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.

The Pleasure of Tradition - Piemontese Style

I enjoyed lunch at Francesca’s on the north side of Chicago with my friend and fellow Italian wine lover Jeremy McMahon the other day. Jeremy’s only been in the wine business for a few years, but he’s already accomplished something I haven’t – he’s worked a harvest in Piemonte. How I envy him for that!

We talked about his experience over lunch. He worked for Paolo Sarocco for the Moscato harvest in Castiglione Tinella and after finishing that, Sarocco told him about a fine Barbaresco producer by the name of Pasquale Pelissero (also known as Cascina Crosa), located in the town of Neive. Jeremy went to work there and by the way he told his story, I could tell that he loved his time in the vineyards (especially tasting the ripe grapes) and was grateful for the kindness of the local vintners.

He brought a bottle of the 2005 Barbaresco “Bricco San Giuliano” from Pasquale Pelissero and it accompanied our lunch like it was meant specifically for our spinach and pastas. This is a textbook example of this wine; my notes describe the currant and persimmon aromas, rich concentration, subdued oak, lively acidity and graceful finish.

We both loved the wine for numerous reasons, most specifically because it was an elegant accompaniment to our food. There was clearly no thought on the part of the winemaker to fashion a “big” wine that would be awarded high scores in a wine magazine. Rather the winemaking here was respectful of the fact that whoever tried this wine would enjoy it with food.

This is a classic concept in Piemonte and throughout most of Italy that is not always respected these days. Too many estates (usually in other regions farther south than Piemonte) are pushing the ripeness of their grapes and crafting modern, forward, overblown wines meant to impress certain influential wine publications. As my friend Jeremy Parzen wrote to me in a recent email, “these producers have sold their soul for a score.”

There’s been plenty written about this trend by Jeremy, Franco Ziliani, Alfonso Cevola and many other wine journalists who respect tradition and terroir in Italian wines. There’s no need for me to add that much more except to say that we need to keep reminding consumers that there are differences between wines that overwhelm you (the wow factor) and the ones that try to delight you. Tradition in Italian wines is all about the simple pleasure of pairing a wine with the local foods. How nice that the people associated with Pasquale Pelissero as well as hundreds of other Piemontese producers understand that!

Santa Lucia Highlands - Premier Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Morning fog over Double L Vineyard of Morgan (Photo ©Tom Hyland)


Over the past five or six years, the Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) has become one of the great viticultural appellations in California. Located about a thirty-minute drive directly east of the city of Monterey, this is Steinbeck country where fields planted with lettuce, asparagus, celery and other crops dominate the landscape. Tucked between these fields and the hillsides of the Santa Lucia range, a few dozen vintners have planted vineyards primarily to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A fierce wind comes in the valley every afternoon, moderating temperatures and shutting down the vines, making this ideal for early ripening varieties.

Dan Karlsen, winemaker at Talbott Vineyards (Photo ©Tom Hyland)


Some of California’s finest Chardonnays are from this area; two that immediately come to mind are the Sleepy Hollow bottling of Talbott and the “Double L” from Morgan. Both have great intensity of fruit and excellent structure and vibrant acidity that make them ideal candidates for aging. Dan Karlsen, who has recently taken over winemaking duties at Talbott, is currently producing some of the best wines from this estate in some time; the Sleepy Hollow offering beautiful pineapple fruit (a direct result of the classic old Wente clones), a rich mid-palate and lively acidity. The Morgan, made by Dan Lee, displays pear and Meyer lemon flavors along with notes of spice in the finish. Other first-rate Chardonnays from Santa Lucia include the 2006 Paraiso, an excellent value at $18 and the gutsy McIntyre Estate bottling from 2007, a wine that has great depth of pineapple and golden apple fruit backed by a rich finish with great persistence. This is an outstanding value at $27- don’t miss this one!

As for Pinot Noir, SLH has become one of the top growing areas in all of California. Joe Wagner, vineyard manager for Belle Glos (the Pinot Noir project of Caymus) told me that, “of all the Pinot Noir sites we farm in California, I get the most consistent fruit from our SLH site.” Other great sites include the Pisoni Ranch, which is the source of Pinot Noir for about a dozen of the finest producers of this variety throughout the state. Gary Pisoni, a free thinker if there ever was one, is a fanatic about French clones of Pinot Noir and it shows in the big spiciness in his wines. Pisoni along with his partner Gary Franscioni also owns the appropriately named Garys’ Vineyard, another great Pinot Noir site prized by some of California’s best producers.

Lee also crafts a gorgeous Pinot Noir from his “Double L” vineyard; the current 2006 bottling offers up aromas of cardamom, cumin and morel cherry; there is excellent depth of fruit, light spice and beautifully defined acidity. Also look for these SLH Pinot Noirs: the outstanding 2006 Belle Glos “Las Alturas”, the 2006 or 2007 Paraiso “West Terrace”, a spicy wine with silky tannins and the 2006 Pessagno “Four Boys”, made from the La Tache clone of Burgundy.

There are other varieties planted in SLH as well; Paraiso makes an excellent dry Riesling with light notes of pear and lime, while Lee has planted a small amount of Syrah at “Double L” (the current 2006 with its flavors of black cherry and mocha is remarkable).

But it is the Burgundian varieties that have made the Santa Lucia Highlands one of the finest growing areas in all of California and the good news is that the producers there are just starting to get on a roll. I can’t wait to taste the bottlings from this area over the next few years!

Favorite Italian Red Wines of the Year

Detail of the Sorano Vineyard of Ascheri in Serralunga d'Alba, source of one of the author's best bottlings of Barolo from this past year. (Photo ©Tom Hyland)



This year many of my top Italian reds centered on a common theme – they were from the glorious 2004 vintage. The Barolos from that year are stunning, the Amarones are polished and the bottlings of Taurasi are wonderfully concentrated with their typical charm. Throughout the country, 2004 was a remarkable success for Italian reds.

Here are my favorites (listed from north to south in Italy):

2004 BAROLOS
Rarely has there been a collection of Barolos with such deep fruit aromas, concentration of fruit and gorgeous acidity. There are so many great 2004 Barolos that I can’t list them all, but here are a few favorites: Fontanafredda “La Villa”, the least known, but most elegant of the three cru Barolos produced by this historic estate; Cascina Cucco “Vigna Cucco” and “Cerrati”, two beautifully supple bottlings from this small estate in Serralunga d’Alba; Ascheri “Sorano Coste e Bricco”, one of the most finesseful of all the 2004 Barolos and the Ettore Germano “Prapo”, a wine with vibrant spice backed by graceful tannins.

Also, the Elio Grasso “Vigna Chiniera”, a traditionally produced beauty from Monforte d’Alba; the powerful Aldo Conterno “Romirasco”, that displayed remarkable concentration and two beautifully structured offererings from Roberto Voerzio – “Rocche dell’Annunziata Torriglione” and "Sarmassa". These wines are ultramodern in style as they are aged in barriques, yet the layers of fruit are the story and not the oak.

Finally, other top Barolos include Vietti “Rocche”; Rocche Costamagna “Bricco Francesco”, the finest bottling of this wine I’ve tasted to date; Luigi Baudana “Baudana”; Cogno “Ravera” from the commune of Novello and the Damilano “Liste” from the commune of Barolo.


Bruno Nada, winemaker at Fiorenzo Nada. He produced one of the author's top bottlings of Barbaresco from this past year. (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

2005 BARBARESCOS
Though less powerful than the bottlings from 2004, the Barbarescos from 2005 are equally impressive, at least for the best producers. Three wines take the top spots on my list: Fontanabianca “Sori Burdin” with its distinctive aromas of rose petals, cumin, allspice and dried orange peel; Fiorenzo Nada “Rombone” with its excellent fruit persistence, nicely styled tannins and lively acidity and finally the elegantly styled Rizzi “Boito” that offers plush aromas of red cherry, strawberry and red spice along with big fruit persistence and lively acidity. This is one of the most underrated producers in Piemonte and all of Italy!

2004 ANTOLINI AMARONE “MOROPIO”
This is a gorgeous Amarone that takes you back to the days when local producers concentrated more on elegance than power. This offers beautifully perfumed aromas of violets, black raspberry, a hint of chocolate, molasses and rum, is balanced throughout and has lovely acidity and subtle oak. I wish more producers made their Amarone in this style!

2004 TENUTA SANT’ANTONIO AMARONE “SELEZIONE ANTONIO CASTAGNEDI”
Although this is a bit more modern in style than the Antolini, this is still a lovely Amarone with great finesse. Big aromas of red cherry, coriander and tobacco and a lengthy finish- this is beautifully made. I prefer this wine to the riper, more powerful “Campo dei Gigli” bottling from this producer.

2005 TENUTA SAN GUIDO “SASSICAIA”
2005 TENUTA DELL’ ORNELLAIA “ORNELLAIA”
You might expect these selections from Bolgheri to be no-brainers and to some extent they are, but these are more impressive to me than their respective 2004 bottlings, as they offer more lively acidity and backbone. Some will prefer the 2004s for their power, but the 2005s aren’t exactly lighweights and I admire the overall balance of these wines from start to finish. Look for these wines to be at their peak in 15-20 years.

2005 TENUTA DI BISERNO “IL PINO”
Another Bolgheri red from a relatively new estate headed by Lodovico Antinori (formerly of Ornellaia) along with his brother Piero. This blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot has explosive aromas, excellent fruit persistence and lively acidity and should be at its best in 10-12 years.

2005 MARINA CVETIC MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO
I listed this producer’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo as one of my favorite whites of the year and this glorious red made by the Gianni Masciarelli (Marina’s husband who recently passed away) is one of my top reds. This is a flavorful wine with notes of tobacco and myrtle with lively acidity and a long finish- it’s simply delicious!

2004 MASTROBERARDINO TAURASI “RADICI”
Is there another producer of Taurasi that makes as flavorful – and at the same time – elegantly styled bottling than Mastroberardino? The winery’s approach with this 100% Aglianico really shines in a great vintage such as 2004. You get the textbook chocolate and cherry flavors, great fruit persistence and young, but balanced tannins. Look for this to be at its best in 15-20 years.

2005 MARISA CUOMO RAVELLO ROSSO RISERVA
Here is another winery that I included in my list of best whites of the year for its 2007 Furore Bianco “Fiorduva”; this lesser known wine also makes the list for best reds. A blend of 50% Aglianico and 50% Piedirosso aged in barriques, this is quite stylish with flavors of black cherry, licorice and tobacco backed by tart acidity. It’s not a powerhouse – it will be at its best in 5-7 years - but it is quite impressive!

2004 DUCA DI SALAPARUTA “DUCA ENRICO”
For some time now, this has been one of Sicily’s most complex and beautifully structured reds. Winemaker Carlo Casavecchia has produced one of his finest efforts to date with this gorgeous effort from 2004. 100% Nero d’Avola from vineyards near Gela in southeastern Sicily, this has inviting aromas of marascino cherry and fig backed by subtle oak, lively acidity and velvety tannins. This is an oustanding bottling of Duca Enrico; look for this to be at its peak in 12-15 years.


Please note that I did not list any bottlings of Brunello di Montalcino. This has nothing to do with the current situation in Montalcino, rather it has to do with the quality of the current releases from the 2003 vintage. Though there were some successes, overall the wines offer bitter tannins, robbing these wines of their usual elegance and finesse. Given that the 2004 bottlings of Brunello will be released in 2009, I expect several of these wines to be on my list of the Best Italian Reds next year.

Favorite Italian White Wines of the Year

Cantina Tramin in Alto Adige. Three of my top Italian white wines I tasted this year were from this great estate. (Photo ©Tom Hyland)


White wines just don’t get the proper due in this world, especially when compared to red wines. If you think the situation is this way in California and France, imagine how it is for Italian white wines. Hey, everybody knows about the great reds, such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and Amarone, but who reads much about the country’s whites?

Well I love Italian white wines and today I’m going to celebrate all their glories (especially the aromatic whites) and share my list of my favorites I tasted in 2008. This was an especially good year for Italian whites, as most producers released their 2007s, a brilliant vintage, with excellent concentration and beautiful acidity. (The wines are arranged from north to south in Italy):


2007 CANTINA TRAMIN GEWURZTRAMINER “NUSSBAUMER”
This is always one of the great Italian wines each vintage. Produced from the finest lots of Gewurztraminer grown in Tramin in Alto Aidge, winemaker Willi Sturz brilliantly captures the classic flavors of this grape: lychee, grapefruit and aromas of rose petals. There is beautiful spice, vibrant acidity and remarkable concentration. This will need another 6 months to show all its beauty, but it will drink well for 3-5 years. Magninificent!

2007 CANTINA TRAMIN “STOAN”
This is a beautiful blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer that offers gorgeous aromas of quince, golden apple, lime and yellow roses. Medium-full with typical Alto Adige vibrant acidity. Impressive now, it will only improve over the next 5-7 years.

2007 CANTINA TRAMIN SAUVIGNON “MONTAN”
Willi Sturz hit the trifecta with this brilliantly realized Sauvignon that has aromas of yellow pepper, freshly mown hay and chicory. Excellent concentration, great fruit persistence and a lengthy finish. Lovely texture on the palate and great balance throughout. This is the second vintage of this wine- In my opinion, this is one of the great Sauvignons of Italy! Enjoy over the next 3-5 years.

2006 ELENA WALCH BEYOND THE CLOUDS
Elena Walch is a dynamic woman who along with her husband Werner produces brilliant wines from their estate vineyards in Tramin. This is primarily Chardonnay with a small percentage (less than 10%) of local varieties. This is a Chardonnay that is meant for people that prefer fruit and aromatics to oak. There are aromas of golden apple, geraniums and a hint of caramel. Very rich, this is a mouthful of wine!

2006 LIVIO FELLUGA TERRE ALTE
Over the past decade, this blend of Sauvignon, Friulano and Pinot Bianco has become one of Italy’s most famous white wines. Gorgeous aromas of Bosc pear, rose petals, geranium and freshly mown hay. Lengthy finish, excellent concentration and fruit persistence backed by lively acidity. This should drink well for 5-7 years.

2007 ISIDORO POLENCIC FRIULANO
This small Friulian estate outdid itself in 2007 with some of their finest wines to date. Their Friulano (formerly labeled as Tocai Friulano) sports lovely aromas of ripe pear, sweet pea and yellow pepper backed by excellent concentration and lovely acidity. Rich, very flavorful and subtle, this is a great display of how good Friulano can be.

2007 ISIDORO POLENCIC SAUVIGNON
Another outstanding white from this producer, this is an aggressive style of Sauvignon with aromas of bell pepper and fennel. Medium-full, this has excellent concentration and a long, elegant finish with vibrant acidity. Enjoy this over the next 3-5 years.

2006 MARINA CVETIC TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO
I will admit I am not a big fan of new oak in most white wines, especially with the Trebbiano grape. But I have to tip my cap to Gianni Masciarelli (Cvetic’s husband) for this outstanding white. This is a big, complex wine with aromas of pear, baked apple, hyacinth and vanilla with excellent concentration and great fruit persistence. This is quite impressive, especially for the humble Trebbiano grape.

A sad note: Gianni Masciarelli, one of Italy’s most talented winemakers and one of the kindest men I’ve ever met, passed away this year. He will be sorely missed.

2007 TERREDORA FIANO DI AVELLINO “TERRE DI DORA”
This excellent Campanian estate has really been on a roll lately, as evidenced by this gorgeous Fiano di Avellino. Aromas of Meyer lemon, magnolia and kiwi- just lovely! There’s lively acidity and a lengthy finish with a touch of minerality. Wonderful variety purity! This is just great with crab or clams.



Feudi di San Gregorio Winery in Campania (Photo ©Tom Hyland)


2007 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO FIANO DI AVELLINO “PIETRACALDA”
This is the showcase Fiano di Avellino from Feudi di San Gregorio and it’s not for the shy! Produced from late harvest grapes, but fermented dry, this has sexy flavors of apricot, white peach and honey and offers layers of flavor on the palate. Enjoyable now, but this has the concentration and structure to drink well for 7-10 years.

2007 MARISA CUOMO FURORE BLANC “FIORDUVA”
At their estate in the stunningly beauitful town of Furore on the Amalfi Coast, Marisa Cuomo and her husband, Andrea Ferraioli (who also serves as winemaker) have been producing some remarkable wines over the past decade. The Fiorduva is a full-bodied blend of three indigenous grapes - Fenile, Ginestra and Ripoli - that displays exotic aromas of white peach, lemon oil, magnolia, fennel and a note of almond. It’s got great fruit persistence, vibrant acidity and distinct minerality. This is the most celebrated wine from this estate and one of the most distinguished in all of Italy.


There are some great Italian whites I didn't get a chance to try this year. Are there some that you tasted you think are among the best of the year? Leave a comment.