Annual Pilgrimage to Piedmont

Piedmont, Italy
Tasted Friday, September 30, 2011 - Sunday, October 2, 2011 by Papies with 911 views

Introduction

Annual Trip to the area for Truffles, wines and amazing memories. Missed the Alba truffle fair by a few days but we got the good weather.
Our base as always is the amazing Relais San Maurizio. (www.relaissanmaurizio.it)

Flight 1 - Guido da Castigliole at Relais San Maurizio (2 Notes)

Michellin star quality food, and amazing truffles. Great setting in the cellars with a very good (and value) wine cellar. Highly recomended (http://www.guidosanmaurizio.com/)

  • 2010 Saracco Moscato d'Asti 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

    (9/30/2011)

    Light yellowy colour, very aromatic nose, floral. Light fresh and very playful on the palate with good sweetness. Very enjoyable and prob as good as moscato can get. A lot better than last time. 90

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  • 1997 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (9/30/2011)

    Colour is showing its age. On the nose dark cherries and some red fruit, some earthy tones .Very nice restrained nose. On the palate it feels well mature and secondary well round on Midpalte but with still a good level of tannin on the finish. Maybe it has seen better days as the vibrancy is not there but still very enjoyable well aged old school Barolo. 92-93 ( we prefer the 99)

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Flight 2 - Cantina Bartolo Mascarello Visit (3 Notes)

Traditional Barolo wine maker with lots of character. Maria Teresa ( not to be confused with the other Maria Teresa Mascarello of Cantina Giusepe Mascarello) is a very charismatic wine maker with her roots deep into making traditional barolos, dolchetos and barberas true to the style of her father and grandfather. No barrique No Berlusconi as she says! Well worth the visit and the tour. Interesting trivia is the fact that her father Bartolo started hand painting some labels ( one in six) or so of their wines ( we uploaded some like the 1999)

Below is a tasting of her recently bottled wines.

  • 2010 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d'Alba Vigne Monrobiolo - Ruè 85 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba

    (10/1/2011)

    Bottled in July, still very vibrant brown red in colour. Good fruit, forward and medium bodied. Traditional, no oak and very pure, no rough edges to be drunk starting 6 months of so. 85

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  • 2009 Bartolo Mascarello Barbera d'Alba Vigna San Lorenzo 87 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

    (10/1/2011)

    Bottled in July. Dark in colour, forward, round and with good fruit. Very enjoyable wine to drink relatively young ( Maria Teresa suggested starting in 2 years and do so for 5 years or so) . Impressively round and smooth especially given there is no barrique here. 87

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  • 2007 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 92 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (10/1/2011)

    Bottled in July so a bit too early to draw full judgement. Maria Teresa believes this is a forward vintage to be drunk relatively earlier than 04,05 and 06s. Still very dark, fruit driven primary nose. Bright vibrant dark red colour. On the palate it is surprisingly round to begin and the tannins although vibrant are silkier than we would expect this early in it's life. Pure, balanced and very elegant and nice to see a good traditional Barolo in a sea of modernists. As they say in Mascarello, tradition, roots, No Barrique and No Berlusconi ( see the label we uploaded for the 1999) . Feels like a 92 at the moment but let's see. Definitely worth it.

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Flight 3 - Tratoria Antica Torre, Barbaresco (2 Notes)

Amazing Tratoria in the centre of Barbaresco facing the Produttori dei Barbaresco. If you are lucky you time the visit with the harvest. (anticatorrebarbaresco.com/)

Flight 4 - Guido da Castigliole at Relais San Maurizio (3 Notes)

Michellin star quality food, and amazing truffles. Great setting in the cellars with a very good (and value) wine cellar. Highly recomended (http://www.guidosanmaurizio.com/)

  • 2009 Ca' D'Gal Moscato d'Asti Vigna Vecchia 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

    (10/1/2011)

    The restrained or more serious moscato! We believe this sees some barrel ( but not sure). Colour is slightly darker. Nose is restrained less playful, more serious and balanced. Lacks the freshness of Saracco or spinetta and tries to be a more grown up version. Very interesting and we look fwd to trying older version of it. Still this is not a substitute for a fresh vibrant moscato but a different chapter in the book. Very enjoyable and well worth it. 90

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  • 2005 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco Rabajà 91 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    (10/1/2011)

    Dark colour, maybe some violet hints. The nose is full on oak notes, mild vanilla and lots of mocha. Very modern in style, well round and forward medium bodied. On the palate as expected the oak is a bit overpowering , lots of ripeness and extraction and at this stage and the wine has no typicity. However although we might want to dislike it we enjoyed and makes for good and reliable drinking. 91 drink from now.

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  • 1999 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (10/1/2011)

    Young, vibrant and at this stage requires a good hour decanting to open. Maybe more. Kept on improving and opening up in the glass. Very well made, big wine, lovely cherry notes on the nose, pure and very elegant. Tannins are still very much alive , very vibrant wine which will keep improving over the next 5-10yrs easily. 93+ at the moment

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Flight 5 - La Ciau del Tornavento (6 Notes)

Simply the best restaurant, and wine cellar, in the area by a long way. ( Pre-order the Nutella ravioli is our tip) (www.laciaudeltornavento.it)

  • 2010 Saracco Moscato d'Asti 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

    (10/2/2011)

    Light yellowy colour, very aromatic nose, floral. Light fresh and very playful on the palate with good sweetness. Very enjoyable and prob as good as moscato can get. A lot better than last time. 90

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  • 1999 Roberto Voerzio Barolo La Serra 93 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (10/2/2011)

    Modern yes, overoaked or over extracted No!
    Young still and needs decanting. The oak is just starting to integrate and is very present on the nose doesn't mute out the fruit. On the balance the tannin is very much alive but not harsh and feels very well made and elegant. Enjoyable but it feels like it needs some more time. 93 at the moment.

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  • 1998 Conterno Fantino Barolo Vigna del Gris

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

    (10/2/2011)

    Traditional Barolo. Had by e glass and it felt a bit oxidised, dry and maybe this was opened for a long time. Will reserve judgement for another time.

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  • 2006 Cascina Christiana Monferrato Farfui 88 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Monferrato

    (10/2/2011)

    Liquirice, red fruit driven passito , rich, style red desert wine.

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  • 2005 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Oro 90 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Piemonte DOC

    (10/2/2011)

    Dark honey coloured, dense and lush. Big open honey nose. Good balance. Lovely.

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  • 2011 Ca' del Baio Moscato d'Asti 86 Points

    Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

    (10/2/2011)

    A lighter moscato from treiso area. Lacks the playful floral nose of Saracco and co. Nice but moscato can be so much more!

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Closing

We can not wait for next year now...

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