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2017 Barbera d’Alba “Bricco del Pilone”
Piero BenevelliI love talking with people about this wine because I get to tell them that it spends ten months in botti grandi—my favorite Italian wine-related phrase, which is almost impossible to pronounce without a cheesy Italian accent. Try it and you’ll see. Those few months in “big barrels” allow the wine to soften and breathe a bit without imparting a ton of tannin or oak. That is good, because this Barbera has plenty of grip on its own, and covering up this gorgeous fruit would be a crime. With big, ripe flavors, this bottling is perfect with a rich, meaty ragù or a deep-dish pizza.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Barbera |
Appellation: | Barbera d’Alba |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Benevelli Piero |
Winemaker: | Massimo Benevelli |
Vineyard: | 25 years, 1.5 ha |
Soil: | Grey marl and bluish limestone |
Aging: | Ages 6 months in old barrels, then 6 more months in large Slovenian oak barrels |
Farming: | Traditional |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Benevelli Piero
About The Region
Piedmont
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.