Giovanni Pasquero-Elia of Paitin, at Tria in Philly Next Tuesday

To be filed under a little help for my friends... I just wanted to let all of my Philadelphia-area readers know that Giovanni Pasquero-Elia, vigneron (to borrow from the French) and current head of the wine growing family at the storied Barbaresco estate, Paitin di Pasquero-Elia, is coming to town. Next Tuesday, November 9, 2010, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, Giovanni will be leading a tutored tasting of his wines, from Arneis, Dolcetto and Barbera, on through Nebbiolo and Barbaresco, at Philly's Tria Fermentation School. As of this moment there are still eight tickets remaining, so jump on board if you'd like a chance to taste and learn about some excellent Piemontese wines under the guidance of the man who helped bring them to life.

The Sorì Paitin vineyard, at the heart of the Paitin estate in the hills above the village of Neive, as it looked in February 2006.

If you need a little more convincing or would like to brush up on a little background before jumping in, check out the winery profile of Paitin that I wrote last year based on my visit to the estate back in early 2006. For those that place themselves firmly on one side or the other of the old-school/new-school stylistic divide when it comes to the wines of Piedmont, Giovanni's wines are neither devoutly traditional nor extremely modernistic. Rather, they draw tools, techniques and ideas from both sides, with excellent results.

If you go, be sure to tell them I sent you. And please do stop back to let me know what you thought of the wines and the experience.

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1964 Oddero for the Birthday Girl

A birthday celebration for a good friend. Birth year wine, courtesy of her husband. A meal prepared especially for the occasion and the wines by Chef Pierre Calmels at Bibou, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. Was I to turn down an invitation like that? Hell no! It was an honor and pleasure to join in for the festivities.

While the anticipated bottles of the night waited in the wings, we got things rolling with some fantastic grower Champagne from Laherte Frères (more on that at a later date).

Chef Calmels' trout gravlax — diced, ringed with cucumber, drizzled with basil vinegar, and topped with baby mustard greens — was one of the stand-out dishes of the night and a lovely match with our bubbly. After another course or two (corn soup with duck prosciutto, a terrine of sweetbreads), it was time to visit the birthday girl's wines.

All I can say is, "Thanks, Kelly, for being born in a good year." I'm a year younger (I'll leave the math to you, kind reader) and was not so lucky. In fact, I've yet to even have a wine from my own birth year, generally considered fair at best, more often bad to worse, in just about every wine growing region on the planet.

These '64s from Oddero, though, were drinking impressively well. My pal Bill had picked them up, especially for Kelly's birthday, from a shop that occasionally buys and sells wines from private collections. While the corks in both were showing their age, crumbling upon extraction, both wines were startlingly young in both appearance and structure.

The 1964 Barbaresco, I think we all agreed, was the wine of the night, still showing a dark red, only slightly going-to-garnet color in the glass; a rich, supple texture; and fruit tones that started out surprisingly primary then took on aromas of spice, roses and dried red fruits with air. The '64 Barolo, in comparison, was a touch darker, similarly evolved but much more brooding and animal in its aromas and textures, showing even greater overall youth and, as expected, more muscular structure. Both wines were a joy to experience but both, I feel, could easily have continued to develop for another couple of decades (though perhaps not without being re-corked).

Of the dishes that Pierre matched to the old Barbaresco and Barolo, my favorite was a last-minute surprise: veal ribeye and baby brussel sprouts on a bed of white bean purée and veal jus. Executed perfectly, the dish was a very fine match with the aromatic complexity and mid-life structure of our two Nebbioli.

Having been clued-in to the birthday girl's surprise, I'd brought along a much younger bottle from Oddero, their 2006 Barbaresco "Gallina." You know, simply for academic purposes. It, too, was on a good night, pure and vibrant, as surprisingly approachable in its near-sinful youth as the '64s were surprisingly youthful in their... well, like I said, you can do the math.

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Barolo and Barbaresco Reference Tools

Not to beat a cavallo morto but I'm guessing at least a few folks out there are as enamored with — and interested in learning as much as possible about — the wines of Piedmont, and in particular the Langhe, as am I. Following in the wake of my last two posts, which each touched on the wines and nomenclature of a particular vineyard in the township of Serralunga d'Alba, I thought I'd share with you a couple of the resources I find most valuable when researching the wines, wineries and vineyards of the Langhe.

Those who have been reading here for quite a while (and who are in possession of elephantine memories) may recall a short review that I published back in early 2009, when I was hosting "A Passion for Piedmont," a monthly installment of the now apparently defunct meme called Wine Blogging Wednesday. Here's what I penned at the time:

"When it comes to learning about Piedmont wines, Slow Food Editore’s A Wine Atlas of the Langhe: The Great Barolo and Barbaresco Vineyards is a fantastic resource. It’s not exhaustive, by any means, as it jumps straight to the top of the heap, focusing entirely on the Nebbiolo-based wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. More importantly, it focuses on the great vineyards of the two zones and includes in-depth information about the best and most storied producers in each locale, along with excellent photography and useful maps and statistical data."

With one minor exception (which I'll address later), I stand by those words. A Wine Atlas of the Langhe remains one of my go-to reference tools for the Barolo and Barbaresco zones. The book opens with chapters that cover the history of the Nebbiolo vine as well as of the viticultural practices traditional to and required in both Barolo and Barbaresco. From there, the atlas is divided into geographical sections, one for each of the townships or municipalities that make up the overall B&B zones.

Within each section, you'll find an overview of the history of the commune, viticultural statistics, a map of the primary vineyards and, most importantly, a reasonably detailed description, including recommended producers, of each of the named vineyards within the village. At the end of each chapter are short biographical entries regarding "The Greats of Barolo/Barbaresco," iconic producers such as Giulio Mascarello (Bartolo's father), Renato Ratti, Giacomo Conterno... the list goes on. High quality photographs, topical sidebars and points of interest for visitors to the region are peppered throughout.

Originally published in Italian in 2000 as Atlante delle vigne di Langa, then translated and issued English in 2002, there have of course been some minor changes to the statistical information such as acreage devoted to particular vines, but that's a minor quibble. The book remains relevant and a very well written guide. The only revision I'd make to my original assessment is relative to the maps, which, though still useful, are in retrospect somewhat crude and difficult to read. Which leads me to my other recommendation....

* * *

For great maps, one need look no further than the incredible works of Alessandro Masnaghetti. Alessandro's I Cru di Enogea maps are relatively new to me. I first encountered them within a day or two of first meeting the man responsible for them, during my spring trip to Alba for Nebbiolo Prima. He's been working on them, though, since 2006 and they are clearly a labor of love. Not books but rather fold-out maps, each measures roughly 23" x 33" at full spread and folds to the size of a standard European sheet of paper.

On the A-side of each is a highly detailed, easy to read map, color-coded to identify each major vineyard and with a numeric key that indicates the location of the wineries within the covered commune. I've borrowed an image of one of the maps (below) to give you an idea of what to expect, but as with all good maps the true pleasure is in holding them in your hands, turning them to get your bearings.... All you map lovers out there will know what I'm talking about.

Image courtesy of Enogea.

On the B-side of each map is an equally intricate text-based description of the overall commune in question, followed by in-depth details of each vineyard site, including information such as altitude, exposure, primary varieties cultivated and key bottlings produced, as well as small, black and white maps that delineate the ownership of plots within each cru. There are even Google Earth coordinates included for each vineyard, should you wish to get a satellite's eye view of any particular site.

At present, Signor Masnaghetti has eight maps in production for the Langa: five for Barolo (Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba, Castiglione Falletto, Barolo/Novello, and the newest, La Morra/Roddi/Cherasco) and three for Barbaresco (Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso/Alba). He's also produced maps of the same ilk covering Chianti Classico, Bolgheri and the Alto Adige. Something tells me there will be more to come. Though originally published in Italian, all are available in English, translated by Daniel Thomases.

Masnaghetti's maps are not currently available through Amazon, so I can't provide you with a nifty little link for your insta-shopping pleasure; however, many of them are available here in the US via The Rare Wine Company or from K&L Wine Merchants (search: Masnaghetti). Given the quality of the work that went into them, they're a steal at about $9/per. For any fan or budding scholar of the wines of the Langa, consider them required reference material.

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Elvio Cogno, Novello

Each afternoon throughout Nebbiolo Prima, following the big morning tastings and a quick lunch, attendees had the opportunity to visit one winery, selected from amongst a number of regional producers participating in the daily event program. From the options for day one, I selected the Novello-based estate of Elvio Cogno, a producer whose wines I'd been wanting to get to know better. What better way than going straight to the source?

It was a beautifully warm, sunny day in the Langhe. As we pulled into the driveway at the Elvio Cogno estate, a couple of us were quite tempted to forgo the customary tasting in favor of a dip in the family's infinity pool.

Any thoughts of a dip in the pool were quickly put aside as current winemaker Valter Fissore and his wife Nadia Cogno (Elvio's daughter) emerged and talked to us a bit about the general lay of the land surrounding their winery. With eleven hectares under vine, the winery sits atop the Bricco Ravera hill, just outside of Novello. The Cogno family has been making wine in the Langhe for four generations. The history of the estate itself, though, is relatively recent, going back just to 1990, when Elvio Cogno left his partnership position at Marcarini to purchase land and establish his own estate.

The hilltop town of Novello, with the Maritime Alps in the background — the view to the south from Cogno's patio.

After the quick geography lesson, it was straight to the winery tasting room, where Valter Fissore led us through the entire slate of wines he produces.

1. Langhe Bianco "Anas-Cëtta," Elvio Cogno 2009
   I think it's fair to say that Cogno's example of Nascetta, a relatively obscure vine indigenous to the Langhe, is one of the best known. Of the 4.5 hectares of Nascetta planted in Novello, 1.5 belong to Cogno, and they've produced this bottling, called "Anas-Cëtta," every year since 1994. Varietal examples of Nascetta such as this were admitted to the DOC discipline under the umbrella Langhe Bianco designation beginning in 2004. As of the 2010 vintage, Nascetta will have its own DOC: Langhe Nascetta.
   
   After a one-day cold maceration, Cogno's Nascetta begins its fermentation on native yeasts in steel tanks. After a short period, 30% of the wine is moved to old barriques for completion of its primary fermentation. After six months on the lees, including batonnage, the two batches are remarried and allowed to integrate in tank prior to bottling. In the 2009 vintage, about 30-40% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation. The end result is a wine of medium body and medium acidity, full of pear fruit and a dash of white pepper, and with a very distinct nose of mustard seed, goldenrod and freshly baked whole wheat bread.
   
   
   Valter Fissore in the tasting room.
   
   
   
   
2. Barbera d'Alba "Bricco dei Merli," Elvio Cogno 2007
   The Bricco dei Merli (vineyard of the blackbird) is a 1.8 hectare parcel located just down the hill from the winery. Amazingly, 30-40% of the fruit comes from 150 year-old, pre-phylloxera "pied franco" vines. The wine is aged for one year in a mixture of new, large casks (new casks here always see Barbera first, before being used for Nebbiolo) and older barriques (which are currently being phased out at the estate).
   
   When first poured, the '07 showed very ripe, slightly pruned fruit. As it opened, though, the wine became fresher and, for this taster, much more delicious. Rich yet nervous, full of fresh blueberry and boysenberry fruit.
   
   
3. Langhe Rosso "Montegrilli," Elvio Cogno 2007
   Speaking with Valter, it's clear that "Montegrilli" is his wine — "mio vino," in his words. It is a 50/50 blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo, co-fermented in steel then aged for about a year in 2nd, 3rd and 4th passage barriques. The Nebbiolo in the blend comes from the best of Valter's young Barolo vines where the fruit ripens early enough to be picked simultaneously and co-fermented with the generally earlier ripening Barbera. The wine shows lovely, opulent aromas, brimming with 2007 character (ripe and forward). It drinks much like the Barbera "Bricco dei Merli" but with sterner aromas, firmer structure and more evident minerality.
   
   
   
4. Langhe Rosso "Montegrilli," Elvio Cogno 2008
   If the 2007 version was Valter's wine, the 2008 is clearly Valter's joy. He calls it his Gevrey-Chambertin. The '08 was produced with the same general disciplines as the '07 but saw a less intensive oak treatment, being aged in botti rather than barriques. Bottled only one month prior to our visit, it was already showing beautifully, with very elegant structure and red-fruited and floral aromatics. Fantastically drinkable.
   
   
5. Barbaresco, Elvio Cogno 2006
   Barbaresco is a new venture at Cogno, produced from a leased 0.6 hectare vineyard of 20-30 year-old Nebbiolo vines in the Montesommo cru of Neive. After a 20-day maceration and fermentation with a submerged cap, the wine spent a little over a year in casks of Slovenian oak before bottling. Very nice if somewhat simple in character, this, like the preceding "Montegrilli," was defined primarily by its elegance, putting it in stark contrast with the majority of 2007 Barbaresci I'd tasted earlier in the morning.
   
   
6. Barolo "Cascina Nuova," Elvio Cogno 2006
   Yielding from young vines (6-12 years) in Novello, "Cascina Nuova" is the most approachable and value-oriented of the four Baroli produced at Cogno. Quite elegant, delicate and fresh in style. It ages for two years in large casks, followed by six months of bottle age.
   
   
   The squared-off inox tanks used at Elvio Cogno were designed not only to optimize use of space (think about the shape of boxed wine vs. bottled wine in a shipping container or on the shelf) but also to facilitate the submerged cap method of maceration that Valter favors.
   
   
   
7. Barolo "Ravera," Elvio Cogno 2006
   "Ravera" is a south-facing single vineyard cru of 4.8 hectares situated in Novello. Cogno's 2006, produced specifically from the michet and lampia clones of Nebbiolo, underwent approximately 40 days of maceration, with pump-over for the first 10-12 days followed by 25-30 days with a submerged cap. It was then finished with 24 months aging in botti. Very young, forceful and somewhat closed at present, but very promising.
   
   
8. Barolo "Bricco Pernice," Elvio Cogno 2005
   Another new wine at the estate, "Bricco Pernice" is a two-hectare plot within the cru of Ravera that is planted entirely to the lampia sub-variety of Nebbiolo, with vines ranging from 10-50 years of age. Its name refers to the prevalence of partridges in the area. After a 30-day submerged cap maceration, it spent 30 months in new-to-Nebbiolo casks (used once previously for Barbera, which takes more kindly to entirely new oak per Valter) and another 12 months in bottle prior to release. Riper and with a more baked-fruit aromatic profile than "Ravera" or "Cascina Nuova." Very well done.
   
   
   
9. Barolo "Vigna Elena," Elvio Cogno 1999
   First produced in the 1997 vintage, "Vigna Elena" is named after Valter's daughter who, at age three, drew the picture that has since become the label art for this cuvée. Now nineteen, Elena is a graphic artist whose more recent work includes the label art for "Bricco Pernice."
   
   The wine comes from a one-hectare vineyard of 29 year-old vines. It's produced entirely from the rosé clone of Nebbiolo, of which Valter is a particular champion in spite of it fairly widely being considered an "inferior" sub-variety. As Valter explains, for this cuvée, which he produces only in exceptional vintages, he's looking for a Burgundian sense of elegance, not power. At eleven years of age, it's showing the encroachment of some maturity along with lovely aromatic development yet is still very, very young tasting. There's a whiff of brett but just enough to add some sauvage interest to the wine's overall character. Oh yeah, the technical stuff: 30-day submerged cap maceration, 36 months in 40 hectoliter casks of Slavonian oak and 12 months of bottle age prior to commercialization.
   
   
   
10. Barolo "Ravera," Elvio Cogno 2001
    Valter was particularly keen to show us his 2001 "Ravera" as it had been selected as the top wine out of twelve 2001 Baroli tasted as part of a Decanter master class on the day prior to our visit. The 2001, aged for one year in tonneaux followed by another in botti, showed a more overt wood influence than its younger counterpart from 2006. It handled that wood with no problem, though, exuding a ripe, dark and beautiful nose full of menthol, teak and dark, spicy fruit. Firm, dusty tannins brought it all together on the palate. Very fresh in color and aroma, this should have a long life ahead of it.

After our tasting, Valter led our small group on a quick tour of the family's recently expanded and renovated winery. Undertaking such work in Piedmont, in Italy in general, takes patience beyond the realm of virtue and into that of absolute requirement. Obtaining the necessary work permits and designing all exterior aspects according to historical specifications often makes such projects take years.

At Cogno, that combination of patience and diligent work have paid dividends in the form of a lovely winery space, not overly large but with enough space to allow for plenty of bottle storage and to facilitate comfortable and efficient work flow, from vinification through barrel aging and on to bottling.

As you'll have surmised if you made it through the technical aspects of the above tasting notes, a variety of shapes, sizes and sources of oak wine vessels are utilized at Cogno, ranging from barriques through the foudres and large casks shown in the above picture above. As it seems is the case at so many producers throughout the Langhe at the moment, Valter is moving more and more away from the use of barriques and more toward medium- to large-scale wood.

Valter has come up with a pretty tidy solution for dealing with those small barrels as they rotate out of the production cycle. Barrique stave fencing, anyone?

Some might view that shift as a step away from modernism and more toward the centrist position on the Piemontese stylistic spectrum. More cynical minds might look at it as following fashion. To me, having visited and gotten a closer understanding of the wines, it seems first and foremost a natural step in the ongoing and ever changing, ever cyclical efforts of a man trying to make the best wine possible from what nature has provided.

In closing, this shot goes out to all the friends and associates I've annoyed (and have yet to annoy) by publishing photos of them here at MFWT over the years. That's me with Valter, the Langhe hills rolling to the horizon.


Elvio Cogno
Località Ravera, 2
12060 Novello (CN)
Italia
Tel. +39 0173 744006

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The 2007 Vintage in Roero and Barbaresco

As I was saying yesterday, the large scale, focused format of the blind tastings at Nebbiolo Prima provided some definite insights into the qualities of vintage — with 2007 being the primary focus in Roero and Barbaresco — and of the broad sense of terroir associated with the various communes/municipalities of production.

Day one was devoted entirely to Nebbioli from the Roero as well as from the Alba, Treiso and Barbaresco municipalities within the Barbaresco production zone. We tasted sixteen wines from the 2007 vintage in Roero and fourteen 2006 Roero Riservas, followed by forty-eight Barbaresco from 2007 and five 2005 Barbaresco Riservas.

The second day of the event was split between Barbaresco and Barolo. We'll get to the Barolo on another day. This time it was all about Neive, with thirty-two Barbaresco "normale" from the 2007 vintage and three Riserva bottlings hailing from 2005 lined up on the big tasting table.

Getting straight to the fine details, here's the short list of wines that grabbed me.

Roero (commune):

• Roero, Cornarea 2007 (Canale) – spicy, ripe, integrated
  
• Roero "Bric Valdiana," Giovanni Almondo 2007 (Montà) – high-toned, minty, muscular
  
• Roero "Bricco Medica," Cascina Val del Prete 2007 (Priocca) – ripe yet solid vintage expression
  
• Roero Riserva "S. Francesco," Negro Lorenzo 2006 (Monteu Roero) – judicious wood; forward, pretty fruit
  

Of the wines that inspired me on the first day of blind tasting at Nebbiolo Prima, Giovanni and Domenico Almondo's Roero "Bric Valdiana" was the only one that I'd already been a regular admirer of in the past — unblinded and at home, albeit in earlier vintages.

Barbaresco (commune):

• Barbaresco "Vallegrande," Fratelli Grasso 2007 (Treiso) – dark but well done
  
• Barbaresco "Tre Stelle," Cascina delle Rose 2007 (Barbaresco) – classic, delicate, floral
  
• Barbaresco "Campo Quadro," Punset 2007 (Neive) – burly but complete, balanced
  

The 2007 Barbaresco "Tre Stelle" from Cascina delle Rose was a real stand-out for me, while the "Campo Quadro" from Punset pleasantly surprised.

Barbaresco Riserva (commune):

• Barbaresco Riserva "Nervo Vigna Giaia," Piazzo Armando 2005 (Treiso) – fine structure, elegant
  
• Barbaresco Riserva "Serraboella," Massimo Rivetti 2005 (Neive) – prettiest nose of the day
  

Not a bad little list, one that offered up some nice discoveries for me. When you look at what it took to cull it, though, those are some pretty slim pickings.

I didn't invite you here to put you through basic arithmetic exercises, so I'll crunch the numbers for you. That list represents a meager selection of nine wines out of the 118 tasted. It looks even starker when you break it down. Four out of thirty wines in Roero; actually, that's not all that bad. But that leaves only five wines from Barbaresco out of 88 wines tasted. And only three of those five were from 2007, which was the main vintage we were invited to Alba to taste, at least in terms of Roero and Barbaresco.

The translation? The 2007 vintage was presented to us, in day one's opening presentation by Enzo Brezza, current president of the Albeisa producer's consortium, as a year that started with a mild winter and early budding, followed by a dry, hot growing season and a relatively early harvest. Not as extreme as 2003 but still a hot, dry year that produced higher alcohol levels and lower acidity than typical.

In the Roero, generally speaking, I didn't find the difficulties of the vintage to be a tremendous issue. Most of the 2007's I tasted were fruitier, slightly more alcoholic and, indeed, lower in acid and more softly structured than their 2006 counterparts. But overall, the wines fared reasonably well, as reflected in my findings with our sample population.

My general experience in Barbaresco, however, is that 2007 proved, as shown in the large number of wines tasted, to be quite a difficult vintage.

Over and over again, particularly in Treiso and Barbaresco, I encountered wines that displayed very ripe, flamboyant fruit along with sweet, herbal and weedy aromatics and flavors. My impression was that sugar content had surged to levels that required harvesting before the other aspects of the grapes had a chance to catch up and create any possibility of completion and harmony. When asked of my experiences, at our dinners or during winery visits, I shared this interpretation with several producers, none of whom came right out and agreed but none of whom said much if anything to dispel the idea, either. What I did hear repeatedly, from producers throughout the various regions, is that 2007 was a great vintage for Barbera (a variety that is more naturally inclined to thrive in such climatic conditions).

Moving ahead to day two and the wines of the Neive commune of Barbaresco, I can't say that I found the big picture any more to my liking. Though the sweet-and-sour signature I'd found in so many of the wines from Treiso and, to a slightly lesser extent, Barbaresco wasn't quite as obvious, there was a much higher prevalence of over-extraction, heavy oak treatment and high alcohol. Again and again, words like "jammy," "bourbon," "sweet," "overripe" and "forced" appear in my notes.

I'll be curious to see how the mainstream press reacts to the 2007 vintage in Barbaresco, as I expect it stands a good chance of being well-received in a manner similar to other ripe, hot vintages in recent history, such as 1997, 2000 and 2003. For me, based at least on our rapid-fire albeit extensive tasting, 2007 will be a vintage where knowing your producer and selecting with care will be of utmost importance.

Fast-forwarding a year, it should also prove interesting to see how the same vintage characteristics affected the wines of Barolo. In the shorter term, stay tuned for my thoughts on the 2006 vintage in Barolo.

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Guest Post: Do Bianchi Does Barbaresco

If you've been visiting here for any length of time, you know by now that I’m a big fan of Jeremy Parzen’s blog, Do Bianchi. Whether he’s writing about the pleasures of orange wine, controversies afoot in the world of vini Italiano or the joys and rigors of touring with his band, Nous Non Plus, Jeremy’s work is always on point, insightful and entertaining.

When he wrote me a while back, to self-flagellate for having missed Wine Blogging Wednesday, “A Passion for Piedmont,” I told him he could make it up to me by guest blogging here at MFWT. Happily, he agreed to do just that. Doubly happily, he recruited a willing collaborator, his sweetheart Tracie B. of My Life Italian, to take the candid photos you’ll see below.

If you’re already a regular reader of Do Bianchi – and if you’re not, you should be! – Jeremy’s topic of choice will come as no surprise.

The podium is all yours, Dr. Parzen.

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One of the things I love the most about Produttori del Barbaresco is how its winemaking practices have remained virtually unchanged since it began making Barbaresco in 1958 (technically the winery was launched as a Cantina Sociale in 1894). Few Italian winemakers can rival this iconic label for the terroir- and vintage-driven characteristics of the wines.

And as much as I love its single-vineyard expressions of Nebbiolo, my favorite is always the blended classic Barbaresco: on my palate, these are the truest expressions of Barbaresco and its unique power and elegance because they represent an overarching manifestation of the entire appellation, made from grapes grown by multiple growers across the territory. Each year, the best grapes from the best growing sites go into this wine. How do you determine where the best rows are? Simple: just observe where the snow melts first, they will tell you. 1967 and 1982 are two memorable vintages of the classic Barbaresco that I have tasted over the last few years (and I've tasted the crus going back to the late 70s): the wines of today are very true to the winery's beautiful, natural terroir-driven style.

The 2004 is surely to be one of the great vintages of this decade and the winery compares it to the "mythic 1990." I've tasted it a number of times over the last year and it seems to be closing up right now and showing more tight than it was last summer. I believe it's going through a tannic period of its development and as much of a joy as it is to drink it, I think it's best to lay it down for a while. I want to revisit it again around Christmas and see where it's at.

Although 2005 was a very good vintage and classic in its profile (part of a string a good vintages, 04, 05, and 06), unusually high temperatures in September made for a wine with fruit more forward than the 2004. Unfortunately, this more "American-friendly" vintage has driven up the price slightly. It showed wonderfully in the tasting the other day and while I don't think it will age quite as long as the 2004, I think this is an excellent Barbaresco that we can enjoy sooner than later.

2006 was another classic vintage, although again warmer than the 2004. I was thrilled to taste the 2006 Langhe Nebbiolo (made from fruit not destined for the Barbaresco) and I think it's an excellent value for the quality. I like to call it my "Saturday night wine" (the Barbaresco is a "special occasion" wine at my table).

I've translated the winery's 2006 vintage notes below.

The 2006 vintage began with nice spring weather. The warm temperatures in the first half of May caused early flowering around May 25 (flowering usually occurs in early June for Nebbiolo). Temperatures lowered at the beginning of June but without adversely affecting the flowering and fruit set of the vines. These conditions led to an abundant harvest. July brought temperatures higher than average. But August saw milder and more pleasant weather with warm days alternated with cooler and more ventilated days. Unlike other regions in Italy, rainfall was scarce and as a result, the season was relatively dry, especially for vineyards with the best exposure, which were warmer and drier. The abundant amount of fruit made summer thinning all the more important in order to rebalance production and allow for good ripening.

September arrived with healthy fruit with somewhat high sugar levels. But the development of the fruit and its aromas was however delayed, especially in the warmest vineyards with the best exposure. Two intense September rainstorms marked a break from otherwise summery conditions. The first happened around September 10 and this actually helped aromatic ripening to begin again and thus was helpful. The second rainfall arrived later, on September 25 and 26, when the fruit was already ripe. At that point, there was no point in waiting any more and as soon as the sun dried the fruit, we began to harvest on September 29 and we finished picking on October 7 after nine days of good weather that allowed us to harvest excellent, healthy fruit.

2006 Barbaresco will be an excellent Barbaresco with natural alcoholic content higher than 13.5%, with intense color and good acidity. A good wine for aging, from another vintage in a string of good vintages including 2004 and 2005.

My advice: buy these wines, drink them, lay them down, live with them, pair them with food, save a glass of each and taste it the next day, open them on special occasions, revisit them, record your impressions, blog them... They never disappoint and their value simply cannot be beat.

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Paitin di Pasquero-Elia and the Question of (Post)Modernism in Piedmont

Today is the 54th installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday. As host of this edition, which I’ve called “A Passion for Piedmont,” I thought it only appropriate to approach things from a bigger perspective than it’s possible to convey via the usual WBW tasting note. Instead, I’m embracing it as a chance to travel back a few years in time….

It’s been too long since my last trip to Piedmont, as part of a wine trade junket in February 2006. During that trip, I formed a quick and lasting bond with the region – with its landscape, its culture, the food, the people and, obviously, the wines. I’ve been dying to get back ever since.

Neive is the prototypical Piedmont town, perched atop a hill and surrounded by vineyards, all within view of the Alps.
One of the estates I had the opportunity to visit on that trip was Paitin di Pasquero-Elia, located in the hills above Neive, the largest town in Piedmont’s Barbaresco zone. Giovanni Pasquero-Elia, with whom we spent an enlightening morning, represents the current generation of a family that’s been working the land and vines in their slice of the Barbaresco landscape since 1796. The recent history of his estate, and Giovanni’s role in its evolution, places him at the crux of the never ending debate that has engaged the minds of so many lovers of Piedmontese wine in recent years: the question of modernism versus traditionalism.

Until just a few years ago, Paitin’s wines were represented on the US market by Marc de Grazia, an importer who, as I’ve detailed here before, is often viewed as bringing a heavy hand to play in influencing the winemaking approaches of the producers in his portfolio. In keeping with that approach, Giovanni and his father Secondo had taken, throughout the 1990s, to the use of rotofermenters – machines that quicken color extraction and shorten traditional maceration periods by two-thirds or more – and to aging nearly all of their wines in French oak barriques.

A look inside the rotofermenter, one of the first views greeting us during our tour of the Paitin winery.

But wait… I’m getting a little ahead of myself here.

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The Paitin estate includes 17.5 hectares of vineyard, mostly situated along either side of the Via Serra Boella in Bricco di Neive, with the namesake Sorì Paitin vineyard forming the heart of the property.

The Sorì Paitin vineyard, as seen from atop the hill behind the Pasquero-Elia family's winery.
Barbaresco, not surprisingly, is the family’s most important wine. In good years, they produce three different bottlings: Barbaresco “Serra Boella,” from 1.5 hectares of Nebbiolo planted on the east-facing Serra Boella hillside; Barbaresco “Sorì Paitin,” the flagship wine from four hectares of southern exposed vines in the monopole Sorì Paitin; and their top wine, the “Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne,” from a single hectare of 55 year-old vines (planted in 1953) within the greater Sorì Paitin site.

As is typical throughout the region, the Pasquero-Elia family also grows Dolcetto and Barbera, both to provide for the everyday Piedmontese table – Barbaresco (and Barolo) are generally reserved for special occasions – and to take advantage of portions of their property not ideally suited to the finicky Nebbiolo. A single Dolcetto d’Alba is produced from a 1.5 hectare parcel of the Sorì Paitin. And there are two Barberas d’Alba, one from three hectares on Serra Boella, the other, “Campolive,” is a single vineyard bottling named after a one hectare plot at the warmest, sunniest spot on their property.

The family also owns parcels outside of the Barbaresco zone, with three hectares of Nebbiolo and one of Cabernet Sauvignon at a site called “Ca Veja” (Old House) in Alba and, finally, 1.5 hectares of Arneis in the Roero.

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In Making Sense Of Italian Wine, author Matt Kramer paints a clear, up-to-date, opinionated yet level-headed picture of the decades-old clash between modernism and traditionalism in Piedmont. In the introduction to his chapter on Barolo, he describes a paradigm that he clearly feels applies to Barbaresco as well:

“Distinguising among Barolo producers goes beyond just assessing quality. Style now plays a major role. It was easier a decade ago: modernists were then clearly distinguishable from traditionalists. Today, the middle ground is, if anything, the most heavily populated.

These “centrists” take what they believe are most desirable from the modernist camp (small oak barrels; rotofermenters…; short macerations) and apply those techniques with a traditionalist hand – not too much oak, not too short a maceration, not too vigorous a use of the washing machine-like rotofermenter.”

The oldest portions of the Paitin cellars were constructed in the 15th Century, predating the "modern" history of the estate.

In the chapter covering Barbaresco, Kramer includes Paitin di Pasquero Elia among his recommended estates and says, “Although decidedly modern in style, there’s no doubting the seriousness of the wine or the quality of the grapes. This is a producer that shows the possibilities of modernism in pursuit of traditional Barbaresco goodness.”

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Visiting Paitin at the time we did proved very interesting in the context of the above descriptions, as we were able to observe the estate in the midst of flux. In the early part of this decade, growing increasingly unenamored with their importer’s approach, the Pasquero-Elia’s elected to leave the de Grazia camp. Though he continues to work with a rotofermenter and to practice micro-oxygenation (to counteract the extremely reductive environment within the rotofermenter), Giovanni immediately chose to eliminate barriques from the estate’s aging regimen. He also began to move away from the super-ripe, concentrated style that marked the estate’s wines through the 1990s, working instead toward a more elegant expression of his terroir and a fresher, brighter fruit focus.
Hearkening back to an earlier time, an old bottle of Barbaresco, from Secondo Pasquero-Elia's era, is watched over by one of the cellar spiders.
Many of the wines we tasted in the Paitin cellars that day were produced on the cusp of that change. Among them were some of the last wines produced during the de Grazia years and some of the first from the current era. As such, this report should be viewed as a snapshot of that time. I’m sure the approach at Paitin has continued to evolve since. As to how I feel about the new direction then indicated at the estate, which might be described as a step toward “centrism,” I happen to agree with Kramer’s assessment. To paraphrase his words, Paitin is a producer that shows the possibilities of modernism – and post-modernism – in pursuit of Piedmontese goodness.

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If this leaves you hungry for more, you’ll find a detailed accounting of the wines we tasted during our visit below.

Roero Arneis “Vigna Elisa,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2004
Named after Giovanni’s grandmother, “Vigna Elisa” is the only white wine produced at the estate. Arneis, by the way, means “difficult boy” or “rascal” in the old Piedmontese dialect. Paitin’s example, produced from yields of 30 hl/ha, falls into neither the fresh and fruity style nor the broad, oxidative style of Roero Arneis. The wine sees cold maceration on its skins for 24-36 hours, followed by fermentation in steel using selected yeasts. It then remains on its lees in tank until bottling time, about six months after the harvest. Giovanni recommends it be consumed in its first 2-3 years in bottle. The ’04, tasted from bottle, showed richly extracted color accompanied by heady, oily aromatics. Medium acidity carried through to a long finish, full of honeysuckle and almond flavors. (13% alcohol.)

Dolcetto d’Alba “Sorì Paitin,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2004
Giovanni’s 2004 Dolcetto showed a less floral, cherry-driven nose along with a denser palate impact than much of the other Dolcetto tasted on our trip. Following quick rotofermentation on selected yeasts, the wine ages for six months in old botte and tonneaux of Slavonian oak. Though many producers eschew wood for their Dolcetti, Giovanni feels that the naturally oxidative environment in the old casks helps to counter both the reductive aspects of rotofermentation as well as Dolcetto’s natural tendency toward reductivity.

Barbera d’Alba “Serra Boella,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2004
Most of the Barbera on Serra Boella was originally planted in the early 1980s with clones that turned out to be poorly suited to the site. After replanting in 1997 with vine cuttings propagated from the “Campolive” vineyard, Giovanni has found the site to give much better wines. The ’04 is a typical example – maybe my favorite of the last several vintages – of Serra Boella Barbera, full of sweet berry fruit, zingy acidity and fresh, direct aromas. The 2003 version saw a six-day rotofermentation followed by 12 months of aging in 50% new tonneaux and 50% three-year-old barriques. In contrast, the 2004 was aged for 12 months in old botte after a nine-day spell in the rotofermenter.

Not from the archives.... Some of Paitin's current releases.
Barbera d’Alba “Campolive,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2003
Campolive, again, is the warmest spot on the Paitin property. Its name is a reference to Giovanni’s belief that olive trees were planted on the site during the Roman era. The 2003, with its raisiny nose and richer, more opulent flavors, spent nine days in the rotofermenter (fermented on its natural yeasts), followed by about one month in steel to allow for settling and precipitation of solids. After that, it underwent 18 months in a mixture of barriques, 50% new and 50% two-year-old. The ’03 was the last vintage to see any barrique aging; Giovanni planned to switch to aging in new botte beginning with the 2004 vintage.

Nebbiolo d’Alba “Ca Veja,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2003
This is from the family’s three-hectare plot of Nebbiolo near Alba, located outside of the Barbaresco zone and only one mile from the border of Barolo. The site was replanted in the mid-1990s after a flood and subsequent mudslide destroyed much of the original vineyard. The 2003 was arguably the most “traditionalist” wine produced at the estate up to that point, aged in old botte only. It displayed intense tannins on the front palate followed by sweet rhubarb and herb-laced red fruit. The 2001 version, in comparison, was aged in tonneaux, 50% of which were new.

The main barrel cellar at Paitin, circa 2006, showing a mixture of barriques, tonneaux and botte.
Barbaresco “Sorì Paitin,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2001
The 2001 vintage was finished before Paitin ended their import relationship with Marc de Grazia. Here, the power shown in “Ca Veja” continued but with darker fruit and suppler texture, along with a hint of leather. Following nine days in the rotofermenter, it was aged for two years in oak: 30% in new French barriques, 20% in 2-3 year-old barriques and 50% in tonneaux. More recent vintages are aged in botte only, and the elegance hinted at in this 2001 version has come more to the fore in subsequent releases.

Barbaresco “Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2001
The top wine of the estate, from a one-hectare parcel of the Sorì Paitin that was planted in 1953. It’s also the most powerful wine of the estate, an easy dispeller of the old “Barolo is masculine, Barbaresco feminine” adage. Darker in color and flavor than the Sorì Paitin “normale” but still well-balanced, with plenty of finesse and complexity. Giovanni’s father, Secondo, formerly bottled this as Barbaresco Riserva, starting with the 1974 vintage. Since then, Giovanni has dropped the Riserva designation, feeling that the term’s meaning has been destroyed by it commercial, international manifestations. The 2001 spent three weeks clarifying in steel after a nine-day spell in the rotofermenter, and was finished with two years aging in a mixture of French oak barrels, 50% new and 50% two years old. It is now aged completely in botte of Slavonian oak, varying from light toast to no toast at all.

Barbaresco “Serra Boella,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2002
The only Barbaresco produced at Paitin in the difficult 2002 vintage. It was surprisingly dark for the vintage, likely an attribute driven by the strong color extraction achieved via rotofermentation, yet it was also more evolved in tone and aromas than the 2001s we’d already tasted. Plummier and rounder than the wines from the Sorì Paitin, it was also a tad reductive when first poured but that quickly resolved with some time in the glass. A solid effort for the vintage. Regrettably, my notes don’t include any technical specs for this bottling.

Langhe Rosso “Paitin,” Paitin di Pasquero-Elia 2003
In 2003 the “Langhe Paitin” was a varietal expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Langhe. Not surprisingly, it was much blacker in color than the Nebbiolo-based wines. Surprisingly low alcohol (13%) given the infamous heat of the 2003 growing season, it led off with a soft, round feel and attractive flavors of blackberry, cassis and licorice but was then marred by astringent, slightly green tannins. The very fact that Paitin had planted Cabernet Sauvignon might be looked at from one perspective as outrageously modern, a move toward internationalization of Piedmontese tradition. Given that Cabernet constitutes only a single hectare of the overall estate and appears in only this wine, it might just as easily be viewed (from a more forgiving perspective) as a natural outlet for a vine grower and winemaker’s curiosity. Earlier experiments with both Pinot Noir and Syrah, in fact, were abandoned after Giovanni found the vines to be unsuited to his terroir. Giovanni continues to farm his plot of Cabernet but now blends the fruit with Nebbiolo and Barbera to produce a slightly more typical, slightly less outrageous Langhe Rosso blend.

My roommate Dale B. and I, pausing for a moment of contemplation after our visit. The family residence is behind us to the right, the old winery building at left.

Azienda Agricola PAITIN di Pasquero Elia
Via Serra Boella 20
12052 Neive (CN)
ITALIA

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