Tag Archives: Piedmont

Risata Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2019, Piedmont, Italy

28 Saturday Jan 2023

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Pale straw colored with some effervescence in the glass.  The nose is fruity and aromatic with orange blossom, yellow apple, rose water, quince and and lemon/lime soda.  The palate is semi-sweet with medium (-) acidity and smooth, easygoing bubbles.  The flavors include orange, lemon/lime soda and some quince.  The rose component is lost past the nose.  The bubbles make the wine seem airy, the body is definitely light and the finish is balanced and surprisingly long at medium.  Crisp and relatively fresh, if not a touch too sweet for my liking, this is a wine that needs to be drunk well chilled on a hot afternoon, basking away in the sunshine and nibbling on charcuterie.  88 points from me and for $12 it’s a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Boasso Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba 2018, Piedmont, Italy

22 Tuesday Nov 2022

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Medium garnet colored this Nebbiolo has some thick legs in the glass (14.5% ABV).  The nose has pronounced aromas of leather, cherry, dusty earth, licorice and coffee.  Charred oak is evident and there is a perfumed floral note as well.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins.  Full bodied, this delicious wine has flavors of tart cherry, red currant, pomegranate, leather, dusty earth, tar and coffee.  The oaky note is very faint.  It finishes long and a touch tart with grippy tannins.  Still relatively young at 4 years, it will cellar nicely and drink till 2030 at the least.  I think it gets 92 points and for $32 it’s a 5 star wine.  I am pairing it with slow cooked beef roast and trimmings.  Salut….

Villa Sparina Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2021, Piedmont, Italy

08 Friday Jul 2022

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This is a new one for me- the Cortese grape from Italy.  This bottle is deceivingly tinted making me think I was going to pour a deep yellow wine.  Instead I found it to be pale gold with aromas of green pear, chamomile, lemon zest, lime and lanolin.  The palate is dry with a full body that coats my mouth with a waxy lemon/lime component, green pear, spice and floral notes.  The finish is medium length and the waxy mouthfeel hangs on for a while.  Having never had this varietal it is difficult to rate but I thoroughly enjoyed the textural aspect of this wine and the fruit flavors were delicious.  90 points for this really yummy wine that I paired with grilled Jerk chicken.  Bought for $14, it gets 5 stars.  Try it this summer with seafood or white meats.  Salut….

Negretti Barolo DOCG 2017, Piedmont, Italy

25 Monday Apr 2022

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Bordering on medium garnet- Nebbiolo typically shows this color even when but a few years old.  The nose gives off charming aromas of red cherry, dried herbs, cranberry, coffee, a touch of tar and some violet.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium (+) tannins.  A full body and luscious flavors of red fruit, some sour cherry and the nuances of oak, tar and floral violets.  The finish is purely sour cherry, tannins and juicy acidity with some smooth yet powerful tannins.  It is medium in length and balanced.  For a young Barolo it is drinking nicely already and will mature over time to give tertiary notes hopefully.  90 points from me and for $36 it gets 4 stars.  Drink till 2029.  Salut….

Gioso Barolo DOCG 2016, Piedmont, Italy

18 Friday Feb 2022

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This Nebbiolo is rather young at 5 years old but I have a hankering for something to go with our Tenderloin tonight.  It’s bordering on garnet but is clearly a pale shade.  The nose is of medium intensity and has aromas of steeped cherry, cooked strawberry compote, leather, dried herbs, coconut and charred oak.  Classic Barolo components- I’m excited to taste.

The palate is dry and tart, as expected.  The tannins are present but you can tell they have softened from their youth and are nicely integrating.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of cherry, leather, herbs, a medicinal note (from the oak presumably) and kirsch are noted.  Medium bodied- this wine has high acidity and a nice finish, albeit rather grippy and tart.  These are all qualities to look forward to in this varietal.  The wine is obviously still young and needs time to flesh out and gain more tertiary notes but it will drink nicely with our Beef and would pair well with stews and game.  I’m not convinced that it’s a 92 point wine as awarded by one pro, more like an 89 point effort that gets 3 stars for it’s $30 price point.  I have a few more in the cellar and will spread them out over the next few years.  Salut….

Cordero di Montezemolo ‘Funtani’ Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2017, Piedmont, Italy

22 Monday Nov 2021

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I wanted to introduce our virtual tasting group to this varietal- Barbera.  Unfortunately it was quite tart and that threw people off.  It is an opaque wine which conjured up ideas of a brooding, tannic wine when quite the opposite was discovered.  The group noted aromas of tar, cherry, cherry coke, luxardo cherries, coffee, tobacco and cola.  The flavors we encountered were sour cherry, Dr. Pepper, tobacco, red currant and raspberry.  Medium bodied, it had a short finish and was tart the whole time.  90 points for this $40 wine made it a 3 star effort.  I subsequently drank it two nights later and it was far better, perhaps worthy of a bump in score.  Drink till 2028 with something like breaded veal cutlets or an Alfredo dish, staying away from high acid foods with red pasta sauce.  Salut….

Collina San Ponzio Barolo DOCG 2016, Piedmont, Italy

04 Sunday Apr 2021

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This Barolo is relatively young at five years but I wanted to try it. In the glass it’s almost got a touch of orange and is completely see-through. The nose is intriguing with cherry, sandalwood and a little bit of Bergamot. The initial palate is definitely fruity with some astringency hitting my gums right off the bat. Very strong cherry flavors alongside cedar notes and black tea. The tannins are really starting to grip on the midpalate but I am enjoying the bright red fruit flavors that accompany. Towards the finish I get more of a cola taste with some lively acidity to balance or attempt to balance the very dense tannins. 91 points for this young Nebbiolo blend that runs $30 making it a 4 star effort. Drink from 2022 till 2027 with pasta, steaks or grilled poultry. Salut….

Conterno Fantino Vignota Barbera d’Alba 2016, Piedmont, Italy

18 Sunday Oct 2020

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I usually pick a lighter style wine to go early in the Virtual Wine Tasting Company’s lineup, it’s normally a Pinot but this time I selected a Barbera d’Alba. I thought the varietal closely mimicked the lightness and flavor profile of Pinot but I was off the mark with this particular bottle. It was very dark red in the glass with medium opacity and very fine legs that showed off it’s whopping 15% alcohol. On the nose the tasters got black licorice, blackberry, currants, cherry cola and ‘Shrinky Dink’. I could smell the alcohol a mile away and the flavors came forth out of the glass with no coaxing needed. I made a note of ‘intense black fruit flavors’ on my own.

The palate showed black cherry and licorice with light tannins but the flavors were jammy and deep. The finish was slightly dry with caressing tannins and juicy acidity. I really enjoyed this wine and gave it 16 points on my tasting sheet. Technically translated- that would be a 91 point effort for this $33 beauty that gets 5 stars from me. Drink till 2028 with lighter fare. Quote of the night – “Water running over moss covered rocks.” He obviously did not enjoy it as much as I! Salut….

Marianot Garblet Barolo DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

08 Sunday Sep 2019

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Quite see-through with a darker purple hue in the glass.  The nose has violets, cherry essence, bramble and leather.  On the palate it is fruity, lighter than expected and a touch dry.  Blueberry is the primary flavor alongside some cedar plank and those violets.  The tannins start to really grip on the mid palate to go along with the blue fruit compote and wood.  The wine finishes strong, with the tannins really getting stuck in and the gums really getting pounded.  The fruit remains for a while but is eclipsed by the 60 second plus grip of the astringency.  Very young wine, but thoroughly enjoyable if you like ‘em dry.  I would personally drink this wine now with veal chops on the grill, a heavy duty pasta dish or  perhaps Moroccon lamb in the tagine.  If you have patience, this one will mellow nicely for a few years and be presentable from 2024- 2030.  91 points, $35 and 4 stars for this Nebbiolo.  Salut….

Ricossa Antica Casa Barbaresco DOCG 2014, Piedmont, Italy

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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See through but with slight bricking.  I noticed the cork had signs of possible seepage which gives me cause for concern.  Here goes….

On the nose – it’s corked.  I even tasted it….done.  Luckily I’m not far from the shop so I returned it .

The second bottle looks much better in the glass.  Light, see through purple.  On the nose it is not very open.  I’m struggling to swirl some life into it and all I get is faint cherries, some capsicum and carrot.  Yes, carrot.  On the palate this Nebbiolo starts off with some lush, medium tannins and a dollop of cherry juice.  It’s not subtle.  The mid palate has more breadth with cherries, currants, a touch of fresh oak and sassparilla.  The finish is quite dry with the tannins still in full force.  There is a woody note alongside red fruits and cinnamon.  Tasty but restrained, I feel this wine might be hibernating.  It should improve with age and drink nicely till 2028.  90 points and 3 stars for this $25 effort.  Salut….