The Mauro Veglio wines - from husband-and-wife team Mauro and Daniela along with their nephew, Alessandro - are elegant wines focused primarily on single vineyard expressions. Of their six Baroli (the Rocche dell'Annunziata not tasted here), only the Barolo DOCG is a made from a combination of vineyards and villages. Their aim is to release wines ready to drink - not an easy feat to achieve thanks to Nebbiolo's firm tannins. However, they certainly did hit the bullseye with their stylistic aim in three - possibly four - of the wines in the 2017 vintage.
Read MoreWith a casual glance at the symbol on the front of the Enrico Serafino label, and you might think you're looking at a drawing of a grape cluster. Look more closely and apply some imagination; now you may see that this is the cross-section of a conch shell, symbolizing the Piedmontese soils that were once under the sea.
Read MoreBarbaresco tends to be a wine that needs time before it can be enjoyed, but the idea behind all of the Reversanti wines is to make them immediately enjoyable upon release. I wrote this tasting note before I looked into the winery, so I can honestly say that they have succeeded in that mission with this wine!
Read MoreBarbaresco Martinenga 2014: This is ballerina-like, elegant and deceitfully feathery-feeling for a (usually husky) 14.5% abv wine. To this point, its lighter-weight style might disappoint those hoping for a more bruising – more typically robust – style of young Barbaresco. However, those are far more commonplace – and more intellectual rather than enjoyable early on, so it is a true pleasure and relief to taste this beauty from Marchesi di Gresy.
Read MoreOn the first night, I was surprised to find that this was an unremarkable set of wines. The next night, however, the wines began to expand in the glass and show more verve. If you can’t bear to wait, give them an aggressive splash decanting a few hours before serving them. In their current state, these Piedmont bottlings are definitely wines for a table laden with hearty fare.
Read MoreWhoa! This youthful Nebbiolo packs a powerful punch. It is as vibrantly driven with red currant and dried red cranberry fruit as much as it is by punchy tannins and invigorating acidity. Its perfume is heady with dried rose petals and anise.
Read MoreWhen I was offered the opportunity to taste the latest releases from Boroli, I jumped. I loved the recent story of the winery discovering a long-lost cru, La Brunella, in Piedmont’s Castiglione Falletto. While you’re waiting to get your hands on some La Brunella, check out these gems to reassure yourself it’s worth the wait!
Read MoreMarchesi di Gresy 2014 Nebbiolo Langhe Martinenga: This may well have been my favorite of this tasting of Marchesi di Gresy. It is perfumed and accessible, showing all the intrigue and joy Nebbiolo can bring. This wine smells of rose petals, dried strawberries, tobacco leaf and beef jerky spices - just as Nebbiolo should by its textbook description.
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