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2018 Barbaresco “Vicenziana”
Silvio GiamelloOld bottles in Giamello’s cellar
Sylvio Giamello
Barbaresco in botti grandi
Giamello’s winter vineyards
“I don’t think Silvio will ever be a household name. Kermit and I always chuckle when people ask us who we work with in Barbaresco, and invariably they’ve never heard of Silvio. That includes anyone we’ve met in Piedmont! Silvio’s cellar in downtown Barbaresco is easy to miss, and we import most of his production. But his wines aren’t easy to ignore. Not only do they provide a lot of pleasure young, but also their track record for aging is impeccable. Every vintage we’ve imported since 1997 is still going strong. At this price, you’ll want to buy by the case while supplies last.” —Dixon Brooke, February 2015 Newsletter
Silvio Giamello’s cellar in the town of Barbaresco is like a temple of fine Nebbiolo: quiet, dark, and saturated with a mystical energy that permeates the air while divine vinous scents waft up from the glass he has ceremoniously filled with a sample of the latest vintage. Silvio crafts utterly pure, transparent Barbaresco capable of wooing the senses and stirring up deep emotion in the lucky few who taste his modest production—minuscule numbers and reserved demeanor ensure that his wines stay under the radar. He is a vignaiolo in the truest sense of the term, a farmer whose work in the cellar relies solely on patience, tasting, and the wisdom passed down from previous generations. This entails natural fermentations, aging the wines in botti grandi (oak casks), and bottling them unfiltered.
Mature bottles of Barbaresco from this tiny grower rank among the finest Nebbiolos I have ever tasted. The scintillating, rose-scented 2001 will be hard to forget, as will the burly 2003 paired with tagliatelle coated in a slow-cooked beef ragù prepared by Silvio’s wife, Marina.
The 2018 will doubtless offer the same thrills to those capable of keeping their hands off it. It presents a wonderfully rich, intense aroma of classically styled Barbaresco, layered with underbrush, tobacco, and bitters. A delicate and savory palate, framed by fine Nebbiolo tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity, suggests it will live a long and prosperous life. If you wish to drink it young, it is certainly open for business today, especially paired with sautéed wild mushrooms or a pan-seared ribeye.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Nebbiolo |
Appellation: | Barbaresco |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Silvio Giamello |
Winemaker: | Silvio Giamello |
Vineyard: | 41 - 48 years, 2 ha total |
Soil: | Clay with Lime-rich Marl |
Aging: | Aged in Slavonian oak botti (barrels) of 20-30 hectoliters for 2-3 years |
Farming: | Traditional |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
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About The Producer
Silvio Giamello
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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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch