Piedmont: A feast of friends and family

Last Thursday the Justerini & Brooks sales team set out for Piedmont. The aim of the trip was to visit several of our key estates and to get a feel for the different villages, vineyards and approaches to winemaking. We spent three busy days consuming Piedmont and have come away with so much more…

To understand the wines of Piedmont one must engage with the families, both actual and extended, and with the myths, the histories and the conflicts. The story of Piedmont is one of contrasts: tradition and innovation; respect for the family and revolution. We found three generations all under one roof at Azelia, with Grannie still ruling the vineyard; a gloriously eccentric Domenico Clerico in his glossy modern winery and, at Altare, a story of such sadness that it bought several of us and Elio’s daughter Sylvia to tears. What was most striking about the story of Piedmont is how the stark financial imperatives of the 60s and 70s created and nurtured a culture of such innovation and artistry. We met many young winemakers who are striving for beauty and meaning in their wines and their communities, inspired by the revolution of their parents. There is a new tradition in Piedmont which the previous generation fought for, it is one of freedom and it is firmly focussed on quality. It is not a battle of the modern against the traditional. This battle has been fought and the future for Piedmont is open with producers embracing the best techniques for their wines, whether they be new or old. There is a sense of maturity about the approach here and we think Piedmontese wines have never been better.

Our itinerary was as follows. Please do contact your account manager if you have any specific questions or would like to hear any of the stories in more detail. There are many and they are fascinating!

FRIDAY:

Tasting: Voerzio

– We tasted a kaleidoscope of Voerzio’s wines with Davide generously treating us to a range of vintages including many of their top wines. This was one of life’s great wine experiences for so many reasons but one thing that particularly stuck with us was the meticulousness of the Voerzios, even the way Davide poured the wines was measured. This diligence shines through in the purity and precision of the wines.

Tasting: Scavino

– Scavino is one of the greats. So often erroneously classified as simply modern, in reality the Scavinos embrace the best of the old and the new to make true terroir wines. This terroir is more accessible in youth these days as they have scaled back the oak but the wines are as serious as ever. 2009 is a special vintage for Scavino with large scaled, powerful, ageworthy wines which will also be seductive in youth.

Lunch: Scavino

– The Scavinos very generously treated us to an incredible lunch with wines to match. Our two abiding memories are the 2006 Barolos and deep fried porcini in breadcrumbs. Wow!

Tasting: Azelia

– It was wonderful to visit another branch of the Scavino clan at Azelia. This is very much an understated, hands on domaine which is drenched in family history, memories and traditions. Lovely, lovely people and delicious wines which offer serious value. Margheria 2005, from the same vineyard as Gaja’s Sperss, is a real ace in the hole here. Buy it!

Tasting: Correggia + a light supper

– A relaxing jaunt through some wonderfully elegant Roero wines, which are real staff favourites. Freshness, minerality and elegance. Correggia offer distinctly un-showy yet supremely satisfying Nebbiolos and some terrific whites including an oak age Sauvignon. The style at Correggia is very relaxed and it was a lovely way to end the first day.

SATURDAY:

Tasting: Altare

– This was quite an experience. This estate is steeped in history with Elio’s father refusing to speak to him for seven years whilst living in the same house! Narrow avoidance of financial ruin and all sorts… The wines are nothing short of spectacular, Sylvia Altare served us a 1990 Barbera Larigi blind which confounded us all with its freshness and seriousness. Stunningly good Barbera, so serious that most of us thought it Nebbiolo.

Tasting: Vietti

– Like the wines, the Vietti estate comes across as elegant, sophisticated and impressive. There is very much a sense of having arrived. Vietti is one of the originals and still one of the very best.

Lunch: More e Macine in La Morra

– A terrifically indulgent, chaotic and lengthy scramble through some wonderful food. We kept trying to leave but they just wouldn’t let us. Very memorable, especially the panacotta which was so full of flavour we had to ask how they made it, the answer… some milk and something to make the milk set. Brilliant!

Tasting: Clerico

– Luciano and Domenico took us on a tour of this astonishing new winery and through these remarkable wines. Clerico continue to ease off on and adapt their use of new oak making these wines a little more accessible. However, as ever it is with age that they shine, Percristina 1998 and a delicious Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 2003 were the highlights here.

Tasting: Marengo + a light supper (a five course, highly sophisticated light supper!)

– We love Marco Marengo, so gentle, relaxed and honest and with so much Brunate! This is without doubt one of the best value domaines out there. Seamless wines with such authenticity and elegance yet with power and real ability to age. These are exactly the kind of wines we like to drink and we did! Marco and Jenny treated us to a stunning supper in their house. Proper Piedmontese cuisine and lots of Brunate. What a night! Again the 2006 Brunate sticks in the memory.

So, what did we learn?

Piedmont is in so many ways like Burgundy, in fact many of the producers we visited had as much Burgundy in the cellar as they did Nebbiolo. We found the sense of terroir, delicacy, etherealness and elegance that is so striking in Burgundy here in Piedmont and these guys have white truffles too! Like Burgundy, volumes are small and it feels like Piedmont is starting to take off in the same way that Burgundy has done over the last 10 years.

Buy more 2006 and 2008 Barolo: two different sides of the classical coin. Buy 2007s and 2005s to drink in the meantime. 2005s are delivering way above expectations!

Regardless of points, reviews and investment potential, in some parts of the world wine is still all about families.

In Piedmont, the hazelnuts are almost as good as the wines, especially at Altare. Oh, and Elio’s Coppa Ham is pretty special too!

- Martin Buchanan, Private Clients Sales Account Manager

Hong Kong Portfolio Tasting 2013 Invitation

Justerini & Brooks is thrilled to be hosting its Spring Portfolio Tasting later this month at the summit of the LKF Hotel in Wyndham Street, Hong Kong. Taste 40 specially selected fine wines from our extensive portfolio.

Built through excellent relationships that go back many years and with over 3000 wines in stock the Justerini & Brooks fine wine portfolio is unrivalled, with a collection of greats from Burgundy, Rhône, Loire, Champagne as well as Barolo and German Riesling Estates, not forgetting the finest Bordeaux from the greatest vintages.

There will be a selection of these estates on show from across Burgundy, Italy and the Rhône valley, as well as a selection of clarets from the famed 2010 vintage that have just gone into bottle.

Amongst many famous names, we will be showing: Mugnier, Sauzet, Bruno Clair, Sylvain Cathiard, La Conseillante, Léoville Barton, Duhart Milon, Roberto Voerzio, Elio Altare and more.

We are delighted to extend this invitation to those who share our passion for fine wine in Hong Kong. Places are strictly limited so please contact William Chan to reserve your place. william.chan@justerinis.com

It is not often that an opportunity to taste such a wide range of exquisite and great value drinking wines arises so we hope to see you there. If you love good wine this will be an event too good to miss.

Date: Wednesday 15th May 2013, from 5.30pm till 8pm 

Location: Azure, Hotel LKF, 33 Wyndham Street, Hong Kong

RSVP by email to william.chan@justerinis.com

__________

Justerini & Brooks reserve the right to refuse entry for any reason
Over 18s only

Portfolio Tasting 2013: Three masters of their trade

It was a huge pleasure to taste my way through the three masterclasses at our Portfolio tasting in the stunning surroundings of Somerset House last week. We were honoured to have three great wines estates presenting their finest wines, young and old.

First up was Katharina Prüm of JJ Prüm presenting no fewer than 9 wines in an hour from 2011 back to 1997. A hard act was brilliantly followed by Davide Voerzio of Roberto Voerzio, who talked us through 4 different Barolo Cru across various vintages and the evening fittingly culminated with the gentleman of Cote Rotie, Rene Rostaing, with whom we tasted La Landonne and Cote Blonde across 07, 05, 2000 and 1995.

There were many thrilling and differing wines in the line ups, one recurring theme however seemed to be the ability of a great terroir to show its true colours after sufficient bottle age even in a year where the vintage characteristics are decidedly dominant. An example of this is 2003. I have been lucky enough to have had some wonderful examples recently of this atypical, heatwave vintage. Terte Roteboeuf being one in addition to a number of 1er Crus from Marquis d'Angerville (there will be more detail in another post soon.) The 2003s in question on this occasion were Cote Blonde from Rostaing and the Fossati Barolo Riserva from Voerzio. The Blonde was bold, opulent and full of violets and youthful fruit whilst offering a distinct stoniness.  The Fossati was the wine of the night. An outstanding mix of perfume, velvet texture, sweet fruit and earthiness with enormous length of flavour, it had more fragrance and finesse than I was expecting from a 2003, remarkable. The other less typical vintage was 1997 in the Mosel. An exciting vintage on release that was less austere than many of its predecessors, concentrated for sure but almost suspiciously easy, fruity and round. Well the Graacher Himmelreich 1997 JJ Prüm had all of these characteristics in spades together with a vivid streak of minerally slate, a beautiful lively and very precise wine that whilst delicious now, still tasted on the young side.

A sumptuous R Voerzio Rocche Torriglione 07 Barolo

I had a bottle of this at home on the weekend, despite it seeming young, on paper, it was actually drinking beautifully well. A really intense, fragrant but suave wine with an incredibly long echoing finish. A very enjoyable drop already but it has the intensity to age well. It has 96 RP points and see below my tasting note from the original offer. We have 120 bottles in stock, retail price is £1400 per case 12 ib

"Even fruitier and more perfumed than the Cerequio, if less structured. A total charmer, a Barolo for hedonists, sweet perfumed red fruit flavours of Alpine strawberry, fresh violet and rose notes with touches of kirsch. Simply wonderful. A blend of 50- to 60-year-old vines from Torriglione and 30-year-old vines from Rocche; both have very similar soils and southern exposures. Voerzio’s parcels in both are very small and, as the style of wine is very similar, they blend them together"

Barolo Brass Monkeys

My annual pilgrimage to Piedmont is one of my absolute favourite trips, often occurring in mid March when the snow has been melted away by the increasingly warm sunshine, Spring is very much in the air. I always wondered whether it was the time of the year that made me feel that extra level of enthusiasm for the people, region and their wines. The 2012 voyage was to prove a stern test. My journey out there last week, earlier than usual, was accompanied by tough conditions, as the driver of this mini no doubt discovered. There was heaps of snow and minus 13 degree temperatures.

However the wines, predominantly the 2008 Barolos, passed the test with flying colours. The structure in Barolo is very similar to Burgundy, small artisan wine producers making individual vineyard expressions of, largely, one unique Barolo variety, Nebbiolo. The wines are clearly more tannic than Burgundy in their youth and more alcoholic, but otherwise there is often as beguiling and fragrant an aromatic profile, similarly light to mid deep colours but with enormous intensity of flavour and a marked difference in taste depending on the vineyard the grapes are grown in.

For me, time and again, the height of vinous pleasure comes from wine made out of a single grape variety, grown at its extremes, that expresses a site-specific complexity and character. Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Riesling in Germany and, of course, Nebbiolo in Piedmont.

I was totally seduced by the 2008 Nebbiolo based wines. Admittedly I was fortunate enough to taste at some of the greatest addresses in the region, including Clerico, Voerzio, Altare, Paolo Scavino, Vietti, Sandrone, G Rinaldi and G Conterno. Perhaps further down the pyramid there may well be variability, more so than in 07, but I found that with quality wine growers their efforts were every bit as enjoyable as the 2007s. The 07s are so seductive, smooth and complex. 2008s are clearly different but equally seductive. The very late and cool season, many growers weren't finishing harvest until end of October, was perfect for the late-ripening Nebbiolo and has resulted in one of the most aromatic vintages of the last ten years. The wines are fresh, like 1998, but have more stuffing and tannin, without the austerity of 2006 or 1996.

So many of these great Barolos hugely impressed me and had me reaching for my glass for another sip (which in my view should be the function of any truly great wine.) However the single most surprising bottle was from a lesser known area. The Rocche d'Ampsej Riserva from Matteo Correggia 2008 shows just what greatness the under-appreciated Roero region can achieve. The perfumed, poised, bitter-sweet Nebbiolo mix of red fruit, flowers and richness I found totally beguiling.

I much look forward to our full offer of the new releases in September 2012.

Barolo 2007 - Barbaresco and La Morra

Monday started with a bang. If Roberto Voerzio describes a vintage as "legendary" you sit up and take notice. These were the impressive dense but highly svelte wines I was expecting, and the even better news is there is a full complement of crus made this year.

In Barbaresco, Gaja made some extremely slick, serious 07s, whilst over the road in Neive Giacosa's new Barolo is as pure and elegant as ever, whilst bowing to that sweet generosity of the vintage.

Our very own J&B blogger, Silvia Altare of Elio Altare, was in typically effusive mood, not only do they have an exciting new cru from Serralunga, Cerretta, but also the range of 2007s is phenomenal, pure smooth but not too sluggish, they retain that wonderful flowery, high-toned scent good La Morra should have but also betray an extra edge and grip that mark them out as so special. They are some of the very best wines they have made.

Renato Corino of the gigantic hands (the biggest in the Barolo business) has made a gigantic Rocche. I will taste his brother's wines Giuliano of Giovanni Corino on Wednesday.

Even taking all of these highs into consideration, THE highlight for me so far has been tasting with Marco Marengo. His 2007s were easily the best he has made ( which is saying something) and rival the very best in the vintage. This seems at great odds with some recent ratings he has been given which were, in my view, a mistake. The wines have found an extra level of finesse, they are intense and haunting, high toned but sweet and alluring. Barolo has never come closer to Burgundy. I found them totally beguiling

More on Castiglione, Serralunga and Monforte tomorrow...

Would you give someone your last BaRolo?

Not judging by our customers response to the 2006s on Monday. Despite the strike, customers were scrummaging ferociously for a sip of the best La Morra, Serralunga, Monforte and Castiglione Barolos money can buy. This is proving a really classic, structured vintage yet with enough generosity and fruit to allow us an exciting glimpse of even greater things in store. Wines from Gaja, Voerzio(pictured), Altare Scavino and Clerico, to name but a few, must make this tasting of Piedmont's best one of a kind in the UK

Two other highlights were Terre Nere's 2008 Etna Cru wines, arguably their best vintage so far, and a flight of undoubtedly the greatest ever wines to come out of Toro, the 2009 Teso la Monja wines were extraordinary and surely await high critical acclaim.

More Barolo 2006 and the rest - Days 3 & 4

Great Barolos, Serious Soaves and excitment in Valpolicella

Excuse the radio silence, two and a half days of tasting young Barolo followed by a three hour journey east towards Treviso can take it out of you. Day 3 was a very spoiling one, visits to Roberto Voerzio, Paolo Scavino and Gaja. Our tasting with Enrico Scavino was sensational, a producer seemingly at the top of his game. After a brooding start to life, the 2005s seemed to have quickly come a long way after a couple of years in bottle, they will drink quite beautifully before too long, while we wait for the 2004s and 2006s. Their 2006s were intense, structured but always showing Scavino polish, they will be up there with the vintage's best. Gaja was everything I expected, great wines of huge intensity and length of flavour. The 2007s were luxurious and heady, the 2006s more restrained but highly sophisticated. However, the single most impressive array of wines during the Piedmont leg of our trip hail from Roberto Voerzio. From Dolcetto to Barolo, these are naturally made and very intense wines produced with unstinting attention to detail. The picture shows bunches from their Barbera Pozzo vineyard, they cut the bottom off all of their bunches, as the finest grapes are to be found at the top or "ears", where ripening takes place first. There is no La Serra 2006, the Voerzios weren't happy with the wine's aromas during ageing and so sold it off, this tells you all you need to know about them. The rest of their 2006s are impeccable - precise, ripe and definitely built to last.

A long hike east takes us off to the pretty Colli Asolani to our Prosecco producer, Dal Bello, a thoroughly refreshing change from young red wine that gets day 4 off to a good start. Then we head west again to the hills of Mazzano in Valpolicella and its quite breathtaking views. 450 metres above sea level in the hills overlooking the town of Negrar are the Vivianis, a charming husband and wife team. Such pure, elegant and drinkable wines, be it simple Valpolicella classico, Amarone or Recioto. They have cast their spell. A very exciting find, I feel. Finally we end our trip with a visit to the affable and quite brilliant Gini family. 2009s are richer than 2008s but show great acidity and finesse too. Any wine lover can not fail to be enchanted by these fruity, zesty Soaves. La Frosca proves that Italian white wine can genuinely be great: Along side the young vintages we tasted a 1997. Like a mature Riesling on the nose, all honey and minerals on the palate but still youthful and refreshing , with a remarkably long, mineral finish. Exquisite.

Alas, like all good things, my short but sweet taste of Italy must come to an end. Now back to earth, via Milan Malpenza.