Italy No.1 - Piemonte
Rose Gold From the North
Piemonte, like Burgundy, is a bastion of mono-varietal wine. Again, like Burgundy, it can boast a red grape as fine as any in the world in the form of Nebbiolo, a variety that can and does produce wines of haunting beauty and complexity and a grape that was once thought to be related to Burgundy's Pinot Noir.
From a wine purist's point of view, single-variety wines are where it's at. After all, if one wants to hear the words of a song, one would better request it sung by a soloist than a choir. Both Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo are capable of producing (unlike, say, Cabernet Sauvignon or Touriga Nacional) perfectly balanced wines unblended. And both sing the lyrics of the soils in the clearest and most beautiful of tones.
Piemonte - like Tuscany and much of the rest of Italy - has experienced a string of extremely fine harvests of late. And with this offer, we give the opportunity to do some catching up with a presentation of wine from three superb recent vintages.
From a wine purist's point of view, single-variety wines are where it's at. After all, if one wants to hear the words of a song, one would better request it sung by a soloist than a choir. Both Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo are capable of producing (unlike, say, Cabernet Sauvignon or Touriga Nacional) perfectly balanced wines unblended. And both sing the lyrics of the soils in the clearest and most beautiful of tones.
Piemonte - like Tuscany and much of the rest of Italy - has experienced a string of extremely fine harvests of late. And with this offer, we give the opportunity to do some catching up with a presentation of wine from three superb recent vintages.
THE WINES
2011 Barolo Pira, Roagna - £291 in bond per 6 Drink 2020-31
Rich aromas of brick dust and coffee and spiced red fruits meets the taster. This is loaded with fresh, upright, very piquant tannin. With swirling emerge scents of mint and delicious red cherry/berry fruits. This is delightfully supple wine of really good backbone. Will drink quite soon, but will keep extremely well also.
"This is a terrific example of the house style." Antonio Galloni
2013 Barolo Bricco Boschis, Cavallotto - £273 in bond per 6 Drink 2021-35
This is a beautiful colour in the glass: a luminous vivid ruby. The nose is a touch shy, but juicy-fresh and inviting. In the mouth, this is a rich and masculine example, freshly mineral and really very long indeed. Tannin is exceedingly fine and tacky. A firm wine with a core of firm, grippy acidity. There's a great weight sustained here. A baby ...perhaps the offspring of a super-model and a rugby player.
"It delivers impressive depth and power." Monica Larner
2014 Barbaresco Bordini, Elvio Cogno - £150 in bond per 6 Drink 2019-29
This is quite a shy beast at the moment, not giving too much away on the nose with youthful reticence. However, it has such transparent classiness in its velvet tannin and notes of almond to the herb-infused cherry fruit. This has a fresh minerality right through its lovely shape. Great confidence here. A very burgundian experience.
"The team at Elvio Cogno has produced a very impressive wine from the Barbaresco appellation." Monica Larner
2014 Barolo, Elio Grasso - £261 in bond per 6 Drink 2021-35
There a hint of toast about this, plus a herbal note a bit like cress. The edges of a baked fruit cake creep in. This is one pretty unit. It has delicious red fruit through its plush entry on a palate that collects structure. This is stuffed and quite backward at the moment. A fresh and very mineral thing. Big, dense and integrated wine of extraordinary length. Stunning. And amazing finish here. Wow.
"Lithe, perfumed and aromatic, the 2014 exudes class from start to finish." Antonio Galloni
2014 Barbaresco, Gaja - £720 in bond per 6 Drink 2022-35
Nose here is airy-fresh, of dark cherry and plum fruit and attendant notes of liquorice root. There's an almost fresh orange quality to the aromas that include a wisp of smoke. This goes into the mouth plush and dense and quickly becomes fresh with sustained, even mineral grip. Fruit is of blueberry purity. This is one very long, busy and rich wine. Fabulous.
"Don't miss it." Antonio Galloni
2014 Barbaresco, Gaja - £720 in bond per 6 Drink 2022-35
Nose here is airy-fresh, of dark cherry and plum fruit and attendant notes of liquorice root. There's an almost fresh orange quality to the aromas that include a wisp of smoke. This goes into the mouth plush and dense and quickly becomes fresh with sustained, even mineral grip. Fruit is of blueberry purity. This is one very long, busy and rich wine. Fabulous.
"Don't miss it." Antonio Galloni
Email Caspar[at]boweswine.co.uk to order these wines
