Great Wine Made Simple - Andrea Immer [82]
The Piedmont Classics—Barolo and Barbaresco
BAROLO DOCG Barolo is named for one of the towns in the growing region, which spreads over several other villages as well. It is a rich and powerful, dry red wine that, in the best years, is ideal for long aging, in part because the Nebbiolo grape is known for high tannin and acidity. The Riserva and Riserva Speciale designations refer to increasingly longer minimum aging requirements, in wood barrels and then in the bottle, before the wine can be sold.
Barolo producers to try: Elio Altare (EH-lee-oh All-TAR-ay), Azelia (Ah-ZEH-lee-uh), Ceretto (Cheh-RETT-oh), Clerico (CLAIR-ee-coh), Aldo Conterno (ALL-doh Cohn-TEAR-no), Giacomo Conterno (JAH-coh-moe Cohn-TEAR-no), Franco Fiorina (FRAHN-coe Fee-oh-REE-nuh), Marcarini (Mahr-cuh-REE-nee), Mascarello (Mahss-cuh-RELL-oh), Alfredo Prunotto (Proo-NOH-toe), Luciano Sandrone (Sahn-DROH-neh), Vietti (Vee-ETT-ee), Roberto Voerzio (Voe-AIRTS-ee-oh), and Marchesi di Barolo (Mahr-KAY-zee dee Buh-ROW-loe).
BARBARESCO DOCG This wine is also named for the region. It is slightly smoother and less tannic in youth than Barolo. “Tar and roses” is the classic description for the bouquet of this wine. Riserva again refers to longer minimum barrel and bottle aging. Angelo Gaja (AHN-jell-oh GUY-uh) is the most famous producer. Other Barbaresco producers to try: Ceretto, Pio Cesare (PEE-oh CHEZZ-uh-ray), Bruno Giacoso (Jah-COE-suh), Marchesi di Gresy (Mahr-KAY-zee dee GRAY-zee), Moccagatta (Moe-kuh-GAH-tuh), Prunotto (Proo-NO-toe), and Produttori del Barbaresco (Pro-doo-TOR-ee dell Bahr-buh-RESS-coe).
When young, both Barolo and Barbaresco can seem kind of hard, tough, and short on fruit, especially to American palates weaned on fruit-forward Merlots and Cabernets. It is after some years of bottle age that the grandeur of the wines emerges, in scents of tobacco, truffle, chocolate, licorice, and cherry, and a powerful flavor and texture that seems to build in the mouth as you drink the wine—worth the wait. But under these circumstances, it is perhaps understandable that Piedmont is a hotbed of debate between old style traditional winemakers, and the new style vintners seeking to make wines that require less patience on the part of the wine-drinking public.
Other Nebbiolo-based wines from Piedmont, all of them far less prestigious than the King Barolo and Queen Barbaresco, include two regionally named wines—Ghemme (GEMM-ay, hard g) and Gattinara (Gah-tee-NAH-ruh) (both now DOCGs)—as well as Nebbiolo delle Langhe (Neh-bee-OH-lo deh-leh LAHN-gay), with a grape-plus-place name. Langhe is the name for the hills in the heart of the Piedmont region.
Dolcetto and Barbera
Just a few short years ago, I probably would have put Dolcetto and Barbera under a “cheap but good” subheading. These days, though, the lowest-priced examples are not cheap, and some of the wines, thanks to luxurious winemaking touches like aging in French oak barrels, are quite expensive. Still, though they are not what they used to be, some at the lower price points are fun, and the more ambitious ones can be quite special. The main appellations for Dolcetto and Barbera follow the “grape plus place” labeling protocol. The best known are Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, and Barbera d’Asti, near the towns of Alba and Asti, although between Dolcetto and Barbera, there are more than a dozen grape plus place DOCs. In general, Dolcetto is considered the lighter style of the two. I often