Category Archives: Piemonte

Cascina Castle’t Moscato d’Asti 2008

Cascina Castle’t, Moscato d’Asti 2008 This wine is delightful in its expression of orange blossoms with an added complexity from the extra year in the bottle – creamy and delicious. Estate bottled by Maria Borio in Costigliole d’Asti 5.5% purchased … Continue reading

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La Spinetta Barbaresco Starderi 1997

La Spinetta, Barbaresco DOCG, Vigneto Starderi 1997 Almost 13 years since the vintage the nose is showing notes of roasted coffee, nuts, dried fruits and prunes. With 10 minutes the sweetness of the dried fruit is emerging with a toasted … Continue reading

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Red Wines of Piemonte

Vietti, Barbera d’Asti, Tre Vigne 2007 In the nose you’ll find tar, licorice, black fruit and chocolate. In the mouth there is Barbera’s acidic trademark, yet with density of flavor throughout – very nice and very long. The grapes are … Continue reading

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La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti 2009

La Caudrina, Moscato d’Asti 2009 This is a consistent wine, with a repeat of notes from the previous vintage:  a lovely sense of orange blossoms in the nose while the mouth is sweet and ethereal – very nice. Estate bottled … Continue reading

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Silvio Grasso Barolo Ciabot Manzoni 2004

Silvio Grasso, Barolo, Ciabot Manzoni 2004 This is a very ripe Nebbiolo, giving a sense of New World fruitiness intertwined with new oak and traditional black licorice. In the mouth it is tannic for sure, yet not austere, actually approachable … Continue reading

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Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti 2007

Michele Chiarlo, Barbera d’Asti, Superiore, Le Orme 2007 This vintage features a fair amount of black fruit interspersed with some horse blanket. In the mouth it is mildly oaky and rich, supple and sparked by acidity – nice. 13.5% $12.69 … Continue reading

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Barbaresco and Barolo 2004

Moccagatta, Barbaresco, Basarin 2004 The nose features plenty of black licorice and a blush of vanilla. In the mouth this young Barbaresco is approachable, with ripe yet present tannins – another winner from Moccagatta with great length. The grapes are … Continue reading

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Vietti Barbera 2006

Vietti, Barbera d’Alba, Tre Vigne 2006 This is Barbara with structure, quite formidable and begging for red meat. I swear that there is a compelling sense of black licorice and green herbs in this wine. The flavors carry for a … Continue reading

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La Caudrina Moscato d’Asti 2008

La Caudrina, Moscato d’Asti 2008 There’s a lovely sense of orange blossoms in the nose while the mouth is sweet and ethereal – very nice. Estate bottled in Castiglione Tinella 5.5% purchased for $15.99 at Bottle Barn

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Andrea Oberto Barbera d’Alba 2008

Andrea Oberto, Barbera d’Alba DOC 2008 The nose features tar as well as some bound up sulfur. In the mouth it is immensely tart, screaming with acidity and a little leaner than hoped for. This wine doesn’t show nearly as … Continue reading

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Il Conte d’Alba Moscato d’Asti

Il Conte d’Alba, Moscato d’Asti DOCG nv This wine smells of ginger and flowers while in the mouth it is sweet and lightly fizzy. It’s almost perfect except for a bit of TCA which unfortunately is adding a bit of … Continue reading

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La Spinetta Moscato 2008

La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2008 Heaven in a glass, with plenty of flowers, lovely sweetness, light effervesence and freshness all day. This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the … Continue reading

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Banfi Rosa Regale 2008

Rosa Regali, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2008 This wine shows its red fruit, both visually and in the nose. Strawberries combine with green herbs and a sense of mint in the nose. In the mouth, it is evocative of raspberries and … Continue reading

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Martini & Rossi Asti nv

Martini & Rossi, Asti DOCG nv The fruit is rather muted in this wine, smelling mildly of citrus overlayed with butter. In the mouth it is buttery, almost oily, with the fruit in the background. The grapes are all Moscato … Continue reading

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Ceretto Moscato d’Asti 2008

I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2008 The orange blossoms are alight in the nose of this wine. On the palate it is beautifully sweet, tasting of tangerines with a dusting of powdered sugar – delicious. The grapes … Continue reading

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Bruno Rocca Barbaresco 2005

Bruno Rocca, Barbaresco DOCG 2005 This is a very ripe Nebbiolo with a healthy dollop of oaky sweetness making this accessible now despite its infancy. Revisiting this wine in April ’10 is a treat as it is only getting better. … Continue reading

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Coppo Camp du Rouss 2005

Coppo, Barbera d’Asti DOC, Camp du Rouss 2005 Unfortunately this bottle is corked. Camp du Rouss is a name that pays homage to the red headed man who owned the vineyard from where the Barbera for this wine was first … Continue reading

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Sottimano Barbaresco Fausoni 2000

Sottimano, Barbaresco, Fausoni 2000 This wine has developed a beautiful sense of raisined fruit but the cork taint is absolutely horrific. Again our nemesis TCA raises its ugly head to spoil the fun. The grapes are 100% Nebbiolo from the … Continue reading

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Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin 2004

Moccagatta, Barbaresco, Bric Balin 2004 There’s a classic sense of licorice in the nose burnished by the sweetness of oak. The structure is a whopper like you would expect yet the extract is there, keeping up with the structure – … Continue reading

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Azelia Barolo Margheria 2004

Azelia, Barolo, Margheria 2004 In the nose there is black licorice, fresh black fruits and raisins. This highly structured wine is made to age yet the ripeness would allow you to drink it now with a dense chunk of cheese … Continue reading

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La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti 2007

La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2007 This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the skyrocket to fame. This wine remains an affordable way to taste some of this estate’s expertise. … Continue reading

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Across Italy

Vietti, Langhe DOC, Nebbiolo, Perbacco 2005 Spot on with black licorice and a wallop of tannin. Estate Bottled in Castiglione Falletto 13.5% $26.99 at Traverso’s Vietti Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico DOCG 2005 There is a pleasant combo of earth, … Continue reading

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Star quality

Elio Altare, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC 2006 The density of this wine is of the inky variety. There’s tar and a sense of the forest in the nose. The mouth is amazing in that the tannin is there yet fully ripe, … Continue reading

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Piemonte specialty

Banfi, Rosa Regali, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2007 This ’07 is perfectly fresh with plenty of flowers and fresh strawberries. Serve this with fresh berries after dinner to match the sweetness. The ’05 tasted one year ago was sweet and with … Continue reading

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Charge!

La Spinetta, Barbaresco DOCG, Vigneto Starderi 2004 The previous vintage was a concentrated, oaky heavyweight, still in its infancy when tasted in late ’07. This ’04 smells of sweet oak and New World fruit. Again we see a tannic monster … Continue reading

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Italian classics

Castello della Paneretta, Chianti Classico DOCG 2005 There’s loads of acidity and the taste of cherries. The grapes behind this wine are 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo. Estate bottled in Barberino val d’Elsa 13% $17.99 at Traverso’s Paneretta Andrea Oberto, … Continue reading

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The diversity that is sparkling wine

J, Russian River Valley, cuvee 20 nv Clean, fresh, fruit, tasted at the winery in May. This wine has the zip of fresh green apples. The base wine is from a recent vintage with 25% oak-aged reserves adding to the … Continue reading

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Sparkling the world over

La Morandina, Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2007 The ’07 is just as vibrantly fresh and full of orange blossoms as the previous vintage. There’s lots of residual sugar and the light body and freshness that you expect in Moscato d’Asti. P&B … Continue reading

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Piemonte lineup

Heitz Cellar Napa Valley Grignolino 2005 Truly one of the ‘lightest of the light’ red wines and an aromatic charmer as well. P&B in St. Helena 12.5% $15.50 at Traverso’s Heitz Poderi Aldo Conterno Langhe Dolcetto DOC Masante 2006 Quite … Continue reading

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Old and new

Traditional appellation wine versus a modern blend from Piemonte. Vietti, Barolo DOCG, Castiglione 2004 In June of ’08 I noted brown spices and licorice on a very tannic frame that is balanced by acidity and extract. In April of ’09, … Continue reading

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