I'll first apologize if my tasting notes are a bit more difficult to follow from here on out as I have a particular interest in the technical aspects of winemaking and vineyard management. If you have any questions about what any of the terms mean, e-mail me and I'll let you know! FYI, gl/rs is grams per litre of residual sugar (I prefer this shorthand).This was the part of the business-end of the trip I was most looking forward to... Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe, etc... The great wines of the Piedmont. To say I was dissapointed in the village of Alba would be an understatement... but we weren't there to sightsee.. Here's the view from my hotel room in Alba...
Arrived Sunday evening, and went into town for dinner. Had a ravioli filled with some sort of meat, and then had lamb... Had an 2004 Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbara d'Asti (outstanding... without question the greatest Barbera producer in Italy... we go visit them the next day), a Pecchinino Dolcetto di Dogliani Siri d'Jemu (the most recent DOCG in Piemont)... big, black Dolcetto. Unfiltered, unfined... massive stuff (never said that before about a Dolcetto!), and to start was a 2006 Gagliardo Favorita (Favorita is the grape... very slightly perfumed, nice and light, my notes say "like a cross between Cortese, Vermentino, and Pinot Grigio"... my first experience with this varietal.) Got a poor nights sleep, got up in the morning and went for a long walk...
The next morning featured a lot of getting lost... we were an hour late for our appointment, and would start something of a trend. Just to go off on a little rant here... Driving in France is easy. The road signs are clearly marked, and the roundabouts are easy to navigate without getting lost too much. In Italy, they tell you which direction to go in, but then you get to the roundabout, and the signs say something completely different!!! Not a fan... Anyway, we finally make it to Braida. This is a medium-sized producer (500,000 bottles or roughly 40,000 cases, with ~150,000 bottles being only for the European market), just outside of Asti in the town of Rocchetta Tanaro (referring to the famous Tanaro river that runs through the Piedmont). Really do a great business in Moscato d'Asti (white) as well as Brachetto d'Acqui (red), both semi-sweet, both semi-sparkling (frizzante), and both low in alcohol. Here, too, flowering was a full 4 weeks early and a mid-to-late August harvest is expected, though the weather had turned a bit cooler and rainy. It was a hot April, and a cool, rainy may. All grapes are hand-picked. Tanks are cleaned with citric acid, vs. the traditional sulfur.
<-Special tanks that allow the pressure to be controlled... used for Moscato d'Asti, Brachetto d'Acqui and their sparkling Barbera. Can be used up to 6ATM of pressure (M & B are at 1.5ATM).
On to the wines... 2006 Grignolino d'Asti. This wine is cryo-fermented and made only for the EU market. Very light ruby red, with red cherries, strawberries and cranberries. No oak on the wine with nice higher acid. Serve chilled. The 2006 La Monella Barbera del Monferrato is slightly sparkling and completely dry. Notes of red cherries, raspberries, with crushed rocks and a slight black pepper note. This makes up around 150,000 of the 500,000 bottles produced at Braida and is only sold in the EU. The 2006 Il Fiore is a white made from a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 10% Naschetta, and 30% Riesling. Lots of stone fruits with apricots, lemon pepper and spice notes. Kind of a cross between Gruner and Riesling with the weight of Chardonnay. Very minerally and very fat and round. Outstanding wine. The 2004 Asso di Fiori Chardonnay sees part of the Malo done in barrel and hence has a very rich, creamy mouthfeel with loads of toast, lemon, ripe pears, apricots and Granny Smith Apples. 13.5%ABV. The 2005 Il Baciale ("The Bachelor"), is a blend of 60% Barbera, 30% Pinot Noir, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot. All varietals are fermented separately and then blended into used barrels. Lots of black figs, prunes, smokey-tar, leather and black cherries on the nose turns to a more fruit-driven, clean and crisp palate. 13.5%ABV. Awesome wine. The 2005 Montebruna Barbera is made in the traditional style of using no new oak (10yr old 150hl barrels)... made from clones 1884, 339, and 420AA (high production) grafted onto Cobra 53B rootstock. Comes off with 6gl/rs and a ph of 3.5. Very clean, very, very pretty... goes down so easily! A great food wine with the higher acid, bright red fruits, and slight RS. The 2004 Bricco delle Bigotta sees 16 months in oak (50% new, 50% 1yr), and comes from a clay/iron soil. Lots of toasted coffee, dark chocolate, black cherries, blueberries and raspberries with a very distinct rose-petal note. Very good.
Wait, wait, what becomes a common theme, we were invited to a "simple lunch - no really - just one course - angnolotti" with the Bologna family (owners of Braida) in their private residence... NB - there are no simple lunches with wine families... So, our simple lunch started out with a 1994 Ca'del Bosco Cuvee Annamaria Clementi Franciacorta... though not a great vintage, this wine had a beautiful slightly-oxidized nose with honey, caramel, toasted brioche, lots of hazelnuts and toasted almonds. Very exotic nose... almost Krug in style. The next wine was the 2004 Ai Summa Barbera d'Asti - this is a wine we carry on our list, so I was very familiar with it. Lots of anise and eucalyptus/mint on the nose on this... beautiful!!! Both of these were served with extensive antipasto - proscuitto, cheese, fruits, etc, etc... fabulous. The highlite of the visit, though, was the 1985 Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbara d'Asti. A stunning, mind-blowing wine. As expected, no label. Just a chalk-written vintage on the bottle... red center w/ a brownish/orange rim. Lots of hazelnuts, black truffles, dried porcini mushrooms, red clay, wet leaves, turned earth, mint and anise, and a new term for us - "Sotto Bosco" - refers to the turning up of earth after a rainstorm - almost like compost. A great and perfect descriptor for this wine. Amazing length... who knew Barbera could age this long and well... goes to show what any great wine is capable of. FYI, "Bricco dell'Uccellone" means "Top (bricco) of the Big Dick (Uccellone)"... Finished the meal with the 2006 Moscato d'Asti and the 2006 Brachetto d'Acqui... both delcious, low-alcohol, fruity wines. Great with gelato, sorbet or a bowl of fruit (stone fruits for the moscato; red fruits for the brachetto). We actually had macerated Cherries with the wines. A the end he brought out a digestif... 2004 Rochelt Williamsbirne Eau-de-Vie. From Fritzeus, Tirol, Austria... pear brandy made in what's called "the bellybutton bottle" as there's a big dimple in the middle of the bottle. 50%ABV. Really, really good... did exactly as promised. A great visit... without question the best Barbera d'Asti, Moscato and Brachetto producer there is.
No comments:
Post a Comment