Luna, Nebbia and Alba Over the Bricco delle Viole

Here's a second consecutive post in the déjà vu all over again department. I'm guessing that close to half of those reading this will already have seen the above photo courtesy of my pal Jeremy, who posted it this morning over at Do Bianchi. What can I say? The picture is just too beautiful not to share as widely as possible.

The image was sent to the both of us by our mutual friend, Giuseppe Vajra, scion of the G.D. Vajra estate in Barolo. You really do need to click on the photo to view it in its full glory. I don't often upload photos in unedited/uncompressed format but with this it was a must. Giuseppe snapped the shot in the wee hours of the morning, at 6:35 AM to be exact, on October 5, 2010, from the western slope of his family's plot of the Bricco delle Viole vineyard.

From A Wine Atlas of the Langhe:

"Bricco Viole belongs to the district of Vergne di Barolo and its charming name (literally, 'violet hill') is a reminder of the flowers that bloom here in springtime. And of course, violets are very much part of the aromatic profile of Barolo. This great vineyard can be clearly seen from the road that leads from the centre of Vergne to La Morra."

I love the way Giuseppe's photo gives no indication whatsoever that the terrain is one defined by vines, yet it nonetheless captures the essence of the Barolo landscape. Rugged but peacefully rolling hills and the valleys between them, the fog ("nebbia" — you'll see it in the depression between the slopes when you enlarge the photo) so omnipresent in the area, and the influence of both the sun and the moon on the land beneath... they're all there. The color of the sky, too, is simply enchanting; perhaps closer to indigo than violet on the ROYGBIV spectrum, but close enough to lend a poetic nuance to the photo's subject.

If you've any doubt of what I'm talking about, just compare Giuseppe's wee-hours photo to the mid-day shot directly above, taken by one of my traveling companions, Eric Tuverson, during a visit with Giuseppe's father, Aldo, in February 2006. The perspective is different but the flow, the hills, the essence are the same. Also, bear in mind that Alba, the name of the city central to the overall Barolo zone, literally means "dawn" in Italian. While Giuseppe and Aldo produce a single vineyard Barolo from their plot of Bricco delle Viole, their flagship Barolo, a multi-vineyard blend from parcels in Coste, Fossati and La Volta, is called Albe — "the dawns."

I truly do love Piemonte; there's something about it that just pulls me in, makes me feel rooted, at home. Thanks for sharing, Giuseppe. This is as much your post as it is mine, my friend. Un abbraccio!

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DoBianchi On Vajra, and Two Long Lost Friends

Synchronicity implies accident, so on this occasion we'll just have to settle for mutual admiration and timely agreement...

I've known for a while now that my friend Dr. Jeremy Parzen, scribe responsible for the wonderful blog Do Bianchi, availed himself of the opportunity to visit Aldo Vajra during one of his recent trips to Piemonte. I've been waiting for details of Jeremy's visit ever since and, finally, he's unleashed them, along with some terrific photos of his tasting session with Signor Vajra.

Jeremy and I seem to be on an ever coincidental path of like circumstances. He's in California now, a state from which I returned just days ago. And he's at last written about Vajra just a few days more after I had the chance to revisit – just before my trip west – two of Aldo and his son Giuseppe's wines that I hadn't had the opportunity to try since I was last in situ in Piemonte, a little over four years ago.

Sadly, neither Vajra's Langhe Bianco Riesling nor his Langhe Freisa "Kyè" have historically been available in my local markets. It was thanks to the good graces of another great friend, one that does a little shopping south of the Mason-Dixon Line, that I finally got to taste these two long lost friends.

Vajra's expression of Freisa is unlike any other Freisa I've ever tasted: totally still, dark, brooding and almost savagely tannic, yet loaded with beautiful, rustic fruit that has no problem handling the wine's deep, spicy wood-tones. The 2006 is a baby but is already oh-so delicious.

And the Langhe Bianco Riesling? When last I tasted it, over lunch with Aldo at the wonderful Ristorante Le Torri in Castiglione Falletto, the wine hadn't yet resolved its primary fruitiness and yeastiness (it was the 2004 vintage) but was nonetheless already showing its underlying intense minerality. The 2008 vintage, at roughly the same point in its evolution, is even more promising, more mouthwatering, simply brimming with white fruit and vibrant stoniness.

I found myself tempted to proclaim it the best Riesling I've tasted from anywhere outside Germany or Austria... but forget about that. It's just great Riesling, plain and simple. Jeremy would seem to agree. Don't miss his observations.

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Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo

It's been a little over a year now since I last had the chance to meet up with Giuseppe Vajra and to taste through a range of his family's wines in formal fashion.  It was great to see him, a pleasure I hope will be repeated before long.  As always, it's pleasure of a different sort to drink – not just taste – the Vajras' wines in a more relaxed setting.  I did just that over the course of two nights last week, savoring a bottle of Vajra's 2006 Langhe Nebbiolo with two very simple and drastically different midweek meals.  Giuseppe's description of the wine, not of how it tastes but rather of how it served him and his college roommates through many a communal meal, stuck with me as I savored every last drop from the bottle.  You'll forgive me, I hope, for quoting from the archives:

This was Giuseppe’s go-to “college wine” during the past year, what he poured for his roommates at University to help compensate for his lack of cooking abilities. A great food wine it is. Although in my experience this wine can age better than most “basic” Langhe Nebbiolo, G. recommends drinking it in its first three-to-four years for maximum enjoyment. This is Nebbiolo fermented and aged only in steel, produced primarily from fruit grown in a southwest-facing parcel called “Gesso” located at the foot of Bricco delle Viole and from the young vines in the Vajra’s recently acquired property in Sinio, just outside of the Barolo zone on the outskirts of Serralunga d’Alba. The wine is in a great spot right now, full of violet, rose petal and red licorice aromas. Finely detailed and long on the palate. No lack of nuance. Every bit a fine example of a “poor man’s Barolo.”

Langhe Nebbiolo, G.D. Vajra 2006
$26. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
Over a year later, the 2006 Langhe Nebbiolo is still showing beautifully, even young, much as I'd suggested in my original note. When first opened and poured it was quite tight, showing firm grip and slightly chalky tannins wrapped around a core of bright red fruit with classic overtones of licorice and tar.

In the past, I've found suppler styles of Langhe Nebbiolo – such as those from Vajra, Elio Grasso and Produttori del Barbaresco, to name a few – to pair quite well with dishes that mesh sweet and savory elements.  I'm thinking in particular of pumpkin tortellini or ravioli sauced with sage brown butter.  On this night, I took that idea to another step, drinking the wine alongside a rather spontaneous "use up what's in the kitchen" hash of roasted potatoes, apples and Italian-style sausage.  On this night, the match wasn't perfect, the grippy structure and taut fruit proved a bit too stern for the food.  But that hardly kept me from enjoying the wine.

Twenty-four hours later, the wine had come into a much sweeter spot, opening to reveal more seductive aromas, more generous textures and more relaxed fruit.  Paired with an even simpler dish of penne, cheese and peas, the wine took on a whole other dimension.  It was one of those pairings that actually adds a layer of pleasure to both the wine and the food.  I know one tends to think of meat, or perhaps an end-of-meal cheese course, with Nebbiolo-based wines.  I do love this with pork.  But over the years, I've found it can work quite admirably with salmon (heresy, I know) and that it sometimes takes nothing more than a dish full of toothsome pasta to match the wine's tension – and to remove any sense of tension from those partaking of it.

Sadly, this was my last bottle of the '2006.  When the '07 finally comes ashore, I'll seriously have to consider gobbling up a case.

* * *

In closely related news:

• I knew in the back of my mind while writing this that Giuseppe had recently traveled through the southern Mid-Atlantic on one of his seasonal US pilgrimages.  You'll find a nice write-up on the full range of Vajra's current releases courtesy of John Witherspoon at Anything Wine.


• It's nearly impossible for me to write about one of my favorite Nebbiolo producers, Vajra, without thinking of my friend Dr. Parzen's ongoing love affair with the wines of Produttori del Barbaresco.  It's sheer coincidence, however, that not long after I wrote this morning's missive, Jeremy penned one of his usually brilliant pieces, laced with literary and historical detail, on Cavour's impact on the history of Piedmontese wine.  Read there or be square.

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LA Area Tasting Alert

I thought I’d share a quick news flash today, for any followers of the Trail based in the greater Los Angeles area. My friend Giuseppe Vajra will be pouring a selection of the Piedmontese wines from his family’s estate, G.D. Vajra, this Thursday, March 12, 2009, at Elvino Wines in Venice, CA. The Vajras’ California importer, Justin Gallen of Rinascimento Wine Company, is coordinating the event. Full details of the tasting can be found at the Rinascimento blog.

My photo of Giuseppe, taken during his visit to the east coast last fall, has been following the young Mr. Vajra on his current trip around the States.
Giuseppe and his father Aldo produce beautifully expressive, traditionally made wines throughout their range, from a humble, everyday Langhe Rosso blend to their benchmark Langhe Freisa called “Kyé” and right through to their top Barolo from the cru of Bricco delle Viole. You’ll find details of my last tasting with Giuseppe here.

If you can make it to Thursday’s event, you’ll have the opportunity to taste some great wines and to give moral support to Giuseppe, who’s bravely continuing with his US tour in spite of having blown out his knee in a skiing accident during the Colorado leg of his trip.

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Catching Up with Giuseppe Vajra

Giuseppe Vajra first walked through the doors at the shop where I spend my days about four or five years ago. He couldn’t have been much more than nineteen at the time, making his way around the US on his first trip as emissary of his family’s estate. It must have been an awkward baptism, as he wasn’t old enough, legally here in the US, to taste his own wines even though it was his responsibility to show and discuss them with clients. Logistics aside, like so many other young men and women of his generation who happened to have been born into wine growing families, Giuseppe, on that first trip, was still undecided as to whether he saw his future in wine.

As a guy roughly twice Giuseppe’s age, come relatively late to the wine business, it’s all too easy for me to look on his situation with awe, even with a touch of envy. How great would it be to inherit beautiful vineyards and a winery in Barolo – or almost anywhere for that matter? Going back through time and putting myself in nineteen year-old shoes, though, and imagining (theoretically) my own father talking of passing along “the family business” to me, Giuseppe’s trepidation was clearly justified. The call of the new and different, of the city, of exploring things away from home – even of rebellion – must certainly have been great.

When I saw Giuseppe again two or three years ago, he had taken a couple of steps toward a decision but was still somewhat unsure. Meeting him for a third time, just last week, it’s now clear where Giuseppe’s future and, yes, his heart, lay. When he speaks about the family winery, still headed by his father Aldo Vajra, it’s clear that Giuseppe is speaking in we terms, is thinking of how he’ll carry on – or even change – the work that Aldo does today. In speaking of Aldo, Giuseppe said, “The more my father ages, the less he wants to do to the wines.” It’s a lovely expression of the constantly evolving, increasingly natural approach to winemaking at the Vajra estate. And as Giuseppe spoke of their continuing adoption of biodynamic techniques, of their positive approach to minimizing the use of sulfur in the wine making regime and of the terroirs that make up the estate, it was again clear that he was thinking in terms of “we,” not just “he.” Giuseppe’s become more than a spokesperson, that’s for sure. Given that he’s named after his grandfather, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra, whose name still appears on the family’s wines, he couldn’t have chosen a more fitting path.

* * *
As on his first visit some five years ago, Giuseppe was passing through to show the current releases of the estate. Here’s a look at what he poured for us.


Langhe Rosso, G. D. Vajra 2006 (13% alcohol)
To some, the idea of a blended wine being produced in the Langhe district of Piedmont automatically equates to modernism. Vajra’s Langhe Rosso, though, is far from a “Super Piemontese” red. Instead, plain and simple, it’s the most basic, casual wine produced at the estate. A young vine cuvée destined for youthful drinking (although it does age surprisingly well), its blend varies from year-to-year based on the natural production cycle of any given vintage. The 2006 Langhe Rosso is a blend of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera, plus very small amounts – about 5% each – of Pinot Noir, Freisa and Albarossa. The latter vine, Albarossa, was originally created by Professor Giovanni Dalmasso when, in 1938, he crossed Barbera with a local mutation of Nebbiolo called Chatus. Albarossa turned out to give less elegant wines than hoped for on its own but serves as a useful blending agent, providing violet color and crispy texture. The wine? Full of bright red, punchy fruit. Lively mouthfeel and a slightly sweet/tart/tropical nose. Delicate tannins, refreshing acidity and easygoing light-to-medium body make it a versatile pour.

Dolcetto d’Alba, G. D. Vajra 2007 (13.5% alcohol)
Radiantly violet/purple in the glass. Giuseppe thinks of it as blue. Lovely, crunchy tannins follow a mouthful of dark red cherries, plums and inky minerality. One of the most fruit-forward expressions of Dolcetto I’ve had from Vajra, although it almost always does start out fruity in its youth and then develops subtlety with age. In the winery, it is put through a very quick cold stabilization to fix its vibrant colors and to partially forestall Dolcetto’s tendency to throw high quantities of sediment. If you’re a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc fan, you owe it to yourself to try this.

Barbera d’Alba Superiore, G. D. Vajra 2006 (14% alcohol)
Bottled just a week before Giuseppe’s trip, this is a brooding, muscular style of Barbera, with tannic extract playing against Barbera’s natural acidity and showing off the vine’s balancing act between rusticity and refinement. Tautly wrapped blueberry and blackberry fruit, touched by a bit of wood spice. Aged in old tonneau and 2500-liter casks. Giuseppe described it as less juicy than the 2007 and less classic than the 2004 but perfectly balanced. At seven to ten years of age, he thinks this will become more mineral, floral and herbal in character. For now, it’s a mouthful of intensity that would pair well with braised meat dishes or perhaps a dish of beef cheek ravioli.

Langhe Nebbiolo, G. D. Vajra 2006 (13.5% alcohol)
This was Giuseppe’s go-to “college wine” during the past year, what he poured for his roommates at University to help compensate for his lack of cooking abilities. A great food wine it is. Although in my experience this wine can age better than most “basic” Langhe Nebbiolo, G. recommends drinking it in its first three-to-four years for maximum enjoyment. This is Nebbiolo fermented and aged only in steel, produced primarily from fruit grown in a southwest-facing parcel called “Gesso” located at the foot of Bricco delle Viole and from the young vines in the Vajra’s recently acquired property in Sinio, just outside of the Barolo zone on the outskirts of Serralunga d’Alba. The wine is in a great spot right now, full of violet, rose petal and red licorice aromas. Finely detailed and long on the palate. No lack of nuance. Every bit a fine example of a “poor man’s Barolo.”

Barolo “Albe,” G. D. Vajra 2004 (14% alcohol)
“Albe” is Vajra’s young vine Barolo, produced from 20 year-old vines in the vineyards La Volta, Coste and Fossati, all on the hillsides in Vergne, perched above the town of Barolo itself. After a 20-day fermentation and maceration, the wine is aged in traditional botte of Slovanian oak along with a small amount of tonneau and 50-hectoliter barrels. Bottled only two months ago, it’s very tight, with a firm tannic structure and a nose full of tar and black earth. It needs about a year before it starts to show its real stuff. This and their Freisa called “Kyè” are the two wines, Giuseppe feels, that change the most from year to year.

Barolo “Bricco delle Viole,” G. D. Vajra 2004 (14% alcohol)
The Bricco delle Viole vineyard was planted by Aldo’s grandfather (Giuseppe’s great-grandfather) in 1949. 1978 was Aldo’s first vintage. His 2004 is already beautiful wine, showing more forward, elegant aromas than “Albe” but with much greater structural intensity, balance and finesse on the palate. Really beautiful wine. Drink it now for contemplative study if you will, but better to save it for a rainy day some year in the future. The ’04 Bricco delle Viole went through a 30-day fermentation and maceration, followed by aging primarily in 2500-liter casks. 8700 bottles produced.

Moscato d’Asti, G. D. Vajra 2007 (5.5% alcohol)
What better way to refresh after tasting a bunch of tannic, high-acid reds? Beer maybe? I’m not so sure. Vajra’s Moscato is a benchmark – joyously fruity and damn delicious year in and year out. In 2007, it was Giuseppe’s baby to tend to in the winery. It’s the quickest job start to finish but the most labor intensive in terms of the amount of attention required. Giuseppe spent at least one night in the winery after staying so late that he was inadvertently locked out of the house. I’m betting he drank some for breakfast the next morning, maybe with a little zabaglione.

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Bubbly Bubbly Notes

Tuesday's class on the sparkling wines of Europe was a success, at least so I'm told. I've never had such a quiet, studious group before. A good thing, I hope. In any event, the wines showed well, including a surprise or two, so I thought a few quick notes would be in order. You know, just in case you didn't manage to follow along on short notice. Here's what I poured:


Bugey Cerdon VDQS, Raphaël Bartucci NV (L07)
Very direct Bugey, both in its fruitiness and unabashed sweetness. Pure macerated strawberries with just a whiff of spicy earth. Perfect picnic wine and a fun way to lead off class.

Prosecco Montello e Colli Asolani, Bele Casel NV
Crisper, brighter and not as creamy as the Prosecco di Valdobbiadene from the same producer. A nice mineral tingle on the finish, too. Very peachy up front. Extra Dry in style but drinks no sweeter than an awful lot of Brut wines. Very tough after the Bugey, though, as the sweet red fruits left on the palate tended to wash out the Prosecco, which isn't shy on fruit in its own right.

Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Riesling Sekt Brut, Weingut Ratzenberger 2003
2003 remains the fruitiest rendition of Ratzenberger's Sekt that I've ever tried. Some time in bottle since last I drank it, though, has allowed the fruit to settle a bit. In turn, that's letting its hallmark mineral and floral notes emerge more clearly and it's tasting more like the Traditionelle Flaschengärung (traditional method) wine that it is. The intensity of its fruit nonetheless had a few attendees thinking it was sweeter than the Prosecco (which it's not).

Vouvray Pétillant Brut, Domaine Huet 2002
Amazingly different than when last tasted, so much so that I at first thought I was dealing with a bad batch. The corks had no spring-back and initial aromas were intensely mushroomy and otherwise mute. It turned out that patience was all that was needed. After about an hour of open air, this turned into a beauty, though still surprisingly more developed than only two months earlier. Loads more Chenin character. Rich, wildflower honey and quince with just a touch of dried biscuit. Plenty dry but plenty generous and truly pétillant, showing just a subtle trace of bubbles when poured in a white wine glass.

Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, Diebolt-Vallois NV
This is an old friend, warm and welcoming. Like any old friend, it's sometimes neglected but it's always good to get reacquainted. When this wine is young, like the bottles opened this night, it just brims with creamy lemon curd flavors and aromas, carried on a light, nervy frame. Delicious Blanc de Blancs that might have unduly suffered from being sandwiched between two more intense wines.

Champagne Extra Brut Réserve, Bereche et Fils NV
This was the showstopper, kind of as expected. Muscular, grippy Champs, loaded with dark red fruits and displaying plenty of depth. Really finely balanced. This is a serious food wine, one I'd love to drink with a meal starting with a platter of oysters and moving on to chicken breasts with a thyme infused cream sauce and fresh morels. Real vinous extract. Even a little tannic on the finish. I expect this should age quite nicely.

Moscato d'Asti, G.D. Vajra 2007
If the Bugey makes for a perfect lunchtime quaff, this makes an ideal breakfast wine. A vibrant expression of Moscato Bianco. Fresh, grapey and intensely perfumed, it's totally refreshing and a real joy to drink. Vajra makes one of the most concentrated examples out there. A good way to finish class on a light, happy note.

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Wines at the Summer Table

Like the concept of a chef’s tasting menu itself, the “with wine pairings” option has its detractors. Those who aren’t fans feel that you’re likely to end up with leftovers in both scenarios. There’s a certain way to avoid the potential pitfalls of at least the first of these two scenarios. Restaurants that offer nothing but a tasting menu are sure to put their best effort and ingredients into your plates. Wine pairings, though, can still be hit or miss. You’re at the mercy of the sommelier (or lack thereof). Pairings can be thoughtful, even inspired or, on the flipside, downright dismal.

Is there a workaround for the wine trap? Sure, though depending on where you are it may narrow your options: choose a spot with a BYO policy. The wine list is yours to make. If the pairings flop, there’s only you, and maybe a little bad luck, to blame. A full-on BYO policy, meaning one with no corkage fee, is a major bonus. Take as few or as many bottles as you’d like. I tend to err on the side of plenty. If you’re going to eat eight dishes over the course of an entire evening, why not try a wine with each? When a few friends and I headed out for dinner at Talula’s Table last week, we did just that.

Mosel Riesling QbA trocken, Freiherr von Heddesdorff 2006
This was the first bottle to hit the table, instantly becoming our de facto aperitif. Von Heddesdorff’s basic QbA’s may not win awards for complexity but they make for an inexpensive and fairly solid introduction to the world of trocken and halbtrocken German Riesling. Though still lean, this was a good deal less austere than when last tasted and carried a refreshing little trace of CO2. Clean, minerally and simple – in a good way. $14.50. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

“La Cravantine,” Domaine Fabrice Gasnier NV
This we paired with our first course, snapper crudo, as the idea of bubbly with just a whisper of rose to its color seemed tailor made for the pink hues and cool textures of the dish. If you missed the AOC designation in the wine name, that’s because there isn’t one. Fabrice Gasnier’s estate is located in Chinon, an AOC district that allows for red, white and rosé but not bubbly. Fabrice makes “La Cravantine” anyway. It’s a Blanc de Noir bubbly, made entirely from Cabernet Franc. And though it’s not vintage dated, it is a single-year wine, this lot being from 2007. A tad softer in acidity and, arguably, a bit simpler than the last couple of versions, its raspberry and floral nuances still make it pretty darn tasty. And it worked, though it’s one of those wines that will work with just about anything. $22. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie “Clos des Allées” Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Grange (Pierre Luneau-Papin) 2005
Pure mineral springs. There’s a limestone and saline quality at play, but really, really subtle. Crisp up front and surprisingly creamy on the finish. A very pretty wine, one that asks you to tune in rather than shouting for attention. This was one of my favorite pairings of the night, matched to a buttery lobster and summer squash tart. A bigger, richer white would have blown the delicacy of the lobster out of the water. $14. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner, New York, NY.

Viré-Clessé “Vieilles Vignes,” Domaine André Bonhomme 2004
This is in a really good place right now. Smelling it, at least initially, reminds me of fresh, dry dirt, kicked up in the infield of a baseball diamond. Bonhomme’s ‘04s were initially a little plump but this has clearly shed some fat and taken on a greater depth of minerality since last tasted. Hallmark to his wines, there’s a creamy core of yellow peach fruit and a taut finishing grip. This wine and the next were sampled back and forth with two dishes: a mushroom, goat cheese and corn “papusa” and a tartine of smoked sable. No match was spot-on but both wines provided points of interest with each dish. $30. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Brda Chardonnay, Movia 2000
I was surprised when my good blog-fellow Jeremy Parzen recently mentioned that he’d never noticed the oak influence in Movia’s wines. I say that because I’ve yet to taste a wine from Movia where an oak influence wasn’t present and detectable. What I like about Movia’s wines, though, is that they’re not o-a-k-y. Instead, the oak is integrated, eaten up by and at one with the wine. As Dr. J points out in his excellent post, that’s a good thing, exactly the intention of Movia winemaker Aleš Kristančič. I’m not sure this was a perfect bottle (it was picked up at risk, a back vintage at closeout pricing at a local PLCB shop). Run-up on the cork suggested the likelihood of some heat damage, as did a slight disjoint in the wine’s alcohol profile. Nonetheless, it came alive with the food, applying a fine balance between muscle, acidity and mellow fruit, in spite of its tarnished condition. There’s a more in-depth tasting of Aleš’ wines lurking somewhere in my future. $16. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY.

Burgenland Zweigelt, Paul Achs 2006
I first had Paul Achs’ Zweigelt at a restaurant in Vienna a couple of years back. My memories of it were fond and this bottle didn’t disappoint. Achs makes real Zweigelt. Not oaked up or adorned with an international gloss, it’s chunky, spicy and exuberant. Think of loganberry and blueberry fruit and a dash of cinnamon along with a meaty rusticity, good acidity and just enough tannin to make your mouth water. This bottle was a bit short on the finish but that’s my only complaint. A solid match, it echoed and complemented the gaminess of the barbecued squab with which it was served. $26. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Vin DiVino, Chicago, IL.

Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine Combier 2000
In spite of the Italianate nature of the final savory course of the evening, the thought of beef tortellini with fresh tomato sauce and fried eggplant somehow cried out to me for Syrah. I’ve written up Laurent Combier’s wines before, here and here, but it was only in the 2000 vintage that I laid them down in any quantity. This bottle not only reminded me of why but made me wish there was more left. Heady scents of olives, macerated red berries, cedar and spice. Impeccable balance. The kind of wine that tends to raise eyebrows and result in scratched heads because it’s so different from what many people anticipate. As my instincts told me to expect, it was great with the food. (PS: I preferred Combier’s old label design.) $20 on release. 12.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Sancerre, Domaine du Carrou (Dominique Roger) 2007
At this point, I suppose we could probably have gone back to the other open bottles for some small tastes to accompany the cheese course. But there it was, a bottle of Sancerre, just asking to be opened. Sauvignon Blanc does offer versatility with cheese, after all. Dominique Roger produces, year in and year out, a pretty straightforward example of Sancerre from Bué, crisp, limestone-driven, relatively elegant and without any of the catty or clumsy characteristics that SB often packs as unwanted baggage. His ’07 is light, fruity and typical. A touch meek for many of the evening’s cheese selections but refreshing nonetheless. $25. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Moscato d’Asti, G. D. Vajra 2005
The combination of fizziness and loads of residual sugar makes it easy for Moscato based stickies to mask flaws. When they’re done right, though, as Aldo Vajra’s always are, they can be downright delicious. It makes sense, as Aldo farms biodynamically and harvests pristine fruit. And his winemaking staff watches the Moscato non-stop during its short fermentation cycle to ensure that everything is just right. Common wisdom suggests that Moscato d’Asti should be drunk as young as possible. While I don’t disagree, this bottle was still quite good, even after getting lost in my cellar for the last two years. The intense floral and grapey characteristics inherent in its youth had morphed into a rounder, subtler creature. Yet it was still undeniably good. When in doubt, if actually pairing with sweet thereafters, there’s no more versatile “dessert wine.” $16 on release. 5.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

“Nocino,” Fattoria Cescana
One of my dining companions, Natale Caccamo, makes a homebrew of sorts, a digestivo he calls “Nocino.” Based on organic green walnuts, along with a proprietary list of herbs and aromatics (a little bird told me that espresso, clove, orange peel and cinnamon may play a role), it put just the right finishing touch on a great meal and a slew of good wines, enjoyed among friends. 70 proof.

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Vino Rosso di Langa e dell’Alto Piemonte

When one of my ODPs (occasional dining partners) Philadining asked what I’d be drinking to celebrate the first anniversary of this obsessive venture earlier this week, I hadn’t even stopped to think about it. Even though I hate to consider sparkling wines only in the context of celebratory events, my first thought went to the bottle of Vouvray Pétillant Brut from Huët that has been whiling its time away in my wine fridge, waiting for a suitable moment. As it turns out, it was not yet the Vouvray’s time. Instead, a spur of the moment invitation from a pal who stopped by the shop turned the evening into an opportunity to share some leftovers and taste a few reds from the Langhe and Alto Piemonte.

Coste della Sesia “Orbello,” Aziende Agricole Sella 2004
I’d been looking forward to trying more from Sella ever since the last time I tasted their regular Lessona bottling. “Orbello” is a simpler, more jovial wine that falls under the more flexible Coste della Sesia DOC. It’s a blend of 50% Barbera, 25% Nebbiolo and 20% Cabernet Franc, with 5% Vespolina rounding out the pack. Pale ruby with the tinge of orange around the rim that seems typical to wines, both reds and rosés, of the region. Bright, lithe, juicy and refreshing, this could be a solid choice for a versatile, every day pour. In spite of its modest percentage in the blend, Nebbiolo asserts itself on the nose, which is dominated by early season raspberries and a touch of red licorice. With aeration, a leafy, slightly earthier element emerged. $16. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Imported by Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY.

Dolcetto d’Alba, G.D. Vajra 2006
Plummy, with bing cherry and blueberry fruit in spades, followed by a hint of cocoa. This is as forward a vintage of Aldo Vajra’s Dolcetto as I’ve tasted in some years. Its tannins are so fresh and grapey that they impart a feeling of actually holding just-crushed grape skins against your teeth. If only we’d had some carne cruda to complete the picture. If there’s a downside to the simple beauty of this wine, it’s a recent move in its price point. For years, it hovered in the mid-teens, making it one of my favorite characterful, food-friendly reds for regular drinking. The current strength of the Euro has pushed this Dolcetto’s price point into the low $20s, making it somewhat less casual in application. $21. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Imported by Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Langhe Nebbiolo, G.D. Vajra 2006
Vajra’s Nebbiolo can often be extremely tightly wound when first released. Aromatically, this 2006 is no exception to that rule. However, it is already open-knit and unfurling wonderfully on the palate. Fresh, soft raspberry fruit, with nuances of rose petals, five spice and cinnamon. Firm acid lends a slight tanginess that is followed by delicate yet firm grip and excellent persistence, suitable for mid-term cellaring. I visited Vajra’s estate, located on the hillside above the hamlet of Barolo, two years ago. I’m so far behind on writing up winery profiles, which I’m trying to do chronologically, that for now I’ll have to fall back on the occasional tasting note. $27. 13.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Imported by Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Lessona “Omaggio a Quintino Sella,” Aziende Agricole Sella 1999
This is Sella’s top wine, made only in strong vintages from a selection of the estate’s best barrels of Lessona. A blend of 80% Nebbiolo and 20% Vespolina, it spends a full three years in large barrels of old wood before bottling. When first opened, it reminded me immediately of a slightly sterner, more brooding version of the regular Lessona from 2001 (see link in the “Orbello” note above). Dried cherries and rosemary aromas hovered above an integrated wood-driven structure. Leather and wild cherry fruit followed in the mouth, with supple tannins, a rather narrow mid-palate and somewhat short finish. First impressions changed quickly with a bit of time in the glass, as the wine took on greater breadth and body, with a much rounder, purer mid-palate. Fuzzy red berry fruit and a little dusty attic kicked in on the finish. There’s plenty of life left here. Decanting would certainly be appropriate. $50. 12.5 % alcohol. Natural cork. Imported by Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY.

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Some Recent Tastes

Just a few bottles I've enjoyed with meals and/or with friends over the last couple of weeks that didn't make their way to full posts but were more than worthy of mention. I really do need to get back to Exploring Burgundy. And I can never get enough Riesling.

Mosel Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #19, Alfred Merkelbach 2005
Far from profound but nonetheless well balanced and brimming with green apple, white peach and transparent slatiness. A confectionery hint on the rear palate picks up on the wine’s residual aspects more so than up front. A food friendly style, this would make a lovely companion to seared scallops or lightly cured ham.
$20. 9% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Michael Skurnik (a Terry Theise Selection), Syosset, NY.

Petit Chablis, Domaine Vincent Dauvissat 2004
Oyster shells and a bit of fishing pier funk on the nose. Very mineral, medium in scale, and just starting to develop a not unattractive oxidative note, followed by plenty of bitter lemon fruit. Drinking very well at the moment, it should continue to deliver immense pleasure (in spite of the pier funk) in the short term.
$20. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

Chablis, Domaine Laurent Tribut 2006
Hitting lots of high notes. Steely, bright and very tight, this should begin to get interesting in another year. Good length, with plentiful limestone-driven mineral character.
$25. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

Chablis Premier Cru “La Forest,” Domaine Vincent Dauvissat 2005
There’s breed showing through here, on a stony, gunflint driven frame, with green pear and lemon oil accents. However, it’s disjointed and a tad hot. Needs time to come around to a better place.
$40. 13% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL.

Dolcetto d’Alba “Coste & Fossati,” G.D. Vajra 2005
Burton Anderson singled out Vajra’s “Coste & Fossati” as the only Albese Dolcetto worthy of inclusion in his wine guide, Burton Anderson's Best Italian Wines. While I enjoy plenty of other Dolcetti d’Alba, I’m inclined to agree with his summation. This is a pleasure to drink in its youth but possesses an aromatic depth and a certain elegance that is less evident in most other Dolcetto. Dark cherry fruit, crushed flowers and freshly turned, loamy earth are at once plentiful yet subtly expressed on both the nose and palate. Very delicate, finely grained tannins. Worthy of your best Burgundy glass, where the aromas of most other Dolcetti might be prone to fall apart. Not as intense as the 2004 but still lovely, it’s just starting to come out of its shell and should hold and develop well for another five years.
$29. 14% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ; Martin Scott, New York, NY.

Chianti Classico, Isole e Olena 2004
Translucent ruby in the glass and lovely right out of the gates, with pure cherry fruit, laced with rosemary accents. After 30-45 minutes of air, it becomes more clearly delineated, with the cherry taking on a sweet yet graceful vanillin tone thanks to a well-executed aging regimen in large, old oak casks. Bright acidity provides lift, lively tannins give texture and, with more air, spice notes drive home the fruit. On day two, the wine is darker, rounder and feels richer in the mouth if a bit more diffuse than on day one. Yummy stuff, built for food.
$21. 13.5% alcohol. Natural cork closure. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ; Martin Scott, New York, NY.

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