Piemontese Offerings

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 3^rd 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.

Cheers Friends