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Conterno Monfortino Magnum Vertical: 1970-2014
Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Feb 2021
With this year’s Festa del Piemonte in full swing I thought it would be fun to revisit one of the highlights from the 2020 edition, our Rare Wine Dinner featuring a stunning vertical of Giacomo Conterno’s Barolo Riserva Monfortino spanning vintages 1970 through 2014. It was truly a night to remember.
Cellar Favorite: 2012 Vietti Barbera d'Asti La Crena
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Piedmont
, Dec 2020
We don’t often think of Barbera as a wine that requires a decade or more to reach peak maturity; but then again, most Barberas don’t possess the potential to even last that long. However, when they can and they do, it’s a very special thing.
Barbaresco: The Highs & Lows of 2016-2020
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Oct 2020
Readers will find a wide range of wines from Barbaresco in the market ranging from majestic, soaring 2016s to the far more variable 2017s and the first 2018 releases. With its stunningly beautiful, hillside vineyards, Barbaresco remains a terrific destination for consumers looking for site-specific, Old World wines that won’t break the bank.
Vinous in London: Cappellano 1971-2012
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Oct 2020
This retrospective of Cappellano back to 1971, held in London for a small group of Vinous readers, was a fabulous opportunity to revisit a number of wines during what was a very different time in the world. The Cappellano Barolos remain some of the most idiosyncratic and deeply personal wines in the world.
2016 Barolo, Part 2 & Late Releases
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Oct 2020
As is our custom, we present our annual Barolo coverage in two installments. This article covers recently bottled 2016 Barolos and a number of other late releases that are in the market. Readers will find everything from benchmark producers to lesser-known growers who made some of their best wines ever.
Alto Piemonte & Valtellina, Continued…
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Sep 2020
Keeping up with the fervent pace of change in Alto Piemonte and Valtellina is no easy task these days given the ever-increasing number of estates making fabulous, noteworthy wines. I had originally intended to add the producers in this report to my article Nebbiolo in Its Many Guises: Alto Piemonte & Valtellina, published earlier in the year, but as I tasted through the wines I became convinced these estates, many of them new to Vinous, deserved to be showcased in a separate article.
Nebbiolo in Its Many Guises: Alto Piemonte & Valtellina
Italy: Piedmont, featured, Italy: North
, apr 2020
There is no question that Nebbiolo is one of the world’s greatest and most noble red grapes. An ability to convey the essence of site and vintage through the lens of producer style places Nebbiolo in rarified company. Once consumers experience the magic of Nebbiolo – most often through the wines of the Langhe – it is only natural to ask: What else is out there? The answer is Alto Piemonte and Valtellina, two separate and distinct regions, both of which offer so much to explore.
Piedmont: Beyond the Usual Suspects
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Mar 2020
With its plethora of appellations and indigenous grape varieties, Piedmont is one of the most intriguing regions in Italy. The range and diversity of wines is just breathtaking. Although Barolo and Barbaresco continue to command quite a bit of attention, the reality is most of us can’t afford to drink Barolo or Barbaresco every day. I certainly can’t. But Piedmont has much to offer beyond those famous areas, including so many wines that deliver superb quality for the money. Readers will find plenty of gorgeous, affordable wines in this report.
Remembering Renato Vacca
Vinous Remembers, Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Mar 2020
I was deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of Renato Vacca at just 51. Painfully shy and introverted, Vacca crafted gorgeous wines that capture all the pedigree nestled within the striking hillside vineyards of Barbaresco. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him and all those who his wines touched.
2016 Barolo: Right Place, Right Time
Italy: Piedmont, featured
, Feb 2020
In so many ways, 2016 is all about being in the right place at the right time for Barolo. An ideal growing season with all the prerequisites for a great vintage comes at a time when so many winemakers are in their primes, past the stage of experimentation and settled into their own personal styles. The result is a vintage full of truly spectacular, breathtaking wines that captures all the pedigree that Nebbiolo and Barolo are capable of.