Alto Piemonte Tasting

This little area in the north part of Piemonte region is a land where the Nebbiolo drive on particular climate condition and soil type; give a different expression of this King grape varieties. Heroic viticulture (terrace vineyard) with high phosphorous, lime and clay soil. The Nebbiolo locally called Spanna made here, it is still having a great aging potential, however the different soil and this more austere climate definitely 100% continental, will give to the wines fresh crispy tension acidity but with more fine elegant tannin with the core of minerality your aspect on the brother Barolo and Barbaresco.
This area is encapsulated near the Maggiore lake and the Monte Rosa a mountain of 4600 meter which is very important to determine the microclimate of this wine regions; this mountain is the second biggest in Europe. Help to stop the cold current air from northern Europe and in the hottest summer bring fresh air to optimize the ripeness of Nebbiolo at night time, also circulate the air to avoid humidity and so disease problem.

Lately, I had the pleasure to test a few wines from this area:
the first bracket was a Boca DOC from Conti Cantine del Castello a small family grower born in 1963 in the city of Maggiora near the city of Novara.
Boca DOC is made by Nebbiolo (Spanna) minimum 70% to 90%, other varieties can be part of the rest maximum 30% this is the local Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese). The area of the denomination is all around the commune of Boca and part of the communes Maggiorana, Cavallirio, Prato Sesia, and Grignasco. Before release, the wine needs to aging 34 months with minimum 18 months in barrels. For the Riserva is 46 months aging with 24 months in barrels.


1987 the color was bright ruby with translucent garnet on the rim, tertiary notes as a dry rose petal, licorice, tar minerality hint of smoke tobacco and dry cherry. The palate is very silky textural with yet development but lots acidity freshness and good polymerized tannins. 
1989 was a bit more on the tertiary notes but still showed fresh palate with complexity, mainly element was this smoky slightly meaty dry minerality. Palate was pretty violet and licorice with an elegant tannin smoother with a nice long finish.
1991 had a salty minerality with clay ferrous nuance. Palate silky long but less acid structure of the other 2 vintages.
When we reveal the vintage we didn't believe they were so fresh and pure and definitely we didn't except to be so old. A kind of surprise and a great experience.

2nd bracket we tasted the wines of Massimo Clerico from the Lessona DOC one of the oldest producer of this denomination.
Lessona is a narrow tongue of marine sediments, with a bed soil of high calcareous with sandy clay on the topsoil, the minerality of this wines is particularly fine.
Lessona DOC  is made by Nebbiolo (Spanna) minimum 85%, other varieties can be part of the rest maximum 15% these are Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese).
Time of ageing is 22 months with 12 in barrels.
2012 Lessona was very bright cherry notes along with raspberry, rose petals hints of tar and limestone mnerality, the tannin of the Nebbiolo were present silky sandy with an astonish acid structure. The wine was aristocratic elegant and complex.
The next producer was Antoniolo from the Gattinara Denomination:
The Antoniolo started by the Cav. Mario Antoniolo in the 40s and his daughter Rosanna later. Now the nephews Alberto and Lorella taking care of the production.
The wines produced by this grower are distinguished by austerity and elegance. The original winery was inside a monastery of the fifteenth century, owned by the family, then in the 70s, due to logistical needs, it was moved in a different area of the Gattinara, private tasting is still held in the monastery.
Currently, they own 14 hectares with an annual production of around 55,000 bottles. A natural approach in the vineyard, through the use of non-invasive methods and the adoption of exclusively natural practices in the cellar as wild yeast and long natural fermentation.
Gattinara DOC is composing of 90% Nebbiolo with the rest 10% can be the local Vespolina e Bonarda. 47 months aging requirement with at least 36 in barrels.

We tasted the 2013 Gattinara and the single vineyard Osso San Grato
Both were a pure expression of the Nebbiolo here the tannin were very masculine present with a good bite considering the young aging.
On the Osso San Grato I find more depth and complexity with a very long lasting finish, this is a wine with power but without weight, very elegant and rustic at the same time. The mineral core is very austere with an acidity super energetic. This single vineyard was a pretty good drop. 

Thanks so much for the Australian importer LA CARTA to organize this amazing tasting.

Last thing, those were a completely old fashion producer, so only Big Slavonian Barrel with no use of new oak or small format as barrique.



raffaele mastrovincenzo
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wine / spirit / lambic / drinker


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