The History of Sangiovese di Romagna In 7 Chapters and 26 Bottles

There's no question that Sangiovese ages well -- Traditional Brunello begins to show well after a decade or more, there are legendary bottles in Chianti Rufina, and it has been my good fortune to taste some extraordinary, and extraordinarily fresh Carmignano wines from the 30s.

These are all Tuscan. People tend to think less of ageworthiness in conjunction with the Sangiovese from Romagna, perhaps because the general image of Sangiovese di Romagna is as a lighter quaffing wine. This doesn't mean, however, that Sangiovese di Romagna cannot age well, and indeed in 1970 Mario Pezzi, of the Fattoria Paradiso, decided to try something new: A Sangiovese di Romagna aged in small oak the first wine of its kind in Romagna, and a wine that the late Luigi Veronelli thought was a great idea. So did others -- he was invited to supply it to the Palazzo del Quirinale, Residence of the President of Italy, and it quickly attracted both attention and imitators.

His daughter Graziella brought the last bottle to a retrospective of Sangiovese di Romagna organized by Giorgio Melandri on the occasion of the establishment of a Sangiovese di Romagna archive in the cellars under the main square in Bertinoro, a town in the heartland of Sangiovese di Romagna.

The retrospective featured 26 bottles, which Giorgio organized into 7 chapters (for want of a better term), each illustrating an aspect of winemaking in Romagna over the past 40 years.


The invention of the Riserva, and other Ways of Making Wine: the 70s

Fattoria Paradiso: Vigna Lepri 1970

Pale almandine with orange rim. The bouquet is elegant, in a thoroughly tertiary key, with dusky accents, alcohol, Moroccan leather, brandied prunes with some brandied raisins too, sweetness from alcohol, and some bramble, cool accents, slight balsam, hints of sherry and also some nougat. A lot going on, and it continues to evolve with great interest. On the palate it's dusky, with warm rather leathery sour cherry fruit with savory accents and some leaf tobacco as well, flowing into a long savory tobacco laced finish. Very nice, and though it is clearly quite old, has a story to tell and is a wine a wine lover will enjoy conversing with. This was the last bottle.

Fattoria Paradiso Vigna Lepri 1975

Pale almandine with orange rim. The bouquet is deft, though not as bright as the 70, with warm savory notes and sour berry fruit supported by considerable leaf tobacco and some greenish notes with considerable balsamic accents too. Pleasant, in a quite material key. On the palate it's tertiary, with leather and sour cherry fruit supported by deft tannins and some brandied fruit, also savory notes and flows into a long dry greenish tannic finish. It has a lot to say, and is perhaps a little more powerful and interesting on palate than the nose. It's not quite as bright as the 70, and this is in part the vintage, and in part the bottle.

Both wines were quite interesting and very much Sangiovese, with the acidity typical of Sangiovese of the period and scrappy tannins holding them up.

Spalletti Rocca di Ribano 1975

Deep almandine with some black reflections and almandine rim. Quite deep color, surprisingly so for a Sangiovese of that time. The bouquet is interesting, and a bit odd, with cut flowers and chrysanthemums, with a degree of sweetness as well; it's quite green, with aromas that are more typical of older southern wines -- Negroamaro and Primitivo -- than Sangiovese with some savory notes too. It's interesting. On the palate it's earthy, with savory notes and spice, sour berry fruit and some balsamic notes, with considerable leather as well. Unusual mouthfeel, with some carob and a certain leatheriness, and one again has the impression that there is also something else in the wine in addition to Sangiovese.

It is quite possible; winemaking was approximate at the time, and many did flesh out their wines with more powerful southern wines.

Giuseppe Nicolucci Sangiovese 1975

Pale almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is fairly rich with carob and leather mingled with some savory notes and balsamic brambly acidity. The palate is quite alive, with bright leathery savory notes supported by tannins that are brambly and leathery, and flow into a clean savory finish. Quite whole yet, and a lot going on with considerable depth and elegance. It's interesting, and though again quite old is graceful in a rather lacy key, and has quite a bit to say. Very impressive, and as is the case with the other 1970s wines shows that there was much more territoriality, taking the acidity the wine had and accepting it, without attempting to soften it or make it more appealing to an "international" taste, and this is part of the reason for its longevity.

Cesari Sangiovese Riserva 1979

Pale almandine with almandine rim. The bouquet is, well, the Italian term would be scarico, which means unloaded or empty, with some balsam and slight mentholated accents, some alcohol. Slight dried leaves. And hints leather. On the palate it's bright, with slightly candied fruit supported by fairly bright brambly acidity and some sweetness from alcohol, and tannins that have a brambly burr and flow into a fairly long savory brambly finish with slight sweetish accents. Pleasant, and though some of the other tasters found it more commercial, I found it to display some of the same distance of the others -- perhaps not quite as much, but the distance is there.


These are wines of the pre-consulting winemaker era, when the winemakers in the wineries made the wine following tradition using what they had, some wood, all large, and tradition.

Consulting winemakers began to arrive in the early 1980s. Vittorio Fiore was one of the first and most important, settling in at the Azienda Castelluccio.

One can dream: The early 1980s

Castelluccio Ronco delle Ginestre 1982

Ruby with almandine rim; color has held more than the older wines. The bouquet is deft, with savory balsamic accents with warm sea salt and green leather, also Moroccan leather, and some deft mentholated accents with slight underbrush as well. Quite interesting. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich cherry fruit supported by slight bitter accents, and by moderately intense rather scrappy tannins, and flow into a clean slightly leathery finish. Quite a bit going on, and quite impressive, a testimonial to the potential of the land. Castelluccio, which used barriques, was the first wine from Romagna to break out of the region and sell well outside of Romagna, commanding prices higher than those of Chianti Classico in places like Rome. Though it is now quite mature, it is quite obvious why it commanded the prices it did.

Giuseppe Nicolucci Sangiovese Superiore Dlà Pré 1981

Pale almandine with almandine reflections and orangeish rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with unusual floral accents and savory notes, with some sea salt as well, and a slight balsamic underpinning with some herbal notes -- woodsy thyme with mentholated accents in particular -- the wine is not quite perfect, and this is the bottle. On the palate it's ample and mineral, with considerable savory accents and dusky balsam-laced berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and tannins that have a warm greenish burr, and flow into a warm savory finish. Impressive, and again clearly reveals the potential of the area. Which is considerable, though the vintage was weaker, and this wine is more tired.

The 80s and 90s: Ugly Ducklings

Innovation is a process of trial, experimentation, and reaction to the results of the trials and experiments, which are sometimes successful and sometimes less so. The 80s and 90s were a period of tremendous experimentation, with people trying new pruning techniques, new planting strategies, and new cellar techniques.

Poderi dal Nespoli Borgo Guidi 1983

Cherry ruby with black reflections and almandine rim paling to orange. The bouquet is fresh, with hints of balsam and berry fruit that bring to mind nougat somehow, and some menthol and leaf tobacco, with some leather too, and pleasant spice. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's bright, with fairly lively warm sour cherry fruit supported by leathery accents and some spice, quite a bit of sea salt, and tannins that have a greenish burr, and flow into a warm savory finish. It's rich and smooth, and has a certain suppleness to the tannic structure that suggests it isn't completely Sangiovese.

La Berta Cà di La Berta 1999

This was by Stefano Chioccioli, a leading Tuscan consulting winemaker whose wines tend to be richly fruit forward in youth. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and some almandine in the rim. The bouquet is ripe, with fairly bright cherry fruit supported by some prune liqueur and candied accents, with some mineral notes, and some greenish vegetal accents with something fairly aromatic. On the palate it's ample and soft, with cherry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins, while the acidity is firmly in check and the finish is rather bitter, a reflection of the oak. It's much less alive than the other wines, and while it may have been seductive and fruit forward in youth the production technique has penalized it with time.

The 90s: Here Comes The Gang

Experimentation continued, spreading to those who had been hesitant at first, and people began to get a feel for what they wanted to do.

Fattoria Paradiso Vigna Lepri 1990

Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bottle is less than perfect, a problem that can happen with older wines. It's spicy, with candied accents and some mint supporting berry fruit and slight balsam and some leather as well, also Moroccan leather and some alcohol. On the palate it's also a touch tired, and this is again the bottle; reading between the lines there is pleasant acidity and slightly balsamic tannic structure supporting sour berry fruit while the tannins are dusky with a silky underpinning, and the finish is savory with some prune plum fruit and some dried mushrooms as well. An imperfect bottle, but one that clearly reveals the potential of the vintage.

Drei Donà - La Palazza Pruno 1994

Fairly deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with berry fruit and some vegetal accents, balsamic acidity and spice and an underpinning of dried mushrooms. Pleasant but going in a different direction with respect to the earlier 70s wines. Much cedar too. All Sangiovese? On the palate it's ample, with cherry fruit supported by splintery accents, and moderate acidity; the acidity plays second fiddle to the tannins and flows into a bitter finish savory finish with some oaky accents. It revolves more around minerality and leafy notes than fruit, and this makes it more particular; my first impression was that it was less interesting, but fellow tasters rave about it and sipping it again makes me realize they have a point. It is in any case what one would call international in style.

Giovanna Madonia Ombroso 1997

Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with considerable minerality and some iodine, and also hints of camphor and slight cedar. On the palate it's fairly rich, with lively cherry fruit supported by minerality more than acidity, and by tannins that have greenish vegetal accents and a warm pencil shaving graphite laced burr, and flows into a clean rather bitter finish. Interesting, and though it doesn't have the acidity that the earlier wines have, does display pleasing personality. I wonder if it is all Sangiovese.

Fattoria Zerbina Marzeno 1998

Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with savory accents and warm berry fruit supported by sea salt, brings sweat socks to mind in a positive way. The palate is bright, with lively cherry fruit supported by considerable minerality and graphite shaving bitterness that flows into a clean bright mineral finish. Interesting, with considerable personality, and it does have Cabernet in it, which however hues to Romagna. Quite interesting.

Romagna By Luck and By Chance

Further experimentation during the 1990s, some quite successful, and some slightly less so.

Calonga Michelangiolo 2000

Deep black cherry with cherry rim. The bouquet is warm and savory, brings well salted stewed tomatoes to mind, with savory notes and spice, and some berry fruit. On the palate it's ample, with rich jammy cherry fruit supported by tannins that are quite mineral and decidedly dusky, flowing into a dusky mineral finish. It's charged, and quite distinctive, a wine that you will like or not. Powerful too, and though Giorgio says it has Merlot I don't note it in the tannins -- though there is some cassis on the nose.

Il Pratello Badia Raustignolo 1998

Deep black cherry with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is interesting, with candied accents and berry fruit supported by some leather and prunes, also savory notes and some caraway seed. Smoky notes too. On the palate it's fairly rich, with mineral laced berry fruit supported by greenish tannins that have a warm burr and flow into a fairly long rather bitter greenish finish. Unusual, and though I might have though there was something else, they say it's Sangiovese in purezza. Distinct with respect to the other wines.

Castelluccio Ronco Ginestre 1999

Claudio Fiore, Vittorio's son, was in Castelluccio for this, and oversaw bottling it. Cherry ruby with almandine in the rim. The bouquet is smoly and balsamc, with some animal hair and stable straw. On the palate it's bright, with savory sour cherry fruit supported by minerality and spice, and flows into a rather tannic finish. It's much greener than the earlier Castelluccio wine, and it's more of a food wine -- it will work very well with stews or roasts, and is less of a wine to sip far from the table. Quite fresh.

Ferrucci Domus Caia 1999

Deep cherry ruby with cherry reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with brandied plums and cherries with some quite a bit of mint as well, and some cedar too. On the palate it's ample, smooth with cherry fruit supported by cedar laced tannins and some minerality while there is also acidity, though the tannins are carrying the show more than they did in the earlier vintages, where acidity played a greater role. The wine is particular, in that it's a late harvested wine, and the lower acidity comes out in this respect.

An Awareness of Terroir:

Following the period of intense experimentation in the 80s and 90s there has been a return to terroir, and an interest in making the wines reflect their vineyards. At the same time, however, vineyard technique has changed considerably, as have harvesting criteria and winemaking techniques. In particular, many winemakers aim for physiological ripeness, ripeness of the tannins, which comes later than sugar ripeness (that which will give a certain minimum alcohol content). The wines therefore tend to be more alcoholic and less acidic, though this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

Fattoria Zerbina Pietramora 2001

Deep cherry with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with animal accents and minerality supported by acidity and spice with a fair amount of balsamic accents too. On the palate it's rich, with jammy cherry fruit supported by minerality and slight acidity, and by tannins that are a fairly dusky mineral finish, with some greenish accents. It's fairly rich, but by now the acidity that was so distinctive in the early wines is gone. Much more tannins and structure, and much less acidity.
2 stars

Nicolucci - Casetto dei Mandorli Vigna del Generale 2001

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with cherry fruit supported by some cedar and moderate acidity, with some minerality as well. On the palate it's bright, and fresher than I expected, with lively cherry fruit supported by dusky graphite shaving bitterness and some mineral acidity that flows into a clean rather bitter finish with dry tannic underpinning. Pleasant.
2 stars

Il Pratello Mantignano 2004

Deep black cherry ruby with cherry rim paling to white. The bouquet is a bit more balsamic than some, with animal notes and some lathered horse, and as it opens rather penetrating brambly accents and some sea salt. On the palate it's ample, with fairly bright savory berry fruit supported by minerality and spice, and by tannins that have a warm savory notes and flow into a greenish mineral accents. It's fairly deft, with minerality that works well and gives nice depth, and will work well as a food wine.
2 stars

San Patrignano Avi 2005

From a magnum
Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with some berry fruit supported by greenish accents and slight burnt rubber, which sounds odd but is slight enough to just add depth, and some jammy cherry fruit accents too, with slight sweetness and moderate alcohol. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with moderate fruit supported by tannins that have a warm burr, and some acidity; the fruit is more evanescent than I might have liked.
1 star

Gallegati Corallo Nero 2006

From a magnum
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with ripe plum cherry fruit supported by floral notes and some sweetness, and by some savory accents. Quite concentrated and quite ripe. On the palate it's bright, and ripe, with fairly rich cherry plum fruit supported by tannins that are warm and greenish with a mineral underpinning and flow into a clean mineral finish. Pleasant, in a fairly mineral key, and it has quite a bit to say; the fruit is ripe but not overripe.
2 stars

Graziella Pezzi Vigna Lepri 2006

Deep black cherry with cherry rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some berry fruit and some acidity, and also some savory accents with slight greenish notes. On the palate it's fairly direct, with savory accents and some spice, and tannins that are warm and splintery. It's not what I had expected given the earlier vintages -- it's neither as bright nor as lively, and lacks the pleasing deftness of its older siblings.
1 star

Villa Trentola Il Moro 2008

Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, and rather animal, with lathered horse and some wet stable straw and greenish balsamic accents with underlying brambles. Not much fruit. On the palate it's pleasant in a rather savory key with moderate fruit supported by powerful greenish savory notes, and flow sinto a clean rather savory finish with greenish accents. It's powerful, and a wine that you will like if you like the style, but you have to like the style, which is a bit rustic. It will work quite well with grilled meats or roasts if you like the style.
2 stars

We closed with a couple of wines Giorgio says Look towards the Future:

Villa Venti Primo Segno 2008

Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fresh, with jammy cherry fruit supported by some greenish vegetal accents and spice. Fairly direct. On the palate it's ample, with cherry fruit supported by moderate plum cherry acidity and by tannins that are smooth and sweet, and flow into a fairly sweet cherry finish. Direct, and fairly p front in a light key, with a fair amount of sweetness that will make it more approachable to those who are not traditionally minded, though someone who expects more acidity and tannin may wonder about it.
2 stars

Balia di Zola Balitore 2009

Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with pleasant violets and floral accents supported by some berry fruit and underlying spice. Quite young. On the palate it's bright and fresh, with lively cherry plum fruit supported by deft acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that balance the acidity, and flow into a clean fresh cherry finish. Beautifully fresh, one of those wines one can drink by the bucket.
2 stars

A fascinating tasting that on the one hand showed the evolution of the wines, from the tarter much more aggressive (in their youth) Sangiovese of the 70s though the lusher riper wines of today, and also the introduction of new kinds of wood for aging -- and the struggles to learn to use them rather than be used by them, and on the other confirmed the aging potential of the older styles of Sangiovese. I am not sure that the newer riper style will prove as long-lived, but it will be interesting to see.

The Garantito IGP Trip: Fontanafredda

When we went to Piemonte to taste Barolo and Barbaresco this fall we were hosted by Fontanafredda, which is perhaps Piemonte's most historic winery: In the mid-1800s King Vittorio Emanuele II, who found the rigid etiquette at Court stifling, was want to sneak out of town whenever he could to hunt, enjoy fine foods in friendly surroundings, or to see Rosa Vercellana, the fetching daughter of one of his soldiers.

Though he had a reputation as a ladies' man the relationship was serious; he built her a home on a hundred-hectare hunting preserve not far from Serralunga d'Alba, and following the death of his queen made her Contessa di Mirafiori and married her. Since she had started out a commoner the marriage was morganatic; this meant that upon the King's death their children didn't have access to the Royal treasury, and to guarantee Count Emilio Guerrieri's future Vittorio Emanuele willed him the estate that had been Contessa Rosa's home.

A hunting preserve, beautiful as it may be, doesn't offer much of an income. However, in nearby Grinzane Cavour the vineyards below the castle were producing wonderful wines, and Marchesa Falletti, who lived a few miles in the other direction, was gathering the Nebbiolo-based wines that had been known by their vineyards -- Cannubi, Bussia, Sarmassa and so on -- under a single glorious heading: Barolo. Conte Guerrieri cleared his land, planted vineyards, and in 1878 founded Mirafiori Vini Italiani.

Having done this he had a problem: A hundred hectares of vineyards require considerable manpower to maintain properly -- not just during the harvest, but during the rest of the year as well. Mirafiori, while beautifully positioned for making wine, was several hours' walk from the nearest town, over roads that would turn to mud during the wet seasons. So he built a town for his workers -- a fully functional village, with general store, school, and church. Though company towns were fairly common in other industries (especially in the United States), this is the only Italian winery built following 19th century industrial precepts.

Taken as a whole, what Count Guerrieri built resembles other 19th century factory complexes, for example the textile mills one finds along rivers in New England, but with a couple of twists. Rather than have plain brick or stone facing, he chose to paint the plaster with red and gold stripes, the colors of the House of Savoy, and added decorative elements in silver and blue, his family colors, under the eves -- a clever way to remind people of his roots, and one which is especially beautiful in the light of the setting sun. What really sets the complex apart, however, is the setting: Nestled in a valley, with vineyards draping the slopes, and a pretty park in the flatland surrounding Contessa Rosa's house. Nothing like this in New England, and it's well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Any illusions you might have about being in a traditional factory vanish upon entering the cellars, however, as you behold hall upon hall of botti, the huge traditional oaken casks where Barolo and other wines quietly mature.

The winery was extremely successful, and would probably still be Mirafiori Vini Italiani today had the Count's son not gone into politics -- while he was busy with affairs of state the winery languished, and in 1931 went bankrupt. The property went to the major creditor, Siena's Monte dei Paschi (the world's oldest bank, founded in 1472) while the name was bought by the Gancia winery. Monte dei Paschi settled upon Fontanafredda (Cold Fountain) for their new estate, after a very cold fountain on the property.

And thus things remained until a couple of years ago, until Oscar Frinetti, the man behind Eataly http://eatalyny.com/, approached Monte Dei Paschi and asked if he could buy into the winery. They said yes, and now he is the major shareholder. Little has changed since his arrival, at least on the grounds: the team working in the winery is still the same. However, Mr. Farinetti also approached the folks at Gancia and asked them to give back the Mirafiori name. Gancia did, and now Fontanafredda's top line is called Mirafiori.

At the end of the second day of our visit we returned to Fontanafredda, where we were greeted by Monica Tavella and Danilo Drocco, who gave us a tour of the winery, that ended in the new, rather space-age tasting room they just opened.

Where we tasted:
Mirafiore Dolcetto D'Alba 2010
This is from an east-facing vineyard, and it spends two months in large wood prior to bottling. Deep cherry ruby with cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with lively violets and some berry fruit supported by graphite shavings and bitter almonds, with almond blossoms as well and pleasant savory notes. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's fresh, with bright cherry fruit supported by lively acidity and tannins that have bright peppery accents, and flow into a bright warm cherry finish with violet accents and a peppery tannic underpinning. It's quite aggressive, and is a wine that will drink very well with fattier foods, for example grilled meats such as sausages or lamb chops. If you like the style you will enjoy it.
2 stars
Mirafiore Barbera D'Alba 2009
This is harvested a bit earlier than some, to have ripeness but also acidity. It spends a year in large wood, without racking. Deep pyrope with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is closed at the outset, and bordering on reduction, demanding that one swish it to oxygenate it, as it opens it reveals berry fruit and acidity shot through with graphite shavings and some acidity that increases as it oxygenates. On the palate it's bright, with rich cherry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and by tannins that are fairly light, and there is a touch of sweetness too that comes from alcohol content -- it's 14%, and it flows into a warm tart cherry finish. Pleasant in a fairly aggressive key, and will work very well with succulent meats. Particular, however, and if you like heavily oaked Barbera it won't work for you, because though there is some wood that smoothes some, the acidity very much rules, and leves the teeth squeaky clean.
2 stars

Mirafiore Langhe Nebbiolo 2009
This is from grapes that are exposed to the East, and therefore don't have the terrific tannic structure Barolo would have after two years; it spends a year in oak, during which it is never racked, and is almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is savory, with rosa canina and minerality, berry fruit, earthiness, spice, leather and leaf tobacco that is fairly intense, and p0elasantly green. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's rich, with bright berry fruit supported by sweet tannins and fairly bright acidity; the tannins are peppery and fairly aggressive, and flow into a clean bright cherry laced finish with a peppery underpinning that's quite pleasant. A perfect food wine that will work quite well with a steak or roast.
88-90

Mirafiore Lazzarito Barolo 2007
This wine macerated 45 days on the skins after fermentation, and then, after the malolactic fermentation spent 2 years in cask, without racking. Deep almandine with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is powerful, with leathery berry fruit supported by leaf tobacco and brambly accents, also greenish vegetal accents, spice, alcohol and pleasant spice, with underlying licorice root, sea salt and cedar, supported by slight pungency of alcohol. On the palate it's full and smooth, with powerful cherry fruit supported by mentholated accents -- the alcohol confers a degree of mineral sweetness -- and spice, and by bright acidity and warmth, while the tannins, which are sweet at the outset and powerful throughout, become drier in the finish, and this is a factor of youth. Quite pleasant with considerable depth, and though it ahs a youthful brashness to it now, it is quite elegant and will go places with time. Impressive.
88-90

Mirafiore Barolo Riserva 2004
With this wine they assembled the best grapes of the vintage, picking from here and there to obtain the best from everywhere. Deep black almandine with black reflections and almandine rim paling to white still; it has held remarkably well. The bouquet is powerful, with rich berry fruit laced with green leather and leaf tobacco, and also with spice and some rosa canina with considerable underbrush as well, and some bitterness too. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's full, and rich, with powerful cherry fruit supported by savory tannins and fairly brisk acidity that flow into a clean savory tannic finish. Quite pleasant, and will work very well with grilled meats or roasts; it's still very young -- and this comes out in the dryness in the finish -- but displays considerable potential, and though one could drink it now with grilled meats along the lines of a porterhouse steak, it will also age very well for 15 or more years. Needs time still, and is remarkably young.
2 stars

The tasting was followed by a relaxed and delightful dinner during which Danilo Monica poured us a number of older wines that Luciano has described with a poetic vision that I simply cannot hope to match. So I will simply give my impressions:

Fontanafredda Barolo 1967
Almandine with almandine rim. Rich bouquet with leaf tobacco, spice, acidity, some chocolate and carob tending towards tamarind, balsamic notes, sea breeze. Beautiful and very much alive. The palate is bright and rich, with lively sour berry fruit supported by tamarind-lemon acidity and tannins that are bright and rich, with a warm burr that flows into a fairly long clean bright finish. Very impressive, and though it is full mature one wouldn't guess its age.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa 1982
The bouquet is rich, but not as rich as the 67's, with berry fruit and leather mingled with spice, leaf tobacco, musty dried orange peel, licorice root, and underlying spice with savory acidity providing direction. On the palate it's full, rich, and smooth, with spice and berry fruit supported by tannins that have sweet leathery accents. Terrific finesse, though not as lively as the 67, nor does it have the power. But it does have quite a bit to say.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa 1996
Deap leather almandine ruby. The bouquet is rich, with spice, leather and leaf tobacco mingled with some hardwood ash and underlying savory accents, minerality, and some mineral acidity. Considerable finesse. On the palate it's full, rich and deft, with minerality mingled with underbrush and spice, and moderate fruit, with nice acidity as well. Great depth and elegance.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa 1999
Lively ruby with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is bright, with berry fruit and greenish leathery accents mingled with spice and sea salt, with some underbrush as well. Nice depth and elegance. On the palate it's rich and full with pleasant fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean deft finish. Quite fine.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa 2004
Deep ruby with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit mingled with spice and cedar, and leaf tobacco too, with underlying rosa canina and red berry fruit. Quite pleasant. On the palate it's full and bright, with rich berry fruit supported by deft acidity and tannins that are smooth, with hints of spice and flow into a clean rich finish. Considerable elegance and very pleasant to sip. By comparison with the 2004 Mirafiore its tannins are smoother and richer, and I found it to display greater finesse.

Fontanafredda Barolo Vigna La Rosa 2007
Cherry ruby. The nose is bright with cherry fruit and some greenish vegetal accents, berry fruit, and warmth -- pleasant but in its infancy. On the palate it's full, and bright, with red berry fruit supported by tannins that have a youthful peppery burr, while mineral raspberry acidity provides direction, and it flows into a rather bright angry finish. It's pleasant, and has considerable potential, but needs time. Something to wait for.

Garantito Igp - Barolo Vigna La Rosa Vertical: 2007-2004-1999-1996-1982 and 1967

This time Luciano takes the stand:



It's not often that one can combine the technical requirements of a tasting with drinking pleasure. Quite the contrary, it's ever rarer due to conflicting appointments, the press of time, and the anxieties of wanting to know. But it does occasionally happen. For example, if we find ourselves in a historic estate, Fontanafredda in Serralunga, enjoying a pleasant evening seated around a table with a dear friend, Monica Tavella, a dynamic winemaker such as Danilo Drocco, and a few Promising Youths, for example Carlo Macchi, Kyle Phillips, and Pasquale Porcelli.

There we were, after tasting the latest Mirafiore wines in Oscar Farinetti's avant-garde tasting room, in the dining room of the villa, enjoying a classic Piemontese meal: a cold chopped antipasto, a hot antipasto, agnoletti al plin with the sauce from a roast, meat, and dessert. And during the hours we enjoyed, we chatted of this and that, of icy harvests, of plans for the future, and as we sipped an unexpected Barolo vertical developed, leaving us with no choice but to accept Barolo's immortality.

You understand: We're at Fontanafredda, our base for the IGP in Langa Tastings. A hundred hectares of vineyards, planted in 1878 by King Vittorio Emanuele for his Bella Rosin, then property of the Monte dei Paschi Bank for 72 years, and since 2008 one of Oscar Farinetti's jewels.

We never tire of repeating it, This Is How Great Wines Should Be Tasted: Giving to them at least some of the time they gave us by enjoying them, with food, and if possible while talking with those who know them. It's a humanist tasting, one in which the notes taken, while indispensable, are only the key with which to gain access to the spirit in the glass, and, more importantly, to the spirit of the land and those who lived on it.

I always make this comparison: the aristocracies of Piemonte, Tuscany and the Veneto maintained solid ties to the land, investing and promoting innovations, whereas the Neapolitan aristocracy consumed their estates in the construction of palaces designed to rival those of the King. One of the reasons for the Neapolitan's defeat and ultimate collapse may be this differing approach to agriculture. Cavour and Ricasoli thought about wine, while Nicotera made pacts with the Mob to govern Naples after the fall of the Bourbons.

And this echoes down the paths of history, weighing upon the blameless generations that followed. More than to be or to have, the anthropological and psychological dichotomy is that which sets production and consumption in opposition.

2007 - We begin with a vintage I detest, because it brings me back to the concentrated fruity style of the 90s, which continues to do great damage in regions such as Calabria, Sicily and Puglia. It's not a deft vintage, even when a winemaker as good as Danilo does his best to maintain elegance, and succeeds in preserving freshness. The wine is perfect, and almost ready. Now, and that's the rub.

2004 - We step back three years; Monte Dei Paschi was still on the scene, though Danilo's hand was already on the wines. Our negative Kantian prejudice flips to positive when 4 replaces 7. A vintage that's always great and climbing, no matter the wine: From Barolo to Taurasi, passing through Gaglioppo, Amarone and Brunello. Intense, fresh, ample, dynamic, I'd almost say it's my favorite.

1999 - The vintage we all agree on: winemakers, enologists, wine lovers: a fullness of expression that began in the vineyard and ends in the glass. I won't talk to you about the wine's integrity after 12 years, because with Barolo it's what one expects. The nose still has considerable fruit and a nice spicy cast, while the attack on the palate is unhesitating, and perfectly balanced, with all the components at a very high level; the freshness is no longer distinct, but very long, and sustains it all. A long, intense, persistent finish that sends ripe cherry fruit up to the nose.

1996 - Here the audience is divides. Neither Carlo nor Pasquale find it exciting, whereas Kyle and I like it. Its strongpoint is certainly its acidity, which takes power in a leaner context, but the wine is on its toes and dynamic, without the least sign of failure; it opens with authority and closes cleanly. With respect to the 1999 and the 2004 it lacks complexity, and is thus considerably less seductive.

1982 - We're before the methanol scandal. A vintage justly considered great, and the quality of the wine emerges clearly. I mention integrity because I must, but know that in doing so I'll pass for a schoolboy: the nose is dominated by mature aromas, leather, ash, wood toast, but also wild and brandied cherries, hints of licorice, very pleasant rhubarb. Excellent acidity that is slightly separate from the wine, finesse, and delightful drinkability for and exciting, satisfying wine.

1967 - At this point Danilo, caught up in the moment, said the unexpected: "I want to taste the 1967 with you." Good, think I; when I was 10 I didn't drink, so here's an opportunity to make up for lost time. An excellent vintage according to the official Barolo vintage classification, and called "Convincing" by Giancarlo Montaldo in his summary la Langhian history for those drinking today. The wine is indeed perfectly fresh, no slippage after 44 years, nor sediments; the color is brilliant and lively, perhaps a little deeper than usual. The mature nose displays flashes of fruit; it's supported by alcohol, close to 14%, and by vibrant acidity. A drinkable Barolo, worlds apart from the styles in vogue in the 90s, and precisely because of this it displays an irresistible allure.

http://www.fontanafredda.it

Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi