Barolo, Alba, others
Tasted Saturday, November 23, 2019 - Friday, November 29, 2019 by MC2 Wines with 863 views
Here we go again. Last year was spectacular so I knew we had to come back. So here we are in truffle land around Thanksgiving again. And while mistakes were made on this trip (we opted for a tour company and in retrospect we'd have been better off doing it ourselves esp given how much we like to geek out and learn about new places and do the research). Overall though, there was a lot to recommend it. After all, who doesn't love a city (Alba) that smells like chocolate every morning (Ferrero factory)? Or the copious amounts of white truffles that could be found on almost every dish? Or the charming little villages? And while we might have had a few 'misses', we also visited some great spots.
When you land in Europe and you're a bit jetlagged and room is not ready the next best thing you can do is find yourself as the first entrants of a tasting room where there's lots of interesting things to discover.
I feel like I need to find the name of this store since the pricing was pretty good and I absolutely loved the proprietor who is a barolo native with some family in the states. We got a few random bottles for the trip here.
I remember dinner at this place last year and mostly an oven baked egg dish with truffles that was one of those very memorable dishes. This was good. Perhaps even very good. Wine list was a bit tougher though and looking back from the end of the trip I'd say that colored the experience a bit.
Last year we went into this shop to taste a few things and they had an amazing selection and I got pulled out to go to 'Barololand' (which is not marked anywhere on the building. Now we know. So we went through a few glasses and went back to get a bunch of stuff sent to the US as our upcoming wine club tasting is a Barbaresco theme.
Should also note this was the only Cappellano we had on the trip which was prob a miss as it was maybe my favorite in what was clearly a very strong line-up.
A definite miss last year. This place was just awesome. I wish we could do another dinner. Everything was so very top notch from the wine list to the food to the amount of truffles that ended up on a dish. It has earned a place in a regular line-up for us.
This is a place we ended up last year and bought a few fun bottles so since it was raining we found ourselves back again. Did a few glass tastings. Appreciated the breadth of their offering esp in terms of what they have for sale with some good deals to be found if you look hard enough.
This is a restaurant that is prob a bit more wine than food. The people here know what they are doing and they love it. We ran into a group celebrating multiple birthdays and they saw our table with Selosse and Roagna and realized they had some kindred spirits. The first bottle poured was a Riesling that I didn't get a picture of. The last few were shared as well. Overall a lovely meal and one where we found ourselves still consuming lunch 3 hours later.
Last year this dinner totally did me in and while this year I got through every course but the dessert it is quite a lot. If you come at this time of year you must do the white truffle menu. It is well worth it, just probably better to not have had a 3 hour lunch right before. Overall delicious. And a fun wine list to boot!
This is the kindof winery I might have gone to for the name (Baio being a type of horse). I'm not sure it was exactly our wheelhouse. The wines were fine, but not something I will be seeking out. Of the group Pora probably my favorite.
Hadn't originally planned to go here but they had a tasting room in downtown Barbaresco and we were early for our lunch appointment. Just tried the 50 year anniversary wine. This has never been my producer of choice, but I can respect that they make a nice wine.
When you walk in you are greeted by big meat lockers which makes it clear what you should be thinking of eating. This was a menu I'd have liked to say 'yes' to most everything. Instead we all got a bunch of different stuff and there was lots of sharing. Steak was good (unfortunately out of the Chateaubriand which i think would have been amazing). Also enjoyed the goose plin quite a bit. And as we've yet to manage a visit to Roagna kept the tradition of at least ordering for some meals alive.
This place was packed - perhaps one of the busiest spots that we've visited. A bit less modern than the morning but still with the french oak although sounds like they were more comfortable with aging them. Overall I enjoyed it. The wine was nice and nicely priced and something I'd keep an eye out for in the future with some age.
Had been wanting to try this place given that it's connected to Duomo and was interested in their take on the Piedmontese comfort food. Didn't diisappoint (the ragu was one of the best that we've had). Overall a great meal. Took it a bit easier as we'd had a few big days in a row, but still quite nice
This was a charming tasting. Interesting to speak to a member of the family who is in the fifth generation of wine making. I think we understood a bit more about the Bussia region as well. As one of the biggest MGAs it had never made as much sense to me. Also got a better feel for how the heyday of potentially expanding in Barolo is getting cut off for most of the family based wineries. Wonder what impact that will have going forward.
One of the highlights of the trip for me. The food here was perfectly excellent and the wine list was really fun. Tons of interesting producers and while we went with a three wine lunch it would have been easy to find a number of others that we were interested in. Some of the best wine service we've seen all trip. A true gem.
This is a place you see a ton of around the US and we've ordered a few times when we want a moderately priced barolo (esp as some with age can be available on wine lists and similar). To me they are solid wines. Not one to knock your socks off, but feels like every time we have them we like them.
First time at this place. The thing about food in Alba is that every place is basically amazing and so when you like one a bit more or one a bit less I think at the end of the day it's a bit of splitting hairs. This I didn't like quite as much as I have liked other places, but all of the food was still good. Wine list was reasonable and easy to follow, but did seem like a few of the ones we were most excited about weren't available unfortunately. Overall good, but given how tough the food scene is in Alba I wouldn't be surprised if this didn't make it into the regular line-up.
There are times where I think it's very clear that this is something that is a hobby, and I'm meant to be an amateur and barrel tasting is one of those times. I just don't really love it. Seems to kill the palate and the wine (as it's not meant to be ready) is not ready. Or even close. Then again, when you get the chance to tag along with Luca Vietti in his cellar the correct answer has to be 'yes'. So off we went through all the different barrels from the different vineyards from '17-19. While I didn't enjoy the barrel tastes so much, there are two new vineyards coming online that I think will be spectacular and listening to Luca talk about how he views wine and the family history and all of that made it well worth it. And at the end he opened up the new '16s so I took some notes on those at least.
A favorite lunch spot of mine from the previous year mostly because I really enjoyed their ragu. Still delicious. And had the parmesan risotto with truffle which was also great. A bit rushed in this case which was a pity, but a spot that we'll continue to seek out as it's always quite tasty.
Another really charming place. Interesting to see some of the differences between producers where wine has been in the family for five or six generations and ones where it's much more recent. Second generation family which are doing some nice barbarescos and really very well priced. Have not seen them on many lists or in the US much at all, but the kindof wine I'd look for in a restaurant since the mark-up would feel less egregious.
I finally found the purveyors of one of my favorite egg dishes of last year. Which was yet again truly delicious. Also appreciated the ragu. So a great overall meal. Decent wine list. Roagna continues to be a go-to for me and never disappoints.
One of the tastings we loved last year since the winery is clearly classic and the wines are very good. Fun to be back and to do some mini verticals and horizontals to understand how 2012 and 2013 affected the wines.
This was recommended to us by a person in the restaurant business in NY so we were excited to try. Everything well done and overall enjoyable. Also fun to see that they support their neighbors and had a wines from of the really nearby places that haven't been at other spots.
I was tentatively excited about this one - I'd read some tasting notes on Piedmont that included this place along with many of my favorite spots and so I hoped that I might like it as well. Not disappointed. This is one of my favorite visits we've done.
New spot for us although we'd tried to go last year (it is better if you have a reservation). Everything was really good and the ragu dish was just amazing. Perhaps would have gone with a more basic moscato as this was a pretty big meal and I was looking for just the light touch, but a place I'd love to return to next year. Also very much enjoyed the wine list with some fun bottles that had a touch more age.
It is impossible to not be completely charmed by Maria Teresa and her passion for wine. We often ask about favorite vintages and everyone talks about the 'classics' or 'fresh' ones and she talks about all of the struggles and the places where the wheat gets separated from the chafe (my words, not hers). And it's true that every wine we've had from her has been just lovely. The Freisa with it's bit of bubbles also a bit interesting.
We were running a bit early for our lunch and so found ourselves in the next door Damilano tasting room. Had a lovely dinner with these wines at Ai Fiori last year and fun to revisit the place.
Another repeat from last year but well worth the trip. I think the only Michelin place we did and I always forget all of the extra food that seems to come with those. Still, it was all delicious. First time to have truffles with lobster and while perhaps the barolo didn't totally agree, I did. Great 'last' meal.
A winery that was on our original list for a visit but towards the bottom and I was a bit unsure how I felt. Was pleasantly surprised. This is clearly part of the history of the place and someone who experienced all of the stages (from the full farm because you can't make money off just barolo through to a lot of investment in new vineyards and a winery and truly making it into a family business). The stories were great and the wines were fun to try.
Always you end up with a few times where you want to pop something just to hang out and we're lucky enough to have an Air Bnb with some good hang out spots.
Every time we come back to a region I feel like we learn from the times before and we have just amazing times. This was an odd one for us since for the first (and last) time we worked with a company to help us organize visits. We had hoped that someone who was from here would have the access and we were happy to pay for that. We learned that what you think you are paying for and what you actually pay for are not the same thing (of my original wish list we went to none of the 'most wanted' wineries and only a few of the second level which ended up being my favorite visits). So next year we are back to do it yourself.
We did much better this year though with restaurants. Last year we didn't understand the importance of a reservation and we rectified the problem. Rossobarolo and Trattoria del Posta were standouts for me. I'm looking forward to going back (and to many of the others).
Similarly, this year we learned to appreciate staying in a town near many of the great restaurants and walking a bit more so we made Barolo and Alba our main points and I really enjoyed that.
Overall, it was an amazing trip. Fun to do with some extra friends. Piedmont is truly a special place and I'm already thinking about Piedmont III.
2017 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Derthona
Italy, Piedmont, Colli Tortonesi
(11/23/2019)
Much fuller bodied. Lots of lemon peel. A hint of the waxy. It's very much rhone white for the piedmont taste. I was slightly searching for the lighter entree into the weekend and this wasn't that, but when I revisited I liked it.
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2015 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli No Name
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
(11/23/2019)
It's incredibly approachable. This is a wine I'd love to see on a restaurant wine list where I am drinking tonight and I need something I'd be interested int. It's all gravel and mineral. Some lighter tannin. A bit of fruit. A touch of the barnyard (but lower than many others this week). It's a wine that isn't necessarily complex but is when considering the daily drinker price.
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2014 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Fossati
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
Part of a horizontal of their single crus. Should be noted that they take the best of the single crus for the Riserva of that year so this is what is left. This is all very sandy soil. Very much lighter. Some red fruit. Good structure. For me even though this was meant to be most approachable I want more time (at least 10 years?). It's enjoyable though.
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2014 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Cannubi
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
Part of their grand crus tasting but again the best of the wines always go into the Riserva so this is separate. Very fresh tasting. Lots of the minerals and a bit of the truffle here. More of the earthy notes than the Fossati. Just a hint of fruit. This is the most famous vineyard and meant to be the best, but it's somehow just a bit inbetween the two and as a result I found myself going back to the extremes more.
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2014 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Liste
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
The third of the three single vineyard horizontal. This is mostly red clay and has a very different profile to the others. Lots of red fruits. More iron. Lots more tannin of the truly mouth coating variety. This is a wine that needs a lot of time. And yet somewhere in the background I sense an elegance that wants to come out. I think I'd like this quite a lot with more years (at least 10-15).
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2012 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
At this price point (close to $60 USD) this is one of my favorites of the tasting. This was a very compelling, very young wine. So needs tons of time. And need to be ready to lie down. But lots of the darker red fruits, lots of the mineral, and overall tasty but just not quite fully integrated yet. Would love to see with more time.
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2003 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
I don't understand how this can have one of the best scores of the Riservas. Of the tasting it was my least favorite wine and I'm not 100% sure that across 4 of us we actually even finished the glass. I guess a very hot year which can be ok except it's breaking down. Lower acid. Dried leaves, smells like a barnyard, it tastes slightly better than the nose, but not by that much. It wasn't for me.
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1982 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
(11/23/2019)
Funnily enough they must have a lot of it since it's still on the by the glass pour. It's all young and fresh. Dried herbs. A certain vibrancy. Some dark fruit. It just rocked all of the others in the flight but to be fair it had the benefit of age and talent. Some of the younger ones will get here and they were more reasonably priced (the '12 or maybe the '14 Liste or Fossati).
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