I have the pleasure of introducing, for the first time, Mauro Veglio Paiagallo 2016! But before I dig into the Paiagallo 2016, some back story might be in order. A few years ago, Mauro Veglio and Alessandro Veglio joined forces, and now make wine under the same name: Mauro Veglio. Along with his talent, Alessandro also brought Paiagallo, and Mauro Veglio was able to add another wine to their portfolio!
Paiagallo
Paiagallo, an important MGA, is located on the eastern slopes of Barolo. The soil is composed of Sandstone and Marl (silt and clay). This cru has a surface of 12.35 hectares, neighboring the vineyards Terlo and Via Nuova.
Winemaking
With the Paiagallo, Veglio decided to do things a little differently. The Paiagallo spends about 20-25 days on the skins, which is a little longer than the other Barolo’s. In addition, they only do a couple of pump overs, giving the wine rounder and softer tannins. The longer maceration and gentle pump over results in a delicate extraction. Another big difference is the use of big barrels.
Mauro Veglio Paiagallo 2016
Mauro Veglio Paiagallo 2016 has a very elegant nose of red berries, mainly strawberry and raspberry. The wine is powerful but elegant. Remarkably soft tannins!
Although the focus is on the 2016 Barolo’s these days, I think it’s important to give some attention to the Langhe Nebbiolo’s! Since the 2016 Barolo’s should be bought and then put away for a long time, it’s nice to have a wine to enjoy in the meantime. You get the same characteristics as a Barolo, but you don’t have to wait to long for the wine to be approachable. On my last trip to Langhe I got to taste quite a few Langhe Nebbiolo 2018. Here are my tasting notes in alphabetical order.
Alberto Viberti LogHero 2018
Alberto is the new kid on the block. He works for his family winery Cascina Ballarin in La Morra, but has his own project on the side. His Nebbiolo goes through fermentation in cement tanks. Alberto does not use any oak with his Nebbiolo. The grapes come from Roero, and the soil there gives this wine a little bit of pepper notes. A very good Nebbiolo for a “rookie”. Looking forward to seeing how he evolves!
Andrea Oberto Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
And oldie, but a goodie! I think the world should drink more Andrea Oberto! And why not start with his Nebbiolo. On the nose you’ll find tobacco and roses. The wine is fruity with a long finish. A very good wine made by a wonderful man.
Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
The focus this year has been on Azelia’s new Barolo Cerretta, but let’s not forget about all the other wines they make! The Nebbiolo is quite structured in 2018. Notes of spices, licorice, leather, cherries and flowers. The tannins are round and the wine fruity, making it very drinkable.
Cascina Fontana Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
Mario uses both cement and Slavonian oak for his Nebbiolo, for a total of 12 months. The 2018 is less concentrated than 2017 with lots of dark fruit and a bouquet of flowers. The wine is elegant with a long finish.
Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
I tasted the 2017 and 2018 side by side. The 2017 was very good, but when tasting it next to the 2018 it almost fell a little short. In the 2018 there is an explosion of floral notes. A very powerful nose. One of the more expressive Nebbiolo’s I’ve tried. The wine is young with big tannins, but they disappear quite quickly and you’re left with beautiful floral notes.
Cristian Boffa Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
This Nebbiolo is made with 16 year old vines from the Santa Maria vineyard. Cristian uses about 20% botte grande and 80% cement for 6 months. On the nose there are notes of strawberry jam, fruits, and flower, and the tannins are very smooth. As a relatively new player in the game, it will be interesting to see the evolution of Cristian Boffa! Stay tuned.
Diego e Damiano Barale Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
A very drinkable Nebbiolo from Monforte, with vines planted by their grandfather in the San Giovanni vineyard about 40-50 years ago. The brothers use 2nd or 3rd passage tonno because they prefer to taste the natural tannins. One interesting aspect of the vinification is that they take out the seeds, a practice they learned from Vaira. A beautiful nose, elegant tannins and a long finish.
Diego Morra Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
Diego ages his Nebbiolo for a long time in the bottle, compared to other winemaker. Before the prolonged aging in bottle, the wine spends about 6 months in tonno, with 10% new oak. This might be one of my favorites. Very approachable, round tannins and a fresh expression.
Gianfranco Alessandria Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
Here’s a wine with a typical Nebbiolo nose: red berries, roses, hint of leather and spices. Aged 6 months in barrique with 10% new oak. The grapes come from San Giovanni, so there’s the Monforte power but the tannins are still elegant and sweet, making it quite approachable.
Giovanni Corino Langhe Nebbiolo 2018
Of all the Corino wines, this might be my favorite. So elegant with fresh fruit and raspberry. Good structure with round tannins.
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.
Mauro Veglio Angelo 2018
At first the Angelo came off a little green, but with some air it disappeared and I was left with licorice and raspberries. Very crisp! The tannins are there but they disappear. A relatively approachable Nebbiolo.
The 30 year wait is over for the Scavino family! The Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2016 is finally ready for the world. Just in time for the Centenary celebration of the Azelia winery! What’s important to note is that the Cerretta vineyard has been in the family for about 30 years, but the age of the vines kept Luigi from making the Cerretta Cru Barolo.
The vines, about 30 years old, face South/South-West in the Serralunga Vineyard. After about 55-60 days with submerged cap, the wine moves into big barrels and stay there for 30 months.
The story of Azelia starts in 1920 when Cavalier Lorenzo Scavino started to vinify the grapes from the family owned vienyards. This would be the start of an incredible journey for the Scavino family.
When it comes to the “style” of winemaking, Azelia adopted a method in the cellar that represents a fusion between modern and traditional; a method I like to call Contemporary Traditionalist. But, as I’ve mentioned before, who really cares as long as the wines are good? As Luigi says, “It’s always a matter of balance.”
Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2016
The Cerretta 2016 has an explosive nose: black fruit, spices, tobacco, chocolate. The tannins are big but sweet, typical of a 2016 Barolo from Serralunga. I would put this aside for 10+ years at least and drink some Nebbiolo while you wait.
My first encounted with the Burlotto Barolo 2016 happened to coincide with my first ever tasting in the little church. Covid-19 has changed many things, including how Fabio conducts his tastings. Fortunately, the only difference was the venue. The wines are still top quality, like they were 10-20 years ago (long before Galloni gave the 100 points). And Fabio is the same: kind, funny and honest.
The 2016 vintage has already gotten a lot of good press. This includes the Burlotto Barolo 2016 wines. Cannubi 2016 and Monvigliero 2016 recently recieved 100 points from Wine Advocate. But I have to say, the classic Barolo really blew me away. Literally my first note was “Holy Shit.” And it’s true what Fabio said: “The classico is open for business”.
2016 is a vintage of harmony
Fabio
Langhe Sauvignon 2019
2019 is a vintage with a lot of tension. One the nose of Langhe Sauvignon you get the stereotypical goosberry notes. Normally it’s not my favorite grape, but i quite like the 2019 vintage. High in acidity and salty in the mouth.
Pelaverga 2019
Can we call Pelaverga the unsung hero of Verduno? Maybe that’s taking it too far, but I don’t think Pelaverga get’s the attention it deserves. A perfect wine for a hot summer day. Goes well with food but can also be enjoyed as an aperitivo. The 2019 is almost sweet, leaving a very good feeling in the mouth. Spicy but light at the same time, and only has 13% alcohol.
This might be one of my absolute favorite Barbera’s. It’s not the first time I say this and it probably won’t be the last. The 2018 edition does not disappoint. Highacidity with dark fruits. Good grip, balanced. The Aves 2018 is high in alcohol but you don’t feel it in the mouth. How he does that is beyond me.
Langhe Freisa 2018
Strange nose. Almost like a pinot noir. Strawberry, fruity. Powerful tannins, bold wine.
Burlotto Barolo 2016
Barolo 2016
Holy shit. The Barolo Classico 2016 is so approachable. Spices, tobacco, some chocolate and violets on the nose. The tannins are sweet and the wine is elegant.
The Barolo Classico 2016 is very engaging now
Fabio
Barolo Acclivi 2016
My first thought: What an xtreme difference to the classic. The nose was so much more explosive. Roses, wet forest floor, spices. Smooth tannins. Spicy in the mouth.
Barolo Monvigliero 2016
Again, so different on the nose. Typical monvigliero notes, almost like perfume. Spicy and floral. Impressive wine that is both powerful and elegant at the same time, with a long finish.
Barolo Cannubi 2016
Floral, fruity, fresh. Bigger in the mouth than the other three. Big but with sweet tannins, making it relatively approachable now. But this is a wine I would store for a while.
Sneak Peak on the 2017
The 2017 Barolo’s are slightly more extreme and more concentrated than 2016. 2017 was a warm vintage, but Fabio does not see any sign of overripening in the wine. Overall he was quite happy with 2017 vintage. There is an important structure in the tannins. The wines will likely have a strong body.
You can immediately tell that the Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo 2016 is from Monforte. The “masculine” nose and big tannins give it away. On the nose you’ll also find hints of oak, but in the mouth this “disappears”, leaving you with a beautifully balanced wine. As with a typical Barolo, there are also notes of rose petals, red fruits and spices. The 2016 is an excellent vintage with immense potential!
The grapes in the Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo 2016 come from the same vineyard as the San Giovanni, but some of the plants are younger, about 25-45 years old. They use 100% French oak (20% new, 80% used) for 24 months before bottling.
Antonio Galloni’s thoughts
The 2016 Barolo is bright, floral and beautifully lifted. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry and mint all grace this subtle, nuanced Barolo. Medium in body, with lovely freshness and good depth, the 2016 has so much to offer. This is a very pretty, and refined straight Barolo. The 2016 has the potential to be a real overachiever. I especially like the wine’s inner sweetness and perfume.
Antonio Galloni
Gianfranco Alessandria
Smile. That’s what first comes to mind when I think of the Gianfranco Alessandria family of four. I have not met any family that smiles as much as and beautifully as they do. Their work is based on natural principles, respecting the time and methods required to obtain a product most correct in its form. They work as natural as possible only using minimal amounts of sulfur and copper sulfate, out of respect for the environment, as well as their own personal health.
You can check out the complete winemaker profile here.
The Giovanni Corino Giachini is very elegant, with typical La Morra Barolo flavors. 2016 is recognized as an incredible vintage, and if you can, you should store the 2016 Barolo’s for a long, long time.
However, the Giachini 2016 is drinable now. The tannins are big, but elegant. You’ll find lots of fruit, some tar and rose petals.
Giovanni Corino follows what some like to call the “modern style” of wine making using small oak barrels, also called barrique.
Maceration takes place between 5-7 days in a temperature controlled rotaryfermenter, at about 25 – 30 degrees celcius. The Giachini Barolo then moves into the oak barrels where it stays for 24 months.
Giovanni Corino
Giovanni Corino started making his own wines in the 1980’s. As many of the other winemakers in the area, his family farmed land and sold the fruit. Today, Giovanni spends more time in his vegetable garden than in the vineyards. Giovanni’s son Giuliano runs the show today, along with his wife Stefania and their two children, Veronica and Andrea.
Antonio Galloni on the Giachini Barolo 2016
The 2016 Barolo Giachini is bold and fleshy, with lovely textural richness that will emerge with more time in bottle. Black cherry, plum, lavender and dark spice nuances develop effortlessly. The Giachini has a track record of developing beautifully in the cellar; I imagine that will be the case here as well. All of the elements are present for that to happen.
The 2015 Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo brings me right back to the tasting room that lies at the beginning of the “Champagnemilå” hill in Castiglione. The old clock ticks away in the background, drowned out by a passioante Lorenzo who is telling me about this wines (for the umpteenth time). Oh how I wish I was back there right now.
I’ll have to make do with drinking Azelia wines in Oslo while practicing Social Distancing.
Azelia
The story of Azelia starts in 1920 when Cavalier Lorenzo Scavino started to vinify the grapes from the family owned vienyards. This would be the start of an incredible journey for the Scavino family. Today, Luigi, Lorella and their son Lorenzo run the show. Lorenzo, who bears the name of his great grandfather, represents the 5th generation of winemakers in the family.
The Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo come from vines with an average age of 20 years. After a short temperature controlled fermentation in rotorfermenters, the wine moves into steel tanks where it stays until its bottled.
Since I don’t have access to the current release of Azelia Langhe Nebbiolo I had to “make do” with the 2015 vintage.
Fruity – the first thing that comes to mind. Digging deeper you’ll find strawberry, red fruit, some tobacco & hint of roses. All those good things that a nebbiolo should smell. And then there’s the tannins. They are there, but they are smooth. 2015 was a warm vintage with very little rain, which often results in “warm” wines, i.e. ripe fruit, hints of toffee, etc. But the Langhe Nebbiolo from Azelia was fresh, full of red fruits and berries! Just the way I like it!
For my Norwegians
I just checked and the Langhe Nebbiolo is sold out at Vinmonopolet… I believe a new shipment is coming in, but while you wait you can try his Barbera or perhaps a Barolo!?
Disclaimer: I have not visited Moccagatta before. And honestly, haven’t tried many of their wines. However, a few weeks ago my friend served me the Bric Balin 2016 blind and it blew me away! Which then led to my new interest in the Moccagatta wines.
Barbaresco
Nebbiolo for Barolo or Nebbiolo for Barbaresco? The grape may be the same, but the end results are quite different. Why? Climate has a lot to do with it. So does soil. The “Map Man” makes great 3d maps of the different areas, that show you how different the soil, altitude & exposition are in the different cities of Piemonte.
Even though I tend to stay within the confounds of Barolo, I do try to venture out and try wines from all over Piemonte (and the world). And Barberasco is not exactly very far away from Barolo. Although I have not tried all wines from Barbaresco, I normally prefer the wines from Barolo. But the Moccagatta Barbaresco Bric Balin 2016 really impressed me.
Moccagatta Bric Balin 2016
2016 produced some really big wines. Often compared to 2010, wines from 2016 will benefit from staying in the cellar for quite a few years.
The tannins are big, but they disappear fairly quickly and you’re left with beautiful fruit flavors. The wine lasts long in the mouth and it’s hard to put the glass down. If you drink it now, having some food with a glass will go a long way. Some air might also be beneficial to the drinking experience.
Norwegians rejoice! The Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto finally came back to the Norwegian market last month! It had been a while since I’d seen his wines here. And if you haven’t already, it’s still possible to order it at Vinmonopolet.
A myriad of Roberto’s other wines are also available. My personal favorite of his is the Barbera Pozzo. It only exists in Magnum bottles and since I can’t afford it, I hope to try it at the winery again this March. Or hope that someone will buy it for me. HINT: my birthday is coming up… haha
A gift from Roberto
Roberto Voerzio
Roberto’s winemaking style stands out. A “modernist”, just like Elio Altare, using small oak barrels and long maceration time. But what he is know for, is his work in the vineyard. Roberto chooses to do a very aggressive green harvest, reducing the number of grapes per plant, which results in more concentrated wine.
Voerzio Dolcetto 2018
In a blind tasting, this wine can be hard to figure out. Since Roberto doesn’t make wines that are “typical”, his Dolcetto doesn’t really seem like a Dolcetto. It could almost be mistaken for a Barbera, apart from the lack of acidity.
The first notes that hit are spices. Herbs. Licorice. Concentrated fruit in the mouth, typical of a Roberto Voerzio Dolcetto. Juicy, almost sweet. Predominantly ripe cherries, but also other ripe dark fruits. An impressive wine!
Before we talk about the Accomasso Barolo, let’s talk about Lorenzo Accomasso. After his quick rise to fame, Accomasso’s wines have been harder and harder to come by. The story of Lorenzo Accomasso is a peculiar one. And he’s a peculiar man. And his wines can be a bit peculiar too. I’ve only ever had his wines a handful of times, and the experience has been quite varied to be honest.
However, I have been lucky enough to visit him twice. And it’s quite the experience. He doens’t speak a word of english or regular italian. Only dialect. So I always bring along a translator. Not that it really helps. He doesn’t really talk about wine. The last time I was there, he was very excited about the land he has just bought. At age, 80+. He really is very peculiar. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit again this year!
Accomasso Barolo 2010
2010 has a big reputation, and this 2010 Barolo lived up to it. There’s a whole debate going on about whether or not the 2010’s are ready now, and in my limited experience with 2010 I think they could use a few more years.
The aroma’s immediately reminded me of La Morra. I love it when a wine can take you back to some of your fondest memories. A mix of fruits and herbs on the nose, really beautiful aromas. The first sip took me a bit by surprise. It’s a big wine. Tannins are strong, but still smooth, if you know what I mean.
His wines get mixed reviews, but the 2010 Accomasso Barolo was really good! I tasted it blind, and was honestly quite surprised when I saw which wine it was. It’s a very big wine, so it got even better with some food. If you have any 2010, you can keep them another 5-10 years!
PIEMONTEGIRL 