Palmina - Italian Varieties beautifully done in California

Steve Clifton and his wife Chrystal Seals (Photo courtesy of Palmina)

As my specialty in the wine business is reporting on the wines of Italy, I'm often asked to taste examples of California wines made with Italian varieties, so called Cal-Ital wines. Over the years, I've sampled some nice whites - primarily from Mendocino County - as well as a nicely crafted red or two from various zones in California (a Luna Sangiovese from more than a decade ago is a pleasant memory).

But I can't say that any of them have greatly impressed me; yes, they've been pleasant and nicely balanced and in some cases, even displaying the lively acidity you expect from these varieties. But few of these wines have the structure or complexity of their Italian counterparts. 

I started to think that maybe it's just not possible to make notable wines from Italian varieties in California. After all, the conditions - from soil to climate - are radically different and let's face it, the growers are going to plant successful varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and others in the finest sites; Italian varieties will often have to thrive in less than stellar conditions in California.

But then I tried the wines of Palmina from Santa Barbara, which has me thinking, yes, it is possible to make beautifully crafted wines from Italian varieties in the Golden State. The brains behind Palmina is Steve Clifton, who is one-half of the Brewer-Clifton winery that produces brilliant Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, primarily from small vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation (I'll post on these wines in the near future). Steve founded the operation in 1995 and named it after a dear friend who taught him all about the love and wonder that goes into Italian wine and food.

Steve has clearly learned these lessons well, as his wines are as fine a collection of Cal-Ital wines as I've tried. I tasted the wines with Steve last week at a distributor tasting in Chicago and while I didn't try everything, I was very impressed with several of the wines. Regarding the whites, the clear winner for me was the 2009 Arneis. This variety yields a medium-bodied white with aromas of pear and pine and is generally made without any oak aging (or very little) in Piemonte. The Palmina is partially aged in neutral oak, so the perfumes are not hidden under the wood notes; also the wine has a slight touch of minerality and very good acidity (the Honea Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley from where this fruit is sourced, is influenced by fog, meaning cool temperatures and a long hangtime). This is a wine that will drink well over the next 2-3 years and would be fine with a variety of foods, from shellfish to roast chicken.

The 2009 Dolcetto, sourced from two Santa Barbara vineyards (one the Honea vineyard and the other the Zotovich vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA), has pleasant freshness with youthful black cherry and black raspberry fruit with good acidity. This has medium-weight tannins and is quite tasty; this is a Dolcetto with very fine typicity- you might think you were drinking an example from Piemonte. Enjoy this over the next 2-3 years with pizza or lighter pastas or red meats.

The real surprise for me was the 2006 Nebbiolo. Now you have to understand that for me, Nebbiolo is almost sacred. Only in a few small zones in Piemonte - most notably Barolo and Barbaresco along with Gattinara - as well as the Valtellina district in northern Lombrdia - have historically displayed the proper conditions in which this variety can yield world class wines. So anyone who plants Nebbiolo in California has their work cut out for them (they may also need to have their heads examined, given the folly of such an adventure, but that's another story).

The 2006 Palmina Nebbiolo was a wonderfully pleasant surprise for me then. The wine has the proper deep garnet color; that along with the dried cherry and cedar aromas told me that Clifton had properly aged the wine in large wooden casks. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a movement in Piemonte to age Barolo in small oak barrels, as if to give the wine a more modern identity - one with more spice and perhaps a bit more flash, if only to influence certain wine critics. While a few producers made brilliant wines, too many of these wines for me were not what I wanted from Barolo. Tradition had been replaced in these wines by ripeness and power.

So I clearly love traditional Nebbiolo and that is exactly what this Palmina wine is all about. Clifton aged the wine for three years in large wooden casks, ranging from 3500-7000 liters; producers in Barolo who use large casks work with sizes ranging from 3000-5000 liters). The wine is quite elegant, even with its youthful tannins and has very good acidity. This is a wine of balance and varietal character, not a wine of power or strength. Now I'd never mistake it for a cru Barolo or Barbaresco, but it is quite recognizable as Nebbiolo and it compares well with some examples of Nebbiolo d'Alba or Langhe Nebbiolo.

I'm not sure I'd ever thought that was possible in California. But thanks to the dedicated work of Steve Clifton and his team at Palmina, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Arneis and a few other Italian varieties are performing beautifully in the New World. The key, like it is with the best Italian restaurants in America, is capturing the spirit of Italy. I can't wait to try some of the single vineyard Nebbiolos from Palmina. Nice work, Steve!

A Discovery from Piemonte

Giuseppino Anfossi, proprietor, Az. Agr. Ghiomo (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Recently I attended a wine dinner at Pelago Ristorante in my hometown of Chicago, which was organized by the importer of Ghiomo, a small estate in the Roero district of PIemonte. Present at the dinner was Giuseppino Anfossi, owner of the estate, along with his winemaker, Sergio Molino. 

The Roero district is located across the Tanaro River from the Barbaresco and Barolo zones. Soils are younger and produce red wines with lighter tannins than those famous offerings, meaning that Nebbiolo from the Roero is more approachable upon release. That being the case, Barbera is often planted here as is the white variety Arneis, which has become the most recognized wine of the area. 

There were two examples of the Ghiomo Arneis poured this evening: the "Fussot" and the "Imprimis", both from the excellent 2009 vintage. Both display very nice varietal character with pine and pear aromas, with the latter offering a bit more richness on the palate. Both wines are quite elegant and nicely styled for food and are also very reasonably priced, the former at $18 and the latter at $23 (US retail).

Next was my favorite wine, the 2006 Barbera d'Alba "Lavai", that offered excellent varetal purity and lovely balance. This wine was aged in large barrels, so the wood notes were quite subtle, which was a nice touch for my tastes. Too many examples of Barbera these days are excuses for the winemaker to ratchet up the oak, as if the producer is trying to make a "serious" wine out of Barbera, in other words, make a more heavy duty wine instead of crafting an elegant, tasty wine. This bottling also has lovely freshness and will offer pleasure for another 3-5 years; at $17, this is a real find. Complimenti to enologist Sergio Molino for his minimal approach to the winemaking here at Ghiomo.

Sergio Molino, winemaker, Ghiomo (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

Two bottlings of Nebbiolo followed: the 2006 Nebbiolo d'Alba "Vigna Granda" and the 2006 Nebbiolo d'Alba "Sansteu". Both wines are understated and quite approachable now with the latter offering a bit more punch in the finish. Look for both of these wines to drink well for the next 5-7 years. Again the purpose of these wines are to pair with food - these are not Barolo or Barbaresco meant for a decade of cellaring. Pair these with veal or pork or even braised rabbit.


The final wine of this evening was the beautifully crafted 2007 Barbera d'Alba "Ruit-Hora", sourced from the vines that receive the most sun. There is 5% Nebbiolo and this wine is a more modern style offering, aged in barriques. This is ripe and full, yet the oak is very subtle and again, the Barbera varietal flavors shine. This was a lovely way to finish the dinner especially with the creative pairing of a morel cherry in pastry as offered by Chef Mauro Mafrici.

I decided to write about this producer, as I not only loved the wines as well as the pricing, but also the honesty of this estate. Ghiomo is one of hundreds of producers in Italy that make wine without a lot of headlines - it's doubtful you'll find their name listed in books that profile the best estates of Piemonte, but then again, a lot of those lists revolve around famous names that make excellent wines to be sure, but also ones that have a lot of marketing power.

Ghiomo on the other hand, is all about making wine that captures varietal character and reflects a sense of place. Anfossi and Molino are interested first and foremost in making the best wine they can from their local vineyards. That's the beauty of Italian wine and it's one more reason to keep on with the journey - you never know when you're going to discover the next producer such as Ghiomo!

My thanks to importer Paolo Cerruti for his help and support regarding this dinner.

Values from Piemonte

I'm fortunate that in my travels, I have the opportunity to try so many excellent wines from Italy and other countries. Many of these wines are limited and priced above $50, so believe me, I appreciate the chance to sample these wines.

But I'm always excited to try wines that combine excellence with an honest price. I'm even more excited when these wines are from a region where values are not commonplace. Evidence of that are two new bottlings from Giacosa Fratelli, a small producer in Neive in the province of Cuneo in Piemonte.

Giacosa is known most of all for their bottlings of Barbaresco, as the town of Neive is one of three where this Nebbiolo-based wine can be produced. I tasted two bottlings of theirs from the newly released 2007 vintage: the "Basarin" and the "Basarin Vigna Gianmate", both of which I have rated as excellent (4 out of 5 stars). Each offers impressive depth of fruit, lovely aromatics and gentle, silky tannins (especially the Gianmate bottling). These are among the finest bottlings of Barbaresco from the notable 2007 vintage; both should be at their best in 10-12 years.

Like most producers, Giacosa Fratelli also produces other local wines and these are the ones I'd like to focus on in this post. The 2009 Roero Arneis is a lovely dry white made from grapes grown in the Roero zone, across the Tanaro River from the Barbaresco zone. This is medium-full with typical pine and pear aromas with a nicely balanced finish with very good acidity. This is a tasty, refreshing dry white that is ideal with risotto with vegetables or lighter seafood. 2009 was a brilliant vintage in Piemonte, so there's a bit more depth of fruit than in other years, meaning this wine could hold for another two years (though it's so appealing now, so why wait?). Best of all, it's priced at $17 retail; as Arneis has become quite a sensation in America over the past few years, this is quite a value.

The winery's 2007 Barbera d'Alba from the Bussia vineyard in Monforte d'Alba is another wonderful success. Rich with the spice so typical of the Barbera grape, this has a nice zesty, tangy quality to it that makes it perfect for grilled chicken, ribs or pork or pastas such as tajarin with beef and tomatoes. Barbera has very light tannins for a red wine, so that makes this wine quite drinkable now, even though 2007 was a year that resulted in deeply concentrated red wines in this area. Stylistically, I love this bottling as the winemaker decided to age this wine in large oak casks instead of barriques, thus keeping the focus on the tantalizing black cherry and blackberry fruit. It's a real pleasure to taste this wine, especially when you consider that you are getting a Barbera from a single vineyard from an excellent vintage and you only have to shell out $17 for the wine - a remarkable value!

For me, there is no other region in Italy that produces as many outstanding wines as does Piemonte, but let's face it, you usually have to pay for that quality. So how nice that these two wines, from a very consistent, quality driven producer such as Giacosa Fratelli are so good and so affordable! Here's hoping that more producers from this area follow suit!


The wines of Giacosa Fratelli are imported by Wines from Bedford, Larchmont, NY

The Faces of Piemonte

For me, many of the best wines are intertwined with the people that make them. Perhaps that’s my primary reason why I love the wines of Piemonte so much (there are many reasons, of course). This is a land where third, fourth and fifth generation farmers and vintners are growing grapes and making wines that reflect their viticultural area as well as themselves. These aren’t wines made by committee that are market-driven; rather these are individual offerings that speak to producing what the land offers.

There are numerous personalities in Piemonte who have impressed me with the straightforward approach they lend to their work. Take a look at the photo above of Sergio Barale – here’s someone you can trust to deliver honest wines. His Barolos (Barale Fratelli) from the Castellero vineyard – and now from the famous Cannubi vineyard - are steeped in tradition. Aged in large wood, the wines have excellent varietal purity, refined tannins and healthy acidity; they will age gracefully. Barale puts just as much effort into his Barbera and Dolcetto as well; elegant and tasty, these are ideal wines to accompany local cusisine. Even his Chardonnay, a grape not widely planted in Piemonte is refreshing and attractive, as he avoids wood aging, preferring to let the fresh fruit shine through. Sergio is also quite humble; if he gets a good score in a magazine, well that’s fine, I guess, but I’ve never heard him talk about that subject. For Sergio, it’s all about making authentic, subdued wines.


How about Matteo Ascheri – is this the face of someone who enjoys what he’s doing? Matteo is the proprietor of Cantine Giovanni Ascheri in Bra, located just outside the Barolo zone. He produces a wide range of wines, from a complex Arneis to intensely fruity and wonderful bottlings of Dolcetto to two gorgeous Barolos from his Sorano vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba. While these Barolos do share many traits of a typical Barolo from this commune – beautiful structure for long-term aging - these are a bit more perfumed than the typical Serralunga Barolos. Keep an eye out for these wines; his bottlings from the 2004 vintage were remarkably elegant with lovely red cherry and cedar aromas backed by silky tannins. If you’re ever in Bra, make sure you visit the cellars and plan on enjoying lunch at the osteria Matteo owns (Osteria Murivecchi, right next to the winery), which offers extremely well prepared pastas and meats. Keep room for the outstanding selection of cheeses, especially the local toma.



Many vintners have graciously spent plenty of time with me during my visits, answering my seemingly endless questions over a glass of wine in their cellar or at a local trattoria. Alessandro Locatelli of Rocche Costamagna has been one of the kindest, showing me around not only his vineyards, but those of his neighbors in La Morra as well. Along with detailed cellar tours and tastings at his winery, Alessandro has been instrumental in helping me understand the local terroir, so I can see why his Barolo tastes quite different from one produced in a different commune. He was awarded the prestigious Tre Bicchieri rating from Gambero Rosso for his 2004 Rocche dell’Annunziata Barolo. Certainly in my eyes, this award was both for the wine and for the vision he has had for many years now of crafting the most elegant, authentic Barolos (as well as some tantalizingly delicious Dolcettos) he possibly can.


Finally, Pietro Ratti has been invaluable to me regarding the history of Barolo. His father Renato was one of the most respected vintners of this area, especially for his work in mapping out the indivdual crus and sub-zones of Barolo back in the late 1970s. Pietro today carries on the message of the importance of these sites, telling me the work in Barolo today, “has moved from the cellar into the vineyards.” Energetic, positive and graceful, Pietro always seems to have a smile on his face. Perhaps that’s because he recognizes how fortunate he is to carry on the tradition of his father.

There are so many more people in Piemonte I am indebted to – and I didn’t even mention the vintners in Barbaresco or Asti! I guess I’ll have to write about them in a future post.


One final note- I am off to Puglia for several days, so no new posts for the next week or so, but I’ll report on these wines next time.