Wines

From the importer:

This Barbera is produced from grapes harvested in the “Garblet” vineyard (also known as “Fiasco”) of Castiglione Falletto from a 0.8 hectare plot on a south-southeast facing slope at 250 meters altitude. The major part of the vineyard was planted in 1970 with a portion being replanted in 1993.  The “Sori del Drago” is fermented at 28 degrees Celsius for slightly more than a week. The wine is then racked into stainless steel tank and is aged for 15 to 18 months before being bottled (unfiltered). 

From the importer:

This Barbera is produced from grapes harvested in the “Garblet” vineyard (also known as “Fiasco”) of Castiglione Falletto from a 0.8 hectare plot on a south-southeast facing slope at 250 meters altitude. The major part of the vineyard was planted in 1970 with a portion being replanted in 1993.  The “Sori del Drago” is fermented at 28 degrees Celsius for slightly more than a week. The wine is then racked into stainless steel tank and is aged for 15 to 18 months before being bottled (unfiltered). 

From the importer:

Brovia’s formidable Barolo "Brovia" epitomizes their classically built yet elegant house style and expresses the full breadth of their enviable holdings. While its composition varies slightly each year depending on yields, it always comprises the following sources: (1) From their holdings in Castiglione Falletto, Brovia produces but one single cask of each cru-designated wine per vintage, directing any extra volume into the Barolo "Brovia." Accounting for 20-30% of the wine's final blend, this spillover comes from vines exceeding 50 years of age in the crus of Rocche di Castiglione, Villero, and Garblet Sue. (2) 70-80% of the Barolo "Brovia" comes from holdings in Serralunga d’Alba, primarily in the cru of Brea with smaller amounts (beginning in 2020) in Gianetto, an east-facing cru which is a natural extension of Brea and yields a wine of similar character. These vines are 20 to 30 years of age on average, the oldest parcels of Brea being used for the single-cru bottling. The Barolo "Brovia" undergoes spontaneous fermentation in a variety of vessels—cement, open-top wood, and stainless steel—and is raised 24 to 30 months in oak botti between 30 and 100 hectoliters in capacity. Afterward, the wine is assembled in a combination of steel and wood for an additional year, being bottled no sooner than 40 months after harvest. This aging process, which is longer than that of the crus (aged solely in 30- to 40-hectoliter casks and bottled after 30 months), allows for a wine slightly more open-knit upon release by design.

96 Points! With fruit from one of the top growing sites in Castiglione Falletto, the 2019 Barolo Villero shows a slightly ripe and soft side with cherry and dried raspberry followed by licorice, tar and rusty metal. This is an elegant expression, with a terrific sense of focus, that delivers complexity and depth, especially in this excellent vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the Importer: Produced from grapes hand-harvested from sand-infused soils in the Valmaggiore vineyard site in the village of Vezza d’Alba, just north of Alba.  This is a half-hectare vineyard that faces south at 340 meters altitude.  The vines were planted in 1975.  This wine is not oak-aged; rather it is racked into a stainless steel vat to age for at least one year before bottling.  Approximately 2,500 bottles are produced of this elegant, velvety wine of medium-body and exquisite balance; half of that production is destined for the US market. 

This ain't your parents Martini & Rossi, this is SERIOUS Moscato Spumate from estate vineyards that is an absolute joy to drink! Like a more bubbly Moscato d'Asti, too much fun...

#Fruity_Sparklers

92 Points! The 2006 Barbaresco Pora impresses for its crystalline purity and inner perfume. This is a rather potent Pora loaded with dark cherries, minerals and French oak that shows surprising richness and intensity for the vintage, most likely owing to the warm microclimate in this site. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

91+ Points! The 2007 Barbaresco Asili speaks eloquently to the silkiness and elegance of this great site. Freshly cut roses and berries of all sorts make a positive first impression. The Asili shows gorgeous freshness and depth in a classic, mid-weight expression of this vineyard. There is a wonderful sense of harmony that flows through to the finish, as the fruit and tannins remain composed and nicely integrated. With time in the glass the Asili closes in on itself. I am not sure it has the warm radiance that is typical of so many wines in this vintage, but it is nevertheless a strong effort. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

The 2019 Barolo Rupestris is elegant, gracious and wonderfully lifted. All the elements are so wonderfully in balance. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, blood orange and spice soar out of the glass. Deep and pliant, the Rupestris has an extra level of refinement in 2019 that places it among the most successful wines of the vintage. It's an absolutely joyous wine from Augusto Cappellano that is also quite open today. I suspect that won't be the case for long, as the 2019 will likely shut down in bottle soon. Many years ago Baldo Cappellano asked me not to score his wines, so all Cappellano wines show up on our database as NR.- Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Compared to the Le Coste di Monforte, this wine is immediately earthier and more savory, with salty mineral notes backed by dark berry and plum. The Amalia Cascina in Langa 2016 Barolo Bussia offers a classic interpretation of Monforte, and there's a lot of depth and complexity to be found in this expression from the Bussia vineyard, one of the largest in the appellation. Specifically, fruit for this wine comes from the Fantini site located at a high 450 meters above sea level. It is characterized by Diano sandstone, one of the four major soil types in the appellation. Vines were planted in 2007. Winemaking is straightforward, with 25 days of extended maceration. Fermentation is kicked off with pump-overs and ends with submerged cap. The wine spends one year in barrique but is then racked over to larger French oak casks for a second year of aging. The wine's approach to the palate is delicate and finessed with silky texture and long flavor persistence. Of the two Barolos from Amalia Cascina in Langa, this wine gets a special nod. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2018 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse offers lovely density and plenty of character. There's gorgeous depth in the mid-palate. Light fading at the edges and slight mature notes in the bouquet lead me to believe the 2018 will likely be more of a medium-term drinker, its notable presence notwithstanding. Tobacco, dried herbs, mint, leather, cinnamon and dried autumn leaves all develop with a bit of aeration. The 2018 is a gorgeous wine whose only shortcoming is that it tastes a bit older than it should. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! From barrel, the 2022 Barbera D’Alba Carra sports a youthful dark purple color and is fruity with ripe plum and pressed lavender as well as some iron richness and gamey notes. Medium to full-bodied, it’s snappy with fresh acidity, but it has a more rounded feel. With some notes of ripe wild herbs that last through the elegant finish, this is a classic and ripe vintage, but it retains very nice freshness. Drink it over the next several years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The Cascina Penna-Currado 2022 Barbera d'Alba Carrà is executed as a "Superiore," although it is not labeled as such. Proprietors Elena Penna and Luca Currado say they only envisage having one Barbera in their new portfolio in addition to cru selections of Nebbiolo. They have a 25-year lease on the site that provides fruit for this pretty wine, and a careful selection is made to prioritize the best clusters. Healthy fruit is produced here thanks to luminosity and cool hillside breezes. A brief maceration is executed, and the wine matures in Slavonian oak casks. Tart plum and blackberry is folded into tangy licorice over medium-plus richness. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Luca and Elena have always been particularly invested in Barbera d’Alba as they were among the first to invest in it seriously. They believe strongly in the potential of this grape in communicating what the Langhe has to offer to a wide audience. The Carrà site is in the San Sebastiano area of Municipality of Monforte, with a particularly great natural biodiversity. Grapes come from predominantly from two parcels; one planted in 1965 and another in 2000. The wine is vinified partially whole cluster and aged in botti making it rich and concentrated but not too ripe.

Simply put, our Nebbiolo discovery of the year! Paolo Veglio singlehandedly farms his 9 hectares of vineyards in Barbaresco, overlooking the Tanaro river. His neighbor? Gaja's Roncagliette, home to the legendary Sori Tildin and Costa Russi botltings from that legendary label. But, if we had our druthers, we'd take Paolo's 2021 Roccalini bottling from 60+ year-old vines over those wines, it is MAGICAL. 

95 Points! The 2019 Roero Bricco Medica presents a dark, almost somber expression of Roero. Black cherry, gravel, spice, cured meats, iron, game and incense, along with the wine's sheer structure, convey brooding, virile intensity. Huge tannins wrap it all together. This potent, Serralunga-like Roero is positively lights out. What a wine! - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Val del Prete's 2015 Roero Riserva is superb, and also one of the best wines I have tasted from Val del Prete in a long time maybe ever. Sweet cinnamon, orange zest, rosewater, dried cherry and mint notes give the 2015 striking aromatic nuance that resonates beautifully on the palate where the wine offers striking fruit purity and silky, noble tannins. All the elements are impeccably balanced in an inviting Roero that hits all the right notes, and then some. This is such a gorgeous wine. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! The estate's 2013 Roero Vigna di Lino is powerful, dense and explosive. Lavender, violet, spice and bluish-hued fruits give the 2013 much of its distinctive personality. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2013 offers quite a bit of depth. With time in the glass, the wine gains freshness and slightly redder tonalities in its fruit. This is a terrific expression of Roero Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2017

If we were in the year 2013 today, during perhaps the height of Alto Piemonte’s market share, this wine could’ve been one of the most talked about in the entire region, if tasted blind–its appellation while tasting might deter people from acknowledging how fabulous it really is. Also entirely composed of Nebbiolo from a single plot of 25 years, it peaks at 370 meters but is on a steep slope. In the cellar, it’s also kept from exceeding 22° C during fermentation to preserve more fruit for its three years in old 15hl barrels. For those who love wonderfully refined and stunningly perfumed Nebbiolo in large old wood, this is not to be missed.