December Wine Box: Nebbiolo and Barbera ( stage #33), led by sommelier Nicola Bonera - best sommelier in Italy 2010
Michele Taliano , Montà (CN)
The Michele Taliano company was founded in 1930 by Domenico Taliano, although it has its roots much further back in time, from the time when the family, known by the nickname "Re Cit", or "little kings", was dedicated to I work in the fields and in the vineyard.
Today the company is run by the third generation, Alberto and Ezio, Michele's sons, who manage historic vineyards in the Roero, in the areas of Bossola, Rolandi, Benna, in the municipality of Montà, where the cellar and plots in the Montersino cru are located, in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, a hamlet of Alba, within the Barbaresco DOCG, the latter acquired in the 70s by Michele.
15 hectares of vineyards in total and just over 70,000 bottles per year: a family-run business with tailor-made production. Great attention to work in the vineyard, some good technical aid in the cellar and time are the ingredients for a dozen very interesting labels.
It ranges from the classic vines of Roero and Alba, i.e. Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, then ranging to Favorita (i.e. Vermentino as it is called in the Langhe), Moscato and Brachetto.
The vineyards are partly located in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, in an area dedicated mainly to Nebbiolo from Barbaresco (approximately 3 hectares) and Barbera (1.5); the remaining 4 hectares are located in the Roero, in the Bòssora area, a splendid natural amphitheater surrounded by woods and gorges which can be accessed with difficulty along a sandy path. Other plots in the same area were planted between 1999 and 2005.
Marco and Vittorio Adriano , San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (CN)
In the heart of the Langa, in Alba in the hamlet of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, the Adriano Marco e Vittorio agricultural company grows and vinifies only its own grapes, with the aim of producing wines that best interpret the "terroir". The Adriano family is a classic example of a family-run farm, a true tradition in Piedmont.
The family's winemaking tradition dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, when grandfather Giuseppe, a sharecropper, began cultivating vines. He continued with his son Aldo, with whom they purchased a small company and together they planted the new vines in San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, at the time part of the municipality of Barbaresco and now a hamlet of Alba. In the 90s Marco and Vittorio arrived in the company and, with their wives Luciana and Grazia, improved the production and marketing of wines with a strong expansion on international markets. With the 1994 harvest they decided to vinify their own grapes, producing the first bottles under their own brand.
Currently the company has a total area of 50 hectares, divided between 10 hectares of hazelnuts, 10 hectares of forests and fallow land and 30 hectares of vineyards cultivated with Nebbiolo from Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscato Bianco.
Chemical weed control has no longer been used in the vineyard for almost 10 years, working the land with absolute respect to obtain a healthy, quality product.
Despite this, they decided to invest with "the green experience" certification. We have also invested in the production of eco-sustainable energy with a photovoltaic system that produces the electricity necessary for the production cycle and an innovative phytopurification system that cleans the waste water of the cellar.
Bruna Grimaldi , Grinzane Cavour (CN)
In 1957 Giacomo Grimaldi began selling grapes and Giovanni Grimaldi, in the 1960s, moved on to producing wine and selling it in bulk. And Giovanni himself built the cornerstones of the family and the company: he was very attentive to viticulture, respecting the vineyard and the wine; it already bottled the best vintages, thus creating an important "history", and valorised the vineyard and the grapes.
In 1990 a new phase began: Bruna Grimaldi and her husband Franco Fiorino brought enthusiasm and new knowledge to the company. Vineyards are purchased in targeted areas to be able to produce wines only from proprietary grapes. The new cellar is built, the work is perfected and Bruna Grimaldi wines begin to be offered on new markets.
For all red wines, vinification is traditional: time is the determining factor that allows the precious compounds contained in the skins to be extracted slowly and gently, without forcing. It is vinified in stainless steel and then in concrete, controlling the temperatures during the different phases and tasting the must/wine daily.
The Nebbiolo grapes destined to produce the different Barolos are subjected to long macerations with the skins, and often "submerged cap", an ancient technique, very important for defining the complexity and structure of a wine destined for long refinement. The wines remain in the winemaking room until the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation processes are completed.
The company identifies itself with "an ethical approach" to the vineyard, in full respect of nature, with sustainable viticulture, reasoned methods to bring good, balanced wines to the market that respect the environment and the consumer.
ENTHUSIAST BOX
Langhe Nebbiolo Blagheur, Michele Taliano
Tradition dictates that the organoleptic qualities of this vine can be expressed even after just one year of refinement. In this case the youngest vineyards of the company estates are destined to express a "young" version of Nebbiolo.
The name derives from a dialect expression that implies the historical nobility of the vine, "blaguma na vote", as if to say "for once let's act", or "let's strut our stuff while enjoying a precious wine".
Towards mid-October the grapes arriving in the cellar are fermented in stainless steel tanks; a fairly short maceration with the skins is followed by refinement for approximately 12 months in wood. In December of the year following the harvest, the wine is ready to be bottled and marketed.
Wine with a characteristic transparent color, ruby with light garnet reflections; on the nose it expresses great florality, typical of the vine, with pleasant spicy and fruity notes; on the palate the tannin is lively but well integrated, freshness and fruitiness prevail.
A wine that demonstrates versatility at the table, capable of marrying elaborate appetizers based on cured meats and cheeses, or first courses with meat sauces, risottos with autumn products, such as mushrooms and truffles; among the second courses, try it with white meats with medium-structured sauces.
To be consumed in a fairly slender medium-sized glass, at 15-16° C, to enhance its smoothness.
Pleasant in its youth, it is a wine capable of evolving positively for 3-4 years, stored in cool, humid rooms.
Barbera d'Alba, Marco and Vittorio Adriano
Barbera from vineyards exposed to the east and west, at an altitude of approximately 300 metres, on tuff marl.
The grapes harvested with great care in the first days of October, after a careful selection, are pressed and left to ferment in steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 25-26° C, in the same tanks the malolactic fermentation takes place.
The refinement is divided between steel tanks and Slavonian oak barrels with a capacity of between 30 and 50 hl.
Wine with an impenetrable ruby color, with violet notes; the aroma is linked to the typical freshness of the vine, with hints of ripe red fruit, such as blackberry and plum; with evolution it highlights the spicy characteristics more; freshness dominates on the palate, with a rich alcoholic presence.
It is a red wine that naturally accompanies a meal, ranging from appetizers to main courses, preferring cured meats, cold cuts, meats with a good fatty component, pork in all its forms.
To be served at 15-16° C it does not have much tannin and it is preferable to enjoy its freshness.
Fresh and carefree when young, with 4-5 years of aging it changes appearance, becoming richer and more multifaceted.
Nebbiolo d'Alba Bonurei, Bruna Grimaldi
Nebbiolo is synonymous with elegance, what is sought in this wine which aims to be the young and fresh expression of this vine. It is 100% Nebbiolo, coming from vineyards on the borders of the Barolo area, from the municipalities of Roddi, Diano d'Alba and Sinio – Bricco del Gallo, at an altitude between 250 and 450 metres.
Controlled temperature fermentation and maceration for 15-20 days, after spontaneous malolactic fermentation the wine is placed in French oak barrels with a capacity of 500 and 700 liters, where it remains for between 12 and 15 months.
Shiny garnet color; expresses floral aromas, with hints of ripe fruit and spices, followed by delicate toasted hints; the tannins are elegant and blend with the medium structure, finding a harmonious balance with refinement.
It goes well with traditional dishes, elaborate appetizers of Piedmontese cuisine, gravies and sauces, egg pasta with roast sauces, boiled meats and casseroled poultry.
Serving temperature 16-17° C.
To be consumed with peace of mind, pleasant as soon as it is placed on the market and up to 6-7 years after production.
EXPERT BOX
Roero Riserva Roche Dra Bossora, Michele Taliano
The Roero hills can be recognized from afar by the typical shape of the slopes interrupted by enormous ravines and ravines that reach up to 200 meters deep: the "Ròche". In the La Bòssořa area the exposure of the vineyards is towards the south to allow perfect maturation of the Nebbiolo; hence the name of the wine.
The grapes are harvested in the second half of October; maceration and fermentation continue for a long time to guarantee the extraction of all those components that will give structure and guarantee evolution over time. This is followed by aging in barriques for approximately 24 months.
The classic color is followed by a complex, elegant and multifaceted sense of smell, with many spicy and balsamic notes, the small wood affects the concentrated fruits and sweet spices; on the palate the tannin is powerful, supported by a firm structure, enveloping alcohol and notable persistence.
Ideal companion for central dishes of the kitchen, noble game, feathered and furred; also excellent with mature and tasty cheeses when it has a few years under its belt. Among the first courses, to be combined with stuffed pasta or spicy and aromatic sauces.
It should be served at 17-18° C in large glasses, to facilitate olfactory complexity; it might be useful to unpack at the time of service to allow the complexity to open up and become available.
Wine that begins to express its value between the fourth and fifth year after the harvest, but is capable of defying time by growing for 10 years or more. If the bottle is well preserved, even longer periods could make the wine shine.
Barbaresco Sanadaive, Marco and Vittorio Adriano
It owes its name to a dialect form, which revolves around the translation of the village of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Well-sunny vineyards facing south-west, at around 280 meters above sea level, on tuff marl, with an average age of over 30 years.
The careful selection that follows the harvest, strictly manual, brings healthy grapes to the cellar which ferment in steel at a slightly higher temperature, around 28-29° C, to extract the full potential of the Nebbiolo grapes. In spring the wine is placed in Slavonian oak barrels with a capacity of 35 hl, where it remains for just over a year.
Garnet colored wine with slight orange nuances, which become more accentuated with evolution; on the nose it expresses pleasant and elegant floral notes, dried flowers, fruit compote, citrus peel, sweet spices; on the palate it has excellent structure, it is enveloping, full, with well-present but not intrusive tannins, a long and balanced finish.
A very versatile wine, it embodies the class of Nebbiolo, its power, but at the same time its grace and lightness, it accompanies rich and tasty risottos, stuffed pasta with substantial sauces, roasts, porchetta and medium-aged cheeses.
Wine that should be enjoyed in a large glass at 17-18°C, opening the bottle a little early.
If well preserved it can guarantee pleasure for over 10 years, starting to manifest itself optimally between the fifth and eighth year.
Barolo Camilla, Bruna Grimaldi
Camilla is a traditional name for the company, the grapes have always come from several plots in Grinzane Cavour, in particular from a vineyard on the highest ridge of the hill always named, by the farmers of the time, "la Camila". La Camilla is in fact one of the four farmhouses that at the time of Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour (mid-nineteenth century), were annexed to the land ownership of the Grinzane Cavour Castle.
Barolo Camilla is produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown in various municipalities; in the Municipality of Grinzane Cavour, MGA Raviole and Borzone; in the Municipality of La Morra, MGA Roere di Santa Maria.
The great value of Barolo Camilla is the biodiversity of the terroirs that make up the different hills from which it originates: some plots are located on land composed of the Sant'Agata Fossili marl, in which there is a rich presence of clay, little sand, medium quantity of limestone; others from the Lequio Formations, lands of ancient formation with the rich presence of limestone, special clays and layers of sandstone (sand cemented into limestone). Medium slope terrain is followed by very steep terrain. The exposures are all full south. Grapes harvested by hand from late September to mid-October.
Controlled temperature fermentation and long macerations, from 20 to 30 days, sometimes with a submerged cap; aging for 24-30 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and French oak tonneaux. Followed by long refinement in the bottle.
Transparent garnet, with complex hints of leather, tobacco, fruit jams and sweet spices; on the palate it has great structure, an important tannic texture and a long trail, with saline and spicy notes.
To accompany structured and rich dishes, such as meat, game, stews, braised meats, stews and mature cheeses.
Serving temperature 17-18 °C, large glasses to enhance its complexity.
Wine that gives its best around 8-10 years, but can evolve beyond 15.
