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Piemonte whites: Elvio Cogno and the resurrection of the Nascetta cultivar
White wine grapes in the Langhe are forced to compete with powerhouse, world-renowned reds for vineyard space and customer attention. This state of affairs, combined with a reputation for...
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Poggio di Sotto: A top-tier Brunello di Montalcino
Poggio di Sotto has been described as "the most Burgundian of the Brunellos" and as one of the two Montalcino "First Growths" (the other being Soldera). It is most definitely one of my favorite...
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San Giusto a Rentennano's Percarlo: The wine that left Galloni "speechless"
Antonio Galloni did a vertical of San Giusto a Rentennano's flagship Percarlo and it left him "speechless." According to Antonio, "I was deeply struck by the consistency of the wines from year to year...
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Piemonte wines from the Arneis grape
Arneis is currently one of Piemonte's most important white varieties; but that was not always the case. Tom Hyland, writing in Forbes, tells the tale of this variety -- called Nebbia Bianca at the time...
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Piemonte wines from the Erbaluce cultivar
As is the case in the southern half of Piemonte, Nebbiolo is the king of red grapes in the region's north. There it is called Spanna (with the exception of Val d"Ossola where it is called Nebbiolo and...
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Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino: Galloni's "desert-island" wine
The Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino comes highly recommended. In one of the most visible quotes on the internet as regards this estate, Antonio Galloni (Vinous) states thusly: "If I am forced to drink...
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Piemonte dry white wines: Cortese
One of the unifying themes in the Piemontese white wines that I have explored on this journey is the freshness of the wines, a result of the high levels of natural acidity in the source cultivars. You...
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The wines of Gianfranco Soldera: Unequalled in Montalcino
Gianfranco Soldera died on February 6, 2019.Gianfranco Soldera was notoriously curmudgeonly; did not brook fools gladly; did not make friends easily; preferred not to take visits from, or sell his wine...
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Baratuciat: Another emergent Piemonte white cultivar and wine
Writing in Forbes, Tom Hyland estimated that, at time of publication, approximately 300 indigenous Italian grape varieties were employed in wine production in a country blessed with between 2000 and...
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Montevertine: Another Sangiovese estate illuminating the legacy of the...
With visits to Italian vineyards (or any outside the US, for that matter) out of the question, I have turned to reporting on wines where I have drunk multiple vintages but have not yet reported on the...
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Piemonte dry white wines: Langhe Rossese Bianco
In the land of obscure Piemonte white varieties, Rossese Bianco is downright vanishing. And its obscurity is further compounded by the fact that a number of other Italian varieties carry the same, or...
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The distribution of dry white wines in Piemonte
Piemonte is best known for its red wines -- primarily in the southern part of the region but also with strong representation in the north -- based on Nebbiolo but it is also the source of vibrant...
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Villa Rosa of Castellina in Chianti: Building on the foundations established...
I have previously noted the significant contributions of the "Sangiovese Whisperer," Giulio Gambelli, to the success of heavyweights such as Soldera, Poggio di Sotto, Cerbaiona, and Montevertine. He...
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Biondi-Santi: Then and Now (Updated)
I initially published this article on 10/20 but pulled it back to include additional information provided to me by the estate. I thread this new information through the initial document, indicating...
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My experiences with the wines of Biondi-Santi
My original plan was to follow up on an initial post titled "Biondi-Santi: Then and Now" with a post on some of the older Biondi-Santi wines that I have tasted. I did launch that initial post but...
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The wines of Vega Sicilia and experiences with selected Unico vintages
In continuous operation for 150+ years, Spain's Vega Sicilia has been variously characterized by terms such as "Spanish First Growth,""distinguished history,""venerable,""Spain's most prestigious...
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Grattamacco: The "Bolgherian" arm of the Colle Massari Domaine vision
In an earlier treatment of the noted Brunello di Montalcino producer Poggio di Sotto, I noted that the estate was acquired in 2011 by Claudio Tipa of Colle Massari Wine Estates based on his promise to...
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The Semillon grape variety in Italy
According to Berry Bros. & Rudd, Semillon is:The main grape for Sauternes and particularly successfully grown in Australia's Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley Sémillon is one of Australia's iconic and...
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Bianco Trinoro: A Semillon wine from Vini Franchetti's Tenuta di Trinoro (Val...
Andrea Franchetti has single-handedly built two wine estates -- Tenuta di Trinoro (Tuscany) and Passopisciaro (Mt. Etna) -- from the ground up, the former focused on wines made from Bordeaux varieties...
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Gattinara DOCG and the wines of Conterno-Nervi and Travaglini Estate Winery
Nebbiolo, the variety undergirding the Langhe's famed Barolo and Barbaresco wines, is considered Italy's most noble grape, primarily based on its performance in that region. The cultivar is, however,...
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