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The 2018 Barolos, Part 2
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Oct 2022
Two thousand and eighteen remains a mixed vintage that reflects the challenges of a growing season marked by heavy spring rains, intense summer heat and unbalanced weather during the final phase of ripening. There are some gorgeous 2018s out there, but finding them will take a bit of work. The best 2018s are beautifully perfumed, mid-weight Barolos that will drink well early.
2021 Barolo en Primeur Charity Auction
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Sep 2022
I am delighted to once again host the Barolo en Primeur Charity Auction, being held simultaneously in New York City and Grinzane Cavour on Friday, October 28 at 12pm New York time and 6pm Piedmont time. This is a rare opportunity to acquire 2021 Barolo ahead of release. Some of the lots will be sold as single barrels, as they were last year, while others are collections of smaller lots from various producers, organized by village. All the wines will be adorned with special labels designed by artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Cellar Favorite: 2010 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, May 2022
Luca Roagna’s 2010 Barbaresco Pajè is one of the Barbarescos we featured in a recent Roagna masterclass that kicked off this year’s La Festa del Piemonte; the other two were the 2014 and 2016 editions. From the moment I open the bottle, I know we are in for a treat.
Alto Piemonte, Valtellina & Points North
Italy: North, featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Mar 2022
It is easy to get discouraged these days, as so many reference point wines continue to soar out of reach of the average consumer. But, there are still regions where the savvy wine lover can find truly distinctive wines; wines of place that are both compelling and reasonably priced. Inquisitive readers will find much to explore in the wines of Alto Piemonte, Valtellina and other nearby appellations.
2018 & 2019 Barbaresco Take Center Stage
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Feb 2022
My annual report on Barbaresco focuses on the 2018 and 2019 vintages in Barbaresco and other recent releases. Piedmont fans will be happy to learn that 2018 is far better and more consistent in Barbaresco than it is in Barolo. The first 2019 Barbarescos I have tasted point to an outstanding vintage that has the potential to be superb. In short, readers will find a large number of exceptional wines in this article.
The Enigma of 2018 Barolo
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Feb 2022
Two thousand and eighteen is without a doubt the most erratic, frustratingly inconsistent Barolo vintage I have encountered in twenty-five years of visiting the region and a lifetime of drinking these wines. It is a vintage with some hits, many misses and highly variable quality throughout. Even so, with care readers will find a number of gorgeous wines among this year’s new releases.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Neive
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Jan 2022
What a thrill it is to drink Bruno Giacosa’s 2005 Barbaresco Santo Stefano di Neive. The 2005 has been consistently brilliant since I first tasted it over a dozen years ago, but I confess that I had forgotten just how captivating the 2005 is. The word ‘classic’ is over-used, but that is exactly what the 2005 is. Classic.
Everyday Piedmont, Parts 1 & 2
featured, Italy: Piedmont
, Sep 2021
Piedmont has so much to offer the curious wine lover. Barolo and Barbaresco are now firmly established among the world’s greatest reds. Alto Piemonte has made huge strides in recent years. But there is so much more to Piedmont beyond those famous appellations and wines. In the hands of the best growers, Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo and Piedmont’s other reds and whites deliver the same qualities that have made the region’s top bottlings so coveted. These are artisan wines from family-run domaines that convey a sense of place.
Cellar Favorite: 1970 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Nov 2021
A door to another time in Piedmont opens with the 1970 Barolo, a wine made by Battista Rinaldi long before his son, Beppe, ran the winery and well before his granddaughters, Marta and Carlotta, were even born.
Cellar Favorite: 1989 Gaja Barbaresco
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Nov 2021
It is still one of the greatest tastings I have ever done. One chilly, late fall afternoon about a dozen years ago, Angelo and Gaia Gaja opened all of their 1989s and 1990s for an article I was working on, Piedmont’s Glorious 1989 and 1990 Vintages Revisited.