14 September 2014

Cascina del Monastero - Annunziata, La Morra

The next day, we made our last stop of the trip at Cascina del Monastero in Annunziata.  We had met Beppe at a tasting in Asti earlier this year and had told him we would stop to taste all of his wines the next time we were in the area.  Cascina del Monastero is also an agriturismo so contact them if you are going to the area around La Morra for a nice place to stay and try their wines.

First was the 2011 Nebbiolo Langhe, 14% alcohol.  The bottle was opened for us.  Quite acidic with subdued fruit.  Recommend 3-4 years in the cellar to let it smooth out.  Euro 10 per bottle.

We then tried the 2009 Barolo Pernot, 14.5% alcohol.  This bottle was open for 24 hours before our arrival.  The fermentation time on this wine was 25 days under controlled temperature.  Light fruit, tannin and acids.  We consider this ready to drink.  Beppe then brought out the same wine that was produced for the Chinese market.  It had only eight days of fermentation which would practically eliminate any tannins and increase the fruit in the mouth.  Euro 20 a bottle.

Next was the 2010 Barolo Bricco Luciani, 14.5% alcohol.  Good fruit and acids with a nice nose.  Leave it four to five years in your cellar.  Euro 26 a bottle.

Last was the 2007 Barolo Riund Riserva, 14.5% alcohol.  We had tasted this one in Asti and wanted to put it in our cellar for further aging.  The wine has a beautiful Barolo nose with light acids and tannin.  Let rest for one to two years.  Euro 30 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

26 May 2016  We opened the first bottle of the 2007 Riund Riserva Barolo today with a lunch of Russian Borsch and Lebanese Dolma.  We had expected the wine to be quite "big" and robust.  It was not.  The wine was quite soft (should not have been, IOHO) and should have stood up to the Borsch.  We now know that it is quite soft for a Riserva and should be drunk as a "conversation wine" rather than with food.  We will open another bottle around the end of 2016 to see if our opinion has changed.  This weekend, I hope to see Beppe at the Vinessage in Asti to talk to him about the wine.  If there are any things to report, you may read them here!!

2 November 2016  We opened, as promised, another bottle of the 2007 Riund Riserva Barolo for lunch today.  We served it with a lightly seasoned meal (see review just above) of sauteed vegetables and ground turkey.  Similar to the first bottle, there was a strange taste that neither one of us could pin down nor could we tell you what it was.  The best description of it was "unpleasant".  We decided to leave the bottle open for about 45 minutes to see what it would do, remain or go away.  It was still there after the 45 minutes but gone after one hour.  We have pushed the opening of the third bottle out to no earlier than June of 2017.  We hope that the strange flavor will have decided to fly away when it sees the cork gone.  In any case, a light Barolo, could be considered a conversation wine but leave it open for a hour if you open it now.

19 February 2017  We opened the next to the last bottle of the 2007 Riund Riserva for lunch today.  It seems like Sunday is "Barolo Day" in our house.  We have a number of bottles that are ready to drink so it might spill over to other days of the week but in any case, we will drink them.  Similar to the first and second bottles, there was a strange taste that neither of us could identify much less tell what it was.  After about 30 minutes, that strange taste was gone and what we had in our glasses was a very nice Barolo.  We felt it was not a "big" Barolo as we prefer but there really is nothing wrong with it if you give it a hour open before you pour it.  Of course, if you are in a hurry, just decant it and swirl it in the decanter.  We served the wine with a plate of pasta with a bagnetto sauce (as for the recipe).  It was an abnormal Sunday lunch as we had been to a Polenta dinner in Monale the evening before and were not interested in a big meal.  Next and last opening will be in late summer.

9 April 2017  The last bottle of the 2007 Riund Riserva was opened today for our lunch.  The menu was mozzarella di buffala, a plate of pasta with fresh asparagus tips from the garden of a friend and a hunters' turkey stew which had red bell peppers, sauteed mushrooms and onions seasoned with Sicilian oregano in a jar of tomatoes from our garden.  The wine matched very well with the stew.  If you have this, we would strongly suggest that you open a bottle to see its progress of maturation!

Osvaldo Viberti - Serra dei Turchi, La Morra

The last stop for today was at the home of Osvaldo Viberti.  We had met Osvaldo at the 2013 La Morra tasting and had promised him that we would come to taste all of his wines.

We were shown into the kitchen of his home for the tasting.  We met his wife and two children before beginning what was to be a very enjoyable evening tasting all of his efforts.  We will not write about his Nascetta nor the Barbera d'Alba but if you visit him, make sure you taste both.

His 2012 Nebbiolo, 14% alcohol was first.  The wine has great fruit, nice acids and a lite tannin for a young Nebbiolo.  Needs two years in the cellar.  Euro 8.50 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.  We own the 2011 also.

The 2010 base Barolo was the next offering.  Nice balance between the fruit, tannin and acids, even at this point.  Would like to give it another two years in the cellar before drinking.  Euro 19 a bottle.

Third was the 2008 Barolo Serralunga, 14.5% alcohol.  This is a wine completely in balance and, in our opinion, ready to drink.  Leave it another year in the cellar to be sure.  Euro 24 a bottle.

The last Barolo was the 2007 Serra dei Turchi, 14.5% alcohol.  This is another Barolo ready to drink (bottle was open seven hours before we arrived which leads me to leave it in the cellar for at least one, maybe two years before opening).  It is a very good Barolo with great balance.  Euro 24 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

29 September 2014  Today for lunch, we had a Pizzocchieri della Vantellina.  Vantellina is a valley in Lombardia bordering Switzerland.  The dish is a pasta with a predominance of buckwheat flour unlike normal Italian pasta which has a predominance of wheat flour.  The dish also has potatoes, spinach, soft cheese like Toma, garlic and is cooked in butter, not olive oil.  For this, we opened the bottle of 2011 Nebbiolo from Osvaldo.  When we visited him earlier this month, we had asked him whether it was ready to drink.  He said it was.  This is spectacular grape juice.  It is no wonder we spent most of the last hour of the 2013 La Morra tasting at Osvaldo's barrel drinking this wine.  If you have it, open and enjoy.  It is ready to drink.

25 December 2015 For the holiday dinner which was one of our specialties that we adapted from my Sicilian Grandmother's recipe, we opened the first bottle of the 2007 Serra dei Turchi.  Lunch was a stuffed chicken boneless chicken thigh.  This wine is still "in pieces" and has yet to come together as we believe it will.  It also had a slightly off nose that we hope will resolve itself before we open the next one which will be at least a year down the road.  Let it rest if you have it.  If not, find it!

28 March 2016  Today for lunch, we opened one of our four bottles of the 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo.  We opened it just before serving lunch which was a chicken burger with a slight curry seasoning.  The wine took us on quite a roller coaster.  At first, there was no nose and a slightly acidic mouth.  Then the nose took over giving us a very nice Nebbiolo nose.  Then, the acid took a back seat and the Nebbiolo fruit showed itself.  By the end of lunch (and the bottle), we knew why it was put in the cellar.  It is not a big Nebbiolo so you should serve it in a closed mouth glass with a lightly seasoned meal.  Highly recommended, drink now.  

12 August 2016  For lunch today, we prepared Chinese noodles with shrimp.  Needing a light wine to go with it, we chose a bottle of Osvaldo's 2012 Nebbiolo.  The wine was not "together" when it was opened but after a short time (less than 20 minutes), it was the prime example of Nebbiolo that we know Osvaldo produces.  It went very well with the Chinese dish.  Highly recommended, as stated in the previous entry, drink it now, leaving it open for 15 minutes before pouring.

17 September 2017  Today for lunch, we had something very special...we had purchased some summer truffles when we were in La Morra for the Barolo tasting.  We decided to use one for a plate of pasta with just a little extra virgin olive oil from Sicily.  We also sauteed some slices of turkey breast.  For this, we opened the bottle of 2012 Nebbiolo from Osvaldo.  When the bottle was opened, it had an off nose that was something like a mold.  The mouth was fine.  We studied the cork and found it to be cracked on the bottom that may have let some air in that may have caused the off nose.  Toward the end of the bottle, the musty smell had blown off.  We will be interested to see if the other bottle of the 2012 we have has the same problem.  Stay tuned.  The wine is ready to drink so enjoy it.  It does have time left but try a bottle now!

4 February 2018  Today Natalya made Thai soup and Turkish dolma for lunch.  I know what both of them are like so had to pick a wine that would stand up to the Thai soup but not cover up the Turkish dolma.  I chose a 2007 Viberti Serra dei Turchi.  The choice was correct.  The food went very well with this very good Barolo.  Highly recommended, drink now!

11 March 2018  Again, Natalya, born Russian, made Thai soup for lunch to go with a sauteed turkey breast.  I was tasked with finding a wine that would stand up to the Thai soup and yet, not kill the sauteed turkey breast.  My choices were limited but we had one more bottle of Osvaldo's Nebbiolo from 2012.  The wine stood up to the Thai soup and did not step on the turkey breast.  However, if you have this wine, we find that it has faded fast and should be enjoyed as soon as possible, hopefully within the next 30 days.  It is still there but we feel it will not be much longer.

Silvio Grasso - Annunziata, La Morra

The first stop on that new day was at Silvio Grasso in Annuziata, frazione of La Morra.

We were greeted by Marilena, wife of Alessio Federico Grasso who now runs the cantina.  We were given a short tour of the facility and watched Alessio Federico and his sons, Silvio and Paolo, bottle some of the 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass (translates as "big stones" because of the rocky nature of the vineyard).  More on this wine later in this post.

The first wine offered was the 2012 Nebbiolo Langhe, 14.5% alcohol.  This bottle had been open for 24 hours.  The wine was quite acidic which pushed the fruit into the background.  It had spent three months in used barrique.  As we aerated the wine, the fruit came into the foreground.  We consider the wine ready to drink.  Euro 9 per bottle.

The second Nebbiolo was the 2011 Nebbiolo d'Alba, 13.5% alcohol.  The bottle was opened for us.  The wine has strong fruit taste with light acids.  We believe the wine needs 1-2 years in the cellar.  Euro 10 per bottle.

All of the following Barolos were opened for us.

First was the 2010 base Barolo, 14% alcohol.  Good fruit, nice Barolo nose, high acid, we think it needs six plus years in the cantina to be ready to drink.  Euro 24 a bottle.

Second was the 2010 Barolo Giachini, 14.5% alcohol.  Big tannins, good fruit and acid.  In our opinion, it needs four to five years in the cellar to come around.  Euro 27 a bottle.

Next was the 2010 Barolo Turne`, 14.5% alcohol.  The fermentation process for this wine was lengthened to 40 days on the skins of the grapes with no control over the fermentation temperature as is normal.  This is an excellent example of the grape.  It has heavy tannins with a muted fruit that will, in our opinion, begin to show itself after seven to eight years in the cellar.  Euro 34 a bottle.

The fourth was the Barolo Bricco Luciani which is the area around the cantina.  14.5% alcohol, great fruit, good balance of tannins and acids with a muted nose that indicates to us that the wine needs at least ten years resting in the cellar.  This is a great wine.  Euro 34 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

The last, regretfully, was the 2010 Barolo Bricco Monzoni, an area around Monforte d'Alba.  This area has the distinction of producing "big" Barolos that last a long time in the cellar.  This one was no exception.  It has an acidic nose with great fruit in the mouth.  Nice balance with a subdued nose.  You could drink this now or put it in your cellar behind the Luciani to drink when the Luciani is finished.  Euro 37 a bottle, purchased to put behind the Luciani in our cellar!

About the 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass...we asked to taste the wine they were bottling and was given a glass full.  One word describes it...spectacular!  We ordered six bottles of it for delivery when they are rested and labeled.  They will go very fast according to Marilena.  If you want them, call the cantina!

26 October 2014  Today was a special day...fall has practically finished here and it seems like winter is not too far behind so we barbecued some of the last vegetables from the garden, some of the potatoes we planted in the orchard and some chicken wings that we had marinated overnight in yogurt and tandoori spices.  Seems like a difficult choice for a wine to go along with this lunch.  We have one bottle of the 2004 Barolo Bricco Monzoni.  We have wanted to see what the wine was like after being at rest for ten years (remember we have the 2010).  It is not ready to drink.  But, in all honesty, it is a spectacular Barolo.  The perfect Barolo nose with a lot of acidity and fruit in the mouth.  Highly recommended!!!

24 December 2015  We opened the first of our six bottles of the 2011 Peirass Nebbiolo thinking that it would be ready to drink or at least getting there.  We were incorrect.  It is very good but we believe that with time (at least another year), it will be much better. Put your 2011 Peirass Nebbbio back in the cellar again.  Paolo told us that it must sit at least until 2019-2020.

5 September 2016  After the La Morra degustazione, we made our regular trip to Silvio Grasso.  We were able to talk to Marilena, Silvio and Paolo.  Alessio Federico was resting, preparing for the upcoming vendemia (picking of the grapes.  Marilena and Silvio were labeling magnums so Paolo talked us through the 2012 Barolos.  First was the 2012 Turne` (the 2012 Giachini was already sold out).  The Turne` is still in three parts (fruit, tannin and acid) as expected.  It needs an extended period of time in your cantina.  Euro 34 a bottle.

Second was the Turne` 2009.  It is also still in pieces but coming along nicely.

Third was the 2012 Annunziata Vigna Plicotti, 14.5% alcohol.  This is a very nice light, conversation Barolo which can be drunk now but will surely last for another ten years.  We have marked the first opening for 2020.  Euro 34 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Next was the 2012 Bricco Luciani, 14% alcohol.  While it is still in three pieces as noted above, we believe this will turn into a spectacular Barolo.  We also believe that you should not disturb this Barolo for at least seven years, possibly more.  Euro 34 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Following the 2012 was the 2009 Bricco Luciani.  This wine had been open for three days and had developed a Marsala taste.

The final wine was the 2012 Bricco Manzoni, 14% alcohol.  This vineyard has always been our favorite of their offerings.  It had been opened the morning that we visited (approximately four hours before).  The wine has light acids and great tannins and fruit.  Give the wine another ten years in your cellar.  Euro 37 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

23 October 2016  Sitting in the back of our cellar for sometime was a magnum (1.5L) of 2003 Silvio Grasso L'Andre Barolo.  We do not remember where we got it but it was there just waiting for the right occasion and enough people to drink it.  Our friends from Agriturismo La Mussia had called the week before and asked us to come for lunch to answer some questions about a trip they were taking to California.  Not a better excuse to open it!!  The menu that Carla prepared was a chicken/celery salad, deviled eggs, baked trout and oven baked potatoes.  Laura opened a bottle of a local Arneis before we sat down.  We were wondering if the wine might be past its prime and considered taking other Barolos with us but we threw caution to the wind and stuck with the L'Andre.  When we opened it, the cork broke off.  Not a big deal but took a little extra coaxing to get the half cork out of the bottle.  We smelled it and took a small amount into a glass to ensure it was ok.  The wine was perfect, just at the right age to drink (remember this was a magnum that takes at least twice the time to come around because of the size of the bottle).  It turned out to be quite light, not the big Barolos that we normally drink.  It went very well with the meal.  Laura's husband Claudio is a grape grower (barbera and chardonnay) and he thought it was perfect also.  Now we have to find more magnums to add to our collection!!

 4 September 2017  In the days after the 1st Sunday in September tasting in La Morra, we usually make the rounds of our favorite wineries/cantinas to see what they have accomplished in the past year.  On Monday the 4th, we made our second stop of the day at Silvio Grasso.  Paolo was in front of the tasting room to greet us.  His mother Marilena joined us later.  We also saw Paolo's brother Silvio during the tasting.  We tasted six of their Barolos, two from 2009 and 4 from 2013.  We own most of their 2010 and 2012.  We did not buy 2011 from anyone.  

First poured was the 2015 Langhe Nebbiolo.  It had spent three months in used barrique.  It was opened two days previously.  Quite good.

The first was the 2013 Bricco Manzoni.  14% alcohol.  Opened on the 2nd of September.  It was almost ready to drink after being open for two days previously.  We would think that it would need at least five years before opening a bottle.  Euro 30 a bottle.


Next was the 2013 Bricco Luciani, 14% alcohol.  Opened for us.  Good tannins, fruit acids.  Have patience with this one.  We think that it needs at least 8 years resting.  Euro 24 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Third was the 2012 Vigna Plicotti.  This was opened also on the 2nd of September.  The fruit was starting to fade, tannins are still quite strong.  This is a wine that if you open it, drink it that day.  If you do not open it, leave it in your cellar for another three to four years.

Next was the 2013 Vigna Plicotti.  This was also opened on the 2nd of September.  Has a very nice nose and the typical hard tannins for this vineyard.  Paolo had warned us that the wine needed more than the usual time in the cellar for the tannins to even out.  We estimate up to 15 years of rest before opening.  Euro 24 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Last was the 2013 Turne`.  Opened for us.  In the past, we had not been big fans of this vineyard.  However, the 2013 is another story.  We found balanced fruit and tannins in this wine.  It is very good now but we are going to leave this in our cellar until 2027.  Euro 24 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

We did reserve a case of the 2015 Peirass Nebbiolo to pick up sometime during the winter.  This is a wine that is sold out before it is even bottled.  If you find it, try this great Nebbiolo.  But remember, read the notes about the 2011 above.  It needs a long time in the cellar!

26 May 2018  Before we went to Io, Barolo last evening, we stopped at Silvio Grasso to get our case of the 2015 Peirass Nebbiolo.  We also had a bottle of wine that Paolo wanted to try from our friends at Ferrero.  Of course, Paolo asked if we wanted to try the Nebbiolo and of course, we wanted to.  What a spectacular wine!  It is one of the best examples of the grape we have tasted for many years.  In fact, Paolo said that he had two cases if we wanted them.  We took them both.  Euro 22 a bottle.  We suggest that you leave the 2015 for about five years before opening one.  We also had the opportunity to taste the 2014 base Barolo.  Base Barolo is a combination of grapes from a number of vineyards rather than the single vineyard wines that we 99% of the time purchase.  2014 was a wet year so the grapes do not have a lot of taste and they were late in ripening.  However, the 2014 from Silvio is a very nice wine.  Give it two or three years in your cellar and it should be very nice for a lightly spiced meal.  Euro 24 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

5 October 2018  Today is the eighth anniversary of Natalya coming to Italy.  We decided to make a trip up to La Morra to see our friends at Silvio Grasso and taste some of the 2014 offerings that were not available when we were there in May.  Marilena was waiting for us and asked if we could do some translations for her since she does not speak any English and Paolo and Silvio had other groups to take care of.  She also told us that they had made a decision that the single vineyard wines from 2014 were not good enough to bottle as single vineyard wines.  We had purchased this in May when we were at the cantina the last time.  So, they have a large number of bottles of the base Barolo at attractive price.  We have tasted that and find it good for a lightly spiced meal.  She also opened a bottle of the 2011 Barolo that celebrates Alessio Federico's retirement.  The wine uses grapes from the 2011 vintage and is quite good.  It is actually a Riserva which means that it spent five years in wood before being bottled.  Each bottle has Alessio Federico's signature on it.  We recommend it also.  It is quite good and should rest in your cellar for at least four years before being opened to try.  We also ordered some bottles of their 2016 Barbera d'Alba, some of the new Nebbiolo and the 2011 Riserva noted above.  We will pick these up during the winter.

 19 February 2019  We had kind of a day off from running the farm so we decided to go to La Morra and see our friends at Silvio Grasso.  Marilena was there, Silvio and Paolo were in the vineyards pruning the vines.  It was a quite nice day.  We also had a box of Barbera d'Asti for Marilena.  She had asked if we could bring her some as it is not available in La Morra.  Since we were there, we were invited to taste the 2015 Barolos that had just been released.  All wines noted here had been opened for 24 hours prior to our arrival.  Estimates of when the wines would be ready to drink take this into account.  One thing we will say about the 2015 Barolos from this producer.  Normally, we would think that you can put their Barolos for at least ten years before drinking them.  However, the 2015 seems to be ready a little sooner.  Give them five years and then see how they are maturing.

Before the Barolos, she brought out a bottle of the 2016 Peirass Nebbiolo that did not even have a label on it.  There was some writing that indicated what it was but the labels had not been printed yet.  This is a spectacular wine even at this young age.  The nose is deep and evident of the grape.  The mouth shows acid and tannin which should become part of the wine as it ages.  Give it three years in the cellar, euro 22 a bottle.  Purchased for our cellar.

First Barolo was the 2015 base (a mixture of grapes from a number of vineyards). Nose was slightly off as a new wine should be.  We estimate three to four years before you should open this.  Euro 24 a bottle.

Second offering was the 2015 Giachini.  This vineyard does not belong to the cantina but it is rented by them for the grapes.  Very tannic with a light nose and mouth.  We were intrigued by the wine since it had never been available to us prior to this year.  Euro 30 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.  We will give it 3-5 years before trying it.

Next was the 2015 Turne`.  We had never been fans of this wine but this is another that is usually sold out before we visit in September.  We have purchased it once but this year, will not.  It has a very fruity Barolo nose with the mouth light and quite tannic.  Euro 34 a bottle.  We recommend 2-3 years before opening it.

Fourth was the 2015 Plicotti.  This wine has a spectacular, big Barolo nose.  It is acidic with light tannins which start to soften during the time in the glass.  We believe the wine needs 5 to 7 years before it is ready to drink.  Euro 34 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Next was the 2015 Luciani.  A light nose with a very tannic mouth and the fruit beginning to show.  We estimate that it will take 5-6 years before it is ready to drink.  Euro 34 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Last Barolo was the 2015 Manzoni.  Good Barolo nose with great fruit, light acids and tannins.  Probably 4-5 years of rest required.  Euro 36 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

The last wine to be tasted was the 2017 Nebbiolo.  The bottle we tasted from was a half bottle, opened for us.  We are big fans of their Nebbiolos.  We have quite a number of bottles in our cellar.  This wine is very good.  Ready to drink now but will last at least another four years.  Euro 9 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

30 June 2019  We opened a bottle of the 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo to see how it was coming along.  We served it with faraona (guinea hen) and oven roasted potatoes.  The wine is not ready to drink.  It has all the pieces but they are still standing apart from one another.  Give it another year, maybe two.

8 December 2019  As some of may have gleaned, we are great fans of the wines of Silvio Grasso.  Today, we ventured and opened a bottle of their Barolo, the 2009 Bricco Luciani, the only one of this vintage in our cellar.  When we had originally tasted it, I had said that it would be ready in this time period.  Well, I was short a year or even more.  While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the wine, it needs more time.  The wine was very tannic with balanced fruit and acid.  The year previously mentioned or even longer would make the wine more approachable.  In any case, we served it with a zucca soup and Natalya's blini with potatoes and porcini mushrooms.

29 March 2020  Today we opened a bottle of the 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo from this producer.  We served it with a chicken Milanese cooked on lime leaves from one of our fruit trees and basmati rice.  Also served with a green salad from our garden (yes, fresh from the garden).  While the wine is quite good now, we believe it needs at least another year in the cellar before we open another one.  Patience, people!

10 May 2020  For lunch today, we opened a bottle of the 2011 Peirass Nebbiolo.  It is a spectacular wine.  You may drink it now but in reality, it needs more time in the cellar.  Our wine list indicates that it might be ready in December of this year but that is probably too soon.  It is still in pieces but as we said, it is really good grape juice.  It has heavy tannins, good fruit and a light acid.  It was served with ground chicken and rice stuffed grape leaves, anchovies with a sauce of tuna and hazel nuts.  Again, patience people!!

30 August 2020  Also for lunch, we opened another bottle of the 2011 Peirass Nebbiolo.  Again, it is a spectacular wine even though it is not ready to drink.  We have two bottles left.  We have changed the "open date" to February of 2021 for the next bottle.  Today we had Natalya's borsch, sauteed chicken breast slices and Turkish vegetable stew.  Yesterday was my 75th birthday so we ate light.

7 September 2020  Today we made our yearly visit to Azienda Agricola Silvio Grasso.  Of course, we are usually a lot earlier in the year but we were locked down by Covid-19 and were unable to travel.  Silvio and Paolo were on their way to a customer to deliver wine so we got a chance to have a short conversation with them.  And, as usual, we were greeted by Marilena.  Except for one bottle, the wines were opened for us.  Since there are a number of wines to write about, we will do it piecemeal so have patience, please.

The first wine presented was the 2019 Nebbiolo, 13.5% alcohol.  As expected, mouth is in three pieces, should take a minimum of three years to come around.  Purchased for our cellar.

Second was the only bottle that had been opened previously (on the 5th of September), the 2017 Nebbiolo Peirass, 14.5% alcohol.  We really like this wine and have vintages going back to 2011.  Marilena told us that they had opened a bottle of the 2003 recently that was very good.  The mouth of the 2017 is very good, a spectacular wine that requires a minimum of 4 years to come around and allow the three pieces to get to know each other.  Purchased for our cellar.

Next was the 2016 Barolo base.  15% alcohol.  Beautiful Barolo nose, mouth in pieces as expected, needs five years minimum to come around.

The 2016 Barolo Giachini was next.  It is not very often that they have the Giachini because it is so popular and gets sold out quickly.  We got to taste and buy it probably because of the virus.  It has a real Barolo nose, indications of vanilla, mouth in pieces, of course.  Five years minimum.  Purchased for our cellar.

2016 Turne` was next, 14% alcohol.  This wine is produced in traditional manner.  No small barrels are used, only large ones.  Not a Barolo nose right away but it comes around after about five minutes in the glass.  Given some time, this wine should be a very interesting addition to yours and our cellars.  Purchased for our cellar.

The next Barolo was the 2016 Plicotti, 14.5% alcohol.  A typical Barolo nose, complemented by a smooth mouth with an emphasis on the acids.  You might drink it now but leave it for another three to four years to let the real wine settle down.  Purchased for our cellar.

The 2016 Luciani was next, 14.5% alcohol.  This wine was also opened on the fifth of September.  A very hidden Barolo nose, with time in the glass, the nose showed a good acid flavor.  We believe that this wine needs a minimum of ten years to become what the vintage is really about.  Purchased for our cellar.

Next was the 2016 Manzoni, 14.5% alcohol.  The nose gave indication of chocolate.  It also shows a chocolate mouth, both of which disappeared quite quickly.  This is a lighter Barolo but still needs a good deal of time to be who it really is.  If you have patience, we recommend seven years before trying it.  Purchased for our cellar.

Last, but surely not least, was a surprise.  In the many years we have tasted and purchased wines from Silvio Grasso, we have never seen a riserva.  However, Marilena brought out the  2013 Barolo Riserva.  It is the first and from what she indicated, the last that they will make.  It has a very good Barolo nose and mouth even at this early age.  We expect to let it rest for at least ten years before opening a bottle.  Purchased for our cellar.

21 January 2021  The wine was opened not for a spectacular Sunday lunch but what we call and ordinary lunch, this time on a Thursday.  We are running out of wine that is ready to drink because of the lockdown so I thought a nine year old Nebbiolo, the 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass might be a good wine for the sauteed chicken with dill, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed red potatoes and chicken soup.  WRONG!  The wine is a long way from being ready to drink.  As good as it is now, it needs at least another three years before I would open the last of our bottles.  Patience, patience!!

21 March 2021 Today was kind of a strange Sunday lunch.  Yesterday, I got out my Chinese chef hat and made Kung Pao Chicken.  Natalya called it our Sunday lunch for this week as she wanted to make pizza today...and she did.  It was quite good other than she did not start our outdoor pizza oven soon enough to be able to cook it there.  It was cooked in an oven in the house and was quite good.  Along with the pizza, she made an Asian fantasia soup and a salad from our garden.  Along with the lunch, I chose the 1917 Nebbiolo Langhe from Silvio Grasso.  The wine, after a long wait (years), is started to be ready to drink.  The pieces are all together giving it a wonderful nose and mouth.  You may try a bottle now but the wine has at least another year or two to age.  Nice grape juice!!

 16 May 2021  Today we opened a bottle of the 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo.  With it we served a saute of turkey slices, stuffed carciofi and mushrooms from Monalfunghi in Monale.  A lighter wine for a light lunch.  Recommended highly!

1 July 2021 For those of you that read our blog, you know that we make yearly trips to this producer to taste their wines.  This year, we were late of course, due to the pandemic.

We were greeted by Marilena and Paolo on a very hot summer day in Roero.  Paolo had suggested that we come early because of the heat and he was correct.

The Barolos served were from the 2017 vintage.  2017 was a very hot, dry year and therefore the wines are quite different.  Some were not produced because the grapes were not up to the standards of the Cantina. Also, even I was a little confused by the wines.  Normally, I can tell when the wine will be ready to drink on these visits.  I am little concerned that my estimates, usually early rather than later, may be way off.  We will see as the years pass.

All the wines on this day for opened for us.

First was the 2020 Nebbiolo, 13.5%.  It has a very good Nebbiolo nose.  The fruit is probably the main thing that you would taste even in the nose.  The mouth is also a terrific example of the fruit.  We think this wine can be drank now but if you have any doubts, read the paragraph just above.  Purchased for our cellar.

Second was the 2018 Peirass Nebbiolo, 14%.  This is a small area between two Barolo crus.  Wines are extremely good and long lasting.  This one has a deep Nebbiolo nose.  The mouth is slightly acid but the fruit is there.  It reminds me of a "baby" Barolo.  Purchased for our cellar.

Next, we got into the Barolos.  First was the Vigna Plicotti, 14.5%.  A subdued Barolo nose although the mouth says it is almost ready (refer to paragraph above about this vintage).  We estimate that anywhere between 3 and 5 years are required for the wine to reach the time to try it.  Purchased for our cellar.

The second Barolo was the Turne`, 14%.  Again, a subdued nose but this wine has a hard mouth leading us to believe that it needs 7-10 years before a bottle will allow you to open it.  Purchased for our cellar.

Next Barolo was the Bricco Luciani, 14.5%.  The nose is in pieces with an emphasis on the acid.  However, as we worked the glass, it did open up some.  Again, a hard mouth with an emphasis on acid.  One thing about this wine is the color.  The color reminds us of a very old Barolo.  It is not the normal color as you would expect.  Marilena said that it is because the grapes from that particular cru was facing the sun more than the others and the grapes were slightly "burned".  We see no reason that after 8 to 10 years, the wine will be ready to drink with not a lot of color.  Purchased for our cellar.

The last Barolo was the Bricco Manzoni, 14%.  The nose has not shown itself at this time and the mouth is light.  We believe that the wine should be just all the other vintages we have of this cru...a spectacular wine.  Give it at least 4 years before trying it.  Purchased for our cellar.

We also had the opportunity to taste a wine that eight producers had individually produced for charity.  The wine from Alessio Federico Grasso is 40% Nebbiolo, 20% Barbera, 20% Cabernet and 20% Merlot.  It is called L'insieme.  If you have the opportunity, pick up a bottle.  It is probably ready to drink now.  We have two bottles in our cellar.

31 October 2021  Trick or treat!!  In celebration of the holiday, we opened a bottle of the 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo for lunch today.  The menu included stuffed zucca (pumpkin) from our garden, Natalya's borsch and sauteed bio sotto filetto chicken with pasta.  Surprisingly, the wine is ready to drink.  It went very well with the lunch she prepared.  If you have bottles, try one!

30 December 2021 Pre new year's, Natalya made a sauteed zucca, angliotti with fontina cheese, spinach and ricotta and salad with spinach and onion with balsamic vinegar.  Great wine, you can drink it now.

1 January 2022 Happy new year, fans!!  The start of lunch was the lucky dish of the year: lentils with spinach with olive oil.  Then, accughi with verdi, stuffed turkey breast.  I opened a bottle of 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo.  Went well but it does need another year and a half before it is really ready.  In any case, great wine!

16 April 2022 Well, I could not wait to try another bottle of the 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo.  Yes, it does need longer in the cellar.  In any case, it went well with a series of deviled eggs with different spices.  They were accompanied by a finocchio salad with chopped onion and lemon juice.  Again, needs time.  Let it rest!

26 May 2022 We made our annual visit to the Grasso family today to taste the 2018 Barolos and the 2019 and 2021 Nebbiolos.  Paolo had a surprise for us which we will talk about later.   

The first thing he poured was the 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo, 14%, opened for us.  As usually, it is a very good example of the grapes and is one of our favorite Nebbiolos in our cellar.  It had an acidic mouth when first tasted but leveled out quickly.  The fruit was muted but as usual, it started to come out as the wine opened.  We believe that it needs two years rest before opening.  Purchased it for our cellar, euro 10 per bottle.  If you are interested in this wine, call the winery before visiting to see if it has been bottled.  It had been sold out when we were there.  

Next was the 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass, 14%, opened for us.  This is a special Nebbiolo that comes from a certain vineyard and is aged more before bottling.  It has a heavy fruit, spectacular nose even now.  Euro 24 a bottle.  Give it three to five years rest. Purchased for our cellar.

Next was the 2018 Barolo base, 14.5%, opened the 24th.  It has a light nose with a slightly acidic mouth.  Ready now to 2 years.  Euro 25 a bottle.

2nd Barolo was the 2018 Turne`, 14%, opened the 23rd.  Acid nose, no fruit as of yet, light mouth, but it is opening up as the glass is worked.  Needs 2-3 years before opening.  Euro 37 a bottle.

Next was the 2018 Annunziata Vigna Plicotti, 14.5%, opened the 23rd.   Good acidic nose, light fruit at this point.  A very good heavy mouth fruit is evident.  Give it 5-6 years in your cellar.  Euro 37 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Fourth was the 2018 Bricco Luciani, 14.5%, opened the 24th.  Slightly acid nose, light fruit.  The wine is in pieces as of now.  We are suggestion that the first bottle you should open will be somewhere around 6-7 years.  Our mouth tells us that it may be 10 years before it is really ready to drink.  Euro 37 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Before Paolo poured the 2018 Bricco Manzoni, he poured a glass of the 1999 (yes, 1999) Bricco Manzoni.  It was opened the 25th.  It is what all Barolo wants to be.  It is a spectacular wine.  I was still drinking Cabernet Sauvignon in California when it was made.

Now, the 2018 Bricco Manzoni, 14%, opened the 24th.  The nose was heavy with fruit but little acid.  The mouth was heavy fruit, little tannin and no acid.  This is another wine that needs to rest in your cellar for a number of years.  Try a bottle after six years but be prepared to wait for more.  Euro 37 per bottle, purchased for our cellar.

29 August 2022  Today is my 77th birthday.  And, it is a Monday.  Monday's for us is chicken hamburgers with Michele's Barbera.  But, you never get to be 77 twice so I got out what I believed to be a very good wine: the 2016 Silvio Grasso Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass.  Our wine list said it was ready in July so we wanted to know whether or not my date of being ready was correct.  It was!  The wine, from the time I opened the bottle to the time the last drop was poured, was very, very good.  We have five bottles more.  Wish I had bought twelve instead of six.  Drink it if you own it.

1 January 2023  We opened another bottle of the 2016 Silvio Grasso Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass for lunch today.  The wine is ready to drink as written previously.  Hope you all had a safe and sane New Year's!

13 May 2023  Do you have the Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass 2016?  Try a bottle and then lock up the rest of them.  There are no more in Europe.  It is a spectacular wine.  We have three left.  We served one with a plate of pasta and our special sauce (grown and cooked by the two of us).  It will have to be a spectacular meal to open another bottle.  We will open a bottle of the 2015 next.  Hope it is as good as the 2016.

3 June 2023 We opened three bottles of Nebbiolo today to determine how they are doing.  The first was 2011 Silvio Grasso Nebbiolo Peirass.  The wine is ready to drink.  If you have more, we suggest that you put it on your menu.  The next was the 2015 Silvio Grasso Nebbiolo Peirass.  This wine needs to rest for another two years.  We have a number of these bottles so we can experiment.  The last was the Silvio Grasso 2017 Nebbiolo (not the Peirass!).  This wine is ready to drink.  This is a very light flavor wine and should be drank soon.

11 July 2023 For those of you that follow this blog, you know that we like Silvio Grasso's Nebbiolo Perirass a great deal.  Today, we opened a bottle of the 2018.  This was mainly to find out how the aging was going along.  I made a Milanese chicken breast, sauteed potatoes from our garden and my Grandmother's tomato salad from our garden also.  The wine is spectacular and it is ready to drink.  We recommend that you taste it when you have the proper meal (it is a good tasting and big grape mouth).  It should last for at least a year.  It is very good wine!!

6 August 2023 Today, Natalya made Indian Sinohi Biryani Rice with chicken.  I opened a bottle of the Silvio Grasso Langhe Nebbiolo 2017 to go with it.  Not only was the rice spectular, the Nebbiolo was perfect for it.  It had a good flavor that held up to the rice.  The rice was served with a salad and sauteed potatoes and mushrooms.  Try the 2017...it is very good!

12 September 2023  We had visitors from the US for a couple of days.  She and I had worked together when we both lived in California.  We opened the 1999 Silvio Grasso Magnum of Barolo and a bottle of the Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass 2016.  Both were spectacular wines and gave them an idea of two different Barolos that had aged.  She and her husband had come to visit us to attend some Barolo tastings but because of strikes and weather, the tasting was in our house.  They brought us two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley which is impossible to find here.

6 October 2023  We wanted to find out how the 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo from this producer is going.  We can tell you that the wine needs another 18 months before it is ready.  Patience, my friends...

13 October 2023 For lunch today, we opened a bottle of the Silvio Grasso 2020 Nebbiolo.  We served sauteed persico (a local fish) and sauteed potatoes.  While the wine is not ready yet, it went well with the fish.  Give the wine another 2 years.

21 October 2023  Most people would tell you to not serve red wine with a fish lunch.  We disagree.  On a Saturday, we served a bottle of the Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass 2016 (the last one we have) with a fish, sauteed potatoes and salad for lunch.  Worked fine.  No problems or not tasting the wine or the fish.  The wine is ready to drink.  Suggest that you open it now!

11 November 2023  Again, we are drinking a red wine with a fish lunch.  And as the 13th, we had sauteed persico.  The wine was the Langhe Nebbiolo 2018 from this producer.  Went very well.  Try it, you might find another dish to serve red wine from your cellar.

18 November 2023 For lunch today, we opened a bottle of the 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass for filet of Orata, sauteed potatoes and salad made for Rosanna's spinach.  As usual, the wine went very well for lunch as well as being ready to drink.  If you have the wine, we suggest that you try a bottle to see how it is coming.

17 December 2023 As you might guess, we have a plethora of the 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo Peirass.  We opened a bottle for a lunch a Russian fish cake, a beet salad and a lettuce/spinach salad with olive oil from the town where my grandfather was born.  The wine is drink.  I would not wait to taste it if you have more one bottle.

3 January 2024 Another bottle of the 2018 Peirass today was opened for lunch.  With this bottle, we left about 20% left to try it at dinner.  We were sure that the wine is ready to drink.  The wine had lost a lot of the flavor.  We have 7 bottles left and will drink them during winter, no longer.  Today was sauteed chicken breast over steamed saraceno.  We started the lunch with Natalya's borsch and ended with a spinach salad from our friend, Rosanna.


13 September 2014

Cascina Ballarin - Annunziata, La Morra

Our first stop on our second day of visits was Cascina Ballarin where we were met by Giorgio Viberti, the owner and wine maker.  The cascina is also an agriturismo.

All wines presented were in half bottles, our first experience with this mode of tasting.  We could go into a fairly lengthy discussion of our opinion of half bottles but we will save that for another day but if you want, send us a comment and we will discuss it with you.  Economically, it is a very good idea.  We will leave it at that.

First wine was the 2011 Nebbiolo.  14% alcohol from the Bussia vineyard.  A light Nebbiolo, good fruit and acid after having spent six months in used barrique.  It is ready to drink.  Euro 10 a bottle.

First Barolo was the 2010 Tre Ciabot.  Grapes are from Bussia, La Morra and Monforte d'Alba.  Done completely in used botte, it has great fruit, light acid and little, if any, tannins.  14% alcohol, we think it needs one to two years to come around.  Euro 22 a bottle.

Second Barolo was the 2010 Bussia, a single vineyard bottling.  Nice nose, light acid and no tannins were noted.  14.5% alcohol, it was produced in 50% new barrique and 50% used.  Needs two to three years in the cellar.  Euro 31 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Third Barolo was the 2010 Bricco Rocca, another single vineyard bottling.  A soft Barolo with 14.5% alcohol, great mouth with good fruit, light acids and light tannins.  Produced in 50% new and 50% used barrique.  Euro 31 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Giorgio also gave us a bottle of his Punte dei Tre Ciabot Vino Spumante Brut di Qualita` (Metodo Classico) to try.  We will serve it with Kung Pao Chicken for lunch on Sunday and report back to him.

10 September 2016  We saw Giorgio at the La Morra tasting and confirmed our visit for the following afternoon.  There was a group of guests from his camping/Agriturismo who shared his wines with us.

He served a glass of his new Extra Dry Metodo Classico to open the tasting.  100% Chardonnay.  Very good, is now in our cellar.

First was the 2013 Langhe Nebbiolo, 13.5% alcohol.  A good light Nebbiolo, ready to drink.

Next were two of his Barberas which we will not comment on but were quite good.

Then, we had the 2012 Bussia Barolo,  14% alcohol.  It is a wine that just begs to be put in the back of the cellar and left for several years to come into its glory.  All the piece are there.  They just need time to come together.  Give it a minimum of seven years before opening the first bottle.  Euro 32 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

The last Barolo was the 2012 Bricco Rocca, 14% alcohol.  We could just tell you to read the commentary on the Bussia because we  think that they need the same amount of rest.  They are two different Barolos from two different areas but they were vinified with great care giving them the ability to last for seven to ten years.  Euro 32 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

4 September 2017  As usual after the La Morra tasting, on Monday afternoon we traveled to Cascina Ballarin to see what Giorgio had been up to over the past year.  We normally see him at other tastings so we have tasted some of his offerings but today was the first time to taste his 2013 efforts.

We did have a glass of his Nas-Cetta before starting on the Barolos.  It it quite good and highly recommended if you can find it.

Then he poured a glass of the 2013 Tre Ciabot Barolo.  Half bottle opened for us.  Light fruit and tannin in the mouth. Euro 24 a bottle.

Second was the 2013 Bricco Rocca.  Also poured from a half bottle opened for us.  Big fruit and tannins in the mouth.  Needs five to six years in the cellar.  Euro 35 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Last was the 2013 Bussia.  Again, poured from a half bottle, opened for us.  We are big fans of the wine produced from this cru.  Giorgio's is not the only Barolo we own from that area.  The wine has big tannins but the fruit is there to balance it out.  The nose shows the fruit very nicely.  Needs at least ten years in the cellar.  Euro 35 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

7 April 2019   We opened a bottle of the 2010 Bussia from this producer to serve with some arancini and formaggio di buffala.  The wine is ready to drink but can use a short time open before serving.

05 May 2019  We opened a bottle of the 2010 Bricco Rocca after our experience with the 2010 Bussia.  Our lunch of large shells stuffed with Basmati rice and porcini mushrooms and baked in a tomato sugo went quite well with the wine. our lunch of large shells stuffed with Basmati rice and porcini mushrooms and baked in a tomato sugo.  We believe the wine can use another six months to a year before it starts on the down hill.

24 June 2019  We opened our last bottle of the 2010 Bussia to serve with our lunch of Kung Pao chicken.  It went quite well with the Chinese dish but we do recommend that you open it at least ten minutes prior to serving it.  We believe it is ready to drink.

26 September 2019  We opened a bottle of the 2010 Bricco Rocca Barolo today for lunch.  If you read our blog a lot, you will notice that we usually eat quite different things.  Today was an exception.  We had grilled cheese sandwiches with a salad of cucumbers from our garden.  As to the wine, it is ready to drink.  We have one more bottle of it and will drink it before the end of the year.  It is very good and went well even with the sandwiches.  Highly recommended to drink now.

22 November 2020  One of the biggest problems when you have a Barolo collection is having a bottle when you want it.  In our case, most of our collection starts being ready toward the end of 2021 through 2031.  It was this problem that forced us to take a bottle from the collection that probably was not ready but we wanted Barolo for lunch.  The lunch was stuffed cabbage rolls, chicken breast pieces and carrot salad.  Even though the wine, a 2013 Bricco Rocca was a long way (we estimate another 3-5 years), it made a light lunch better than it should have been.  Have patience!!

15 March 2021 We opened a bottle of the 2012 Bricco Rocca Barolo from this producer.  We have a lot of faith in the wine so even if we had it read some months down the road, we decided to try it.  Natalya made her famous Borsch along with Dim Sum stuffed with biological chicken and onion.  I made my grandmother's insalata di Nonna.  Great wine, great food.  Not really ready to drink.  We put it out another year.

 
18 April 2021  I again say how difficult it is to find a bottle to go with our diet which to say the least is eclectic.  We opened a bottle of the Bussia 2012 Barolo for a lunch that included Natalya's Thai soup, straciatella cheese, branzino fish and pan fried potatoes.  I have to say that the wine held up to this lunch.  It is ready to drink but in our opinion, has a few years before it starts to go downhill.  Try it! 

25 March 2022 This day we opened a bottle of the Ballarin 2012 Bricco Rocca Barolo.  It was served with a mushroom salad with some chopped fine onion.  Then we had Chinese noodles with sauteed shrimp marinated in zenzero, garlic and butter with a few lemon leaves.  We also had a spinach salad to top off the meal.  Wine is spectacular, ready to drink.

25 July 2022  Something different...Natalya and I had gone to Barcelona to see a woman that I worked with in California and her husband. We took two bottles of excellent Italian wine to show them what can be done over here.  This night, we opened a bottle of the Cascina Ballarin 2012 Bussia, the last in the cellar.  I had marked it to be drank now some years ago and we were not disappointed.  It was enjoyed as a "conversation wine", not accompanied with any sort of food.  We were all very glad to have such a good tasting Barolo.  It was a really good bottle of wine and ready to drink.

29 December 2023 We opened a bottle of the Bussia Barolo 2013 from the producer for lunch of a chicken soup and chicken cake from the oven.  The wine did not standup to the lunch.  If you have any of these bottles, we suggest that you, when you open it, taste it after about a quarter hour.  Natalya and I believe that it should be a wine for conversation.  It is a very good and  light wine.

Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno - Barolo

Last stop for this day was Fratelli Borgogno just outside of Barolo.  When we drove up and parked, we saw Serio sitting on a bench enjoying his retirement and the view across the valley.  We had a nice conversation with him and he gave us permission to pick a few grapes to taste the Nebbiolo of 2014.

We were met in the tasting room by Federica Bofa.  After a bit of history about the cantina, we stated on the wines she had planned for us.

First up was the 2010 Nebbiolo d'Alba.  The wine was opened for us.  14% alcohol, this wine, as with all the others that they produce is done in large Slovenian barrels called botte.  They can hold up to 4000 liters.  This particular wine spent two years in botte and is ready to drink.  Euro 7.70 a bottle.

Next was the 2010 Barbaresco.  Again, the wine was opened for us.  This wine is made in the cantina in Barolo with grapes from Barbaresco.  This is an exception to Italian law that requires Barbaresco to be produced in the Barbaresco area as Barolo must be produced in the area of Barolo.  It is ready to drink, quite tannic with light fruit flavors.  14% alcohol, euro 15.80 a bottle.

Third was the basic Barolo 2009.  Bottle was opened for us.  It is a strong tannin mouth with sufficient fruit and light acids to balance the tanins.  This Barolo rested three years in the botte.  Needs to be open at least a hour before drinking after spending an additional five to ten years in the cellar.  Euro 17 a bottle.

The second Barolo was the 2007 Riserva.  14.5% alcohol, it spent five years in the botte (required to be called Riserva), two in new and three in used.  Quite soft, ready to drink.  Euro 25 a bottle.

The third Barolo was the 2006 Riserva.  14.5% alcohol, same treatment as the 2007 Riserva.  Very tannic but the fruit is enough that it will be a very good wine after at least five and probably seven years in the cellar.  The quite evident Barolo nose backs up our opinion that it will last that long.  It was opened for us because we indicated that we liked more full body Barolos.  Euro 25 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

We also purchased a bottle of their Grappa di Barolo Invecchiata.  An excellent Grappa, euro 26 a bottle.

Scarzello - Barolo

Second stop was at Scarzello.  This family run cantina has been producing wine for six generations.  We spoke with Federico and his mother who took us through their offerings.

The first wine we tasted was the 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo.  Open about a half hour when we tasted it.  Produced from only Nebbiolo grapes, it is 14.5% alcohol, a bit more than the usual Nebbiolo.  It spent 2 years in the cantina after bottling to allow it to rest and develop.  And it did develop into a very good wine.  Ready to drink now but could be held in your cellar for another two years before opening.  Euro 12 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

The 2008 basic Barolo was next in the glasses.  The grapes for this wine came only from the Comune (town) of Barolo.  This was noted on the label.  This bottle was open for 24 hours before we tasted it and was ready to drink.  14.5% alcohol.  Light Barolo nose, good wine for a light meal.  Euro 30 a bottle.

The last offering from Scarzello was the 2006 Barolo Sarmassa, Vigna Merenda.  This bottle was also open 24 hours before tasting it.  The wine is very tannic but there is good evidence of the grape which leads us to believe that the wine needs at least five years before opening.  We believe that it will be difficult to pair with food but, as always, we will try.  Euro 30 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

16 June 2015  We opened a bottle of the 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo for lunch today.  We had made a chicken and red potato single plate meal with sauteed eggplant and a cucumber salad.  We think it is ready to drink from now through 2016.

2 May 2016  Today, with one of our infamous ground chicken burgers, we opened a bottle of the 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo.  The wine had various noses and tastes throughout the meal until probably the last half our when it came together.  We will add another three months before we open our last bottle.  In any case, it is a very good, soft Nebbiolo good with lightly spiced meals, served in a medium mouth glass.

24 February 2019  Today, we popped open the box of the 2006 Barolo Sarmassa, Vigna Merenda we purchased some years ago.  We served it with straciatella cheese on fresh bread, a salad of radicchio and daikon and ravioli of zucca and ricotta.  The wine was a little strange upon opening but within about 15 minutes, it was perfect to drink so we recommend that you open the wine before you serve it.  It matched very well with lunch.  We have three more bottles of this Barolo and will stretch them out over the next year.  Very nice wine when opened a short time before serving.

21 July 2019  We opened the second of our four bottles of the 2006 Sarmassa today (about 15 minutes before the meal was ready) and served it with a Chinese stir fry of noodles and vegetables and some shrimp.  First, we believe that wine no longer needs to be opened prior to serving it.  Second, it went quite well with the meal.  They complimented each other.  We have two bottles left and will spread them out until the end of the year.

3 November 2019  Well, one of the 2006 Sarmassa was opened today for lunch.  We served it with zucca soup and my version of my Sicilian Grandmother's lasagna.  It is a great wine.  We would highly recommend that if you have it, it is time to open.  We will open our last bottle within the next six months. 

23 February 2020  The last bottle of our 2006 Sarmassa was opened today.  We served it with Chinese ravioli with a chicken and zenzero filling.  That was preceded by zucca soup and followed by pirogi and cheeses.  Too bad we do not have any more of this spectacular wine in our cellar.  Drink now and in the future.

 

Fratelli Revello - Annunziata, La Morra

After the annual tasting in La Morra, we began our three days of visits with Fratelli Revello, tasted for the first time at the La Morra tasting in 2013 (we are really behind).

The cantina is located on a hillside overlooking the vineyards.  We were greeted by Enzo, one of the brothers that run the cantina.  The tasting room is surrounded by windows that allow a very nice view while tasting the wines.

The first offering was the 2009 Barolo Gattera.  It was opened for us.  Produced completely in large Slovenia tanks of 1500 liters, it is a well done Barolo with a good balance of fruit, acid and tannins.  14.5% alcohol, we believe it needs 3-4 years of additional aging in the cellar before opening a bottle. 
Euro 29.50 a bottle.

We then tasted the 2009 Barolo Giachini.  This was also opened for us.  Produced in half new and half used french oak barrels.  It has a prominent Barolo/oak nose.  It needs one to two years of aging before opening.  14.5% alcohol.  Euro 35 a bottle.

Next was the 2009 Coca Barolo.  Again, it was opened for us.  Great Barolo nose, good tannins, fruit and acids in the mouth.  14.5% alcohol.  We think it needs at least 3 years in the cellar before opening.  Euro 40 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.

Last was the 2009 Rocche del Annunziata Barolo.  14.5% alcohol, it has a strong Barolo nose with fruit, tannin and acids evident in the mouth.  It was produced in 50% new and 50% used french oak barrels.  Euro 40 a bottle, purchased for our cellar.  We will not disturb it for at least three years.

4 November 2018  This is the first bottle opened from the wine purchased back in 2013, one of our first Barolo purchases.  For a lunch of a vegetarian torta based on zucca (a type of pumpkin) and another torta based on a local cheese, we served a bottle of the 2009 Conca.  It is a delicate Barolo, very suited for the lunch that used the tastes of the vegetables and cheese that it was based on.  We believe that the wine has an additional one or two years before it heads downhill.  We suggest that you try it with lightly spiced foods.  You may also wish to use this wine and the following Barolo from Revello for a "conversation" wine.  After tasting the Rocche del Annunziata (see the tasting right after this), we decided that both can be used as such a wine.

25 November 2018  This is the first of the bottles of the Rocche del Annunziata that we purchased some years ago.  We served it with a Thai soup, Russian pierogi that Natalya made with a crust enhanced with kefir, sliced onions and some organic chicken breast pieces.  The wine is a light, delicate Barolo which is what the Barolos produced from grapes around La Morra are known for.  While the wine is very good and ready to drink, it had trouble standing up to the Thai soup.  It went quite well with the pierogi.  After trying both of the Barolos that we purchased that day, we recommend that you try using either for a "conversation" wine.  Both are very good but would do better with something very light like a snack.  Ready to drink!

17 February 2019  We opened the last bottle of the Rocche del Annunziata today for lunch.  The menu was a steamed branzino (a local fish) and a salad of fennel and onion, dressed with Sicilian olive oil and lemon juice.  The combination went well with the lighter wine from Revello.  If you have this wine, it is time to take it from the cellar and enjoy it.

Annual Barolo Tasting in La Morra - 2014

This year, on the 7th of September, was the annual wine tasting in the Barolo community of La Morra.

For those of you that missed it, we are really sorry.  There was a few new cantine represented and a lot of those that we had tasted the products of previously.  In all, there were about 30 cantine there, a few less than last year but the wines were significantly better than those we had tasted in the past.

Out of those 30, we have chosen the following cantine to visit over the next year:

Alessandria Silvio
Altare Elio
Aurelio Settimo
Corino Giovanni
Corino Renato
Cravanzola Franca
Curto Marco
Negretti
San Biagio
Serradenari

Please note:  These cantine are in alphabetical order.  The order should not be construed as our disposition to visit any one before another nor should the order dictate our opinion of the wines other that they were good examples of Barolo and Nebbiolo.  We will communicate with them over the next year to set appointments to visit.