Marchesi di Grésy Visit

One of my favorite Piemonte producers. I was fortunate to sit in on a vertical tasting of mainly Martinenga Barbaresco 5 days prior to meet Alberto di Gresy and his son.
Alberto was a phenomenal host and their Kiwi cellarmaster, Jeff Chilcott, was too.
They treated us like kings first tasting some wines downstairs, taking a tour, then tasting wines with appetizers on the patio above the cellar, then finally moving into the great room for roughly 6 more courses and tons of wine.

Appetizers were an assortment of cured meats, grissini, olives, raw fennel with Ligurian olive oil (awesome), Season's Frittatine, and more but the standout was the bread croutons with butter and marinated anchovies. We saw those at other venues but none were as good.
In the great room:
Piemontese Raw Veal Tartare Salad
Season's Vegetables Souffle on a Cheese Fondue
Raviolini del Plin with Butter Sauce
Selection of Cheeses from Langa
Dessert- I recall there being 2 but I only recall the hazelnut custard like pie
Coffee and Grappa Marchesi di Gresy

• 2013 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Sauvignon Blanc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Straw color; classic gooseberry, grapefruit, seems almost flinty, melon, good perfume, nice mix of round and sharp notes; a bit rounder on the palate, more melon, wax, some struck match, salty finish, nice length; good; like a more crisp Bordeaux Blanc.

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• 2012 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Sauvignon Blanc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  A bit deeper straw; much less grapefruit, lemon verbena, waxy, red apple, weighty on nose; palate similar to nose, more weight than the 2013; tasty, like the variation in vintages.

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• 2014 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Sauvignon Blanc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Brilliant yellow green; spearmint, melon, lees, fresh nose, bright, crystalline, pure; nice medium richness, apple, pear, melon, not citrusy; very good.

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• 2008 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Sauvignon Blanc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Minty color; ginseng candy, green tea, intense nose, some lime; nice texture, sweet fruit, a complementary bitter note, seamless texture; very good.

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• 2007 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Sauvignon Blanc

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Deeper yellow green; grain, musk melon, sour and bitter lemon peel, some ginseng; waxy texture, some lees, fuller, very White Bordeaux like; tasty.

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• 2012 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Chardonnay

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Light golden yellow; strong oak influence on the nose, lees, mint, some rich lemon; full body, lemon, vanilla, nice acid, struck match on the finish; very tasty and obviously a baby in need of a good bit of cellaring.

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• 2012 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Dolcetto d'Alba Monte Aribaldo

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba

  Dark garnet ruby; sweet not candied red and dark fruit, morello cherry, ripe plum, vanilla, deeper and more serious on the nose, beautiful deep rose; more depth on the palate, good structure, nice acid cut; very good.

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• 2013 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbera d'Asti

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti

  Bright garnet ruby, see through; sweet cherry and dark floral notes, light but penetrating, easy, softer texture; well made; delicious.

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• 2013 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Langhe Nebbiolo Martinenga

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  Super bright crimson; fresh ripe strawberry, ripe cherry, floral, fresh, young, easy; elegant on the palate, lighter body, sour cherry, fresh; good.

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• 2007 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Merlot Monferrato

  Italy, Piedmont, Monferrato

  Dark garnet with brighter crimson orange rim; sexy rose, fleshy cherry, cedar, some new oak acetaldehyde; palate is polished and deep, nice acid, fleshy texture but good focus; still a baby; delicious; great QPR for Italian Merlot.

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• 2009 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbera d'Asti Monte Colombo

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti

  Crimson showing good clarity; fleshy, ripe plum, cherry, almost raspberry, licorice; nice texture, melted down red fruit, nice tartness, good structure; serious.

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• 2010 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Bright rose crimson, onion skin rim; beautiful rose, griotte cherry, deep, elegant, integrated cedar and orange; sour cherry on the palate, richer, great mid, hints at cinnamon; young, needs time to put on some weight in the cellar.

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• 2011 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Slight deeper crimson than 2010; strong cinnamon right off the nose, roses, beautiful, noble, penetrating, spicy, really grabs your attention; already good complexity on the palate, sour cherry, orange, firmer tannin, menthol; I like the potential, very good.

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• 2008 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Gaiun

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Crimson core with larger pale rim; pretty, elegant nose, warm rose, some orange rind, sour cherry, some vanilla; slight medicinal on the palate, great mid palate, sweet cherry and roses, more elegant; very good but will definitely get stronger with more time.

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• 2009 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Gaiun

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Red core with orange crimson rim; sweet ripe strawberry and red cherry, anise, medicinal; palate is unassuming at first, sweet cherry and vanilla, mid palate is awesome, soft tannin; easier to appreciate now but this should last a while.

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• 2007 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Camp Gros

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Red crimson core with onion skin rim; sour cherry, sour plum, cinnamon, spicy, very red fruit; polished and elegant tannin, spicy mid with good depth; very good.

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• 2008 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Camp Gros

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Just a bit deeper color than the 2007; very nice nose that has roses, menthol, very red cherry, spicy, seemingly mineral; wow on the palate, sweet cherry menthol, licorice, sappy, liqueur, firm tannin, fresh acid, so much fat; this almost seems like an earlier drinker but I'm it will outlast the 2007; really good.

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• 2005 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Gaiun

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Served to us blind; deep red rose with onion skin rim; sweet menthol, pure cherry, deep, exotic, sexy; palate is seamless, with more air the anise cedar and pure red cherry came out; very good.

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• 1995 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco Martinenga Camp Gros

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Served to us blind; dull crimson with rusty rim, sediment; tobacco, caraway, balsamico, sweet wood, aged, mahogany, mushroom; still a powerful palate, more freshness, solid mid palate, some dry tannin in back, slight herbal notes; very nice.

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• 2014 Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy Moscato d'Asti La Serra

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d'Asti

  Straw color, slightly sparkling; classic, sweet but very light and fresh, some sparkling; very nice and dessert friendly.

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Awesome visit. Really hard to top the quality and sheer volume of what we experienced.
I can't stress quality of the wines from their indigenous to the international varietals. The Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot need more international recognition. They all kick ass and the prices are ridiculously reasonable. They also age unbelievably well...sometimes better than the wines from their native regions if that says anything.
The Martinenga vineyard is really impressive. At the top of the hill you can see Giacosa's Asili holdings. I find their styles to be very similar though one is priced out of the stratosphere.
Across the valley at the top of the next hill you can see the old family property, the hunting lodge/ family home that is known for its interior. The Dolcetto grown there is some of the best out there and I need to start stocking up and cellaring that wine...along with many other wines from them.