| Ultra Famous Ultra Expensive Alba White Truffles |
Hi there all, I know it has been a
long time, too long, since my last post.
A lot has happened since then, and while I am apologetic for my lack of
writing, I am pleased to say I am a 3rd Level Advanced Sommelier,
Rudd Scholarship winner, and a recipient of the Zagat Guide 30 under 30 for the
San Francisco Bay Area for 2013. So
yeah, I’ve been busy, but I’m back. And
we start back with one of my favorite wine regions on the planet, Piemonte
(Piedmont), Italy. The hills of Langhe
are especially well known for their top class wines, but throughout the region
are fantastic bottlings, from sparkling wines all the way through the spectrum
to dessert wines. Piemonte also boasts
one of the longest histories with quality wine production, from the old kingdoms
before Italy became a nation to the industrial wealth of Torino in more recent
times.
While the most famous wines from
Piemonte are the never more popular Moscato wines, like Mosacto d’Asti or Asti
Spumante, to the wine of kings, the famous Nebbiolo wines from Barolo and
Barbaresco, today we discuss a very approachable white and red.
Malvira Roero Arneis 2010
Arneis, ‘the little rascal,’ is one
of the more well known white grapes to be cultivated in Piemonte. The Langhe hills so famous for Nebbiolo are
home to the region Roero. It sits just
right across the Tanaro River from Alba, the epicenter of the Langhe. Here this rascally grape thrives, alongside
some very delicious good value bottlings of Nebbiolo. Arneis in general is a good substitute for
the Sauvignon Blanc drinker wanting to try something new.
Malvira was founded in the 1950’s and
is now run by two brothers and their families.
They are one of the most regarded producers of Arneis, including their
famous single vineyards Renesio, Trinita, and Saglietto. This is their blend from their holdings. The wine is satr bright and clear with a pale
straw color. Fruits like lemon peel and
underripe peaches and nectarines come to mind, supported by white flower aromas
and a sense of the sandy soils in Roero.
On the palate there is a bit more ripeness, with some mandarin and
orange citrus additions as well as a riper element to the stonefruits. Medium bodied with lean crisp acidity, very refreshing
on the finish.
Ca’ Viola Barbera d’Alba Brichet 2009
While Nebbiolo gets all the fame and
glory for Piemontese red wines, Barbera is actually the work horse of the
region and the most planted red grape.
It is a grape with some recent popularity, lead mostly by producers
wanting to make a more structured and complex style. Better plantings with lower yields, longer
extractions and more use of oak barrels (including a fair amount of producers
using new French barriques) means that barbera isn’t just a quaffable pizza and
pasta wine anymore. While Asti is more
famous for its production of barbera, Alba has a lot of it palnted in some
choice locations as well.
Ca’ Viola sources its barbera from
Dogliani, just south of Alba. While this
region is most famous for Dolcetto, barbera has been given some premium sites
for palnting as well. The wine has a
deep ruby color with a magenta hue to the rim in the glass. Lots of dusty red berries jump out of the
glass, with hints of chocolate and green herb spices. The wine has a very juicy palate, dry with a
medium body and some tart acid tones on the finish. The use of the French barriques to partially
age this wine contributes to its richer texture and darker tones.
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| Cheers Friends |
