Italy Archives - Page 3 of 3

Bartolo Mascarello: defending tradition in Barolo through art and wine

The late Bartolo Mascarello was not just a classic Piedmontese winemaker, but also a gifted artist. Alongside Mascarello’s impeccable long-ageing wines, he was celebrated for his self-designed labels, some of which did not shy away from controversy. His creativity and boldness earned him praise from many other Italian winemakers disproving of an innovation driven purely by temporary sales, when wisdom gained through generations of an ancestral work was plainly disqualified. The winemaker’s controversial wine label carrying the revolting slogan: “No Barrique No Berlusconi“, still animates the grey brick wall of Giuseppe Rinaldi, another devoted veteran of Barolo.

And, like Rinaldi until recently, he made only a blended Barolo, despite having holdings in such prestigious vineyards as Canubbi and Rocche di La Morra, that could attract the modern winemakers to bottle them separately as trendy, single vineyard, wines.
The winery’s Nebbiolo is grown on these four vineyards: Canubbi, San Lorenzo, Rué (in Barolo) and Rocche (in La Morra). The blending practice though follows a traditional belief that the most balanced and complex Barolo is assembled with the help of each one of the different crus, as their unique qualities naturally complement each other leading to a unison of long lasting flavours. He believed, that this approach is most in synchrony with nature, so even in a bad vintage, the resulting wine will be enjoyable to drink.

The family’s winemaking facilities are very modest by today’s standards. When scanning the demijohns scattered around a nostalgia of the not so distant old days was awaken in me as these glass jars waved tightly in straw beads reminded of my Czech father’s own in-house produce of slivovice – a potent plum spirit. Mascarello’s winemaking approach has always been down to Earth. As his ancestors have practised for decades, his faith in ageing wines in more neutral big Slavonian barrels instead of being scented with the vanilla of the small barriques, as well as fermenting with the indigenous yeasts in concrete vats without temperature control, allows the wines to be themselves and not the housewives of Beverly Hills.

After Bartolo’s death in 2005, the winemaking naturally glided into the hands of his daughter Maria Teresa, who rigorously adheres to the traditional winemaking approach she learned along her father’s side, and that Bartolo Mascarello so fiercely defended. She is often at the winery when we visit, but the tastings are lead mostly by an erudite and outspoken American guide, who worked for the family for long enough to crack on their secrets. Maria Theresa, a petite and pensive woman took upon the challenge of creating one of the best Barolos of all time with grace. One day Maria Teresa found dozens of private sketches of her deceased father, and without hesitation she decided to use them for all future releases for as long as there will be an unused drawing available. This can be understood as a tribute to her father’s life work. Her feminine touch shows only in a greater elegance and preciseness of the wines, all of that widening their appeal to even a wider number of wine consumers.

The wines made under the Bartolo Mascarello label now range from the red Freisa, Barbera, Dolcetto (from San Lorenzo, Rué, Monrobiolo di Bussia vineyards), Langhe Nebbiolo to their signature robust Barolo. The classic 2009 vintage had a better quality grapes because of cold winter, plenty of rain in spring, and warm summer that lasted well in September therefore the harvest was earlier than in previous years. The Mascarellos harvested the grapes soon enough so the resulting wine despite needing many more years to polish its characteristic rough tannins and tame its natural acidity, already displays elegance with fragrant violet aromas and a whiff of rose petals.
The Dolcetto was harvested earlier at the beginning of September as is suitable for this varietal giving fresher, youthful and juicy red wines. The Freisa is consumed mostly locally since its kicking tannins, but short lifespan make it an ideal companion to everyday meals, when freshness is what you seek. The Barbera is more complex, fruit forward, and also more suitable for export beyond the borders of Piedmont.
The Barolos require patience, not only they are not very friendly with their austere tannins in their first 10 years of life, but once they exceed 20, 30 or 40 years, they need to be tasted with care and respect as they evolve from one hour to the next. These are indeed character wines requiring patient pondering and understanding.

Making genuine wines remains the philosophy of the Bartolo Mascarello winery, no matter what modern technological advances can facilitate, the belief in by generations proven winemaking approaches involving mindful observation of nature and its cycles remains strongly emotional affair for the Mascarello family.
Tasting is by appointment only, but since it caters only to small groups it becomes an intimate wine encounter with a traditional Piedmontese family letting the local land to express itself through the fermented juice of the local grapes.
Cantina Bartolo Mascarello, 15 via Roma, 12060, Barolo, CN, Italy
+39 173 56125.

Giacomo Conterno: delayed gratification in purely traditional Barolo

Giacomo Conterno was at his time ahead of the other producers of Barolo. Inspired by his father Giovanni, who was one of the first Barolo producers to bottle his wine and not just selling it in casks, he respected tradition while making necessary improvements to better the wines he produced. The library-like, in brick and wood encrusted tasting room, flashes out the humble respect for knowledge gained through experience, in contrast to blind trend worshippers catering to ever-changing leading markets. For Conterno at least sticking to tradition and respect for history was rewarding, as his wines are cherished as the best in the world.

Once Giacomo inherited the winery, he further pushed the qualitative limits of the production practices to increase the quality and extend the ageing potential of his wines. After his brother Aldo split from him in 1969 and founded his own, more modernist, estate, Giovanni later brought his son Roberto on board, and since his death in 2004 Roberto has been in charge. His grandfather Giovanni was also the brain behind abandoning selling Barolo in cask or demijohn, uprooting its misconception as a wine for early drinking, when by extending the grapes’ maceration time and ageing the wine in large, old wooden botti for long period, he extended the wines’ longevity and increased their complexity.
Today, there are not many traditionalist winemakers in the Barolo appellation like Giacomo Conterno. Giuseppe Rinaldi, and Maria Theresa at Bartolo Mascarello, both of whom I also visited last fall, being the most recognised rarities.

All Conterno’s wines are red and based on the noble Nebbiolo or the more refreshing and much sooner approachable Barbera. Nebbiolo’s name comes from the Italian word “nebia” meaning a fog. The cool autumn mornings often mysteriously hover the Piedmontese valleys with a carpet of a fluffy fog, so the name for the grape was born. The finished wines’ colour tends to fade only a few years after the vintage, quickly transforming itself into a brick orange veteran. Yet, this façade is only to deceive your eyes, since the wine continues its slow transformation into a complex and rich aged Nebbiolo. And this magic doesn’t lead to a more gracious results than in the wines produced by the Giacomo Conterno winery.

As most of his contemporaries Giacomo Conterno, did not own any vineyards, but in 1974 he purchased a precious southwest facing land of Cascina Francia in Serralunga d”Alba, that is until today the main source of grapes for the cantina’s highly regarded wines. Out of the eleven Barolo villages, Serralunga d’Alba, is one of the biggest communes. The winery makes two famed Barolos from this organically tended vineyard: the Cascina Francia and the superb Monfortino Riserva. Recently, the estate has added a third Barolo, Cerretta, also from the Serralunga area, bought in 2008.

Where in Piedmont you can drink the best Barolo?

At the winery we tasted he Barolo Cascina Francia 2010, and later at the local winemaker’s favourite casual osteria Vinoteca Centro Storico in Serralunga we savoured the more approachable 2005 vintage. This year yielded lighter, earlier drinking wines because of rainy weather in September, resulting in softer tannins. It is challenging to taste traditional Barolo that is younger than 10 years, and in the case of Conterno it is generally agreed that one better waits 20 or more years before opening. The older vintages are much harder to find and very expensive, but the advantage of visiting Piedmont dwells in accessibility of wines like this. Locanda del Arco in a tiny settlement of Cissone is one of the great restaurants with superb well-stocked cellar, and it is worth dining at for any serious wine lover. Vinoteca Centro Storico in Serralunga has also superb selections and you often see the winemakers and owners themselves opening precious bottles of their older wines with the generous Piedmontese home fare served there.

We also tried Barbera d’Alba Cerretta and Barbera d’Alba Francia, both from the 2012 vintage. In the case of Barbera, waiting is not a problem since these fruit driven, more smooth tannins and lower acidity exhibiting wines are popular for earlier drinking and lunch. Conterno’s Barberas are highly individual and more rewarding than most simpler Barberas, so unless your plan on a special lunch, include them into your dinner plans in Piedmont. They cost much less than the Barolos.
The winning horse of the Conterno stable remains the Monfortino Riserva, that is produced only in exceptional vintages such as the 1996 and 1990, and is aged for about seven years before its release. Named after Monforte d’Alba, where the winery is located, this riserva is still considered to be one of the best wines in the world.

Leaning towards tradition, while implementing sound practices of modern winemaking, Roberto Conterno crafts Barolos with realistic integrity without sacrificing generations worth knowledge of his father and grandfather. The global appeal and ever-increasing demand for his wines reaches well beyond the European and the US markets, now also intriguing the Asian palates.
Monforte d’Alba 12065, Italy.
+39 1 73 78 221

Cantina Rivella Serafino: making wine with love at home in Barbaresco

An exotic whiff of a lush pomegranate tree captured my senses as we parked our car in front of a pretty house with a sandy grey paint. This fertility symbolising plant dwells as a terra firma behind the burgundy hued signpost of Rivella Serafino winery, as if inviting passing folks inside the vinous house overlooking the winding Barbaresco slopes.

But, since the wine is made only by two people – Teobaldo Rivella and his supportive wife Maria, it is essential to schedule an appointment ahead. Tasting the fruits of their love labor yielding only a tiny production is operated solely from their Italian home. Serafino was the father of the current proprietor and winemaker Teobaldo Rivella, and perhaps to honour his paternal mentor Teobaldo, he kept the name of the family winery as it originally was – Rivella Serafino.

The recurrent characteristic foggy views from the house cantina (winery) stretch lazily over the noble slopes of their single cru Montestefano and other premium vineyards neighbouring the property. Firmly rooted in white calcium-rich marne (marl) soils, these over 60-year-old Nebbiolo vines, grow remarkably low off the ground, while the roots reach over six metres deep. Rivella’s viticultural methods remain close to nature with only sulphur and copper used in the vineyards.

Not just this natural artisan practices, but also the minuscule size of the wineries and up to two digit scale of producers making wine from one cru, remind me of Burgundy in these and many other aspects.
Generosity is another common discerning trait. Our hosts Teobaldo Rivella and his wife treated us without hesitation to the best cuts of local salami, fresh crispy grissini and Italian cheeses. The genuine smiles never deserted their by age graced faces.

Their production from only two hectares of vineyards is so small that manual bottling, labelling and cork closing machines are used in the small workshop cum winery. It reminds me of the garagiste I saw in Chile, these wineries produce wine literally in their house garages. Teobaldo Rivella maintains the traditional Piedmontese approach to winemaking that his father instilled in him almost a half century ago. The wine is vinified in stainless-steel and partially in Slavonian oak for 15-20 days using wild yeast. Then it is matured in old Slavonian botte (oval shaped oak barrels) for about 24 – 36 months, which is over twice as long as the legal requirement for Barbaresco.
Like Barolo, the Barbaresco is made from Nebbiolo. For Rivella Serafino the signature wine is their single vineyard Barbaresco Montestefano. Rivella Serafino’s Montestefano curiously reflects its owner. Approachable, subtle and not showy. Yet, it is complex inside, with a tobacco depth and red fruit showing happily upfront. We tasted the still young 2010 and 2009 vintages of Montestefano Barbaresco. Later, at home, I tried the challenging 2006 vintage, which was marked by unfavourable weather patterns for grapes, in particular for the late ripening Nebbiolo. Controversially, some well-known producers such as Bruno Giacosa in Barolo, did not bottle their wines in 2006 as well as in 2010, and sold them in bulk. Most producers though accepted the challenge of the vintage and made good wines marked with livelier acidity than usually, but still displaying the underlying tobacco and black currant flavours. I had to wait for the wine to open for about three hours, and then it rewarded me with a more balanced and structurally softer mouthfeel. The 2009 was more structured and balanced, with medicinal, earthy and mushroomy aromas, although it is not yet ready to drink and needs a couple of years to soften up. The 2010 was more gamey, herbal and with a chewy cherry fruit.

Rivella Serafino, like most of his neighbours, also makes a youthful and tannic Freisa and fresh red Dolcetto d’Alba DOC from the early ripening local Dolcetto varietal popular for an everyday drinking. It is much more fruity and easy to drink in its youth, and it charmed me the most easily from all the red wines produced in Piedmont.
Dolcetto is much more intense purple colour than Nebbiolo use in making Barbaresco. Nebbiolo is distinctive with its brownish tinge as if mirroring the Piedmontese roof tiles. The wine from Nebbiolo looses its colour faster than red wines made from other varietals, falsely suggesting, that it is much older than you would think. The trick lays in the fact that most high quality wines, if they are capable to survive, turn into this oxidation suggesting rusty liquid after 20 or more years in the bottle.

The prices as well as the production of these wines are much lower than of Rivella’s mighty neighbour Angelo Gaja’s, but it is not the fame that Rivella Serafino seeks, but rather peace and harmony with nature. Although there are many family owned and run wineries in Piedmont, from the innovative giants like Gaja to small ultra traditional producers such as Beppe Rinaldi, there are none run by a more lovable human being as is Teobaldo Rivella and his wife. She is the most organised and neatest lady and the best host you can imagine. The warm Italian hospitality is not a rule of thumb here in the North. Unlike in Argentina, where Mr Zuccardi naturally fanfares his Italian roots, in Piedmont there are many very strong characters involved in winemaking.

Giuseppe Rinaldi: one of the last defying traditionalists of Barolo

Giuseppe (‘Beppe’) Rinaldi is of the rare vinous breed in the Northwestern Italian Piedmont. As one of the last traditional Barolo makers he strives to preserve his father’s and grandfather’s lifelong wisdom acquired through decades in winemaking as well as the wine’s cultural heritage. However rebellious to innovation Giuseppe Rinaldi had been, even he decided to give up some of his traditional approaches to Barolo making when, in 2009, the new, stricter DOCG labelling laws came to force [read below about his blended Barolos].

Barolo itself is a tiny village in the Piedmontese hills, but the appellation stretches across a wider area of rolling, curvy and painter’s brush attracting hills, that when observed from above like waves ripple through the horizon. This, by the former Savoyard nobility cherished land, encompasses eleven villages. Of these, La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo and Serralunga d’Alba, are the biggest communes with most vineyards planted. Rinaldi resides right in the outskirts of Barolo.

The Rinaldi winery was established by Beppe’s grandfather, and the ageing winemaker himself is committed to the heritage of Barolo, about which he has a deeply rooted knowledge dug out from the local archives. The interior of the winery reflects his almost archaic longings. Like a Barolo’s antique store, dusty with memories triggering objects – grandchildren’s drawings, dog photographs, tigers, owls, rusty objects and mouldy bottles, the stone building whispers anti-authoritarian slogans like “No Barrique, No Berlusconi” announcing Rinaldi’s distaste of novelty. The pealing off walls, hard to fading labels and everything mellowing into by grey defined hues is like the wine he has been making for decades – genuine, personal and reminiscent of the vintage long gone.

The winemaking operations are also far from modern. Haphazardly scattered pipes and old vats remind of traditional rustic family style winemaking, and not a place where bottles of wine costing hundreds of dollars are made. Using oval-shaped old Slavonian oak barrels for maturation and over hundred years old vats for fermentation is still unquestionable. Although, Rinaldi’s two young daughters – an agronomist Carlotta and oenologist Marta (English speaking and very friendly) – continue so far in his strictly navigated steps, the future will soon be in their own hands.
The hyper casual Giuseppe Rinaldi dresses the challenging tannic Nebbiolo into a freshly cut male leather coat, and as its youthful mouth squeezing harshness matures, it gives way to its characteristic violet, smooth leather, tar and rose scented aromas.

Nebbiolo’s name comes from the Italian word “nebia” meaning a fog. The cool autumn mornings mysteriously hover the Piedmontese valleys with a carpet of fluffy fog. The finished wines’ colour tends to fade only a few years after the vintage, quickly transforming itself into a brick orange veteran. Yet, this façade is only to deceive your eyes, since the wine continues its slow transformation into a complex and rich aged Nebbiolo.

Giuseppe Rinaldi used to make blended Barolo from complementing vineyards such as the Brunate Le Coste 1998 we savoured at Locanda dell Arco restaurant in a tiny village of Cissone. From the 2010 vintage, however, the new rules for the DOCG Barolo’s came to force and he had to decide, if he wants to continue this successful, high scores yielding, practice or to produce only single vineyard titled wine. He went for the second option, and as the 2010 Brunate shows in it 97 points by the US publication Wine Spectator, the wine still overwhelmed the palates of the tasting juries globally (Jancis Robinson gave it 18/20points).
Another blended Barolo was the Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera, which you will also find only up to the above mentioned 2009 vintage. Rinaldi’s easy drinking daily wine Dolcetto and Barbera are more affordable, although not as complex, they are more approachable for many wine drinkers.
Giuseppe Rinaldi also makes the youthful white Ruchè and another local, unfortunately slowly disappearing, pinkish red Freisa, that has high tannins like Nabbiolo, but is less capable of ageing and less complex. Its strawberry scented aromas make for a perfect lunch wine, while its bitter tannins call for a generous chunk of butter over your pasta to tame their force.
Barolo, in particular the traditionally made, is not a wine for everyone. You may become to appreciate it much more if you either visit the area like I did and meet the generous local people behind its creation or you already are a bold, eloquent and muscular red wine connoisseur.
3 Via Monforte, Barolo 12060, Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy
+39 17356156

Gaja: producing some of the most expensive wines in Italy

Angelo Gaja was revolutionary in his winemaking approach that put the Italian Barbaresco on the premium world wine map. First, he convinced his father not to buy grapes from other growers and only make wines from the family’s estates, then he lowered the vineyards’ yields, and bottled first single cru (distinguished vineyard) Barbaresco. Later, Gaja switched to ageing his wines in small Burgundian barriques (not in traditional giant Slavonian old barrels), and now he grows international varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, making globally recognised and highly scoring wines. Toppling all the controversy he has already stirred in his native region, Gaja has recently started to add a small quantity of Barbera into some of his Nebbiolos, declassifying these and some other bottles made from the grapes grown in Barbaresco only to a Langhe DOC. Gaja is a fearless man, whose innovative actions puzzle the already bewildered wine world, but he mastered selling the ‘Gaja’ brand perfectly as the sales of his highly priced wines confirm.

Visiting the Gaja winery in Barbaresco

The lightbulb in my obscure mind was suddenly lit up during my recent winery visit and comparative tasting inside Gaja’s headquarters in Barbaresco. I’ve sipped and admired Gaja’s wines in the past, but the context of the wines and the winery suddenly clarified everything about his successful philosophy and the typical Italian confusion of names found a more firm ground in my wine terminology.
And, what a building it was! Although discreet, the Gaja winery bites a large chunk of this modestly sized Piedmontese village. Perched high on a lush hill overlooking the appellation hemming Tanaro river and sprawling Northern Italian valleys, Barbaresco enjoys a naturally lofty status. The medieval stone foundations of the settlement are also attractive to human eyes. Piemonte literally means “foot of the mountain” and its geography vividly demonstrates the reasonable thinking behind this name. The Alps climb dizzyingly high on its foothills, but the mountains also roll all over the region. The limestone hills of Langhe south of Alba yield traditionally the best Nebbiolos (local indigenous grape varietal), with Barolo (geographic area) historically renown for its age-defying quality. Barbaresco caught up with Barolo’s Nebbiolo in recent decades, and the main engine behind this Ferrari of vineyards has been for almost fifty years Angelo Gaja helped by his chief winemaker for many decades Guido Rivella. Emerging modern winemaking techniques and broadened knowledge made it possible for local wines to achieve a higher and more supervised status (together with Barolo a DOCG since 1980). Striving for a more complex taste, while maintaining Barbaresco’s signature elegance, distinguishes them substantially from the more muscular Barolos.

Name over title: bending Piedmont and Italy’s wine rules

Barbaresco, like an inverted U on a map, embraces a tiny area between the substantial merchant town of Alba and much smaller Asti, known for its low alcohol, sweet and sparkling Moscato. From the Piedmont’s 50 appellations, which is more than anywhere in Italy, only five have a DOCG status (in the Cuneo province alone as the reader more precisely clarifies in his comment bellow there are 16 DOCGs in the entire Piedmont). Barbaresco and Barolo are two of the DOCG zones. The rules are slightly more flexible for Barbaresco DOCG – the maximum permitted yields remain same, the varietal Nebbiolo is the base of the wines; but the length of minimum barrel ageing is only nine months and at least 26 months in total before the release of a bottle (Reserve Barbaresco cannot leave the winery before 50 months); the minimum alcohol is lower by 0.5% vol. with 12% vol. for Barbaresco DOCG.
Gaja, ever a step ahead, has been challenging these rules since 1996, By adding some Barbera into his single estate Nebbiolo planted in Barbaresco, these wines can only carry the Nebbiolo Langhe DOC mark. He still keeps a Barbaresco DOCG in 100% Nebbiolo made from 14 vineyards dispersed across the area’s hills. Respect for an environment and supporting diversity in the vineyards are high on Gaja’s value list. He also doesn’t use chemicals in the vineyards and utilises natural compost for fertilisation. Protection of his native landscape seems to direct his steps when the motor of innovation kicks in.
The lush slopes striped by lanes of vines, that in the fall like a chameleon transform into a vibrant palate of colours, await a painter’s brush to immortalise their natural beauty on a canvas. The soil is richer and more fertile than that of Barolo, but consists mostly of calcareous clay and sand like Barolo’s la Morra.

Wines made by Angelo Gaja, the Decanter ‘Man of the year’ and the most revered wine producer in modern Italy, are not hard to find, therefore it is puzzling for many consumers that his prices are so high and the wines are so widely sold? Me, together with a colorful international bunch of wine critics, enjoy Gaja’s wines, but I also often wondered at their prestige status. After all, Gaja is only the fourth generation winery, while the Antinoris, Frescobaldis, Mazzeis, Borgognos and others have centuries of vinous experience under their mighty wings. Like in France, excellence resulting from substantial investment and commitment to quality, is still being rewarded with high status of the resulting products.
Gaja is proud of his achievements, his supportive family and his admiration of art serves as his personal reward. He commissioned a number of wine or family themed paintings and collages that are displayed in a gallery inside a recently purchased building (old palazzo) across the street from the winery .

The carefully refurbished tasting rooms are set inside the old palazzo Gaja recently renovated. The dilapidating building was saved in front of the locals eyes though his effort. What is interesting is that from the outside as you stroll through the tiny village of Barbaresco, you would hardly guess what is inside, because its façade is just neatly fixed and freshly painted, but there is not a sign or anything indicating the purpose of the huge construction right in the main promenade. An underground tunnel connects the old winery with the building. The rooms designated for wine tastings are all equipped with bright modern lights and plenty of contemporary wine tasting utensils, but the beautifully painted old ceilings remain preserved to the joy of visitors (some of which might question the safety of sitting under wooden beams with holes like bullets carved by the centuries of work by worms, but I was told that they were checked by experts and found perfectly safe).
The original building owned by the Gaja family was once a small trattoria with an underground cellar, that was later included in the winery founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja. It is forbidden to take pictures inside the sprawling winery operations that dug deep down into the hill on which the village the village is set. The building is integrated into the village so inconspicuously that it reminds more of a Burgundy winery rather than a château in Bordeaux, which is also more common in Piedmont.

The wines we tasted were the white Chardonnay Gaia & Rey 2008, a single estate Barbaresco 2005, two vintages of Barbaresco DOCG, and the Barolo Dagromis 2010. A mixed bunch of great and more average vintages. In the past decade remarkably there were right three outstanding “classic” (source: WS) vintages: 2006, 2007 & 2010.
The first Chardonnay planted in Piedmont made into Gaia & Rey Langhe DOC was served from a magnum. Gaja has been bottling it since 1983, fermented and aged in French oak for six to eight months. Its oaky character did not shy away, while its mineral flare and good acidity predispose this wine for long ageing. Long finish and fragrant aromas tick all the boxes for high quality wine, yet to me more depth of its personality was missing.
I’ve had at restaurants the more affordable blend of Chardonnay with a small splash of Sauvignon Blanc (5%) – Rossj-Bass, also aged in oak but fermented in stainless steel, and I found it a better deal. While still priced well above most Italian wines with a similar character, I always enjoy its complex notes of flowers, citruses, honey, refreshing acidity with more less obvious oak on the nose.
Another much better priced wine by Gaja – Sito Moresco, the red blend of Nebbiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is also classified as Langhe DOC and picked from vineyards in Barbaresco, Barolo and Treiso. 12 months in French oak integrate these three varietals together. Red fruits on the nose and smoother tannins than 100% Nebbiolos make a pleasant companion with or without food.
Costa Russi Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2005 – is made from a single vineyard in Barbaresco with 5% of Barbera, that will cost you up to 10times more (depending where you buy it). The vines average age is 65 years and that adds on its price. Aged for 24 months the wine is smooth and elegant already upon its release, but it benefits from further ageing as the almost 10 years old bottle we tried has proved. I was captured by its fragrant aroma and its almost silky texture rare for wines made from the tannic Nebbiolo.
We had two vintages of the Barbaresco – 1999 and much younger 2011, the later being a challenge to chew on with its mouth squeezing tannins. 15years of age benefited the older Barbaresco as the muscles of Nebbiolo were more stretched and supple. It is a blend of each of the Gaja’s single vineyards, aged separately for 12 months in oak and then for further 12 months blended together. Spices, flowers, fruits, minerality all express themselves differently each year marking the particular vintage. A high-scorer in most vintages it is a good although pricey investment worth waiting for.
Barolo Dagromis 2010 is not less bold in its youth than other Barolos and it was hard to appreciate over its muscular tannins, but its balsamic density, with violets peaking here and there confirmed its provenance from the vineyards in La Morra and Serralunga, Barolo’s best. Naturally, I am curious to try this wine after at least 10 years in the bottle. The single vineyards are aged for 12 months separately first and after blending additional 18 moths as the Barolo DOCG rules prescribe.

In the 1990s the fourth generation Gaja expanded well beyond the Piedmontese borders with two wineries in Tuscany (in 1994 in Montalcino, in 1996 in coastal Bolgheri he established Ca’Marcanda). These wines have shown growing interest from the wine consumers, and they are naturally different from his well established production in Piedmont. Still in his 70s the always smiling producer shows serious commitment and no shortage of energy as he drives every week (sometimes a number of times) to check on these new ventures. His charisma has had a valuable imprint on many of the importers, sommeliers, chefs and expert writers he has met in person over the 50 years of his hyper-successful career, but ultimately it is the liquid yield of his effort that counts and continues to impress wine drinkers around the world.
Soon it will be up to the fifth generation, the three children of Angelo (two daughters Gaia, Rosanna and the youngest son Giovanni), to keep the high-paced standard of the Gaja’s wines in the increasingly competitive world of wines rolling high.
Gaja, 18 Via Torino, Barbaresco (CN) 12050
+39 173 63 52 56

Ristorante da Cesare: painter and Piedmont' culinary legend

Ristorante da Cesare is a unique place where the chef is also an artist, but not only his plates are the canvases, as Cesare Giaccone also paints real art. Scattered throughout the cook-cum-chef’s home-based restaurant are his numerous paintings, sculptures and drawings along with other artists he likes.

Even the daily degustation menu is hand-painted, making each dining experience at Ristorante da Cesare a true indulgence of all human senses. Ask any winemaker in the region and he/she will surely have fond memories of a dinner at Cesare’s house. Even the Gaja family in from time to time. That is to say, it is better to bring your own bottle since the wine selection of bottles scattered on shelves, some not even properly chilled, is quite limiting for a wine-producing region.

Downstairs there is a little messy ‘gallery’ and a studio-in-one, so if you need to use the restrooms peak at this babel of creativity or – to say it diplomatically – the art in motion. Dining at da Cesare is a very personal affair driven by enthusiasm of the eighty-something chef who has been cooking for almost 50 years now.

His love for local ingredients, some of which he grows at his backyard garden or forages in nearby forests, while the rest he pursues from local markets and farmers he knows personally. His dog is trained for truffle searching, so himself Cesare pursues these globally celebrated underground mushrooms.
Only seasonal ingredients are used in his artistic pursuits on each plate. Now, in the fall, we were served a wonderful dish of cauliflower with Cauliflower with chestnut cream sauce and autumn truffles.
Before came a bowl of hand-made fresh ravioli filled with herbs and minced meat in a bay-leaf broth. Superb!

Looking almost molecular cuisine-like was the Polenta with raw egg yolk, chestnut sauce dusted generously with almost powdery parmesan.
These dishes may sound rich, but the portions are very small and generally the chef tries to balance the typically hearty character of Piedmontese cuisine with modern lighter touches. As if with a stroke of his brush he added a bit of delicate pastel to an intensely dark, heavy colour.

Every evening you are set for a surprise as the menu changes according to the availability of local seasonal ingredients and the chef’s muse casting a spell of creativity upon him.
The only stalwart of the menu is a grilled goat. My first ever! I was not in love with the bony, rather bland tasting meat, but my sister’s boyfriend ate for four of us, so he must loved it. Large chops of the animal are being roasted in an open fireplace inside the restaurant. The flames make the ambiance particularly homey and cosy when outside it is cold, which in Piedmont is usually from October till April.

Be prepared for a winding road up the hills of Piemonte Alta, the area where also the best cheese in the area is made. It is worth the headache though for this particularly amicable, almost familial encounter with the local creative legend.
Cesare walks around the tables and makes sure that you like every course he cooked back in the small kitchen. Each guest gets a star-worthy attention and in particular the ladies, since Cesare is a true Italian not sparing his compliments.

Address: 9 Via Umberto I, Albaretto della Torre, 12050, Italy
Contact: +39 01 7352 0147
Opening hours: Call when you want to dine there, because Cesare opens when he wants and when he has enough reservations to motivate him. Truly an artist!

Searching truffles in Piedmont

La Morra in Piedmont is one of the premium white truffle spots in the world. It has all the favorable conditions. The blend of oak, hazel, poplar and beech trees specifically suited for the white truffle (Tuber Magnatum), calcareous soil, and cool mornings when the dog can easily sniff the truffle’s aroma however deep it might be. The empress of all truffles, the white truffle, only grows in Northern part of Italy and rarely also appears in Tuscany and Abruzzo, as well as the Istrian coastal countries of Croatia (the biggest truffle was found there) and Slovenia.

Truffles are fungi, growing under the ground near to roots of trees. They live in a symbiosis with these roots in a mycorrhiza, benefiting each other and nourishing each other.
The origin of the word truffle comes from Latin term “tuber”, meaning “swelling” or “lump”.
Pigs are still being used to search for truffles, it is cheaper than using specially trained dogs, but compared to dogs, the pigs often end up eating the praised truffle, so it may end up costing the forager more. It takes about two to three years for the dog to learn how to find the fragrant mushroom. They must start when they are very young puppies, and step-by-step acquire an affection for the aroma.

When the dog waves his tail vigorously after sniffing around one spot for a while it means that something is down there.
Voila! After only 10 minutes in the steep forest surrounding La Morra, we found our first white beauty.

The dog digs into the Earth himself, but in order to get some truffles deep down, his master needs to help and dig it out carefully with a small hammer. It sometimes happens that he cuts into the tuber, but this makes it almost impossible to sell so he has to consume it himself. For Ezio, our truffle guide and a veteran of the local mountains, it is not a big problem since he has a family-run restaurant in la Morra, where his wife prepares simple and delirious local specialities with truffles.

The fruits of our hunt were delicious on the plate. So fresh and fragrant! As the locals love it – shaved on eggs. The rule with truffles is; the simpler is the meal you serve them with, the more their aroma comes out.

But it is not always as easy to find a truffle. The truffle searcher has to go to the forest daily to check if any of the truffles started to attract the dog, meaning that it is in its peak and should be collected and eaten. If left underground for longer, then all the aroma disappears. The communication between the dog and its master is vital. Ezio uses words in Piedmontese dialect to encourage the dog and rewards him with cookies when the dog finds something.

The protective rules of the forest must also be respected. Local rangers check for violations. On the top of that, nobody likes if you “steal” his truffles from his forest, so it is always better to search at your own property as Ezio does.
Their truffle restaurant in La Morra is popular not only for people, who join him for the search (paid tour, cost changes depending on the size of the group and necessity of a translator since he speaks only Italian, but his sympathetic daughter does the job very well for an extra €50).

Going to the forest with the dog and his master to search for truffles is an unforgettable experience, that any serious foodie should add into his ‘must-do’ list of travel adventures. Eating the fresh truffle as soon as you found it gives you tantalisingly fragrant reward for your earlier effort hiking up and down the forest. Piedmont after all still remains the kingdom of the white truffle as the totally packed annual White Truffle Festival in Alba confirms.

Il Pagliaccio: gastronomic pinnacle of Rome

There are plenty of temples, ruins, churches, fountains and museums to see in Rome, yet there is also great local pizza (Il Brillo makes exquisite thin-crust pizza topped with courgette flowers or potatoes), creative artisanal gelato (Gelateria del Teatro is one of the best with choices like Ricotta, Almond and Fig or White Chocolate and Basil or Cheese and Cherry) and some excellent gastronomic restaurants.

It is a shame there are not more gourmet pleasures in Rome like Il Pagliaccio, whose chef Anthony Genovese, holds two Michelin stars. Most places in the Italy’s capital are either too touristy or all about the same – pasta, pizza and roman meats. Thanks to Epicurus for Il Pagliaccio!

The restaurant’s contemporary colourful interior design surprises but is also sobering in an overwhelming city paved with stones and gargantuan historical monuments. As you enter through the narrow, inconspicuous glass doors, the see-through colourful cubical wall is even more stark with the grey streets of Rome. The seating is modern as well, but comfort was kept in mind. A small inner garden patio freshens up the space, while private dining area near the entrance suits any dinner party.

Located in a tucked away cobbled Via dei Banchi Vecchi near to Campo Vecchio, Il Pagliaccio is not ostentatious. Many other, much less quality driven, restaurants proudly strip off their shirt to display their chest of nude views of the eye-popping Colosseum or the curves of the Trevi Fountain, yet the food remains more like woman’s face under a veil. You do not know what you will be getting until you get to know to it – taste it, and only then you will shiver with pleasure or shake with disappointment.

The à la carte menu was our choice the night we dined at Pagliaccio.
Starting with Crunchy scampi, eggplant water, red pepper and raspberry cream; we knew that the dinner was promising an unforgettable experience compared to the mostly disappointing gastronomic outings we underwent in Rome to date. [Many of the casual restaurants are excellent though as everywhere in Italy] The chef’s blend of unexpected turned to work symbiotically. The crunch of scampi was freshened by eggplant consume and smoothened by the slightly sweet but acidic raspberry cream dollops.
The tender Scallops, artichokes water, kombu seaweed and wheat brought Asian flare into smooth raw scallops.
In the Italian style an appetiser was followed by a First course, that is usually pasta or risotto. The Grilled dim, white shrimps, crunchy oxtail had a Chinese foundation. Juicy, fresh yet deepened with the addition of crunchy oxtail cubes.
While the Green tortelli, pistachio and almonds, sheep broth were more light, less savoury but wonderfully balanced yet complex.

The Main courses usually contain either fish or meat like veal, pork and guinea fowl. Their preparation as that of the previous courses changes with seasons and as chef’s new ideas flow through the kitchen.
The deserts are masterminded by Marion Lichtle, the pastry chef. We went for the original Cheese snack – a plate of cheese gelato, parmesan, pecorino and soft cheese all accompanied with honey , toasted nuts and jelly. It was superb and any serious cheese lover would appreciate this variation with sweet accompaniments.
Wrapping up the food extravaganza at Il Pagliaccio with Frozen nougat slice and strawberries in lime our palates were refreshed and we were ready to walk, to walk a lot. Strolling through the romantic thick-walled streets, with my heels stuck constantly in between the cobbled stones, we had to change our minds and took a taxi back to the hotel.
My advice: Walk in Rome only if you have comfortable shoes on you (or put them in your bag if going to a nice dinner).

Italian wine selection:

La Spinetta Vursu Vigneto Gallina 2005 Barbaresco DOCG, Italy
This Barbaresco made from the top vineyards in Neive, one of the most famous areas for making Langhe’s Barbaresco, is one of the winery’s high-scoring icons. Launched in 1995, Gallina was the first bottle to carry the rhino label. Giorgio Rivetti, the current owner, admired the celebrated rhino drawing and woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, once known as a symbol of progress.

The Rivetti family were one of the pioneers of modern winemaking in Piedmont. Only hand-picked indigenous grape varieties typical for the region are used to “make a wine of the vineyard not a winemaker’s wine” – meaning no filtration, no clarifying by adding substances, 100% Nebbiolo, and using none or the least possible amount of chemicals. This approach contrasts with the blended wines embracing international varietals by another revolutionary local producer Angelo Gaja. Gallina is full bodied with solid yet fresh grey tannins and stunning elegance with long woody finish. The late ripening Nebbiolo grape exudes typical black cherries and wild herbs with notes of dried thyme.
Food pairing: Grilled food, pasta with meat, red meat, veal, ox tail and wild game.
Il Pagliaccio’s private wine tasting room is a little Roman treasure underground the restaurant. A wine connoisseur’s dream dinner party in Rome would surely take place here of not inside his/her own cellar.

Address: Ristorante Il Pagliaccio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 129/A – Roma, Italy
Opening Hours:
Lunch Wednesday – Saturday: 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Dinner Tuesday – Saturday: 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Closed on Sundays & Mondays, Tuesday for lunch
Contact: Tel. +(39) 06 6880 9595

Osteria di Fonterutoli: Tuscan wining and dining in a village with 24 generations of family winemaking

Thomas Jefferson was inspired and enticed by his friend Philip Mazzei to incorporate equality into the American Declaration of Independence, but he also planted the seed for winemaking in Virginia, the first founding state to make wine in the United States. The values of the Mazzei family reflect and pay tribute to the historical importance of their honourable pursuits today in producing excellent Italian wines and now also serving superb local food at Osteria di Fonterutoli. Sustainability, supporting biodiversity and nature’s own balancing prowess remained the ethos of the family that has been making wine for 24 generations!

Surrounded by the rolling hills of Chianti Classico, silver cast olive trees and in a drama indulging sky, the stone-based country house of the Osteria di Fonterutoli fits in perfectly. Located in the village owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, the casual restaurant is certainly a new project for the entrepreneurial generation that already successfully runs a modern winery, a well-appointed Bed&Breakfast and a wine shop in the book-perfect village. The Osteria has a very sociable atmosphere, most guests are intellectuals and locals who know each other and do not hesitate to chat comfortably with strangers. The atmosphere at the Osteria di Fonterutoli casts fresh, rustic, and a delicate sense of sophistication while being comfortable and flexible. The latest embodied in a nice terrace expecting the warm days dining alfresco.

Eating seasonal and local slow food at Osteria di Fonterutoli

The traditional Tuscan meals here are hearty concoctions of fresh regional ingredients wielding a creative take of the chef on the home recipes of the Mazzei family. The bread is freshly baked so you might end up eating the entire basket before you realise it, but do not tame your appetite since the portions are not overwhelming in the American sense, but rather sufficiently European.
Going very local with my first course I went for the Fresh Tomato and Bread Soup that was exquisite. I have tried different versions of this Tuscan “soup” which does not have much water, so I would rather call it ‘hearty vegetarian mashed tomatoes’, but at Osteria di Fonterutoli it made honour, while paying respect to this traditional Tuscan soup. The succulent tomatoes with their intense natural juice were delicately mixed with the bread soaked so well that you might not have realised that there was bread in it at all. Smoothened by a blend of local olive oil and chopped basil and served with crispy thin slices of bread, this is what you want to warm you up during cool autumn and winter days.
Not many people connect Tuscan food with salads, but they can do them so well here. The Baby Salad with Pear, Pecorino Cheese and Dry Fruit is huge, but there is never enough lettuce in our diet so, good for you. It is not a boring green thing neither. A sweet and viscous balsamic vinegar is drizzled over the salad with a crunchy touch of apples and raisins that pair wonderfully with pecorino. As a meat option with the superb red Siepi wine from Mazzei family would be the Rabissi & Pepi cold cuts with pecorino cheese and their own jam. Olive oil from the estates in Sicily as well as from Tuscany is poured over many of the dishes. The seasonally changing pasta are originally created, with one healthier wholewheat option in the first plates is included.

Ready for the main act? Then you must try the Spicy Guinea Fowl (the Mazzei Family traditional dish pictured below) or another speciality suitable for the Chianti wines such as the Marinated Beef Rib Eye Mazzei’s Style (with fresh herbs served sizzling on top of a hot stone). The Guinea Fowl might surprise even these of you who are not big fans of eating this bird, unless you are a vegetarian. Tender, not dry, but rather slightly juicy with a delicate taste and a great herb and spice marinade, it was superb. Hunting is still a popular pastime in Tuscany, so seasonal game is featured on the local menu. And of course the proper Bistecca Fiorentina decorates the menu, you are in Tuscany after all!
Organic cheese selection from Parrina is a great option for a sugar-free meal, but the desserts are appealing. From the classic Tiramisu to the “Assortment of ‘standing milk’ desserts” (aka Panna cotta), the sweet cravings will get easily satisfied.

Centuries of winemaking knowledge brought to modern, by nature inspired wines by the Mazzeis

At Osteria di Fonterutoli you must drink the by centuries-honed wines of the village founders, the Mazzei family. The Mazzeis make a wide range of excellent Italian wines not only in Chianti Classico from the typical Tuscan grapes (Sangiovese in Castello di Fonterutoli), but also in Sicily (Zisola in Noto), and Maremma Toscana (the “New Toscans” Belguardo) regions. Each of the wines shares its unique character reflecting the location, the varietal or distinct winemaking. My favourite red is Mix 36 Sangiovese made from 36 handpicked biotypes of the Sangiovese grape, hence the name. This Chianti Classico IGT is so complex that I enjoy tasting it with years passing, its elegance reveals itself over time as the fruit cedes to secondary earthy notes. The concentrated single vineyard Siepi blend of Sangiovese and Merlot is powerful and appreciated by my husband, while I need to wait for its beauty to charm me as it ages. I would seek older vintages to drink this highly praised estate wine that was humbly satisfied with its IGT status, but in terms of quality the DOCG potential of the wine should redefine the Italy’s complex and discriminative appellation system. More about their wines on their well-informed website.

At Tenuta del Belguardo five wines are currently being made. Belguardo, in signature blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that according to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “offers a unique bouquet with elements of eucalyptus oil, rosemary, balsamic herbs, moist earth and loads of mature blackberry” so he gives it regularly over 90 scores. Other blends include Belguardo Serrata mostly Sangiovese with some Alicante. The more bright and fruity Belguardo Rosato, usually an equal share between Sangiovese and Syrah. The lush white Vermentino in Belguardo Codice V with is creamy lushness is my favourite seafood pasta wine. The grape’s lighter and fresher expression comes in the bottling of Tenuta Belguardo Vermentino.
The main winery next to the Medieval village has been recently updated with the most modern technology, the design of which remained in the hands of the family. Agnese Mazzei, the creator of the new Castello di Fonterutoli winery paid attention to the buildings’ low environmental impact, “where aesthetics meet functionality“. After or before your meal at the Osteria di Fonterutoli paying a visit to the gravity utilising winery is a must.
Lunch daily except Tuesday: 12.30pm-2.30pm; Fri-Sat also dinner: 7pm-10pm
Via Giacomo Puccini, 4, Fonterutoli – 5 km south of Castellina in Chianti, Province of Siena, Italy.
+39 0577 741125; e-mail: osteria@fonterutoli.it

Vintage 1997: truffle adventure in Turin

Umberto: the owner of Vintage 1998 shaving truffles for you
Atmosphere: It feels much more informal than at most of Michelin stared restaurants. Colourful walls, very friendly and upbeat staff including its owner Umberto and the dress code is also much more relaxed. The tables are elegant yet cosy and Umberto makes everyone feel like at home. I would call his approach a grandmother’s style – serving you generous portions and adding more and more tasty dishes than you would imagine ordering. But they are so good and he knows what is best on that day so trust him and forget about a light meal.
Vintage 1997
Food: Hearty, generous and superb quality of ingredients. We came still in truffle season so everything one can imagine was or could be enhanced by tremendous truffles from Alba. Impolitely staring at other diners’ plates I spotted amazingly looking Beef tartare served with white truffles, so I had to try it. The starter had not disappointed. I have never had before (yet two courses later it was repeated) such a generous hat of truffles on any dish. Even a thought back about this dish makes me salivating!
Beef tartare with white truffles
My friends from Turin are regulars at Vintage 1997 so I listened not only to Umberto’s suggestions but also to theirs. Their choice of a crispy Artichoke with egg and melting parmesan was exquisite. Again not a very light dish, but full of flavours and calling for some wine to lighten it up a bit.
Artichoke with egg and parmesan
The home-made pasta here are like from a grandmother – no eggs were spared. The Agnolotti egg pasta are one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. I got them simple with butter sauce and another generous shaving of white truffles. If one is very hungry this plate will satisfy immediately, but it can be a shock for some cholesterol-minding customers.
Agnolotti egg pasta with white truffles
From the desserts the homemade Tiramisu is perhaps the most popular but the chocolate aficionados also find plenty of sweets prepared with chocolate. Turin is famous for high-quality chocolate and the tradition spans across centuries, so you much give it a try.
Cuisine: Italian, Piedmontese.
Visit: November 2012
Price: High (but for the quality it is a good value for money).
Drinks: The wine list is spectacular with high- as well as low-priced Italian wines, but also some French treasures. What I appreciated was that Umberto selected to me a lesser known wine for a very reasonable price which tasted marvellous! What more to wish for a serious and even a less serious but price-conscious wine drinker. A bottle of a red Merlot from La Morra Langhe DOC 2006 made without any chemical fertilisers and from low-yielding vines by Fontanazza-Pissotta was surprisingly fresh and deep for a Merlot. Not a very Italian grape, but this wine proved that Merlot can thrive in Northern Italy.
Contact: Tel: +(39) 0115136722; email: info@vintage1997.com
Opening hours: Lunch: 12:30-14:30; Dinner: 20:00-23:00; closed for lunch on Saturday and on Sunday.
Address: Piazza Solferino 16h, 10121 Torino, Italy.

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