Recent Piemontese Vintages – Italy’s
Greatest Reds
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Rinaldi’sBarbaresco vineyards
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Opening the entry for Nebbiolo (the grape variety
from which all these wines are made) in the Oxford
Companion to Wine, Jancis Robinson states, "great
black grape variety responsible for some of the
finest and longest-lived wines in Italy. It is native
to the Piemonte region in the north west, and is its
most distinctive and distinguished vine. The quality
of wines such as barolo and barbaresco inspires
hopeful planting of the variety all over the world."
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In the opinion of many, Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir sit
at the head of the top table of the world's noble red
varieties, both capable of the detailed communication
of place. In other words, they can carry terroir in
spades.
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If anything, Nebbiolo is even more pernickety to grow
than the notoriously tricky Pinot Noir. It needs a
long growing season and is highly choosy about the
soils in which it is planted. And it is susceptible
to assorted viruses.
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Nebbiolo fruit retains excellent acidity and strong
tannins and, in days gone by, the wines of Barolo and
Barbaresco were aged in barrel for a decade and
longer with the intention of softening this inherent
structure. Unfortunately, more often than not this
also had the effect of stripping all fruit from the
wine. With modern vine growing and wine making
techniques, grape and vineyard can now sing in
harmonious voice.
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One other interesting thing to note about Nebbiolo is
the colour of its wine. Like Pinot Noir, the wine
made from Nebbiolo is generally pale, but as it ages
it takes on a colour – that of rose gold
– that (as far as I know) is unique.
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The Producers and Their Wines
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The Gattinara Riserva of Giancarlo Travaglini
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Travaglini’s vineyards in northern
Piemonte
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In Gattinara we’re in the north of Piemonte and
in a region once densely planted with vineyards
– far more so than the DOCGs of Barolo and
Barbaresco today – that, having fallen from
popularity is now clawing its way back into the
consciousness of wine lovers by dint of the fact that
it is capable of producing wines of extraordinarily
high quality.
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In part, the region’s decline was halted by its
being awarded DOCG (Denominazione de Origine
Controllata e Garantita) in 1990.
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Here, Nebbiolo is known as Spanna.
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Travaglini bestrides Gattinara like a Colossus. His
wines have made the Wine Spectator Top 100.
Here’s a note on this wine from
erobertparker.com:
“…one of the best wines I have tasted
from Travaglini in a very long time. Dark red fruit,
flowers, mint, spices and licorice are among the many
notes that flow from this inviting, beautifully
balanced wine. The Riserva impresses for its textural
brilliance and totally captivating personality. It is
simply dazzling, and flat-out delicious.”
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The Barolo Cannubbio of Francesco Rinaldi e
Figli
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Without doubt, the most celebrated region for the
production of Nebbiolo wines, Barolo is responsible
– along with its neighbour Barbaresco –
for the finest wines of Italy and some of the
world’s greatest red wines of all.
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This is a vineyard of two basic terroirs and five
sub-riegions, named for the villages on which they
centre: Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba,
Monteforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falleto. The
road that splits the first two from the Alba-suffixed
townships also divides the region’s geology. La
Morra and Barolo itself tend to produce lush, ripe
wines of charm, softness and approachability, whilst
Serralunga and Monteforte soils contain more
sandstone and are less fertile, producing wines of
greater power, structure and age-worthiness.
Castiglione Falleto lies somewhere between the two,
both geographically and geologically.
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The Rinaldi winery dates fronm the 1870s and is
situated on the Cannubi Hill.
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“The 2007 Barolo Cannubbio is superb in this
vintage…This is a terrific showing from
Rinaldi.” erobertparker.com
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The Barbaresco Rabajà of Giuseppe
Cortese
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Barolo’s neighbour Barbaresco traditionally
played second fiddle lacking, as it did, the
patronage of various royal courts. It wasn’t
until the 1960s that the efforts of two of its finest
protagonists – Giovanni Gaja (father of Angelo)
and Bruno Giacosa – rewrote public opinion
through the undeniable brilliance of the liquids
emerging from their cellars.
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And there are some truths in the clichés used
about these two wine producing regions: that Barolo
is the king, Barbaresco his queen; that Barbaresco is
lighter and more aromatic, Barolo bigger and more
age-worthy. The differences between them are
scintillating and yours to explore!
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N.B. I really do not like offering wines I have not
tasted and yet here is another example. However,
reports from all sides have been extremely bullish.
This is a wine I will be adding to my own portfolio.
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N.B. x2 This wine is only available in magnums and
double-magnums. What fun!
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“The 2008 Barbaresco Rabaja is without question
one of the wines of the vintage…”
erobertparker.com
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price
IB |
Notes |
Order |
| 2008 |
Barbaresco Rabajà, Giuseppe Cortese, Piemonte, Italy |
2016-2025 |
6x150cl |
£330.00 |
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| 2008 |
Barbaresco Rabajà, Giuseppe Cortese, Piemonte, Italy |
2018-2030 |
3x300cl |
£342.00 |
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Show all wines with notes in printable format |
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