Renato Ratti Barbera d'Alba "Torriglione" 2005

A beautiful dark red color introduces a spicy nose with hints of blackcherries and plums. Surprisingly full, warm, and robust with a long finish. With La Morra as its origin and eight months in French oak barrique under its belt, this modern Barbera is super-soft and accessible to all. The Ratti family's entire portfolio has proven quite exceptional.

Underwood 07 - Piemonte

Everyone needs a friend who owns a "camp" in the Adirondacks. And everyone needs a friend who shows up with an amazing line-up of wines to accompany the meal they are preparing to honor the occasion. I was preparing a meal that could best be described as "Swiss-Germans comfort food". The menu included breaded pork shops, sweet and sour red cabbage, truffle oil and garlic mash potatoes, and fresh apple sauce. If it were to be enjoyed in Italy, this meal would probably be found in the far north: Friuli, Trentino-Alto Adige, northern Lombardy, etc. With a little stretch of an oenophile's imagination, I decided to pair the meal with a line-up of Nebbiolo based wines.

We started with Produttori del Barbaresco's Langhe Nebbiolo 2004 as we sampled cheeses and finished cooking our feast. Everything Produttori del Barbaresco makes seems to be of quality. They are the quintessential example of a sucessful modern Italian cooperative with 58 growers representing over a quarter of the Barbaresco zone's production and making wine from 9 famous Barbaresco crus. The Langhe Nebbiolo 2004 was feminine, elegant, and well-balanced with that perfect traditional aromatic profile one expects from Nebbiolo. The wine was on the lighter side but still had sufficient structure to transition nicely into our next wine and our dinner.

With our final wine decanted, I opened and poured everyone Aldo Conterno's Quartetto Langhe Rosso 2000. For anyone who has never experienced a "Super-Piemontese" wine, look no further. A blend of equal parts Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, this modern styled wine is a blockbuster. Aged in French oak barrique, the Quartetto's blend begs contemplation and constant swirling to fully admire the beautiful bouquet and its endless evolution. While certainly a traditionalist in nature, this modern gem of wine never ceases to amaze me and could convince anyone as to the sucess of blending international varietals with Piedmont's great red grapes.

With the drink-now 2000 vintage having set the stage, it was time to unleash the fruited monster inside Gianni Gagliardo's Barolo 2000. Combined with the vintage and the producers's modern style, the Tortonian soils of La Morra yield the softer, richer, and more opulent characteristics amongst Barolo wine's many faces. Not to say there wasn't ample tannicity and structure to this wine, because there certainly was. Big and chewy with wafts of dried fruit and earth, this wine probably deserved cuisine more typical of its origin, but we suffered through its magnificence nonetheless. If you ever want to try amazing Barolo, check out Gianni Gagliardo.

Scagliola Dolcetto Monferrato "Da Sempre" 2005

From one of my favorite producers comes this perfectly simple and quintessential example of Dolcetto. "Da Sempre" means "as always" reflecting the everyday drinkability of the wine as well as the historical character of the wine - as represented by Maggiorino and Mario's grandfather (who founded the estate) riding his old school bicycle on the label. 100% stainless steel; deep purple-violet in color; aromas of violets and dark fruits; ripe plums, blackberry jam, and a hint of licorice on the palette. All held together masterfully by sweet tannins and surprisingly bright acidity for a Dolcetto. A phenomenal value!

Renato Ratti Nebbiolo d'Alba "Ochetti" 2005

A beautiful example of Nebbiolo from well-oriented vineyards nestled in the hills of La Morra. Delicate floral aromas of violets and roses, as well as vanilla; a palette of red cherries, dried fruits, tobacco, earth, and camphor. Finishes with hints of black pepper spice and soft tannins. Medium bodied, extremely elegant, and an exceptional value.

Aldo Marenco Barbera d'Alba "Pirona" 2004

Purple in color; violets and anise on the nose; medium bodied with raspberry and dark berry fruit on the palette; well-balanced with nice acidity. Eight months in French Oak tonneau, organic, and unfiltered. A beautifully styled Barbera sure to be a crowd pleaser.