August 12, 2002

Trip to Barolo region in Italy

We went to the towns Barolo and Barbaresco in the Piedmont region on Sunday.
We visited 4 wineries total: 1 on Sunday and 3 more on Monday. The wineries were recommended by Floribeth from Jug Shop. When I visited her shop, I offered to buy boutique Washington wines to give on her behalf and as a token of my appreciation. I brought 5 bottles from the US...


  1. (3) 2000 Matthews: Claret (Columbia Valley, Washington)

  2. (1) 1999 Matthews: Cabernet Sauv, Merlot, Cabernet Franc (Yakima Valley, Washington)

  3. (1) 1999 Sineann: Zinfandel - Pines Vineyard (Columbia Valley, Washington)


I called the wineries by saying the following:
Goodday, my name is Sasha.
Bonjouro, chi amo Sasha
Do you speak English?
Parlere Englese?
I would to make a appointment this Monday the twelveth.
Prendere un appuntamento a lunari, dodicesimo.
At what time?
A che hora?
Honeymoon
Luna di miele


Here are the details of our itinerary:
Sunday 11 August
4 pm We found a 6 room bed and breakfast, Hotel Carita, which was recently converted farmhouse outside of La Morra. It was a bit pricey at 110 euros but the view was epic and rooms were charming. The hostess embodied a sweetness and comforting relaxed dispostion. Highly recommended. Here is a view from our bedroom:


  • 6 pm Sun. Ca Romé
      


    Paula or Pino
    t. 011.39.0173.635126
    Via Rabajà, 36
    12050 Barberesco
    ITALY
    www.carome.com
    Background
    - Guiseppe, nickname "Pino", is now the winemaker and Paula, who I met last year, is responsible for sales and marketing .
    - Pino worked at Cuvaison in Calistoga with "Lil' John" who I met at UC Davis "Sensory Evaluation Course". Also, visited Whitehall Lane and Joseph Phelps last spring after attending a wine expo in San Francisco.
    - Expanding the winery with a new wing to hold the barriques.
    Lessons Learned
    - Soil is different in each region. Layers of sand, then tuffo (means "tough"), clay, and limestone. In the new edition, he showed us a cut away exposing the layers of the soil. He was very happy to reference it. In other regions, the clay is blue-ish and softer.
    - Barbera is a tougher grape and has incredible color.
    - Nebbiolo blooms one month earlier and will be picked the last. It needs long hang time. It is also the most like Pinot Noir-- needs to be handled with care, has nice crushed violet and dried cherry aromatics, it like the fogx and temperature changes. He said it might grow well in Carneros, CA where the maritime fog would be helpful. It likes sunshine in October. It is picked in the first two weeks in October.
    - Makes Barolo and Barbersco in exactly the same ways. Barbaresco is consistently ripe one week before the Barolo.
    - Wineries own the vineyards.
    - Picks when cupping a grape cluster, the juice from the grape breaks a little and a drop falls into his hand. He mentioned that the skins cracking. This provides clue that grape is physiologically ripe.
    - DOCG law states that it is 80 kilos per hectacre but most wineries get about 45 kilos per hectacre.
    - He just finished green pruning which is
    - The nebbiolo was just going thru verasion while dolcetto and barbera had already gone thru it.
    - With last week's rain and hail storm, he said that the weather needs to be great until October or else the vintage maybe not be great. This was reaffirmed by all the other winemakers we met.

  • 8 pm Dinner at Le 3 Estelle
    town just outside of Barbaresco
    - Recommended restaurant
    - Excellent 7 course meal for 40 euro per person. Great wine list (had a '97 Aldo Conterno: Barolo- Bussia for 60 Euro , which was poetically profound.
    The 7 courses were:
    1. Tuna pate on crostini
    2. Trout with almonds and lemon juice with caramelized fennel.
    3. Mushroom carpocio with bacon
    4. Zucchini florets with yellow saffron sauce and a orange tomato sauce.
    Beautifully presented-- sauces made a yin-yang like
    5. Lasagna with gorgonzola (the pasta dough was so thin it looked like filo dough)
    6. Breaded lamb
    7. Mocha icecream sandwiched with thin pastries drenched in chocolate.

Monday 12 August
The storm that hit much of Europe had cleared. Beautiful blue skies accentuated the rolling hills and vineyards. After a quaint breakfast, we set out to visit 3 wineries. Our first was in Dogliani.

  • 11 am Poderi Luigi Einaudi
    Matteo Sardagna
    Borgata Gombe, 31
    12063 Monforte d'Alba
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.70191
    335.7639342
      
    Background
    - Try Cannubi, Costa Remaldi, and Rossa de Langhe- which has very small production
    - On p. 68 of the book, Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines 2001, it is regarded as a "genuine Langhe Chateau"... in a few short years Giorgio Ruffo and his wife Paulo Einaudi have transformed this estate into one of the most impressive wineries in the zone.
    - The winery is named after Paolo's uncle, Luigi Einaudi, who was the first president of the Italian republic.
    Wines
    - 1998 Poderi Luigi Einaudi: Langhe Rosso- Luigi Einaudi was given the prestigious 3 glass award. This cabernet, merlot, barbera, and nebbiolo blend is "one of the best reds in Italy"
    - 1996 Poderi Luigi Einaudi: Barolo- Costa Grimaldi is from the Terlo Vie Nuove vineyards was given 2 glasses. It is described as "potent and aggressive."
    - 1996 Poderi Luigi Einaudi: Barolo- Cannubi was given 2 glasses. It is described as "remarkable for its complexity and wealth of noble tannins."
    - 1999 Poderi Luigi Einaudi: Langhe Bianco- Vigna Meirais "not to be missed." It is mix of two uncommon white grapes.
    - Their Dolcetto and Barbera recieved 2 glasses. Their regular Barolo got 1 glass.
    Lessons Learned
    - Use a gravity drop chute to have a constant funnelling of grapes for crushing/destemming.
    - Goes straight into temp. controlled rotary fermenters. The temperatures for nebbiolo go from 28-32 Celsius and lower for dolcetto and barbera.
    - Big on the labortory
    - Just for comparions and to appease the waring opinions between traditionalists and modern style they they use slovenian oak for one Barolo. The other they use barriques.
    - Only replant when vine is diseased. They used to replant after it reached a certain age.
    - Old vine dolcetto, like Zinfandel, produces more concentrated flavors.
    - A team of four people make final decisions on the wines-- a consultant, Dr. Ruffo, his wife, and Matteo. He jokingly said that everyone waits to voice their opinion until the consultant speaks first.
    - Barbera and nebbilo complete one another.
    - They are using field selections for their new plantings.
    - Excited about rotrary fermenters because of higher extraction and lower tannins. At beginning, it pumped 4-5X per day and then decreased until dry. The skins are almost like paper because they are so thin. The color is extracted completely from the grape.

  • 2 pm Conterno- Fantino
    Mrs. Fantino
    Via Ginestra, 1 (on Bricco Bastia)
    12065 Monforte d'Alba
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.635147
      
    Background
    - Mrs. Fantino's father owned the vineyards. In 1982, she married Guido Fantino, who used to work at Prunutto. They have made wines under Conterno- Fantino label since then.
    - On p. 98 of the book, Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines 2001
    - Formerly sold to Produttori del Barbersco. Starting in 1997, Renato Vaccca started making the wine while his father, Adriano, oversaw the vineyard.
    - They produce about 10,000 cases and imported by Emerson Imports on the East Coast.
    Wines
    - 1996 Conterno- Fantino: Barolo- Vigna del Gris was given 3 stars and is described as having "one of the finest versions of the wine. Its colour is dark and profound, thanks to ageing in 100% new wood."
    - 1998 Conterno- Fantino: Mon Pra (Nebbiolo- 45%, Barbera- 45%, and Cabernet Sauvignon- 10%), was given 3 stars and "as ever, it is superb. Delicate aromas strike a delicious balance of fruit and wood on the nose. The palate has lenght and can already offer remarkable complexity."
    Lessons Learned
    - Use nothing but new French oak. Oak chardonnay for 15 months in new barrels. Oak reds in new and 1-2 year barrels.
    - Wineries go on 10-14 day tours of the US to showcase pre-release of new wines. The importers put them on rigorous schedules, flying to another city every night.
    - Weather coming from the west that flies over the Alps misses the region. A front coming from the south, usually comes from Africa, and hits hard.

  • 6 pm Cantina Del Pino
    Renato Vacca
    Via Ovello, 15
    12050 Barberesco
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.635147
      
    Background
    - Formerly sold to Produttori del Barbersco for the Ovello single vineyard designate. Starting in 1997, Renato Vaccca started making the wine while his father, Adriano, oversaw the vineyard.
    - Small winery with reasonable prices.
    - Located behind Produttori del Barberseco
    - On p. 29 of the book, Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines 2001
    - They produce about 2,500 cases.
    Wines
    - 1997 Cantina del Pino: Barbaresco- Ovello was given 2 stars and is described as having "aromas of blackberries and autumn leaves over elegant balsamic notes... [with] trademark juicy flesh on the palate...[with]complex finihs of mint...cream... and fruit "
    - 1998 Cantina del Pino: Dolcetto d'Alba was given 2 stars and is" excellent... among the best we tasted"
    Lessons Learned
    - Barbera doesn't grow as tall. Uses Guinot trellising with 6 shoots.
    - Nebbiolo pushs a lot of vegetation and grape clusters are much smaller. Typically, green harvests before veraison. Uses Guinot trellising with 9 shoots.
    - When pruning, can't cut back into trunk because that harms its reserves.
    - Producers may use egg whites or gelatin to strip some of the tannins.
    - In the past, they fertilized a lot. Now there is no need because the focus is on organic farming and plus there are still traces of fertilizers in the soil.
    - Has distributors in different parts of the US- Seattle; Portland; Oakland, CA; and one on the East Coast.
    - People are trusting the guidebooks. Feels like Slow Food has brought a lot of positive attention to the area.

I am already planning where I want to go next trip. There are places and people, mostly local legends, I would love to visit.
Wineries

  • Marcarini
    Manuel
    Piazza Matrini, 2
    12064 La Morra
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.50222
    - Traditional Barolo producer
    - Manuel speaks Spanish because he lived in Mexico City
    - Recommened by Floribeth Schumaker at Jug Shop but they were on vacation.

  • Renato Ratti
    Pietro Ratti
    Fraz. Annunziata, 7
    12064 La Morra
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.50185
    - Traditional Barolo producer
    - Ask to see the wine museum
    - Good friends with Aldo Vacca from Produtturi del Barbaresco
    - Recommened by Floribeth Schumaker at Jug Shop but they were on vacation.
    - On p. 87 of the book, Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines 2001, this winery is located on what was an amphitheatre, Conca dell' Annunziata.
    - 1996 Ratti: Barolo- Rocche Marcenasco was given 2 stars. According to book, it "has aromas of strawberries in syrup, blackberry jam and licorice mingling with tobacco..."
    - 1996 Ratti: Barolo- Marcenasco was given 1 stars. According to book, it "lacks the potentency of its brother.".
    ? What does "rocche" mean?

  • ? pm E. Pira
    Chiara Bocchis
    Loc. San Sebanstiano, 59
    12063 Monforte d'Alba
    ITALY
    t. 011.39.0173.78538
    - Partner in Borgogno.
    - Has recieved favorable reviews in Slow Food.
    - Recommended by Nerval on WCWN and received high marks in 2001 Italian Wines Book

People
  • Bruno Giacosa- a local character.

  • Aldo Conterno ***- from what I've heard doesn't like tourists, but is a thought leader and visionary in Barolo. Also, his '97 Barolo: Bussia was epic.

Posted by Sasha on August 12, 2002 05:58 PM