On-air wine tasting
One of the features of our radio show is an on-air tasting of the wine we feature. My co-host Kevin Patruznick and I search for contrasting wines that reveal intrinsic differences between subregions or vintages. We then do a double-decant of most red wines to aid in opening them up. We pour the wine into a carafe, using one of two types of aerating devices and then pour the wine back into its original bottle using a funnel. This blog is a reworking of the radio show that aired December 19, 2020.
Italian Wine Overview
Italy has more than 500 native grape varieties and at least 175 of those ends up in everyday wines, making Italy one of the most challenging countries to explore and describe in toto. Instead we are focusing on one wine region, but it is one of the country’s premier regions and home to the Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto grapes. That would be Piedmont or Piemonte, home to some of Italy’s greatest wines.
Major wine regions
There are 15 major wine regions in Italy, which includes the islands of Sicily and Sardinia and another four minor wine regions. There were over 1,700,000 acres of vines under cultivation as of 2016. Sicily, Puglia, Veneto and Tuscany account for 55% of that. Piedmont adds about 8-9% to the total.
Italian quality levels:
The term, Superiore, generally indicates a wine at a higher quality. Reserva is another term that refers to a higher quality wine using select grapes and longer ageing requirements.
- IGP/IGT: Often table wines from broad regional classifications, except for Tuscany
- DOC: There are 329 DOC-rated wines, many offer good value
- DOCG: There are more DOCG wines in Piemonte than any other region: Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Ghemme and Gattinara wines are all DOCG.
Piemonte history
During the Risorgimento (Italian unification) of the 19th century, many Piemontese winemakers and land owners played a pivotal role. The famous Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi was also a winemaker. Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour was a wealthy vineyard owner who went abroad to study advances in viticulture prior to founding the political newspaper Il Risorgimento. He was highly influential in the adoption of many French viticultural techniques among the Piemonte vineyards.
One of the early sparks of the Italian revolts against Austria was the act of the Austrian government to double the tariffs of Piemontese wines into the Austrian-controlled lands of Lombardy, Emilia and the Veneto. This had a crippling effect on the Piemontese wine industry, essentially cutting them off from their main export market. Some things never change as a US tariff against many European wine-producing countries has again been enacted. Fortunately many Italian wines were not part of it.
By the 1980s updated winemaking techniques and more quality control has led to a greater appreciation of Piedmont wines.
Piemonte grapes and terroir
- Nebbiolo: Medium-bodied but with a kicker of a tannic backbone, these wines are best drunk after 5 years to allow the tannins to mellow. Many are good for 40 years or longer.
- Barbera: A great food-pairing grape with sour cherry and licorice with dried herbs. Barbera d’Asti is a Barbera from Asti, Piedmonte.
- Dolcetto: Plum, blackberry and black pepper with lower acidity. Drink it young as most don’t age well. A very popular NM variety that does have good acidity.
- Muscato Bianco: The well-traveled Muscat grape is most commonly used in sparklers, but also makes an excellent still wine in Strevi.
- Gavi di Gavi: This Gavi wine from Gavi is where the best examples of this Cortese grape-based wine are made. Very acidic but the southern, warm part of Piedmonte near Liguria makes superb examples with good minerality similar to Sancerre and Chablis, but a better price tag.
The Nebbiolo grape
First time wine drinkers of Nebbiolo will doubtless be surprised on their first sip of this grape, particularly from Barolo, the most well-known Piedmont wine. The color extraction is light and the aromas of rose and spice are enticing, suggestive of a delicate wine with soft tannins and mild acidity. Until you take a sip and your mouth turns into a desert and the tannins cause your tongue to shrivel up and cling to the roof of your mouth. To say these wines can be grippy is an understatement.
This is why some of these wines are laid down for several years to make them more approachable. However we were looking for Nebbiolo wines that even when young were more well-mannered. Some producers are toning down the tannin, such as the Barolo Boys as their known. Longer maceration times help with the tannins and malolactic fermentation eases up on the acidity.
Barolo DOCG: (est. 1980)
Barolo wines age at least 18 months in the barrel, with a total of three years aging before release. Most traditionally-made examples only start to come around at 10+ years.
- Riserva Wines labeled Barolo “Riserva” are aged for a minimum of five years.
- Vigna on a label indicates a single vineyard wine.
There are eleven communes of Barolo, with two different taste styles based on the soil being either limestone or sandstone.
- The lighter-tasting wine communes include La Morra and Barolo, with limestone-based soils.
- The bolder-tasting wine communes include Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto, with more weathered sandstone-clay soils.
Barbaresco DOCG (est. 1980)
The region is based around the towns of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio. The best crus are located south of the town of Barbaresco towards the hamlet of Tre Stelle and Treiso.
- Neive produces the most powerful & structured wines.
- Treiso still has tall forests and temperatures are noticeably cooler, especially at night. It produces the most graceful and refined wines.
Despite being made from the same grape and produced in neighboring areas less than 10 miles from each other, the wines of Barbaresco and Barolo do have some distinct differences. Located south of the river Tanaro, the Barbaresco zone receives a slight maritime influence which allows Nebbiolo to ripen here a little earlier than it does in the Barolo zone. This allows the grape to get to fermentation earlier with a shorter maceration time. The early tannins in a young Barbaresco are not quite as harsh as Barolo and under DOCG rules it is allowed to age for a year less than Barolo.
Langhe DOC (est. 1994)
An even more approachable style of Nebbiolo comes from the adjoining Langhe area, which surrounds the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco. Eric Asimov in his NY Times wine school covered this region a few years ago, recommending it for that very reason.
Because of the fog that settles in the valleys of this region, the best expression of the Nebbiolo grape is on the slopes of the hills where it can achieve perfect ripeness.
What we are tasting: Massimo Rivetti Langhe 2018 Nebbiolo 13.5% ABV, $30
The Rivettis call themselves a family farm and feature organic wines of high quality. This wine comes from a single vineyard, Avene, identified as a heroic vineyard. Both this and the Gattinara it was contrasted with had a remarkably similar nose, but I found the core of fruit and the structure of the Rivetti to be more to my taste.
Forbes July 3, 2020 Susan H Gordon: To be considered an official site of heroic viticulture, vineyards must slope at least 30% or be at least 500 meters above sea level (plateaus excluded), or be a system of terraces and steps, or be small island viticulture.
This wine, made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes are from one of the highest fields in the area at more than 500 meters. A Heroic vineyard such as this one with a slope over 30% requires a greater degree of hand labor, since the use of machinery is not always possible. It was aged for one year in Slavonian oak (2500-litre casks). This is an elegant Nebbiolo with less-dense tannins and good minerality.
Gattinara DOCG (est. 1990)
Gattinara is a red Italian wine with DOCG status produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown within the commune of Gattinara which is located in the hills in the north of the province of Vercelli, northwest of Novara in the Piedmont region. It was awarded DOC status in 1967 and received its DOCG classification in 1990.
Made primarily from the Nebbiolo grape variety, known locally as Spanna, it constitutes a minimum 90% of the wine and may be blended with up to 10% Bonarda di Gattinara and no more than 4% of Vespolina. The wine is aged in wooden barrels for two years, three for a Riserva, with an additional two years of ageing in the bottle.
“Previously, the red wines of Gattinara were known as very durable but they were also pure acid bombs. Today, the introduction of malolactic fermentation meant that wine is not so angry no, although without it has lost its familiar slightly bitter aftertaste.” Italian Wine Guide
What we are tasting: Travaglini 2016 Gattinara, 13.5% ABV, $30
Located in the heart of Gattinara, Travaglini was established in the 1920s by Clemente Travaglini. In 1958 Arturo Travaglini followed in his father’s footsteps and took over the helm at the winery.
The family’s passion and commitment to winemaking has not diminished through the generations; Cinzia Travaglini, great-granddaughter of Clemente, manages day-to-day operations at winery. Her husband Massimo Collauto is the chief winemaker, a role he inherited from his late father-in-law and beloved mentor, Giancarlo Travaglini.
Throughout the years, Travaglini has established itself in Gattinara as the most esteemed producer of traditional, limited-production wines from the Nebbiolo grape.
Travaglini bottle
In 1958, Giancarlo Travaglini created a bottle that was also a work of art. This bottle is exclusive to Travaglini, and will dress up anyone’s table. The shape of this bottle naturally catches sediment during pouring, allowing the wine to be served directly from bottle to the glass without decanting. Even though we did a double-decant as we do with most red wines. We loved the feel of the bottle as well as its distinctive look.
Natalie Maclean review April, 2020
Lovely nose of rose petals, cinnamon and spice on this elegant 100% Nebbiolo with bright red cherry, dried tobacco leaf and savory spice flavors, savory on the palate. Tannins are structured and chewy. Good now, but better in a year or two.
Christmas Eve Dinner
I will be pairing the Massimo Rivetti Nebbiolo with a rack of lamb. Much like Pinot Noir I favor this grape to compliment my lamb dishes.
Happy holidays from the Southwestern Wine Guy and to a better 2021!
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