Author Archives: Piemontegirl

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About Piemontegirl

I am a wine lover currently located in Boston. I drink wine mostly from Piemonte and Burgundy. Two summers in a row I have worked at Vietti in Piemonte.

Diego Morra 2020

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The Diego Morra 2020 wines are very good, as are the other 2020’s I’ve tasted so far. 2020 will be remembered for a pandemic, but it was also a good vintage for wine!

Diego Morra

Diego Morra’s family has been in the wine and hazelnut business since the mid 1900’s. But it’s not until recently Diego started to bottle the wine under his own label. This practice was quite common back in the day. Today, the wine is bottled under the label Diego Morra. You can read more about the winery here.

Diego Morra 2020 Langhe Rosato

The Diego Morra Langhe Rosato is made with 100% Nebbiolo, from the same vinyeards as the Nebbiolo Il Sarto.The grapes were harvested a little bit earlier than 2019, giving the wine a bit more freshness. Earlier harvest also results in lower alcohol, lower sugar and a bit higher acidity.

The Diego Morra Langhe Rosato is prefect for the summer! You can enjoy it on the terrace or with light dishes like salads or fish. You’ll find aromas of fresh fruits like strawberry and peach. It’s very fresh but also has a bit of structure.

Diego Morra 2020 Langhe Rosato

Diego Morra 2020 Langhe Chardonnay

For the 2020 vintage Diego Morra made a pretty big change to their vinification of the Chardonnay. The previous vintages have all been aged in stainless steel. Now, 30% of the wine ages in medium oak barrels for about 6 months before it’s blended with the 70% aged in stainless steel tanks. This gives the wine a great balance between structure and freshness!

The 2020 is my favorite Chardonnay from Diego Morra so far! Don’t get me wrong, the 2018 and 2019 were good, but the 2020 is excellent! Pear and citrus on the nose. Crisp, quite aromatic. Fruit and citrus notes in the mouth as well. Round, fuller than 2019. Very good!

Diego Morra 2020 Dolcetto d’Alba

The 2019 Dolcetto was quite explosive, whereas the 2020 is more concentrated, A very aromatic and fruity wine with aromas of dark red fruit, ripe cherry and blackcurrant. Quite full bodied for a Dolcetto.

Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo il Sarto 2019

The Diego Morra Il Sarto 2019 is quite explosive, similar to other 2019’s. Aromas of red berries, cherry and some pepper on the nose. Very fruity in the mouth, with round and approachable tannins. Very balanced with a long finish. Absolutely delicious!

Diego Morra Barbera

Note there is no tasting note on the Barbera. For a very good reason. The Diego Morra Barbera is usually released about 18 months after harvest, having spent some time in oak barrels as well as stainless steel tanks. You could call it a mix between a Barbera and a Barbera Superiore. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out more about the Diego Morra Barbera, but I can promise you it’ll be worth it!

Luigi Pira Barolo 2017

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Luigi Pira Barolo 2017 & more

For many, the new year starts January 1st. For some of us, the real fun begins when the new vintages hit the market! The 2020’s should start to show up, and some have made their way to me! In addition to the new vintages of Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, I was lucky to taste a Luigi Pira Barolo 2017 as well!

Luigi Pira Barolo 2017

Below are my tasting notes for the new vintages:

Luigi Pira Dolcetto d’Alba 2020

Luigi Pira’s Dolcetto is made with 40 year old Dolcetto vines. After spending 8-9 months in stainless steel, the wine is bottled and ready to go! The 2020 has a beautiful Dolcetto nose. Not as explosive and concentrated as 2019, but more floral with notes of dark red fruit and cherry. Good structure and relatively full bodied for a Dolcetto.

Luigi Pira Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2019

The Luigi Pira Barbera d’Alba Superiore ages 12 months in botte grande. The Barbera plants grow in Roddino a town that borders Serralunga d’Alba and Monforte d’Alba, and are about 20 years old.  

Luigi Pira Langhe Nebbiolo 2019

Released a year later than most of its “peers”, the Langhe Nebbiolo from Pira has spent about 12 months in big oak barrels. In addition to the terroir, the oak helps to give the wine its structure and complexity.
The 2019 is very fruity and crisp with hints of Strawberry. Full bodied and structured with tannins that disappear quickly, leaving you with red fruits. A balanced wine.
The Luigi Pira Langhe Nebbiolo 2018 was a bit different, with aroma of red fruit, leather, spices and tobacco as well as a hint of oak notes. Fruity in the mouth, crisp and complex. Persistent tannins with a long finish.

Luigi Pira Barolo 2017 – Vignarionda

The Luigi Pira Barolo Vignarionda is considered Pira’s top wine.  Aged for 24 months in a mix of barrique, tonneau and botte grande. Floral and fruity on the nose, with hints of mineral and we earth. The Vignarionda is a big, but the tannins disappear quickly, and you’re left with a well-balanced Barolo.

Diego Morra Il Sarto 2019

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Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo Il Sarto 2019

The Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo Il Sarto 2019 is a new and improved Langhe Nebbiolo from Diego Morra. Diego Morra’s family has been in the wine and hazelnut business since the mid 1900’s, but it’s not until recently Diego started to bottle the wine under his own label.

The Il Sarto sews together vineyards from two different towns which have different microclimate, exposure and terroir. One is the vineyard in the municipality of Roddi, with an altitude of about 200 meters and south exposure, and the other is from municipality of La Morra, the Castagni and Serra dei Turchi vineyards. At an altitude of about 380 meters with north-east exposure these vineyards are more fresh than the vineyard in Roddi.

Why the name Il Sarto

“Il Sarto” translates to “the tailor”. The choice of the name derives from two different reasons:

First, a tailor, with attention and craftsmanship, chooses and sews together the pieces of cloth that they consider best, giving harmony to the dress as a whole, in the same way this Nebbiolo sews together different vineyards, combining terroir from La Morra and Roddi.

Second, the tailor also represents the union of Diego Morra and Francesca. Francesca has origins in the north of Piedmont, in the area of Biella, which since the 1800 has been famous for the art of weaving, for fine fabrics that are sold all over the world. So the name “Il Sarto” also recalls the tradition of Francesca’s origins.

To sum up, Il Sarto represents two traditions sewn together: high quality wine and high quality tailoring.

Vinification

After a careful destemming, the spontaneous fermentation takes place in 8-10 days under constant temperature control (max.28-30°C), followed by short but frequent remounts and racking for about 10-12 days.  The wine-making process, the malolactic fermentation and large part of the aging process (which finishes with a period in wood) takes place in stainless steel containers during  a 12-16 month period.

Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo Il Sarto 2019 Tasting Notes:

The Diego Morra Il Sarto 2019 is quite explosive, similar to other 2019’s. Aromas of red berries, cherry and some pepper on the nose. Very fruity in the mouth, with round and approachable tannins. Very balanced with a long finish. Absolutely delicious!

Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo Il Sarto 2019

17 Mai Wine Recommendations

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Norwegians will celebrate constitution day next week and I’ve found some of my best wine tips for the occasion! PS: these wines fit any celebration, or just a regular Tuesday! So you can keep reading even if you’re not celebrating 17 Mai

Piemontegirl in 17 mai dress
17 mai outfits

17 Mai Champagne Breakfast

It is customary to attend a Champagne Breakfast the morning of 17 Mai. And even if you don’t, it’s a safe bet that you will drink Champagne (or other bubbles) later in the day!

My go-to Champagne these days is J. Charpentier’s Blanc de Blancs. In my opinion, it’s the best value for money Champagne. Another good BdB is the one from Pierre Peters. If you want to kick it up a notch, you should try the J. Charpentier Origine Brut Nature or the Bereche Brut Reserve.

Sparkling Wine

Even though I usually prefer Champagne, there are some alternative choices. One of my good friends from Langhe, Ettore Germano, makes multiple sparkling wines. I’d recommend the Ettore Germano Alta Langa Extra Brut. And the Nyetimber Classic Cuvee is a good English sparkling.

What do you pair with the 17 Mai hot dog?

Those of you who have followed me for a while probably know about the infamous “Hot dog and Barolo” event that takes place late May. If you haven’t tried Barolo with a hot dog, you should! What better way to make a fairly simple food feel extra celebratory? The Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 2017 is a very good option!

Although Barolo is a good option, you might want some less expensive wine on deck! A Langhe Nebbiolo would do the trick! Here are some of my favorite Langhe Nebbiolo 2019.

Wine for the Chef

Now, this might be the most important wine of the day! The chef obviously needs a glass to enjoy while cooking! My personal favorite would be a Dolcetto, but a glass of white would also work well!

News at Vinmonpolet

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Tomorrow about 2000 wines will be released in Norway. Here are a few of my favorites, including a new Champagne from Charpentier!

J. Charpentier Origine Brut Nature

J. Charpentier makes a wide range of wines and tomorrow the Origine Brut Nature will be available in Norway for the first time! As most of you probably already know, the Blanc de Blancs by Charpentier is my favorite these days, but it’s nice to have more options as well! The Origine Brut Nature has slightly more tropical notes, but is still fresh and crisp with a wonderfully long finish.

Paolo Scavino Dolcetto 2019

The Dolcetto 2019 are quite structured with lots of fruit. I find them to be a bit more complex, especially compared to 2018, giving the wine a little more “oomph”. One could argue that the Dolcetto from 2017 also had “oomph” but perhaps not complex. This is the case with Paolo Scavino Dolcetto 2019 as well. Concentrated, explosive and fruity with good length. I really like enjoyed this wine!

Emilio Vada Barbera d’Asti

Explosive noes with notes of fruit and minerals. Quite expressive. A balanced wine with good acidity. I’ve found that I quite like Barbera from Asti. The different soil and climate give the wine a different spin than Barbera from Alba.

Malabaila di Canale Barbera d’Alba Superiore

This is my first introduction to Malabaila di Canale. The Barbera Superiore has those wonderful Barbera aromas. Some hints of vanilla and tobacco, but not excessive oak notes! Some tannins and long finish gives it that extra boost.

Luigi Pira Langhe Nebbiolo 2018

Released a year later than most of its “peers”, the Langhe Nebbiolo from Pira has spent about 12 months in small and big oak barrels. In addition to the terroir, the oak helps to give the wine its structure and complexity. Aroma of red fruit, leather, spices and tobacco as well as a hint of oak notes. Fruity in the mouth, crisp and complex. Persistent tannins with a long finish.

View from the Luigi Pira Tasting room

Wild Garlic Wine Pairing

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Ready for wild garlic wine pairing? It’s spring which means it’s wild garlic season! We live in a world where we can get almost any ingredient year round, making seasonal foods that much more interesting. I’ve also found that picking or “gathering” my own food makes the whole experience a lot more fun. So, while I wait for chantrelle season, I’ll be “hunting” wild garlic!

What is wild garlic?

Wild garlic, or ramsons, is a relative of onion and garlic. It’s often used as an herb or spice, or as an ingredient in different foods, like pesto or butter.  

NB: don’t mistake wild garlic with lily of the valley. The latter is poisonous. You’ll know it’s wild garlic by grinding your fingers on the leaf and checking for a garlic smell.

Wild Garlic Wine Pairing

With Wild garlic wine pairing is all about how you intend on using the wild garlic.

Wild garlic pesto

If you put wild garlic pesto on your pasta, I would try a fresh and fruity white wine like Vietti Arneis or  Diego Morra Langhe Chardonnay. You can also put wild garlic pesto on your hamburger. In that case a Langhe Nebbiolo from Alessandro Veglio or Trediberri would work well.

Wild Garlic Risotto

The parmesan in risotto makes Barbera a good pairing. The Corino Barbera could be a good fit. A Langhe Nebbiolo would probably also work. I really like the Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo.

Wild Garlic and Barolo

If you serve wild garlic as a “garnish” with meat, it might be a nice opportunity to pop open a Barolo. You could try the Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo or the Azelia Barolo.

  • Wild Garlic Wine Pairing

Future of Wine

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Future of Wine

Times are changing. New trends are appearing. Next generation winemakers are taking over. What does the future of wine look like?

How will climate change influence how we produce wine? What winemaking trends are we seeing today? How does sustainable winemaking and climate change fit together?

Join us while we try to answer these questions over the next few weeks.

Future of Wine Lineup

Avoiding Chemicals

As the climate and environment changes, so does the life of the plants growing in Langhe. New diseases appear, common diseases become harder to control, and old remedies loose their effect. Many winemakers are also moving away from conventional treatment methods and working on new, more sustainable ways to treat the plants and the soil. I am excited to hear what Nadia Curto has to tell us about this important topic.

Sustainable Winemaking

Together with world renowned winemaker Nicola Oberto we will try to understand what sustainable winemaking is. What does it entail? What is sustainable? Why is it important? And, how does sustainable winemaking and saving our climate/planet fit together?

Climate Change

Climate change will inevitably transform the way the world produces all goods, also wine, a very sensitive agricultural product.  How will climate change influence how we produce wine? What trends are we seeing today with regards to winemaking and climate change? How does sustainable winemaking and saving our climate/planet fit together? Diana Seysses will give us some insight!

Fratelli Revello Barolo 2016

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Climate in 2016

What is the best weather, you might ask. The reason it’s hard to answer this question is the fact that each step of the way, the grapes need different things. You want rain in the growing season, but not too much. During the harvest, the absence of rain is preferred. It needs to be warm, but not too warm, and you also want the nights to be cooler toward the harvest, but not too cool. The grapes are indeed quite high maintenance.

But then you have the “magic” vintages. The weather in 2016 was just about as perfect as can get for the Nebbiolo grapes. The growing season was long, there was an absence of natural disasters like hail, the weather was stable toward the end of the season and the harvest was late.

Fratelli Revello

Fratelli Revello Family

The Fratelli Revello story dates all the way back to 1945, but it wasn’t until 1967 they started to vinify their grapes under a family label – Giovanni Revello & Figli. In 1990, Carlo and Lorenzo Revello took over the estate, and worked together until 2016 when they decided to go in different directions. Fratelli Revello stayed with Lorenzo while Carlo started his own label: Carlo Revello & Figli.

It’s quite common for wineries to divide and “multiply” as the family grows. The same happened to the Corino’s in 2005. Just imagine how many would end up working at a winery if everyone had 2-4 children each! I think it’s a win-win, because then each sibling gets to make wine in their own way and we get another interpretation of the wine!

Fratelli Revello Barolo 2016

Barolo 2016 – the vintage to rule them all? Every vintage is different. Some are hot, some are cold, some are dry and some are wet. And then you have everything in between. Sometimes, you have a vintage where everything kind of lines up. 2016 is such a vintage.

The Fratelli Revello Barolo 2016 is no exception. It seduces you with aromas of red berries, licorice, tobacco and roses. The wine is powerful yet elegant, with a round fruity feel backed up by a good structure.  

Fratelli Revello Barolo 2016