Category: Bruno Donaggio

On Friday June 28 me and a colleague took a road trip to Southampton to attend the “Around the world in 80 sips” wine event sponsored by Bottle Notes and Sherry Lehman Wines & Spirits. We took the bullet train from Penn Station and arrived a couple of hours later and the event space was conveniently close to the train station. The event was actually two tastings, the regular tasting in the main room and the “Sherry Suite” with some very nice juice to be sampled. Of course, we made a beeline to the Sherry suite.

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I started the evening with a glass of the 2002 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne and then a glass of the 2009 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne. Another nice white in the room was the 2010 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret white Chateauneuf du Pape. White Rhones are  rare so I never miss an opportunity to try one and this one was excellent.

Chateau Montelena from Napa Valley poured a few of their wines. I started with the 2010 Chardonnay. It was light yellow with a nose of ripe melons and tropical fruit up front followed with crisp acidity. They poured a vertical of their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon starting with the current release 2009 which I thought was very tight with high acids. I had better luck with the older vintages. The 2003 was dark red to black with a nose of cherry cough drops and was silky and concentrated with a firm and dusty, balanced finish. The 2004 was my favorite and was black in color with a nose of crushed blackberries and was chewy and silky with a firm but balanced finish. The 2005 was dark red and had a nose of dried herbs and tight fruit. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars poured a couple of nice wines, the 2009 “Fay” Cabernet Sauvignon and the excellent 2009 “Cask 23” Cabernet Sauvignon.

I stopped by the Italian part of the room and tried some nice juice. The 2009 Gaja Barberesco was purple with an amber robe with a nose of cigar box, tar, truffles and red roses and was silky, firm with a nice grip at the finish.

Antinori poured a trio of some very nice wine. The 2007 Badia A Passegnano Chianti Classico Riserva  is 100% Sangiovese and was dark red in the glass with a nose of rose petals and tar and was chewy and silky with notes of earth and good grip on the finish. The 2008 Guado Al Tasso, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot was black in the glass with a nose of smoky black cherry with toasted oak notes on the fruit with a firm and balanced finish. The 2009 Tignanello was black in color with a closed nose of slate and was deeply concentrated. Cerreto poured a couple of their wines, the 2007 Barolo “Brunate” and the 2008 Barberesco “Bricco Asili” which was dark amber in color with a nose of cherry tar and was silky with firm tannins on the finish. Allegrini’s 2007 “La Poja” was dark purple with a nose of red cherry and bright fruit with notes of smoke, earth and sour cherry. Altesini’s 2007 Brunello di Montelcino was dark amber in color with a nose of toasty earth and truffles, concentrated with a toasted firm finish. Out in the main room, Chateau D’Esclans poured several different rose which was made for an interesting tasting.

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On Tuesday I attended a tasting sponsored by the Penin Guide. The guide lists what they consider the best wines from Argentina, Chile, Spain and Mexico. The event was held at the Bowery Hotel located at 335 Bowery in Manhattan. Cool hotel and mercifully, the event was indoors as it was brutally hot that afternoon.

I started with some whites and I always like to try wines made from the Verdejo grape which is pretty much unique to the Rueda region of Spain. You know you are drinking a Verdejo the minute you sip it, it’s like drinking a grapefruit. At this event I tried some Verdejo that were barrel aged and took on a different flavor profile with rounder fruit and more moderate acids. One that I liked was the 2011 Nisia, DO Rueda. Penin gave this wine a 95 rating and it had a nose of grapefruit and sweet mango with moderate and juicy fruit with notes of bubble gum on the fruit. It tasted more Chardonnay than Verdejo.

Some of the wines I enjoyed  from Spain:

The 2011 Abadia da Cova de Autor, DO Ribera Sacra and is 100% Mencia grape, a varietal pretty much unique to Spain and was dark purple with a nose of roasted coffee, young, juicy and dusty. Another Mencia I liked was the 2008 Men de Mencia, DO Bierzo and was dark red to black in color with a nose of earthy berries and mint and was fresh and juicy with some cherry earthiness in the glass.

The 2006 Frontaura Crianza DO Toro, was dark red to black with a closed nose and roasted coffee notes on the big finish.

The 2009 Don Miguel Comenge DO Ribera del Duero was dark purple to black with a nose of stewed fruit and was rustic and chewy with a long toasty finish.

The 2009 Domaines Lupier La Dame Vina Viejas, DO Navarra was dark red with a nose of stewed red fruit and spicy cinnamon and cherry fruit notes and a balanced finish.

The 2009 Eccoci Tinto Premium, DO Vino de Gerona was black in color with a nose of toasty stewed red cherry and plums and was concentrated and firm with a long finish.

The 2010 Urbezo Crianza, DO Carinena was dark purple with a nose of stewed fruit and was chewy and rustic with notes of dried mushrooms on the balanced finish.

The 2006 Vega Enix Damaris, DO Ribera del Andarax is 100% Merlot and was black with a closed nose of black licorice and was chewy with roasted nuts on the fruit and was nicely balanced.

The 2008 Marques de Caceres “Gaudium”. DO Rioja was a big wine, black in the glass with a nose of roasted coffee and black cherry and was very chewy with notes of toasted nuts on the long finish. Tasted like a big Cali red. 

Something different, a wine from the Baja region of Mexico. The  2007 Bodegas de Santo Tomas “Unico” which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is in an impressively heavy glass bottle, was black in color with a nose of black plums with toasty and juicy fruit.

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It seems that the 2011 vintage was a declared year for Port. I attended a tasting of newly declared 2011’s held at the Benjamin Hotel located at 125 East 50 Street.

Drinking newly released vintage Port is not the easiest thing to do, at this stage the wines aren’t polished and are usually thick and sweet. Fortunately the Port houses that were present brought along older vintages for us to try as well.

If I had to drink a 2011 tonight it would be the Taylor Fladgate “Vargellas Vinha Velha”. These guys have been making Port since 1692. This one is from their top estate and from the oldest vines on the property. It was dark purple with a purple robe with a nose of dried rosemary, very concentrated and tight with a good grip on the long finish.

Some of the others from 2011 I sample were from Croft, Fonseca, Qunita Da Romaneira and Quinto Do Noval. The Quinto do Noval 2011 “Nacional” got rave reviews from the big wine writers and at about $500 a bottle I had some high expectations. Wasn’t blown away. It was black in color, , light on the initial attack but filled out to a long finish. After sampling the 2011’s I went off to the older vintages, some that I liked:

2009

Croft,  Black in color with a nose of mint and dried plums, concentrated and tight, silky with some grapiness on the finish.

2008

 Quinta do Noval, black with a purple robe, a nose of dried herbs and black licorice, chewy and silky.

2007

Croft, black with a purple robe, nose of cherry candy, sweet with a nice grip with some heat peeking through at the end.

Quinta do Noval,  black with a purple robe, nose of smoky crushed black berries, a mouthful of crushed berry fruit on the finish, nicely balanced with good grip.

2004

Taylor Fladgate “Vargellas Vinha Velha”, dark black with a nose of white flowers and mint, thick and juicy.

Quinta do Noval, black with a purple rim, with a nose of dried herbs, starts closed but opens up with a nice balance and grip.

2003

Taylor Fladgate, black with a nose of white flowers, silky with a nice grip.

Quinta do Noval, black  with an amber robe, and nose of dried herbs, lavender on the long finish with good balance. Tasty.

Quinta do Noval “Nacional”, black with a nose of dark chocolate and dried herbs, thick and chewy with black licorice on the finish.

 

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All good things must come to an end and that includes my Italian adventure. I decided to spent the last couple of nights visiting family. My peeps live in the town of Chioggia which is a small fishing village on the southern part of the Venetian lagoon. The old town is a miniature Venice with canals, bridges and fishing boats while crossing a causeway takes you to the modern beach area of Sottomarina with B & B’s, restaurants and white sandy beaches. Very off the radar for American tourists, it makes a good base to visit Venice while escaping the hoards. You can take the shorter route which is a 45 minute bus ride or the longer which is more scenic but takes longer. You take a boat from the old town which takes you to Lido where you get a bus which takes you to a vaporetto which takes you to St. Marks Square.

It was six years since the last time I visited the town and you would never call it cutting edge but this time around I experiences something I had never had in Sottomarina, a real wine bar.  After cousin Alberto set me up in a nice hostel in the old town, we headed to the beach area for a glass of wine. We spent happy hour at a new wine bar munching on some pasta and bruschetta while drinking  a glass of the 2011 Russolo Cabernet Sauvignon and a glass of the 2010 Poggio al Vento Morellino di Scansano.

The next day, cousin David decided to take me on a wine tour of the closest wine area, Colli Euganei. The Colli  Euganei wine district is located about 30 miles west of Venice. The area is a group of extinct volcanos that rise above the plains of the Po delta. The area is also known for their hot springs as well as their wines. We spent a rainy Monday driving up steep hills surrounded by vineyards. Very picturesque. Dave called ahead and made an appointment with Azienda Agricola Ca Lustra. We were given the standard tour of the facilities  then we got down to some serious wine tasting. Of course we started with the whites. Very interesting labels with pictographs of the ancient indigenous people.

The 2011 Zanovello “Oliveani” is a blend of five grapes including Sauvignon Blanc and Tocai. It was gold in color with a nose of honey and mango, full bodied, buttery, nutty with good acidity on the finish. Good start.

The 2011 Zonovello “Pendevenda” made with the local grape varietal incrocio manzoni, was gold in color with a nose of dried mushrooms and red candy, medium full-bodied with some lemon-lime on the finish with good balance.

The 2009 Zanovello “Roverello” which is made from Chardonnay, was deep gold with a big nose of lime and wild flowers and forest floor, big bodied with some dried leaf on the on the back-end.

The 2011 Zanovello “A Cengia”  which is a blend of two Moscato grape varietals, was gold with green highlights in color with a very big spicy nose and was medium bodied with juicy green lime fruit and nice acidity on the finish.

The 2011 Zanovello “Agangoor” Rose is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and was cherry red with an earthy, sour cherry nose with bright, crisp fruit, and an earthy finish with firm acids on the finish. On to the reds.

The 2009 Zanovello “Girapoggio” is a blend of 30% Cabernet Franc and 70% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was black with a nose of smoky bacon, concentrated, silky and chewy with firm tannins and acids on the long finish.

The 2007 Zanovello “Natio” which is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Camenere was black in color and a violet robe with  a big perfume of camphor, very concentrated and silky with notes of black fruits with a great grip with a long finish that coats the tongue.

The 2008 Zanovello “Sassonero” is all Merlot and was black with a purple robe with a nose of sour fruit, it was tight and concentrated with velvet fruit, good balance and a long finish.

The second label 2009 Ca Lustra Rosso, is a blend of three red grape varietals and was dark red to black with a nose of green pepper, black fruit and lots of barnyard, it was rustic and chewy and a big mouthfeel with dusty fruit and good balance on the finish. Very nice.

Overall it was a very interesting tasting.

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After my stay with the guys in Le March I headed to Rome for a couple of days. After constant rain, the weather was great, clear skies and no humidity. In my opinion Rome is one of the great cities of the world. Since it’s on the travel triad for Americans it was swarming with my countrymen. I didn’t go to too many wine bars in the city in part because frankly, I got tired of getting lost looking for wine bars. Oh well, Every other bar calls it self a “wine bar” but most of them are restaurants that serve some wine.

On my way to the Coliseum I did pass a wine shop that advertised tastings. I stopped in and had a nice chat with one of the workers and asked for something white and local. She poured me the 2011 Casale Certosa Malvasia Puntinata. It was a very dark gold with a nose of honey with a dry, full mouth feel of tropical fruit with crisp acidity on the finish. A nice starter wine. I spent the day sightseeing and enjoying the weather. The next day I was able to stop by one of  the oldest wine bars in Rome, Trimani. It was a slick place with local businessmen enjoying lunch and a wine by the glass list that didn’t impress me much for one of the oldest wine bars in Rome. It wasn’t very extensive and short on local wines. I had the 2011 Castel del Monte Rosso. It had a very young nose, grapey, young and I thought it lacked some character.

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After the break in Florence I headed south to my new workaway volunteer gig in the March region. A couple of ex-pat South African guys who decided to chuck the rat-race back home and move to the country. They bought a run down sixteenth century villa in one of the town of Gualdo which is one of many Medieval hilltop towns in this part of Italy. They are renovating the building into a B&B. They have uncovered previously hidden beautiful frescos and the view from pool will be a killer. In the meantime, the house where I volunteered at was perched on a hill with a  stunning view of rolling green hills and craggy, snow capped mountains in the near distance.

On Saturday afternoon we took a drive to the town of Jesi, familiar to anyone who drinks Verdicchio which is the local star. On the way we stopped at an archeological dig with remains of a Roman coliseum and walls. We drove by a winery and decided to stop in. The winery,  Tenuta Di Tavignano was a beautiful property with well manicured grounds that would not be out of place in Napa, we stopped in the cantina for a tasting. We started with the 2012 Rose which is made from 100% of the local Lacrima grape. It was the color of cherry juice with a nose of red cherries, a  nice sipping wine. Next wine was the 2012 Pecorino which is the grape varietal. I like to think of this varietal as the starter wines to the more well know Verdicchio. The color was yellow with a nose of lemon and lime with some earthiness and mushroom on the fruit and crisp acidity on the finish. The final wine was the 2012 Villa Torre Verdicchio Classico. It was golden in color with a nose of wild flowers and mowed grass with notes of mango and nice mouth feel with great balance and nice acidity on the finish. The boys bought a case.

After my week stay with the guys I travelled to Perugia. A beautiful Etruscan town in the hills of Umbria, I stayed at a hostel that was a half hour bus red from town. Very rural, in fact in the middle of a farm. While I was there they told me of the local winemaker which was highly recommended. The winery was a couple of kilometers from the hostel so one afternoon I took a bike and headed out. The winery was Goretti and it’s a family run operation but they still manage to crank out a half million bottles of wine a year. When I made it to the winery it was a beehive of activity and there’s nothing like the aroma of manure to whet the appetite for a wine tasting. I was led to the tasting cave and sampled a few wines.

I began with the 2012 Grechetto. It was light yellow with a nose of grapefruit and mango with tropical fruit on the finish as well as firm acids. Not too bad for 3 euro a bottle. The next wine was the 2011 Il Moggio. It had an interesting label that changed color with the temperature of the wine. A white label meant the wine was warm, a red label meant it was cold and a pink label was just right. The color was yellow with a nose of earthy mushroom and oak with earthy fruit and nice acids on the long finish. It spent four months in barrel. The 2011 Fontanella Rosso is s blend of Sangiovese and Merlot. It was dark purple with a nose of grape bubble gum, very juicy  with cherry leather fruit notes. The 2007 Arringatore was the star of the tasting. About 60% Sangiovese and was dark red to black with an nose of violets and pencil shavings. Chewy, silky and concentrated and had a balanced, dusty and long finish. The 2010 Montefalco Rossso “Le Mura Saracene” was dark purple in color with a nose of sweet plums and was rustic and chewy with big tannins on the finish. The final wine was the 2005 Sagratino Montefalco “Le Mura Saracene”. It was black in color with a nose of sweet black cherry, chewy with some dried leaf notes on the fruit, I thought the finish was a little unbalanced.

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Decided to spend a couple of days in Florence, me and a million other Americans. I arrived on a Sunday and most of the wine bars were closed but I did manage to stop by a couple of them for local wine a porchetta sandwich. Now this is my kind of town, wine and swine.

Near the Duomo I stumbled on a local hole in the wall wine bar, Fiashetteria Osteria Nuvoli. Restaurant in the cellar and tiny wine bar upstairs where I stood with some of the locals munching on a porchetta sandwich. I had the 2012 Camillo Ciliegiolo. Darker than I thought it would be, very dark to dark purple with a nose of dark graphite and was tight and dusty, firm with good balance. For the next glass I had the 2010 Massari Motecucco which is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was dark black with a nose of blueberries with concentrated fruit with notes of pencil shavings and black leather and toasted nuts on the finish.

After more meandering I stopped by another hole in the wall wine bar that I’ve seen listed in guide books, Note Di Vino. Lots of salami hanging from the ceiling but not an impressive wine by the glass list though the one wine I had wasn’t all that bad. The 2011 Cecchio La Morra Morellino Scanasino. The wine started nicely, it was dark red with a purple robe and had a nose of roasted coffee with tight black fruit with a bit of tartness at the end.

On next day, Monday more of the wine bars were opened. The hostel I stayed at ran a free tour of Florence on Monday morning so I spent that morning running after the tour guide and catching up on the iconic sites. After a couple of hours of sightseeing, it was time for wine. Which is not as easy as it sounds because that involves navigating Medieval streets. On the way to a wine bar I passed by this wine shop that was advertising a glass of the house Chianti for 2 euro. Why not. The wine was Lelame 2010 Chianti Classico. It was served from a magnum fiasco bottle. A blast from the past. It was black in color with a nose of dark berries and violet, concentrated and earthy and finished with fairly high citrus notes, but for the price, drinkable.

After a glass I was on my way to the wine bar I was looking for which was Casa Del Vino, a wine bar that had a few mentions in the guides that I researched. It  was a small place filled with tourists and local businessmen. I had a pannini filled with something the guy next to me ordered, I’m not sure what it was and I don’t want to know. The wine I drank was the 2010 Roggiano Morellino Scassano. It was dark red with a violet robe, with a nose of violet and roasted coffee and was deep and concentrated and was tight and firm with a dusty finish with firm but manageable tannin on the finish.

Stopped at one of the best pannini places in town not far from the Duomo. I Fratellini is a hole in the wall where the locals stop by for a sandwich on a heated roll with a glass of wine. You stand outside and eat and they have racks for you to put you glass on which you munch on your pannini. Good sandwich.

Chianti producer, Castello Verrazzano has a cantina a few blocks from the Duomo and I stopped in for a degustione. After consultation with my waiter, I ordered a salami plate and four wines. The first was the 2010 Chianti Classico. It was medium red with a nose of roasted nuts and bacon and was tight and firm with some tartness at the end. Nothing exciting but a good starter wine.

Next up was the 2009 Riserva Chianti Classico. It was medium to dark red with a nose of red leather and roasted meat, it was silky with notes of dried mushroom on the finish. Very tasty.

The 2003 Riserva Chianti Classico was red with an orange robe and had a mature nose of ripe plums, cigar box and smoky dried blueberries and was concentrated and velvety with roasted nuts on the long finish, it had great grip. Another nice wine.

My last wine was the 2009 “Sassella” Riserva which is their Super Tuscan. 100% Sangiovese, it was medium red with a nose of sweet leather and roasted hazelnuts with bright fruit, silky with firm tannin and very crisp acids on the finish, not as good as the previous two. On a side note, my waiter was very professional with the tasting but while I was still working on my last wine, another staff member dropped the check without me requesting it. In Italy that’s very rude.

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Enough of this fresh mountain air, I was missing the joy of sucking car fumes and jostling the crowds for my morning cup of coffee. I decided to take an over night trip to Turin which is about a two-hour train ride from Pettenasco. My room was a few blocks from the Porta Nuova terminus and I got to go about looking for wine bars. Now in Italy nothing is as straight forward as one might think and you would think that wines bars would be a dime a dozen in the capital of Piedmont but the front desk at the hotel was of no help and in my meandering around the city I ran into a few but unfortunately they were not open in the afternoon and when I returned in the evening they were still closed. The city had some beautiful piazzas and wide boulevards and it was great to feel the energy of the crowd while I walked around.

I did have a tasting, I was walking and spied a shop, “Vino Quotidiano” with some spigots on the wall and hoped they served wines by the glass. It turns out that it was a wine shop and the spigots were to serve wine in “sfusi”, young fresh wine for immediate consumpsion that you would come in with an empty bottle or jug to be filled. Your everyday wine and at 2-3 euro a liter, it was cheaper than water. The very hospitable gentlemen in the shop, Paolo Valentino took pity on me and offered me a couple of samples from the spigot, a drinkable Barbera and an organic Dolcetto. I enjoyed the Dolcetto, it had a very interesting aroma profile and if I had a spare liter bottle handy I would have filled it up and taken it back for home consumption. Paolo was a fellow wine enthusiast and offered to take me to cantina the next day to drink wine but unfortunately I had to leave the city that day but I appreciated the offer.

Before leaving the next day I heard about the car museum in town so I took the subway a few minutes south of the city center and made my way to the museum. It was a huge building and I had high hopes for I would see in the museum, but alas it was closed that Tuesday morning. On the way back to the subway station I did stop by the Eataly store. Beautiful huge warehouse with a great selection of overpriced food and spirits, just like in New York.

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Sampling the local wines in Piedmont has been harder than I anticipated. I thought just being in area would have given me access to an ocean of wine. I’m finding out that not having a car and relying on the notoriously shaky Italian mass transit system presents challenges and visiting wineries here are not like stopping by at a winery in New York or California.

This past Thursday I decided to do a day trip to wine country again, this time I was running solo. Since the Gattinara region is the closest I decided to spend the day there. As it turns out, there is no direct rail service to the town of Gattinara. After much computer time looking for ways to do this trip, I was able to figure out that I can take the train a nearby town down the road and walk to Gattinara (ab0ut 40 minutes).  After catching an unbelievably slow local train, I made it to my destination, the town of Romagnono Sesia. As it turned out it was a unusualy hot day and that 40 walk to Gattinara burned off a lot of calories and sweat.

The first cantina I stopped at the outskirt of town was Anzivino, a label I was not familiar with. In the small tasting room the very hospitable host poured me three red wines. I started with the 2006 “Bramettera” which is about 85% Nebbiolo with the rest local grapes. It was medium red with a nose of candy pencil shavings with notes of cigar box on the fruit with firm acids and a nice finish. Next up was the 2006 Riserva Gattinara. It was dark red with an amber robe and had the same candy pencil shavings on the nose as the first wine, silky with graphite on the fruit with firm but manageable tannins. The last wine I tried was the 2006 “Faticato”. Nebbiolo from 50-year-old vines, it was dark red with a nose of stewed fruit and chewy fruit with some mint tones on the finish, firm tannin and a nice hit of acid at the finish. It was a nice wine.

I left the cantina and finally made it to the town of Gattinara. Not a very big town and surprisingly the only cantina I found was the cantina for the Gattinara Cooperative. I started with their entery level Nebbiolo, the 2009 Spanna. About 85% Nebbiolo with the rest Vespolina. It was light red with bright fruit. Next wine I tried was the 2004 Gattinara. Dark red with an amber robe, it had an interesting nose of stewed red fruit and sweet graphite and was chewy and chunky with silky tannins and at 8 euro a bottle interesting enough for me to buy one. Couldn’t find any other wine stops in Gattinara so I made my way back to the train station for the ride home. One stop away was the town of Ghemme which I recognised as another Nebbiolo town so I decided stop off to seek out wine cellars and try the local juice.  Big mistake. Ghemme is a small town and I had arrived at the start of the siesta which means that everything except the coffee bars were shut down tight. Nothing was open and that included anything having to do with wine. And of course the next train out didn’t leave for a few hours so my time in Ghemme consisted of walking around the central piazza and drinking lots of coffee. I think the next wine outing will be to go to one of the local towns that have a few enoteche and drink the local juice hassle-free.

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Finally got a start on my wine tour Wednesday. A couple of the locals decided to spend the afternoon visitng the local  wineries so we filled up a couple of cars with the locals and my colleagues and headed out to the wineries. The Gattinara and Ghemme wine appellations (and towns) are about a half hour drive from home base so it was decided to start there. The wineries in this part of the country still observe siesta so we made our first appointment for 2:00. I suggested Cantine Vallana since I’ve had their wines in New York and in fact I had their wines last month when the New York distributor of the wines held their portfolio tasting at the Metropolitan Pavillion. The winery has been a family run operation for genertations and they use a low tech in making their wines.

After a drive along lake-side, mountain roads we arrived at our destination where we were promptly greeted by the matriarch of the Vallana family who handed us off to our host for the afternoon a member of the family and the winemaker, Francis Fogarty. (now that’s a fine Italian name). It seems that the maternal side of the family is Vallana and the paternal side are the Fogarty’s. Francis’s English was very good and took us on a tour of the facilites starting with the large concrete barrels where the wines ferment and then down to the old cellars. At the end of the tour we ended up in the tasting room which looked like a Bavarian hunting lodge and at where they stored bottles of their library wines. The oldest bottle in the collection had the vintage year of 1692! It was time to taste and Francis asked what should we start with. I felt that we should start with a lighter red so I suggested the 2011 Grignolino. It was light red, almost a rose with a barnyard and dried mushrooms on the nose, bright fruit and nice astringency on the finish. A nice starter wine.

Next up was the 2009 Spanna which is 90% Nebbiola with the rest of the blend the local grape Vespolina. Dark red to black with a slightly closed nose of violets, it was velvety, dry with juicy tannin and bitter almond on the finish.

The 2004 Bocca. which is the name of a local village, was dark red to black with floral, dark violets on the nose with chewy violet fruit and bitter almond notes and firm acidity on the finish.

The 2004 Gattinara was medium red to dark with a nose of sweet smoke and violets with silky fruit, firm acids and dusty tannin on the finish. It was a very nice tasting on one of the few sunny days of the week.

We spent more time at Vallana than we anticipate so we had time for one more stop and headed into the town of Ghemme where we stopped at the cantina of Lorenzo Zanetta. We were poured the 2005 Ghemme which is 90% Nebbiola and the balance Vespolina. It was black in color with a brown robe and a nose of black licorice and dark fruits, it was concentrated and tight with a meaty finish and firm tannins.