2021 SancerreDaniel Chotard
France | Loire
$39
Producers
The Reys has a nice deep, rustic quality that lends itself well to more robust northern Italian dishes.
It is a blend of 50% Nebbiolo with 50% Vespolina and is aged in small older oak barrels. Try this yummy red with pasta con funghi.
—Michael Butler
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Benevelli Piero Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Matteo Baldin is a fierce advocate of the Bramaterra style. Unlike the many other Nebbiolo focused appellations of Piedmont, Bramaterra can have up to 20% Croatina. Though there is a trend away from using larger amounts of Croatina in his village, he believes that to make an elegant and typical Bramaterra, you need to stick with the traditional blend and work hard to achieve optimal maturity of each grape.
His plantings are modest with just 1.5 total hectares planted to vine, on slopes rich in clay and volcanic porphyry. The vines are densely planted, Guyot trained, and receive organic treatments. Matteo’s goal is to obtain high quality grapes with low yields.
Matteo is a focused and driven individual, carving out a living in a way that few choose to these days. His approach to wine and life are deeply intertwined:
“The terroir must emerge and balanced wines better speak my language of simplicity. Speaking through the wine, the aromas, and the flavor of my land, all makes me happy, satisfied. Balance, simplicity, terroir, instinct. These are my cardinal points. This is my little cellar.”
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.
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barbera d’Alba
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Il Palazzotto Italy | Piedmont | Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba
Tenuta La Pergola Italy | Piedmont | Monferrato Rosso
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont | Langhe
Piero Benevelli Italy | Piedmont | Langhe Nebbiolo
Cantine Valpane Italy | Piedmont | Barbera del Monferrato
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barbera d’Alba
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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