young, yet will give pleasure if opened in good time (breakfast – for the evening!). Best 2007 - 2013

“one of the best-kept secrets in the region ... Floral, spiced nose and attractive sweet dark fruit”

88 points Parker’s Wine Advocate #167

CRU ROCCHE 2001, Barolo DOCG

We tasted this wine in April and again in September. In April it was all mulberry and berry fruit, with liquorice, sage and basil. In September the fruit came through more strongly. It is a tight and elegant wine with wild strawberry, berry and violet in the fore, backed with chocolate, caramel and sweet herbs. A great wine that will develop for well over 15 years. Best 2009 - 2020

“gorgeous, perfumed nose of roses, sweet fruit and minerals, along with bright red cherry fruit ... fine elegant tannins. A beautiful wine that captures the essence of this terroir” 91 points Parker’s Wine Advocate #167

“imposing ... terrific ... balsamic nose dominated by notes of tar and licorice ... brooding, massive ... superb persistence and length”

93 points Parker’s Wine Advocate #167

In 2001 the weather in Piemonte started off slightly unsettled and a bit damp, gradually improving to be a decent spring with good flowering and fruit set. This was followed by a long, warm, neither too hot nor too dry, summer. The cherry on this particular meteorological cake was the long, hot Autumn, that ensured that the grapes ripened slowly and could be harvested at their optimum ripeness.

Secangkir kopi espresso di pagi hari, segelas teh Darjeeling di sore hari, dan tentu saja segelas wine di malam hari. Itu jadwal minuman spesial sehari-hari. Khusus untuk wine, tidak ada preferensi khusus, walau agak condong ke California, sepanjang memberikan sensasi, that's the best wine. Sayang konotasi di Indonesia masih negatif terhadap peminum wine yang diidentikan dengan pemabuk. A big no. Wine is a wine, classy, and boost our feeling to joy, tanpa harus mabuk dulu. Anyway, streotype memang sudah terbentuk, jadi ya biarlah. Posting ini ditulis dengan ditemani segelas sparkling wine Itali dari Moscato, yang tentu saja so crisp.

If God forbade drinking, would He have made wine so good ? Cardinal Richelieu

Saya bukan fans bubble wine, sebutan banyak orang terhadap sparkling wine seperti champagne yang biasanya diminum dalam acara2 khusus. Carbonated wine jenis ini sebenarnya jauh lebih tua sejarahnya sejak rahib Katolik dari ordo Benedictine Dom Piere Perignon di abad ke-17 menciptakan anggur dengan nama yang kita kenal sekarang, champagne. Menurut catatan, sparkling wine sudah dikenal sejak jaman Romawi dan hingga sekarang sudah banyak di produksi di berbagai negara Eropa termasuk Amerika. Di Itali sparkling wine banyak di hasilkan dari dataran tinggi seperti Lombardy dan Piedmont/Piemonte (tempat anggur Barolo "king of wines" yang legendaris, favorit mbak Anita Carmencita, I presume) .

Satu hal lagi, sparkling wine harganya relatif lebih murah dibandingkan jenis wine biasa. Di Amerika di jual di bawah 100 ribuan atau sekita 9 dolar. Di sini beberapa item masih dijual di bawah 200 ribuan. Moscato yang saya beli di wine cellar di kawasan Kemang Jakarta dibandrol dengan harga 250 ribu per botol. Barolo ? Wah bisa bangkrut tuh.

My humble suggestion, kalau mau mencoba menikmati wine, bisa di mulai dari jenis ini. Rasanya light, rendah alkohol, lebih sweet, dengan rasa buah yang menyegarkan dan harus disajikan dingin (minimal simpan 2 jam di lemari es sebelum diminum dan pantang dicampur dengan batu es)

Enjoy your wine, celebrate your life.

This past 10 days, in between all the last minute preparations for vino roma (like begging wine distributors and reps to sell me wine, please, and when they consent to do so, after many mails and calls, wait for them to deliver), I have been taking part in a lot of wine events here in Rome, most of them thanks to A.I.S., the Italian Sommelier Association, of which I am a proud member.

There was a vertical Barolo tasting (vertical not meaning that we were standing all the time, as one of you asked in an email, but that we tried different vintages of the same wine from one winery - in this case Marchesi di Barolo) where I got to drink the oldest (non-sweet) wine of my life, a 1947 vintage, which was very, very good, smooth as silk and velvet, no tannins to disturb your palate, and with very fine, warm fruit aromas.

There was a 2004 Barbaresco tasting with 23 different wineries, where I got to try the first Gaja of my life (I mean the original, Piedmontese, Gaja, not one of his experiments elsewhere - the next day I had the 2nd and in 10 days I will be drinking more and getting to know Mr. Angelo Gaja himself, so I will hold my evaluation of Gaja back till after that event, he is called a "volcano-like man") along with La Spinetta and Ceretto.

And then there was the Bibenda Day. Bibenda is Italy's best Wine Mag and is affiliated with A.I.S. Every year they organize a day, where the members get to experience a guided tasting of 25 of the best wines to be found, Italians and international ones, rotating every year, from several (old) vintages. I drank the most expensive wines of my life during this evening: nothing under €60, the most expensive at €500, some were invaluable because not on the market! The picture at the beginning is from this tasting. Do you see the perfect accuracy? 50 rows of perfectly prepared tasting tables for a total of 500 tasters at this event: everything was perfectly organized.

They really thought about everything; there were 6 glasses, a spittoon for each taster, booklet of the wines to taste, a booklet for your tasting notes, a pencil, a napkin, bread and cheese, water....The rows and everything on the table were accurately set, the tasting began on time (all the A.I.S. events- 4 up to now - have been on time and well organized, I have to say, we had been expecting anything but good organization based on our experiences in the last two months here in Rome, but A.I.S. is nothing less than perfect) , the excitement was palpable. I really was nervous (in a good way), I have to admit, I knew I would drink wines better than any I had, and so many of them.The tasting was divided into 5 parts, the bubbly, the white, the red - Italians, the red - international, and the sweet. For each part the 90 sommelier on duty (all very friendly and professional) served the wines for that part in our glasses (each part had 3 to 6 wines, a total of 25 wines) and a different specialized moderator for each part talked about the wineries and the wines and did a tasting of each wine, relating his/her thoughts about the wine.

My highlights were:

The bubbly: 1995 Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Spumante Metodo Classico (I loved the base wine of this spumante most; among 1989 Ca'del Bosco and the champagne from Krug, Jacquesson and Bollinger, all 1996)

The white: 1987 Terlano Sauvignon (this was really hard, as I loved all the whites: 1998 Chardonnay Tasca d'Almerita, 1984 Cabreo, 2006 Riesling Dellchen Dönnhof, 2004 Meursault-Genevrières Jobard and 1991 Chevalier-Montrachet Jadot)

The Italian red: 1995 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Valentini (this was the most "ready now", doesn't mean others won't be grand when their time comes: 1999 d'Alceo Castello dei Rampolla, 1999 Sassicaia, 1998 Sorì San Lorenzo Gaja and 2000 Barolo Giacosa)

The international red: 1999 Chateau Margaux (this was also the most expensive wine - aside from some which were invaluable because not on the market at all - with €500 for a bottle. I loved, loved, loved this wine, it was the best one for me in this evening of superlatives. Other international reds were 2002 Chambertin Rossignol-Trapet, 1998 Latour, 2001 Le Méal Chapoutier, 2002 Relentless Shafer and 2001 L'Ermita Velles Vinyes Alvaro Palacios)

The sweet: 1932 Marsala Ambra Dolce Florio (this being the oldest wine I have ever tasted - the record which has been broken twice within a week -, others were 1996 Rotenberg Vendange Tardive Humbrecht and 1975 Sauternes Suduiraut)

If you want to see all the wines we tasted, here they are (pictures courtesy of Bibenda):

Spitzenweine des Piemont zu Gast in Wiesbaden

Das sind zum einen die Weine der Brüder Marco und Vittorio Adriano, die ich gleich zu Beginn versuchte und die bis zuletzt den Maßstab darstellten. Insbesondere der Vergleich der beiden Barbaresci aus dem großen Jahr 2004 (ähnlich 1999) war hochspannend und bestätigte den Triumph der Herkunft vor dem Betriebsstil eindrucksvoll. Schon das transparente Granatrot mit orangen Aufhellungen am Rand des Barbaresco DOCG deutet auf eine vorbildhaft traditionelle Machart hin. Sehr floral-würzig in der Aromatik, im Mund verspielt, fast sexy, besticht dieser Nebbiolo bis zum Abgang durch große Harmonie und verbreitet anspruchsvollen Trinkspaß. Ganz anders der (in meinem Lieblingsglas abgebildete) Barbaresco DOCG 'Basarin' aus jungen Reben einer 40%-steilen Einzellage. Wesentlich dichter in der Farbe, zeigt die sehr fokussierte und kühle Nase anfangs rote Beeren und steinige Noten, die mit aufkommender Würze bereichert werden. Am Gaumen erfrischend mineralisch und präzise, elegant und muskulös zugleich, eine geballte Tanninladung verspricht großes Potenzial.

Zum anderen sind es die Gewächse von Castello di Verduno aus dem Barolo und Barbaresco, die es mir angetan haben. Vor allem, wenn man ihnen genügend Luft und Zeit gönnt, um den betriebstypischen Stinker abzulegen. So war auch der für mich beindruckendste Wein im ganzen Saal der Barolo DOCG 'Monvigliero' aus 2001, einer Einzellage in Verduno mit über 30-jährigen Reben. Im Glas klassisches Rubinrot mit bräunlichem Einschlag, sehr komplexe Nase nach Waldbeeren und Herbstlaub, am Gaumen ausgesprochen dicht, kraftvoll und salzig. Ein hervorragend strukturierter, vibrierender und lange anhaltender Barolo mit großem Charakter.

Die genannten Weine sind hierzulande noch kaum präsent und zu Ab-Hof-Preisen von teilweise deutlich weniger als 20,- € echte Trouvaillen. Beide Betriebe überzeugen auch mit stimmigen Einstiegsweinen aus autochthonen Rebsorten, die nachhaltig beweisen, dass Italiens prestigeträchtigste Weinbauregion mehr als Nebbiolo und Barbera zu bieten hat. Sowohl der kristallklare, an einen Gebirgsbach erinnernde floral-pfeffrige Verduno Pelaverga DOC 'Basadone' als auch Adrianos fruchtig eleganter Dolcetto d'Alba aus aktuellem Jahrgang zeigen Charakter und brauchen sich nirgendwo zu verstecken.

Bildquellen: Consorzio Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero, Castello di Verduno

Sarà stato il coniglio con pinoli e olive nere che ho mangiato

Sarà stato il barolo che ho bevuto

Sarà stata la stanchezza

Non ne ho idea ma questa notte ho sognato Platinette che cercava di sistemare un computer

Freud ti prego spiegami cosa vuole dire

Above: Roman-born Piera Farina makes a line of wines called "Sexy" in Sicily (click the image to read more in Italian).

Does anybody remember the one-hit-wonder Right Said Fred? I'm sure that even Right Said (is that his first name?) wouldn't be "too sexy" for Barolo... unless it were a Barolo made by a modernist producer like Domenico Clerico, who chimed into the "Barolo is the sexiest wine" debacle a few weeks ago saying, "Of course it's a sexy wine, because it's fascinating, just like all things that are hard to attain and conquer."

Maria Teresa Mascarello, a traditionalist producer (one of my all-time favorites), was a little more even-handed in her comment on the "sexy" that never was: "'Sexy' can be an ironic term but I believe that Barolo is more of a intellectual wine. That doesn't mean it's any less seductive. I might have used the word 'intriguing' [to describe Barolo]. I'd use 'Sexy' to define a wine that belongs in a lower category."

Clerico and Mascarello were quoted in Roberto Fiori's January 19 article published in La Stampa, "According to Americans, Barolo is the sexiest wine."

Never mind that Eric Asimov never called Barolo "sexy."

Here's my original post on the tidal wave of misunderstanding that followed an Italian news agency's mistranslation of Eric's January 16 article on Barolo. (The Agenzia Giornalistica Italiana erroneously claimed that he had called Barolo "the sexiest wine.")

Italians' views and attitudes about sex are much more liberal than Americans' and nudity and sexuality are often incorporated into advertising for food and wine. I find it all the more strange that the "sexy" never written caused such a furor there. Below I've collected some "sexy" wine images -- Italian in provenance --- to put it all into perspective.

Alice e il vino is on of Italy's most popular wine blogs (click image to read the post).

Even the Gambero Rosso -- publisher of Italy's leading wine guide -- isn't above the fray.

I found these bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from Emilia-Romagna on Italian Ebay.

*****

I'm too sexy for this blog...

I'm too sexy for my love too sexy for my love
Love's going to leave me

I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt
So sexy it hurts
And I'm too sexy for Milan too sexy for Milan
New York and Japan

And I'm too sexy for your party
Too sexy for your party
No way I'm disco dancing

I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk

I'm too sexy for my car too sexy for my car
Too sexy by far
And I'm too sexy for my hat
Too sexy for my hat what do you think about that

I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I shake my little touche on the catwalk

I'm too sexy for my too sexy for my too sexy for my

'Cos I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I shake my little touche on the catwalk

I'm too sexy for my cat too sexy for my cat
Poor pussy poor pussy cat
I'm too sexy for my love too sexy for my love
Love's going to leave me

And I'm too sexy for this song

-- Right Said Fred

On Nov 6th I went to a wine tasting and lunchen at the "Menu dell' Assaggio".at the Italian Wine Merchants. It was a tasting of Fontanafredda Barolo going back to 1967.The speaker was Danilo Drocco the wine maker.Signor Drocco first vintage for Fontanafredda was 1999. Before this he worked with Bebe Colla at Pronuotto a very traditional wine maker and stayed on when Piero Antinori brought the winery and introduced a more modern style.

Fontanafredda is not only one of the oldest produces in Barolo but aslo one of the largest The first 3 wines we tasted 2001,2000and 1999 were all made by Signore Drocco. All three wines had very little color and you could tell that thay were all made from nebbiolo He spoke about the vineyards and said he gets ripe tannians through vineyard management. After the grapes are crushed the process of pumping the juice over the cap of skins begins immediatly. This is done frequently for about 3 days.Then there is 45 more days of skin contact . At some point he takes the wine out of the tank with the skins and puts it in another tank and after 3 days put it back in the tank with the skins! This exposes the juice to oxygen and gives it more flavor. He uses a combination of botti and barriques. The barriques were not new but second and third passage.

The 1990 Vigna la Rosa was showing its age. This vintage had gotten a lot of press. Danilo believed that the wine was ready to drink and he was right. The 1989 is a more typical Barolo vintage and will last for many more years. 1997 also got a lot of press,some wine writers saying it was the vintage of the century! Most producers feel that 1996 was a better vintage. Once again the same thing holds true for the 2000 and 2001. The 2001 being the better vintage.

My favorite was the 1982 Vigna la Rosa. It a typical Nebbiolo with hints of tobacco.The 1967 was holding up very well. Back then there were no single vineyard Barolo

Det tar flera dagar att vrida nacken av korkskruvsångesten, men jag är till slut för nyfiken på var Carobric står efter åtta år. Snabbt i karaff innan jag kommer på andra tankar. Scavino gör som ryssarna och smäller ihop de tre vingårdarnas första stavelser till en uttalbar förkortning: Cannubi, Rocche di Castiglione och Bric dël Fiasc blir Carobric. En sådan cuvée ger ofta bättre möjligheter att hantera svåra år. Å andra sidan argumenterar många för att 1999 är underskattat i Piemonte.

Nå, nog med teori och rakt på kärnbudskapet: Det här är en enastående upplevelse. Doften är så rik och intensiv att huvudet börjar snurra, och då menar jag inte välkammat hänförd yrsel - tänk Linda Blair i Exorcisten. Moreller, torkade jordgubbar, körsbärskärnor, bittermandel, anis... lite löv och tobak i bakgrunden. Och så, medan vi sätter i oss rådjuret och schalottenlöksmarmeladen, tränger sig tjäran fram mellan bänkraderna och sätter sig ogenerat mitt i salongen. Jag älskar den där tjärdoften som aldrig blir så intagande som i barolo.

Smaken är lika bedövande intensiv, högextraherad och tjock men inte inställsam eller syltig, med lite tobak i eftersmaken. Enrico Scavino drar åt det moderna hållet, framför allt med tanke på extraktionen och faten, men detta är bona fide barolo.

Vinet är absolut inne i sitt drickfönster - men lika absolut inte uppe på toppen. Ungdomen talar framför allt på två sätt: 1) Frukten har samma karaktär av nykrossade bär som ung port, och 2) man ska tillhöra dem som gärna äter tanniner till frukost för att få ut max av Carobric i dag. Som jag. Tanninerna biter ifrån som ett lejon, men smakrikedomen runt omkring hanterar dem galant. Ett lysande viltvin. Ännu godare om fyra år, när garvsyran givit plats åt mer mognadstoner och komplexitet? Jag tror och hoppas det.

Är det oseriöst att på stående fot utse en kandidat till årets topplista redan i januari? Å andra sidan har väl bordelaisarna pratat om århundradets årgång flera gånger sedan millennieskiftet.

//anders

In questi giorni, gli ennesimi assaggi positivi di alcuni vini del 2002, nella fattispecie uno tra i più noti Supertuscan, ed un Nero di Troia sorprendente, mi hanno fatto venire in mente, che invece secondo i pareri di autorevoli colleghi incontrati in vari concorsi e tasting, l'annata vinicola 2002 denominata benevolmente come "annata diversa" è ritenuta come annata decisamente sottotono, ed è stata definita "di pioggia" nella maggior parte delle zone vinicole italiane, da quella del Brunello di Montalcino, a quella di Barolo e La Morra, ad ampie zone del Veneto, passando per l'Umbria, la Campania e la Puglia.

La "comunicazione del vino" ha dunque già decretato, forse prima del tempo aggiungo io, che i grandi vini storici di lungo invecchiamento di quest'annata hanno minor potenziale rispetto a vini di annate precedenti, ma adesso riprendendo qualche bottiglia ed assaggiandola, non è così certo questo convincimento. Non sono mai a favore dei giudizi senza appello, figuriamoci se poi si parla di una materia viva e così mutevole come il vino. In quest'ultimi anni, il modo di giudicare vini ed annate è stato iperbolico, con giudizi sulle vendemmie che vanno da cinque stelle galattiche, a raccolti estremamente mediocri, al limite della qualità in bottiglia. A mio parere il 2002 è stata un’annata certamente difficile, ma la vera realtà è che ogni regione, ed in particolare ogni singola microzona ha reagito in maniera differente alle varie avversità temporali, ed i produttori in alcuni casi, sono riusciti a portare in bottiglia comunque prodotti eccellenti.

Qualche esempio che mi sovviene: ho degustato dei Barolo base 2002 di tutto rispetto, meritevoli di lode, grandi vini toscani dell'annata ' 02 messi a confronto con quelli dell'annata ' 03, hanno evidenziato una minor concentrazione di colore e di sostanze estrattive, ma certamente maggior equilibrio e finezza. In Puglia è stato davvero un anno di piogge torrenziali, ma i vini che ne sono venuti fuori, vuoi per i particolari parametri enotecnici delle uve, vuoi per il lavoro svolto in cantina da parte di qualificati ed attenti enologi, sono risultati essere veramente interessanti. Sicuramente vini di elevato livello qualitativo hanno espresso il Trentino, la Valtellina e la Sicilia.

Per ogni singola denominazione che si voglia prendere in considerazione, i profumi, i sentori gustativi e la qualità generale del vino sono determinati da molteplici fattori: il tipo di terreno, l’esposizione dei vigneti, i tempi di vendemmia, la lavorazione in cantina, oltre ovviamente la qualità delle uve. Ebbene mi è capitato in quest'ultimo periodo di bere addirittura delle riserve di alcune Docg e Doc targate 2002, decisamente superiori a quelle del 2003, ed allora come la mettiamo ?. E’ sempre meglio assaggiarli davvero bene i vini, prima di parlarne (soprattutto se male).