Welcome to the third installment of WINE CRUSH,
a bi-monthly-ish newsletter.
This space is for the viticulture geeks, cellar rats and glass swirlers.
Read on as Jason Bise and Kelly McGrath share their thoughts on seasonal wine trends, ancient grapes, and mystical producers.
by Jason Bise
Out of the Fog
(How Nutella helped save one of the greatest wines in the world )
In the (barely) sub-Alpine hills that mark Italy’s border with Switzerland, there is one grape that lifts itself above all others, Nebbiolo. The fog ‘nebbia’ that covers the Langhe hills at the end of each harvest is usually the greatest indication of where you can ripen this fickle grape. The vines rest, above the nebbia, soaking up the sun and southern views from April to October (and sometimes November). It is one of the earliest vines to break winter’s rest and bud forth into flower. Then it is the last to come into the cellar at harvest. This area is defined by hills and a blanket of vines covering them. It is easy to think that is everywhere because the hills are blanketed in vines, but nebbiolo takes its perch above the fog and holds tight.
It makes up only three percent of the production from Piemonte and Lombardia, but that mere 3 percent represents more than 90 percent of the nebbiolo grapes grown in the world. If you have heard that pinot noir is difficult to grow, nebbiolo changes the definition. It prefers a clay and limestone mix in Barolo but the Alto Piemonte is defined by more red and yellow volcanic outcroppings and schist. Nebbiolo will not just demand the best sites, but will be able to show you them in great detail in the glass as the wine ages. It takes all of those elements and transmits them through to wine for one of the most stained-glass expositions for your palate.
Frequently high in tannin, acidity and natural sugar, these wines can be powerful and have been known to age for decades or longer. 1978 was a monumental vintage and many of the old Barolo wines are still showing many decades ahead of them. Even called the King of Wines in Barolo, this wine has charm in spades and grabs your attention from an early age. Full of fine and gripping tannins and acidity for days, this is a grape that has always called for long cellaring and recently growers have had great success in taming these elements for earlier drinking without sacrificing all that is to come in the future.
Where did everyone go?
These foggy hills were abandoned after World War II as workers flocked to nearby Torino and Milano to supply factories with the workers needed to restart the Italian economy. Most of the vineyards in the Alto Piemonte still have not recovered from this migration. Some of the villages are not able to return the forests to farming because the town folk never returned and no one knows who the land belongs to. The area surrounding the town of Alba had a remarkable thing happen that helped to keep families in the hills and vines producing grapes. The Ferrero brothers developed their enterprising hazelnut confection into a sensation in Italy and beyond. Nutella was a success and the Ferrero brothers built their first candy factory in Alba. They offered shuttle services to the nearby Langhe hills to bring in workers to keep the factories going. This allowed these families to make a living AND stay on the land. The local residents were able to keep up their vineyards and gardens and the Langhe was not as decimated by depopulation as the rest of Piemonte. Nebbiolo’s status as one of the greatest wines in the world would never have been possible if Nutella was not such a success. Fifty years later the vineyards of the Alto Piemonte are now being revived because the Langhe stuck to their vines to show the world how great these wines can be.
Barolo may be the well guarded treasure box, but Nebbiolo has crept all the way up to the Swiss border to the North. In the Alto Piemonte, (the regions above Turin and Milan) takes up the volcanic soils and shows a lighter and fresher style of Alpine wines, while still keeping an ethereal bouquet of roses and tar and red berries. From Carema (Ferrando) on the very edge of Mont Blanc and the Val d’Aosta and moving to the east through the villages of Bramaterra (Pianelli), Gattinara (Conterno) and Fara (Boniperti). From here it has also spread even further to the east into Lombardia. Right at the edge of the alps Val Camonica and Valtellina have grapes clinging to the cliffs, right at the foot of the Alps. These valleys have some of the steepest and most terraced vineyards in all of the world. The nebbiolo grape goes by another name here, chiavennasca. Layered and ripe at a much lower alcohol level ( closer to 13%) these wines don’t have the same tannic grip but show more subtle and nuanced aromas.
We have been walking through these vineyards with every glass we try over the last few months . A few of our favorite examples are collected below for you to come and explore as well. Come in for a visit and we will happily get your winter menu perfectly matched. The heart of Winter couldn’t have a better companion than nebbiolo. These intensely perfumed wines offer a fresh Springtime breeze of roses and ripe cherries aromas while the fresh acidity and ample tannins are a great pair to cold weather meals. Braised meats, Bolognese and hearty ragouts are what these wines are longing for! If you are lucky enough to have venison or duck on hand, they have never had better company.
Producer Spotlight
by Region
BARBARESCO
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2017 $53.95
Before 1894, Nebbiolo grapes were sold to make Barolo wine or simply labeled «Nebbiolo di Barbaresco». But in 1894, Domizio Cavazza, headmaster of the Royal Enological School of Alba and a Barbaresco resident, created the first cooperative, the «Cantine Sociali», by gathering together nine Barbaresco vineyard owners to make wine in the local castle that he owned. He understood well the differences between the same grape, the Nebbiolo, grown in the different areas of Barolo and Barbaresco and, for the first time, recognized it on the wine label. The ‘Cantine Sociali’ was closed in the 1930’s because of fascist economic rules. In 1958, the priest of the village of Barbaresco, recognizing that the only way the small properties could survive was by joining their efforts, gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. The first three vintages were made in the church basement, then in the winery built across the square where the Produttori is still located. Each family is in full control of its land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with centuries old skill and dedication. In great vintages, nine single-vineyard Barbarescos are produced from nine classic premium sites within the Barbaresco village boundaries. These are the geographical names of sites where Nebbiolo grapes have always been cultivated.The Produttori del Barbaresco vinifies only Nebbiolo grapes.
Paitin Barbaresco ‘Sori Paitin’ Vecchie Vigne 2014 $99.00
A “selezione massale” started from Secondo Pasquero Elia between 1948 and 1953 today express the most profound expression of the Sorì Paitin. The Sorì Paitin belongs to the Pasquero-Elia heirs since 1796. It is the Serraboella warmest slope, graced with unique soils that since ages is planted with Nebbiolo. Sorì means the first place where the snow melts with the first winter sun rays. Ancient rule to select the best plots for Nebbiolo. Serraboella is the most famous cru in the Southern Neive. A long hill exposed to West that gently bends towards South getting steeper. On this very side: the steepest and the warmest, our Barbaresco has a unique expression. Power, volume are laced by a elegant texture.
The name Vecchie Vigne was attributed to the Sorì Paitin in 1999 when the plants reached the 45th year of age, only produced in few vintages.
Cigliuti Barbaresco ‘Serraboella’ 2016 $84.95
Renato Cigliuti is a real farmer, one of the genuine ones. His face is wrinkled by the sun, his hands furrowed by work, the clear eyes of someone who has lived an outdoor life and still has many things to teach. Only 7 and a half hectares, which Renato has been looking after every day of the year since he was a child. A man who continues to work hard every day, taking care of his vineyards and his cellar. The company is a family business in which 4 people work: Renato, his wife Dina and their daughters Claudia and Silvia who directly take care of all the production works from the beginning to the end of the process. Most of their time they spend in the vineyard because for them it is precisely from the vineyard that great wines with their own personality and capable of reflecting the characteristics of the year and the identity of the terroir where they are grown are obtained. The work in the cellar is very minimal, the wines follow their path in a natural way. They do not use selected yeasts, but only native ones. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in steel at a controlled temperature. Aging is done in large barrels for all wines.
Renato was the first to use the name Serraboella on the label since the 70s and for about 30 years he was the only one to call his Barbaresco with the name of this cru. For decades Serraboella has been synonymous with Cigliuti.
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Barolo
ALAN & THE BEGINNINGS OF MARGHERITA OTTO
Alan Manley came from a wine-loving family. Both father and grandfather were collectors. His parents opened a bottle of wine with dinner almost every evening. “To my young eyes, this was normal. I began taking itty-bitty sips from my father’s glass when I was about 4 years old.” He went to Barolo for the first time in February 1995 and fell in love with the area then spent 6-12 weeks in the Barolo each fall for the next few years, learning winemaking at the side of Luciano Sandrone (my first teacher; Luciano taught me how to make wine), then in subsequent years gaining experience in the cellars of Elio Altare, Maria Teresa Mascarello (at Bartolo Mascarello), Alfio and Giuseppe Cavallotto and Marco Marengo.
Margherita Otto Barolo 2017 $120.00
All vineyards are worked by hand for pruning, tying, trimming, crop
and shoot thinning and harvest only to produce a
TRADITIONAL ASSEMBLAGGIO BAROLO.
By this method, the various vineyard parcels are co-fermented for maximum harmony and balance. The precise logistics and order of this work is entirely dependent on the conditions of the vintage and how and in what order the vineyards ripen. As each vineyard matures and is harvested, the fruit is added to tanks with fruit already in fermentation. This is called a “continuous ferment” and has fallen out of general use, but is consistent with older, traditional winemaking practices in this region. After the ferments finished, the wine was left to macerate on the skins for a total of 25 days and then racked to a single 35hl Mittelberger bottle, along with a single old, used barrique..
G.D. Vajra
In 1971, Aldo Vajra, then still a university student, was one of the earliest to adopt organic farming in Piemonte. Vineyards have been nurtured, and soil preserved, by grassing and spontaneous cover crop for almost 50 years now. They are sustainable and organic certified. With an incredible ratio of manual work per hectare, farming at Vajra is a labor of love and “recipe-free” attention. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests.
Aldo works together with his wife and three children to continue on the family tradition of creating some of the most delicate and pure examples from Nebbiolo found in Barolo.
2017 is a vintage that combines ample expressivity in its youth
with terrific aging potential. The 2017 Barolos are profound and characterized by a core of red fruits, acid spine and refined tannins
that set the wines for the long haul. In Europe, this was recorded
as the lowest yielding vintage since 1947, due to a combination of
spring frost and summer droughts.
G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 2017 $79.95
Ravera is the most important single vineyard in Comune di Novello. It grows on a very complex underground where marls of Tortonian origin mix with sandstones and clays of the Serravallian period. Our parcels are located in the most southern amphitheater, between 320 and 340 meters asl. This is a terroir that delivers bright aromatics and unrestrained power.
The aromatics of 2017 Barolo Ravera are an intricacy of red tones, with cherry, rose petals, baked raspberry alongside with orange peel, cedar, korla pear and herbal whiffles of mint, lavender, thyme, oolong tea. The palate is characterized by a zing of iron tones and the mid-palate volume that are such a signature of Ravera, with silky tannins and a profound and long finish.
G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose 2017 $79.95
Coste di Rose is a small MGA in Comune di Barolo. It is located on a steep slope that arises from Bosco della Fava and descends swiftly towards the border with Monforte d’Alba. The greatest emotion is the one you feel when reaching the top of the vineyard: a five-meter tall dune of pure Arenarie di Diano stands out there, as the witness of the unique soil composition of Coste di Rose. These sands provide Barolo DOCG Coste di Rose with its distinctive character: tones of cherry and rose petals, mint and sweet spices, a silky tannin and a juicy sip.
Coste di Rose is a very seductive wine right out of the gate. Cherries and roses burst on the nose, with hints of amarena, red hard candy, wild berries, wet stone, mint and thyme. The palate is radiant and expressive, with all of the signature elements of Coste di Rose in nice evi-dence: the ethereal character, the saline, up-front tannic structure, and further whiffles of roses and cherries in the finish.
G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2017 $79.95
Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949, a dramatic diurnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2017 is a vintage that shows many nuances of this vineyard: the wine is incredibly layered yet defined by a core of aerial elements, still youthful and introverted yet disclosing a beautiful harmony.
The 2017 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is incredibly layered. The signature nose of purple florals, raspberry and small red fruits is interlaced with tones of rose, rhubarb, toffee apple and incense. Whiffles of marasca cherry, white truffle, Dimbula tea, lavender and anise also appear with air. In the palate, the wine is poised and classy, showing a core of red fruits supported by refined tannins and minerality. As balanced and expressive as it already tastes, the 2017 Bricco delle Viole promises a fantastic evolution ahead.
G.D. Vajra Lange Nebbiolo 2019 $23.95
“This wine is our quest for the innocence of Nebbiolo, its purest expression.” Giuseppe Vaira
Varietal truth, purity of aromatics and depth are the elements we long for, in our Langhe DOC Nebbiolo. Gentle and long maceration so as to retain lift and energy to this wine Our Langhe Nebbiolo ages an average of 8 to 14 months prior to bottling. The aging is carried in stainless-steel vats with a minor contribution of neutral oak when required by the vintage.
Perfumes are vibrant, with a floral bouquet of rose petals, violets and fresh berries, hints of dark fruit, lavender and mint. Elegant and complex on the palate with layers of crunchy red fruits, orange peel, sweet spices with earthy and mineral undertones.
Alto Piemonte
Boniperti Fara ‘Barton’ 2015 $35.95
A quotation from Gilberto Boniperti's web-site: “When you don't know what to do, go out in the vineyards, there's always something to do there!” I would never have imagined that phrase, repeated so many times by my grandfather, would become one of his great teachings, and a cardinal rule of my philosophy of work and of life: dedication to my vineyards, many hours of manual labor, attention to the details of vinification and finally patiently waiting for the necessary maturation of my wines.” Gilberto combines this attention to the traditional work of a wine-grower with the technical knowledge gained by studying enology at the acclaimed school in Alba. The results are as you would expect, well-made, expressive, thoughtful wines made from Nebbiolo and the local Vespolina (a relative of Nebbiolo)
70% Nebbiolo | 30% Vespolina
Le Pianelle Bramaterra 2016 organic $62.95
By the time Cristiano Garella was 21 he was the winemaker and Director of Tenuta Sella, one of the oldest and most famous wineries in Northern Italy. By the time he was 24 he was helping other winemakers in Alto Piemonte understand their own vineyards and passionately advocating for the rebuilding of the region. His belief in the terroir of his area is abundantly clear when you taste any of the wines he makes or helps to make. At Le Pianelle, Cristiano has not only helped to restore one of the great vineyards in Bramaterra, he is also making some of the best wines. The wines from Le Pianelle are beautiful, complex, moving expressions of Nebbiolo and remain vastly underpriced, as do most of the wines from Alto Piemonte. Bramaterra is one of the many Alto Piemonte DOCs that has been resurrected in the last 15 years. Le Pianelle has quickly become one of the most respected wineries in this tiny appellation. Many of the wines can be enjoyed on release, all of the wines can age for many years, especially the Bramaterra wines, which in great vintages like 2013-2016 will continue to develop and drink beautifully for 20+ years
80% Nebbiolo | 10% Vespolina | 10% Croatia
Conterno-Nervi Gattinara 2018 $105
Nervi is a historic, benchmark Gattinara producer possessing some of the most prized vineyard holdings in all of the appellation. The winery was founded in 1906 by Italo Nervi and is the oldest Cantina in Gattinara, though many of the vineyards had already been in the family dating back as far as 1679. The estate comprises 28.5 hectares of vineyards including their top crus of Molsino and Valferana. While Roberto had not been actively seeking out a new winery, the opportunity to acquire such an historic estate with great vineyard holdings of Nebbiolo was too hard to pass up. Roberto’s aim, along with his sons, is to apply the same fastidious attention to detail and quality to the wines of Nervi as he does to those of the Giacomo Conterno estate. The wines are already traditional, pure and age-worthy and they are surely only going to get better from here!
Roberto Conterno acquired Nervi in 2018, and this is the first vintage in which the brand name is listed as Conterno Nervi (as opposed to Nervi Conterno, or just Nervi). Fully under his winemaking watch, the 2018 Gattinara comes from a vintage that performed well in this part of Alto Piemonte. Roberto had the confidence to produce his two single-vineyard expressions (Vigne Molsino and Valferana) in 2018, which is not exactly intuitive, as the growing season proved more challenging in other parts of Piedmont. But Roberto interprets each vintage with a keen eye and deft approach that is often contrary to his peers. The freshness, the balance of acidity that plays nicely into the minerality of the wine and the brightness of its wild rose and redcurrant flavors. This Gattinara carries a lot of fruit and primary intensity, all backed by subtle touches of balsam herb and soft tarry endnotes. This 2018 underlines the elegance in Nebbiolo.
Ferrando Carema 2017
Luigi Ferrando has long been the leading producer of wines from the Canavese region where his family’s winemaking tradition goes back to 1900. Technically speaking, the Canavese is part of Piedmont. Its location at the frontier of the Valle d’Aosta, the very edge of Piedmont, an area renowned for its steeply terraced vineyards, imparts a distinctive quality to the wines. Luigi’s sons, Roberto and Andrea, now work with him on the estate (Roberto) and in the family’s vinoteca (Andrea) located in the heart of the city of Ivrea, the commercial hub of the Canavese region. Thus, the continuation of the Ferrando tradition has been enabled. The Ferrandos painstakingly cultivate their Nebbiolo vineyards on the mountainside terroir of Carema, in an amphitheater that sits in the very shadows of Monte Bianco. The resulting wine is very different than its famous cousins from Barolo or Barbaresco and is sought after by connoisseurs for its finesse, complexity, and longevity. If there is any wine that defines the Ferrando “oeuvre” it is this one: the white label Carema. Produced exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape planted in a series of vineyards that sit beneath Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) in a broad amphitheatre with full southern exposure overlooking the river, Dora Baltea. The vines are trained in a special way on pergola (known as “tupin” in local dialect) to obtain maximum exposure to the sun in this high altitude district and are planted to soils that are dominated by slate. The appellation of Carema is extremely small: only 16 hectares (approximately 40 acres) are planted to the vine. The Ferrando family controls 2.5 hectares of the appellation. The Nebbiolo grapes are harvested normally during the second half of October; then, they undergo a cuvaison of approximately two weeks in stainless steel before being racked into a mixture of large and small barrels for an extensive aging period of 30 to 36 months before being bottled (without filtration).
The Carema of Ferrando reveals the most elegant and delicate and complex characteristics of the Nebbiolo grape with a surprising capacity to age.
Lombardia
Togni ‘1703’ Nebbiolo 2017 $29.95
Enrico Togni is the last grower of a native Italian grape known as Erbanno. He farms a small piece of land in Val Camonica way up in the hills of Lombardia. Enrico farms organically and biodynamically. He raises sheep and moves the sheep around his 3ha farm in an old 4x4 Fiat Panda. There is so much to love about Enrico, his family, and their wines. We fell in love with his wines starting with his Rosato, made from 100% Erbanno. Production is tiny and we will continue to get very small amounts of his wines. The vineyard was originally owned by Enrico’s grandfather who planted the first grapes in 1960. Enrico left law school to save the family farm and the Erbanno grape from going out of production. The vineyard is located in Val Camonica which is the longest valley in Lombardia as well as the longest valley in the Italian Alps. The vineyard’s altitude is 250 meters to 400 meters above sea level. This wine is named for a mountain nearby that is 1,703 meters high. The mountain rock retains heat from the sun during the day that keeps nights warmer in the valley. This creates the perfect conditions for the grapes to grow and mature.
100% Nebbiolo