When many wine drinkers think of Piemonte, the wines they think of are those from the Langhe region.
These are the famous Barolo and Barbaresco, followed by Roero wines, Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis, Moscato and maybe some other wines.

But Piemonte is a large wine area and there are some wonderful treasures which are not so well known.

BENITO FAVARO

The Favaro family started it's little enological escapade back in the early 1990s when Benito started with maybe a hectare and a half of vines in Piverone, a small hamlet that's maybe 7 miles east of the "big" city of Ivrea.  It's a bit of a haul by car due north of Alba, (where you'll be in the heart of Barolo and Barbaresco "country"), but Piverone is 50 miles as the crow or duck flies.

Today the Favaro family has more than doubled its holdings, so this winemaking empire now encompasses about three and a half hectares of vines.  Camillo Favaro, who's the face of the winery (and in the snapshot above) is a supreme wine geek.  He's a passionate Burgundy aficionado and he's written a book about Lambrusco wines.

Favaro and his writing partner Giampaolo Gravina said all the books about Burgundy have been written in French or English, for the most part.  Anything found in Italian has been translated, so they embarked on a book about Burgundy viewed from an Italian's perspective.   And not just an Italian...and Italian winemaker.
Our friend Joanie The Italian Wine Geek is working on translating their writing into English, so one day the world will see a major Italian work about Burgundy translated into English.

They grow Syrah, Nebbiolo and Freisa, but most people will tell you Favaro's claim to fame is with the white grape variety called Erbaluce.  There are slightly more than 200 hectares of Erbaluce planted in Piemonte and it's almost entirely found in "northern" Piemonte.  The denominazione of Erbaluce di Caluso was, in fact, Piemonte's first white DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), giving some credence to the notion that this might be an important grape variety.
The grape can be rather high in acidity, so making one that's nicely balanced takes some skill.  Plus growing the Erbaluce grape is no piece of cake, either.
It often sees an early bud-break, which makes it prone to frost damage.  Then, despite being a  fairly vigorous vine, it's a bit delicate and susceptible to vineyard maladies on one hand and it can be unreliable in terms of crop yields.  In fact, it's common to see this vine trained with substantial foliage, as growers try to protect the grapes from hail damage, another common occurrence in this region.

Favaro's wine has routinely been a benchmark, in our view, for Erbaluce and the 2018 vintage is a good example of their handiwork.  Benito and Camillo's brother Nicola work in the vineyards and clearly they know what they're doing.


There are notes of white flowers and a touch of an almond note.  We're told the wine can develop a touch of a petrol fragrance, not unlike Riesling, but we don't find this young wine to have that quality presently.

There's definitely a stony, minerally element here, especially on the palate.  It's bone dry and crisp, having an edgy quality which makes it a good match with lunch of dinner.  
It's not especially showy with breakfast, however.

We enjoy a glass of this with some salumi and then Tortellini in Brodo...
Mighty nice.

But don't expect something hugely complex, please.  It's a wine that evolves nicely in the glass as it both airs and warms.  Seafood is a good match, as well.

Currently in stock:  2018 FAVARO ERBALUCE DI CALUSO "Le Chiusure"  $22.99

ANTONIO VALLANA

The venerable Vallana winery is about 132 kilometers from Barolo, but some might say it's much closer when you're comparing the Gattinara wine with Barolo (or Barbaresco).

The Vallana family traces its roots back to the late 1700s and their wines have been well-regarded on these shores for many years.

We remember tasting bottles of Vallana's wines from the 1950s and 1960s...they were remarkable and worthy of comparison with Nebbiolo wines from the Langhe region.  In Vallana's area of Alto Piemonte, Nebbiolo goes by the name "Spanna."  And we recall a time when the name Vallana was synonymous with "Spanna."

Those old vintages were a treat to taste but we think the wines from Vallana these days might be a bit better.

The winery is being run by the fourth and fifth generation of the Vallana family.

We met the fifth generation a few years ago and were impressed by the wines and their command of the English language.  It turned out their father was a British gentleman, so it shouldn't be a surprise they speak Inglese.  

While the Vallana name is well known amongst serious aficionados, one reason this winery flies a bit below the radar is they seem to be allergic to the various critics who write about wine.  These experts seem to write virtually nothing about Vallana, so we suspected the family is unwilling to "participate" with these various enterprises.  
(This usually entails sending samples, pouring wine for free at tastings, hosting critics for lunches or dinners, etc.)

In fact, we queried and Marina Olwen Fogarty, one of the current generation at Vallana responded with these words:
"We highly respect the work of these wine critics and perhaps their ratings are very effective for some wineries who strategically rely on scores to increase their sales.  Other wineries might send samples simply to have feedback...and there might be many reasons that push winemakers to submit the samples for ratings.  In our case, we never actually thought of investing in this opportunity, therefore we never sent them samples to review."
She has not ruled out sending samples in the future, but with sales being strong presently, they don't have the need to have critics taste and review their wines.

Vallana is close to the delimited area of the tiny appellation of Boca.  Since the winery has a long history of producing Gattinara, they are able to legally produce that majestic red outside the denominazione.  These days, if you own vineyards in Gattinara, you must vinify the wine within that appellation.

 

 

 

 

 

We have Vallana's 2018 Spanna in the shop.  This carries the appellation of Colline Novaresi.  It's been about 85% Spanna (Nebbiolo) with maybe 15% of the Vespolina grape. 
Over the years they've been less reliant on the blending of Vespolina into the Spanna and the 2016 is damned near entirely Nebbiolo.  They use fruit from a variety of sites in and around "Alto Piemonte," including Ghemme we've been told. (The reason they don't make "Ghemme" is that you have to have a winery in the region to be able to use that noteworthy appellation.) The wine is fermented in cement tanks and stays in tank for about 24 months with about a year of maturation in tonneau.  It's a beautifully bright, crisp red.  Medium-light bodied and quite enjoyable now, though this has a great track record for aging.    It's well-priced and gives a slightly different take on good, entry-level Nebbiolo wines.  


The 2013 Gattinara is also quite good.
It's made entirely of Nebbiolo and is comes from some of the oldest vines Vallana owns.

The juice is fermented in cement tanks and then goes into large wood vats for a couple of years, or so.  They usually leave it in wood for 18 to 24 months depending upon the vintage.  The wine is returned to cement tanks which they say is a bit like giving the wine bottle aging.  It stays in tank until some of the raw edges soften a bit.  Then it's given bottle aging and released when it's starting to blossom.  

 

 

Medium bodied...some red fruit notes...the wood doesn't contribute much in terms of fragrances or flavors.  It's employed to "mature" the wine but not to give oak to the wine.

A few years ago we were in Los Angeles with a friend who invited us to dinner.  We were handed the wine list and asked to make a selection.  A bottle of Vallana Gattinara immediately caught our eye, but then so did the price!  It was more than three times the retail price of that wine at that point in time, as this dining spot asked $150 for a $50 bottle at retail.  We politely handed the wine list back and said it was impossible to select a wine that was both of interest AND properly priced.  

By the way, Vallana doesn't bottle Gattinara each and every vintage.  They prefer to offer Gattinara in vintages they deem worthy. 

 

Back in 2010 they began making a wine not produced for several decades:  Boca.  This is now a very small wine region, having numerous sites abandoned over the decades.  There is a tiny resurgence and Vallana is a noteworthy producer.  
It's usually 65-70% Nebbiolo with the rest being Vespolina and Uva Rara.  Two years of maturation in wood and then a bit of bottle aging to round out the wine.
We have the 2017 currently and it's a lovely rendition...best decanted and allowed to air for an hour or two.

 

 

Currently in stock:  2018 VALLANA SPANNA  $24.99
2013 VALLANA GATTINARA $59.99
2017 VALLANA BOCA  $37.99

 GIMME SOME GHEMME!

ANTICHI VIGNETI di CANTALUPO

 

The Arlunno family has been cultivating vineyards in the Ghemme area for many generations, though this "antichi" winery is not terribly old.  It was built in 1977, designed by the Arlunno brother who's an architect.

     
Alberto Arlunno is the main man, assisted by famous consulting winemaker Donato Lanati.

They have about 35 hectares of vineyards and are a major name for the somewhat famous wine called Ghemme.  The town of Ghemme is known as a city of wine, but also a city of honey.

It's rather in the northern part of Piemonte, quite a ways from the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines of the Langhe region.  

Ghemme must be at least 75% Nebbiolo, which is known in the region as "Spanna."  One can blend Vespolina and/or Uva Rara into the Ghemme wines, but the Arlunno family prefers to have a 100% Nebbiolo wine.  

We'd featured their top-of-the-line bottling.
The 2004 vintage Gheme of the "Collis Breclamae" designation, currently in stock, is an excellent example of this rather traditionally-styled Nebbiolo.  It's from a really fine vintage and the wine spent about 3 years in "botte grande." 

We find some of the floral notes of Nebbiolo in this wine, with a hint of a resiny tone.  Some describe this as having a minerally note...  You'll find a modest tannic "bite" to the wine on the palate. However, serving it with some savory stewed or braised meat really softens the wine and gives it a wonderful appeal.  Big wine glasses really allow the wine to blossom in the glass.

Currently in stock:  2004 Ghemme "Collis Breclemae"  Sold Out

 

FRANCESCO BRIGATTI

This little winery has been growing grapes since the 1920s and in the 1950s they started making and bottling a bit of wine.  Prior to that, the property was devoted to both grapes and grain.

These days they produce about 20-thousand bottles of wine annually, split amongst several grape varieties.
They cultivate Erbaluce for white wine and then a few reds, with Nebbiolo being the most 'important' grape.

They also cultivate Barbera, Vespolina and Uva Rara.

We have some of their Uva Rara (it's so rare, you won't find this in very many shops...), a grape that is typically blended with Croatina and Barbera in the Oltrepo Pavese or it plays second fiddle to Nebbiolo in Sizzano, Fara and Boca wines.  Only in the Colline Novaresi does one find it bottled on its own.   And then, to keep you totally confused, Vespolina is sometimes called Uva Rara and Uva Rara is sometimes thought to be Bonarda.  

Is that crystal clear?
Welcome to Italy!

What's it like?  It's a non-oaked red wine...fermented in stainless, allowed to rest in  stainless and then bottled towards the summer following the fermentation.  They capture a nice red fruit quality in this wine and there's a faintly floral note here, too.  It's medium-bodied and mildly acidic.  A tomato-sauced pasta works well with this, but then so does a nice pizza...nothing too heavy, so the wine matches the texture and intensity of the food. 
It's not a wine for cellaring, so you'd want to drink this over the next year, or so.

I recall a wine of Brigatti's from my youth called MötZiflon that's a Nebbiolo-based blend.  It was one of those wines you could share with friends and have them think you're one sophisticated wine geek to be aware of something so obscure!  

 

The MötZiflon is still available, though...it's a blend of Nebbiolo with a touch of Vespolina and a drop of Uva Rara.  

We tasted it side-by-side with Brigatti's other buon "Möt," Mötfrei which is made entirely of Nebbiolo with no blending...

The scoop on this:  Möt means hill in the local dialetto.  Ziflon means "singing birds" or "bird song."  But Mötfrei, which a wordsmith such as myself would expect to be almost German-speak with "frei" as "free, means Porcini hill to the Novaresi.  So much for my word-smithing!

The 2009 Mötfrei is a lovely rendition of Nebbiolo, too.  That means it's not inky black in color, showing gobs of fruit and it's not a flashy, oaky red wine.  Hardly.   It's classically Nebbiolo, which means good acidity, moderate tannins (less than youthful Barolo or Barbaresco per esempio).  The nose, if you appreciate Nebbiolo (and other wines of elegance and finesse), is magnificent.  It's showing a red fruit tone that's tamped down with a faintly earthy note...medium-bodied...dry...lightly tannic...
And this pairs handsomely with some braised or stewed meats enhanced by Porcini!

Currently in stock:  BRIGATTI 2011 UVA RARA Sold Out
BRIGATTI 2009 MOTFREI NEBBIOLO  Sold Out

VIGNETI MASSA

If you're driving from Genoa to Milano, you may pass by Tortona.  If you're visiting Barolo producers and are heading east to Verona or Venice, you'll come to Asti, Alessandria and then Tortona.  As a major wine region, however, it's not an area explored by many. 

However, there are now about 20 producers of the very particular white grape, Timorasso,  which had fallen out of favor after the scourge of phylloxera.  This caused a bunch of viticultural "Barberians" to replace Timorasso with the more reliable (in terms of a bountiful crop) red grape, Barbera.  Timorasso has been so obscure for so long, you won't find mention of it in many books on grape varieties or tomes such as Burton Anderson's "Vino" book of the 1970s.  

Can you blame them, after all?  It seems Timorasso is a bit of a pain-in-the-ass.  Not all the buds produce fruit and so it can 'set' a rather meager crop.  And yet this variety was cultivated from this eastern Piemontese outpost south to Genoa on the Ligurian coast.

The legend of this wine, though, is that wine grower Walter Massa, who's something like a 5th generation vintner, had cultivated Barbera and the white Cortese grape, for the most part.  I've read stories of his introduction to the Timorasso grape through a local distiller who had made some grappa from the skins of this curious variety. 

 

But when I visited, Walter told me he had some Timorasso vines on the family property and it was inter-mixed with other white grapes.  At some point, he kept the fruit apart and liked the resulting wine.

And so his work with Timorasso changed the Tortonesi viticultural landscape, as Massa began working in the 1980s to resuscitate this variety of grape.

It seems Timorasso, though, was a major white grape not only towards the end of the 1800s, but back in the late 1400s and early 1500s...I read some account claiming Leonardo da Vinci gifting Isabella of Aragon at her wedding with Montebore cheese and Timorasso wine!  Hard to believe a fellow of Tuscan origins would offer Piemontese treats, but maybe on his way to Milano, Leo stopped for provisions?

The Timorasso vineyards are said to be easily recognized...an oblong bunch of Timorasso fruit will have very uneven-sized berries...some rather large and others quite tiny.  The berries are thick-skinned, apparently.

 

Most of the Massa vineyards are in this little 'bowl' near the town of Monleale.

 

Some contend the Timorasso grape should be Piemonte's "great white wine."  And, perhaps one day it will be recognized for its grandeur.  Today, though, only a few enlightened souls know this wine and it's Walter Massa who's the "Papa of Timorasso."  

In its youth, this white wine is rather minerally...think of some Loire Valley whites or Chablis.  It's a bit on the crisp side of the spectrum and its acidity is credited with giving Timorasso its longevity.  Members of the Timorasso "cult" will tell you this wine ages magnificently and evolves into a magical white wine.  In its youth, we look for hints of white flower scents, a suggestion of honey and a moderately minerally, stony character.  As it develops, a more pronounced honeyed quality emerges, with ripe pear characteristics and the minerally backbone remains.


So...as mentioned, there are now nearly two dozen proponents of Timorasso.  
And Massa is the reference point.


We have his 2018 in stock.  Its label denotes Derthona, a Latin name for Tortona.

Walter is probably more enthused about his Barbera wines.  These are typical, classic Barbera wines.  He opened a range of vintages spanning the past decade...I can say these age beautifully and the wine blossoms quite handsomely at ten years of age!

In fact, we opened a bottle of Massa's 2000 vintage of Monleale Barbera...it was a nice old bottle of Piemontese red wine, but it had aromatics more reminiscent of well-aged Barolo!  The tarry elements made us think of some older bottles of Nebbiolo...remarkable!

Croatina is bottled as a varietal wine and there's a tiny production of rosato.

Currently in stock:  2018 MASSA "Derthona" Timorasso  $34.99

This is the only "signage" in town for the Massa winery!
You might 'miss' it when  you're in the car.

TRAVAGLINI

The name Travaglini is synonymous with Gattinara.  

Many of the locals gave up on cultivating vineyards back in the 1950s...the work was difficult and the rewards were non-existent or small.  Travaglini, though, was dedicated to making wine.   Arturo Travaglini was a sharp fellow and he purchased vineyards from people who were interested in work outside the world of agriculture.  And over the years they've acquired something close to 59 hectares of estate vineyards.  They lease another 44 hectares, as well, so the production tallies to approximately 250-thousand bottles annually.

These days the winery is run by Clemente Travaglini's grand-daughter, Cinzia.  She and her husband Massimo Collauto run the show, dedicated, it seems, to producing marvelously traditional, old-school Nebbiolo wines.

You'll notice the bottle depicted here to the left is a bit unusual.  For one thing, it's not round, so it wont typically roll away from you.

But it's got some indentations on the sides, which makes gripping the bottle fairly easy.  But that's not why it's designed that way.  The notion is the indentations will trap or catch sediment in your well-aged bottle of Gattinara, allowing you to pour it directly into a wine glass without having to decant it.

I'm not sold on that notion, but the fanciful story does give the importer's sales people and their colleagues something to talk about.  But, more importantly, why not speak about Travaglini's love of Nebbiolo and dedication to making good Gattinara?  

We have the 2017 Gattinara in stock.  It's made entirely of Nebbiolo (or Spanna as many of the locals call it), though the law does permit vintners to blend in a small percentage of Vespolina or Uva Rara.  During the fermentation they leave the juice in contact with the skins for about two weeks, so it's a fairly traditional vinification.  The wine then spends about two years in Slavonian oak and then it goes into bottle and takes another couple of years to reach the West Coast.

The wine is classic Nebbiolo.  The color is medium garnet with a typically minerally, earthy quality.  The tannin level is moderate:  too high for a cocktail wine, but they don't make it with that intention.  It's intended to be a "food" wine, so pairing it with braised meats, a mushroom risotto or something appropriate will make this a memorable bottle.  

There's also a Riserva bottling in the shop.  This comes from vineyards with slightly smaller yields than the regular bottling...and they leave it in wood for a year longer.  It's a bigger and more complex version of Nebbiolo.  You can compare it to a good Barolo or Barbaresco, of course.  It's showing well now, but this is the sort of Nebbiolo wine that can be cellared 5 to 15 years with good results.
it, too, comes in a bottle that won't roll away from you at a hillside picnic.'

Currently in stock:  2017 TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA  Sale $39.99
2017 TRAVAGLINI GATTINARA Riserva  SALE $69.99

The cellar with lots of botte grande.

PROPRIETÀ SPERINO

These days the rice from a nearby town is more famous around the world than this wine.  
Lessona is not especially famous these days, but that may change once more people taste some of the wines from this Piemonte appellation.

It's located about 20 kilometers northwest of the town of Arborio, a place famous for its risicoltura than for viticoltura.

The Sperino family owned this little azienda once upon a time and with no heirs, the property came into the possession of the De Marchi family.  Though the names Sperino and De Marchi had been associated in Piemonte with doctors and medicine, today the De Marchi name is associated with wine.  But the fame has been garnered not in Piemonte, but in Tuscany.  

You might recognize the name De Marchi, since Paolo De Marchi is an outspoken proponent of Chianti Classico and the owner of the prestigious estate called Isole e Olena.  But Paolo has Piemontese blood in his veins, along with Sangiovese and he has assumed ownership of the Sperino estate in the town of Biella.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luca DeMarchi runs the vineyards and cellar at the Sperino estate.

Over the past decade, he's been breathing life into this old estate and bringing a tiny bit of attention to "the other Piemonte."

 

The Lessona appellation was granted DOC status in 1977, but you rarely see wine of this region.  Nebbiolo, known in the Vercelli hills as "Spanna," accounts for at least 75% of Lessona wine, blended with, typically, Vespolina and Bonarda.  Today these wine are well in the shadow of the Nebbiolo wines of the Langhe region, but they are worth exploring.

 

The 'press'...
Very low tech...this bag is placed in a tank and they inflate it with water.
The weight presses the juice from the skins in a very gentle and cost-effective manner.

We have a pretty little well-priced red from this estate that's called, simply, Uvaggio (the Italian word for a blended red wine, one of the most famous these days, it seems, being Brunello di Montalcino).  The denominazione is "Coste della Sesia" and Sperino's is 65% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina and15% Croatina.  The grapes are grown in the Lessona and Bramaterra regions, which both have their own DOC.

 

 

 

Descending into the lower level cellar at Proprieta Sperino.

 

 

 

 

There are numerous ancient bottles stashed in the cellar from the late 1800s.

Luca says they've opened one or two and found the wine to actually be alive (still).  They credit the large quantity of mold with shielding the cork from air and preserving the wine.

There's a library that's equally well-preserved.

A book on American vines and the phylloxera problem...along with a "bulletin" concerning local viticulture.




The 2014 Uvaggio  wine had a fairly long period of skin contact, so if you're in tune with Barolo or Barbaresco, this will taste pretty good.  If you're a fan of White Zinfandel or Muscat wines, we suspect this may prove too challenging for your delicate palate.

The wine is called "Uvaggio" which is a term for a blend of grapes.
We believe the grapes come from the region of Lessona and another fraction of the wine comes from an area in the Bramaterra region.
It's something like 80% Nebbiolo with Vespolina and a small percentage of Croatina.
It's matured in a variety of different sized wooden containers and in this vintage we detect a touch of wood with some balsamic notes on the nose.
The 2014 is showing well in its youth and e expect it to age nicely given its acidity and light tannins.

If you're opening a bottle presently, consider splashing it around in a decanter for a bit and allow it to "breathe" for maybe an hour or two.

The 2004 had developed beautifully.  We tasted a bottle in February of 2010 and found the wine to be progressing exceptionally.  It's matured in cooperage of various dimensions for more than a year and this wine shows some nice, woodsy notes.

The 2006 is remarkably good.  We found the Nebbiolo component to be very expressive and the wine is certainly worthy of comparison to good Barbaresco or Barolo wines.  Perhaps it will blossom a bit earlier than top 2006 Barolo wines, but it's certainly a showy bottle, even in its youth.

 

 

 

Currently in stock:  2014 SPERINO "UVAGGIO"   SALE $39.99

A Sperino DeMarchi Lunch.


Francesca shows off her Risotto di Salsiccia.
It was perfect with the Uvaggio 2006!!!

SELLA

The Sella family has quite a history in "the other Piemonte."

They've been in the fabric business for a few hundred years and for the past hundred, or so, they've owned a bank (good thing, too, because you need money to produce wine).

However, they say they've been in the wine business since 1671 (a marvelous vintage we're told, with Robert Parker giving it a high score in Roman numerals).

Comino Sella acquired the first land in 1671 in Lessona.  The family purchased some property in Bramaterra around the 1880s.  Today they have approximately 12 hectares of vineyards and produce close to 90,000 bottles of wine annually.

We've tasted the range of wines of Sella and they are routinely of good quality.

Currently in the shop is a youthful white wine made from the Erbaluce grape.  It's an old Roman grape variety, according to the history books, with its first notation back around 1606, or so, give or take a year.  
The grape is noted for its crisp acidity, so you'll find a number of sparkling wines from Erbaluce along with sweet wines.

Sella makes a delightful, crisp, chalky dry white with no oak...it's the sort of wine you serve to start a meal...pair it with some mildly sweet Prosciutto...some salami, perhaps?  Or give it a go with some Crab Cakes...

Currently in stock:  2010 SELLA ERBALUCE "Coste della Sesia"  Sold Out

LE PIANE

The region where the wine called "Boca" is made had just about died off.  At one point it was the source of a wine of high repute, but over the last half of the 20th Century, the wines and wineries of Boca nearly disappeared.

The region is located nearly two hours' drive from Alba in the Langhe.  From Milano, you'll need an hour and a quarter to get there.  From the somewhat better known appellation of Ghemme, Boca is about 20 minutes' drive north.   If you're in Torino, you'll need an hour and quarter.  Basically, then, it is officially in the middle of "No Where!"

The story of Le Piane begins with a fellow who's in the wine business in Switzerland.  
His name is Christoph Künzli.  Having known Italian winemaker celebrity Paolo DeMarchi of Isole e Olena in Chianti, Kunzli was introduced to the Boca region as DeMarchi was renovating an estate in the Lessona region, another place time had passed by.

Kuenzli met the venerable Antonio Cerri, the last of the Mohicans in Boca.  Having been smitten by the landscape and countryside, Künzli's enthusiasm for the region impressed the 80-something year old Cerri (who was contemplating retiring when he reached a state of senior citizenship).  Eventually Herr Künzli, with some investors,  was able to purchase Cerri's small estate and cellar.  

Signor e Signora Cerri

 

Over the past few years, additional patches of land have been purchased and today the property comprises some 8 hectares of estate vineyards.  Nebbiolo, of course, rules the roost.  But some auxiliary grape varieties are found in this area, notably Vespolina and Croatina.

The entire Boca appellation dwindled down to 8.5 hectares in 2001...there is but a handful of producers making Boca these days, with Le Piane being in the Top Five.  It's remarkable to think that Northern Piemonte was widely planted in the 1800s with more than 40,000 hectares of vineyards.  These days the vineyards cover about 700 hectares and Boca nearly disappeared!

 

We tasted through the small line-up and each wines was very good, but the most unusual, from our perspective was a wine called "Le Piane" and it's a Colli Novaresi red wine which we understand is predominantly made of the Croatina grape.  The vineyards are old and, according to Künzli, planted as a field blend.  They estimate this site is 80% Croatina, but have found Nebbiolo and Vespolina, amongst others, mixed in.

The wine spends time in large wood tanks and puncheons, so there's a suggestion of oak, but it's more of a whisper than a shout.  Le Piane is a medium-bodied red, so pairing it with roasted chicken, pork or red meats is ideal.  The 2007 is showing handsomely now and you can hang onto it for another 5-10 years.

The entry-level wine called "Le Maggiorina" is a field blend.  It comes from parcels hither and yon...interplanted with a number of varieties, including some white grapes.  Since the various grapes are mixed in the vineyard, a precise blend is unknown, but it's roughly 40% each of Nebbiolo and Croatina with 5% Vespolina.  There are said to be another 9 varieties in the mix.  
The 2015 is a light to medium-bodied red.  There's red fruit notes of the Croatina and Nebbiolo with virtually no wood on display.  It's dry and mildly acidic with a touch of tannin.
We like this served at cellar temp with salumi, tomato-sauced pasta, sausages or something with a little bit of fat, as the acid cleanses the palate beautifully.
It is intended for immediate drinking.

 

Currently in stock:  2007 LE PIANE "Le Piane" COLLINE NOVARESI SALE $39.99
2015 LE PIANE "Maggiorina"  $19.99

Christoph Künzli of Le Piane

They make red wine for the most part...though there was one little vat of white wine as an experiment...stay tuned!
Erbaluce, if I recall correctly.

TENUTA MONTEMAGNO

The Barea family operates an upscale relais and winery in Piemonte's Monferrato region, fairly close to Asti.

The Tenuta Montemagno sits just about on the 45th Parallel and there are approximately 100 hectares of vineyards, devoted to grape varieties which are indigenous to the region.

Barbera and Grignolino are prominent at Montemagno, but they also have some of the white grape called Timorasso, a red called Malvasia di Casorzo and the magnificent variety called Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato. 

We've long been fans of Ruchè and have carried a bottling or two for more than a decade.  

Montemagno's is a recent addition to our Italian selections.

The grape had been said to have been brought to Monferrato from France's Burgundy, but we can't say Ruchè has ever reminded us of either Gamay or Pinot Noir.  Now we are told the variety is linked to a couple of local varieties: Malvasia Aromatica di Parma and Croatina.

Wines made of Ruchè tend to be medium-bodied and not too heavy or ripe.  There's a floral fragrance which we find to be the hallmark of the grape.  We sought out a few producers of this wine while in Italy on a recent visit and found varied wines.  One large estate was drying the grapes and thought that making a sort of "Amarone" or "Ripasso"-styled wine was a good idea.  
This was totally unsatisfying for us.
Making a jammy, raisiny red from such an elegant grape is a mistake in our view.

Montemagno's 2017 Ruchè is delicious and a beautiful example of this grape.

Some say it's a bit reminiscent of Lacrima di Morro d'Alba from Le Marche in Central Italy.  There may be a few aromatic notes common to both, but Ruchè is less perfumed and a tad lighter  on the palate (typically).  
But there's a floral quality to both of them and so if you know those from Le Marche, you might enjoy this Piemontese red.

We have a second wine from Tenuta Montemagno, a white wine called Nymphae, a blend of Timorasso and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Timorasso is a variety more commonly cultivated near Tortona, but which is gaining in popularity and being planted more frequently.  The Nymphae blend also features Sauvignon Blanc which contributes a citrusy/herbal tone.    It's well-priced a delicious, showing some of the mildly stony notes of the Timorasso but with plenty of Sauvignon Blanc displayed on the nose and palate.

Currently in stock:  2019 NYMPHAE "Monferrato Bianco"  $19.99
2017 RUCHÈ di CASTAGNOLE MONFERRATO  $25.99

CRIVELLI

One of the delights of Italian wine is the phenomenal diversity and the discovery of something new, unusual and, best of all, good.

Piemonte has many worthy wines and most wine geeks can recite the names of various producers of Barolo and Barbaresco.  Super serious fans will know a couple of Ghemme and Gattinara  wineries.  Ultra serious fanatics will know a Carema or Erbaluce vintner. 

But hardly anybody knows the "famous" wine of Castagnole Monferrato:  Ruchè.  

This is a grape variety thought to have been brought to the Convento San Rocco (now, merely a memory...it no longer exists) by monks.  Local legend says the vine came from France and, probably, Burgundy.    Today there are 16 producers of Ruchè.  Total acreage has increased significantly...as of last count, there are some 45 hectares of this grape in the Monferrato Astigiano area.  The variety, apparently, yields a smaller crop than Barbera and so growers, preferring a more abundant crop, allowed Ruchè to go by the wayside.  Only in the late 1990s and early 2000s is this variety making a very modest "comeback" (if you care to call it that).

The name of the grape may be a corruption of the French word "Roche" or rock, or, perhaps "Rouchet."  Another theory is it refers to "roncet", a vine disease which Ruchè is said to be resistant.

Another part of the local legend says the wine from this grape variety was routinely served to visiting French "intruders" as it would get them drunk in a hurry.  There was virtually no commercial production of this wine until fairly recently.  

I think we first tasted this variety made by the Scarpa winery.  Their motto is "If the shoe fits, wear it."  It was not my size, however.  Later we tasted a wine made for local (and loco) vintner, Randall Grahm, of Bonny Doon infamy.  Nice try.  A producer called Sant' Agata is well-regarded and their wine is a nice example.  This past year, we accompanied a Bay Area importer to taste the Ruchè from someone he'd bought the wine a decade ago.  Swing and a miss.

Some friends who make good, classic Barolo introduced me to their friend Marco Crivelli.  "He makes really good Ruchè," they said.  "You should taste it."  And so I did.  And they were right...damned good.  I called our importer friend and said "You need to forget buying wine from that producer you dragged me to.  You need to contact Mister Ruchè, Marco Crivelli."

Crivelli kindly sent some bottles to the west coast and Mister Importer said "Wow!"

And now we have some top Ruchè to offer a few adventuresome wine drinkers here in Burlingame.  

Crivelli and his son Jonathan (how's that for an Italian name!) cultivate about 8 hectares of vines.  Some 4.5 hectares are Ruchè and the rest include Barbera, Grignolino and a tiny patch of Syrah (Crivelli tasted some Swiss Syrahs...these, unbeknownst to most wine drinkers, are some of the best in the world.  But they cost a small fortune and only Swiss bank owners can afford to drink them).  

The Ruchè wine is a medium-bodied red.  In terms of Piemontese wines, it's fuller bodied than Grignolino, less intense than top vintage of Dolcetto, less acidic than Barbera, close to the intensity of another odd Piemontese grape, Pelaverga.  It tends to display notes of cherry and raspberry of moderate intensity.  Adding interest to this is the underlying floral tone of the wine...the tannin level is modest and so drinking this in its youth probably shows it off best.  

Crivelli's background is that of a chemist and yet, interestingly, he cultivates organically.  "We do use SO2 in the wine, but that's it." he says.  For a number of years he worked in government offices in Asti before trading his business suits for farmer's wear.  

The Crivelli Ruchè is made in a straightforward fashion.  It's all about the quality of the grapes as the wine is vinified traditionally and bottled fairly young...typically in the middle to late summer to retain the fruity aspect of the wine.  

 

Currently in stock:  CRIVELLI 2007 RUCHÈ DI CASTAGNOLE MONFERRATO  Sold Out

Marco Crivelli and his son Jonathan.

After visiting Crivelli, we ventured a few kilometers away to the town of Montemagno
and the restaurant 
"LA BRAJA."
Well worth the trip!
CLICK HERE TO SEE

IOPPA

Here we have been, several years without Ghemme wines in the shop and suddenly we have two different producers available.

This is because I'd just as soon not have wine of a particular appellation if the wines are not of interesting quality or interesting quality and fair price.

Ioppa is a new producer for us.  And Giampiero & Giorgio Ioppa's wine is quite different from the Ghemme listed above.

 

The Ioppa brothers.

 

They have about 12 hectares, but not all is planted with Nebbiolo.  Some 30% is Vespolina and 10% Uva Rara.  

Their Ghemme is blended with 20% Vespolina and it's matured for 8 months in French oak after spending a year in more traditional cooperage.  The wine shows a more cedary, woodsy character than the Cantalupo Ghemme, for example.   We have the excellent 2001 vintage in the shop presently.   It's a lovely red for grilled or roasted red meats.  Drinkable now, we expect this to continue to grow and soften in bottle for another 5-10+ years.

Currently in stock:  2001 Ioppa Ghemme Sold Out

 

 

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