A Couple Of Days in Piedmont - Visit To Massolino

Massolino

My first visit to Massolino but definitely not my last. I had the greatest time with the most charming and knowledgeable host, Franco Massolino. The wines from this estate has a kind of old time British understated refinement about them.

2020 Langhe Riesling

A fine, low keyed nose with notes of lime, dry mango and chrushed rocks.

The taste is light on its feet with fine lemon dominated fruit and a cleansing acidity.

87p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Langhe Chardonnay

A finely balanced nose with notes of ripe lemons, wet cement and yellow flowers. Handsome.

The taste is cool and fresh with notes of yellow plums, ripe lemons, dry fudge and minerals. Very, very good.

90p   (tasted 2022/09)

2021 Dolcetto d´Alba

This is jumping out of the glass with lovely notes of fresh blueberries, iron, earth and violets. Lovely.

The taste is pure and elegant with notes of blueberries, damsons, bakelite and violets. Perky tannins. Really fine.

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2021 Barbera d´Alba

A delicate nose with notes of ripening raspberries, dry licorice, leather and earth. Very, very good.

The taste is medium bodied and fine with notes of raspberry licorice, hot earth and herbs. A very good acidity. 

89p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Barbera d´Alba Gisep

A very deep, complex, rich nose with notes of ripe raspberries, fried herbs, Finnish licorice and furniture polish. Lovely.

The taste is tight and concentrated with stunning notes of wild raspberries, licorice, tobacco and a hint of dark chocolate. A great acidity. A serious Barbera. 4+ years.

93p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Langhe Nebbiolo

An open, fresh nose with notes of red cherries, roses and salmiac. Classic LB from a seemingly great year.

The taste is young, pure and sandy with notes of cherries, roses and dry tobacco. Very, very good. 4+ years.

90p   (tasted 2022/09)

2019 Barbaresco

A very handsome, elegant nose with notes of strawberries, gravel, dry leather and herbs. Very fine.

The taste is young and tight and a fine focus, lovely strawberry/cherry fruit and a long, finely tuned finish. 6+ years.

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2019 Barbaresco Albesani

A stunner. There are the same characteristics as the Barbaresco above but here they are turned up to eleven. A fantastic nose.

The taste is brilliant with fruit, tannins, acidity in perfect balance. This will go places. Just wait 8+ years. Great wine.

95p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barolo

No Cru´s in 2018 so all wine have gone in this Barolo Normale. It shows of a fine, somewhat restrained nose with notes of cherries, tobacco, flowers and some coffee notes. Very, very good.

The taste is cool and finely structured for aging with notes of cherries, tobacco, herbs and earth. Sandy tannins. 5+ years. Tasted later at home - http://barolista.blogspot.com/2022/10/2013-2018-barolo-massolino.html

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo Margheria

A deep, refined nose with notes of hard cherry candy, roses en masse, forest floor and paint. A lovely balance. Very fine.

The taste is pure, focused and forward with gorgeous fruit, silky tannins and a lenght counted in minutes. Great wine. 7+ years.

95p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo Parafada

A rich, tight and concentrated nose with notes of smoke, ripe cherries, sandelwood and earth. Very fine.

The taste is rich and inky with notes of black cherries, dark flowers, smoke and asphalt. Very long. 8+ years.

94p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo Parussi

This Castiglione Falletto wine oozes up from the glass with lovely notes of ripe cherries, rosehips, dried flowers and forest floor. Very refined.

The taste is pure and concentrated with gorgeous fruit, silky tannins and a fresh acidity. A very fine structure. 6+ years. 

95p   (tasted 2022/09)

2016 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda

How describe perfection? The 16 Vigna Rionda floored me with its intensity, balance and focus. Every knot and bolt are in its place. Wine doesn´t get better than this. And to answer my own question - its hard, and maybe impossible, to describe perfection. I seem to be lost for words in the presence if perfection (see two more examples below). I will settle with the fact that this in one of the best wines tasted in many years. 

100p   (tasted 2022/09)

Two more perfect wines that I had a hard time describing when I tasted them:

2010 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell´Annunziata, Paolo Scavino

2010 Barolo Riserva Granbussia, Aldo Conterno

NV Chalky Brut, Andre Clouet

NV Chalky Brut, Andre Clouet

100% Chardonnay, 6 gr dosage, base year 2013. The nose is steely and handsome with notes of ripe lemons, lemon licorice, flint and grass. A cool spiciness. 

The taste is fresh an energetic with notes of lemons, white flowers, flint and gravel. A fine acidity. Very, very good. Don’t know about the packaging though…

91p   (tasted 2022/10)

A Couple Of Days in Piedmont - Visit To Alessandria Crissanti & Marco Curto

The "Cedro di Libano", planted in 1856

Alessandria Crissante

Alberto runs this family estate with his brother and produce aroung 35.000 bottles per year from 6 ha. There were some interesting things going on in the cellar, a test run of Pinot Nero and even a secret project that Alberto refused to reveal :-) 

2021 Dolcetto d´Alba Pian Delle Mache

A fine, fresh nose with notes of blueberries, red currants, herbs and a hint of assorted pepper. Very , very good.

The taste is pure and fine with perky tannins and a lovely blueberry fruit. A great drinkability.

88p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barbera d´Asti Superiore Rugé

Alberto only makes 2000 bottles of this beauty. From 70 year old vines this has a large scaled, forward nose with notes of ripe wild raspberries, bakelite, sugared coffee and fried herbs. Very deep and fine.

The taste is ripe and concentrated with gorgeous raspberry fruit alongside a refreshing acidity and a long, long, structured finish. Very fine. 4+ years.

92p   (tasted 2022/09)

2019 Barolo del Commune La Morra

A fine, soft nose with notes of hard cherry candy, Christmas spices, dry licorice and candle grease. Very, very good.

The taste is fine and balanced with a light cherry fruit, notes of dry licorice and earth. A fine length. 4+ years.

90p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barolo Capalot

A deep, dark nose with notes of ripe black cherries, Finnish licorice, rosehips and a hint of menthol. Very fine.

The taste is nicely concentrated with notes of ripe sweet/sour cherries, forest floor, licorice and asphalt. Very pure. Lovely. 8+ years.

94p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo Galina

A high-strung, tight, broad nose with lots of ripe fruit, mostly raspberries but also cherries and some wild strawberries. Very, very deep. Impressive. 

The taste is brilliant with tons of ripe fruit, sturdy tannins and a finish that never ends. Great wine. 10+ years. 

95p   (tasted 2022/09)

Marco Curto

Nadia Curto made her first own vintage in 1997 when she took over from her father. The estate is 4 ha big and Nadia makes 25-30.000 bottles per year. Nadia makes two Baroli - the la Foia is all traditional with big botti whilst the Arborina has a more modern touch with aging in barriques - both great wines.

NV L´Informale Vino Rosso

This is a blend of 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Dolcetto. The vintage is 2021 although it doesn´t say that on the label. The nose is ligth and nicely perfumed with notes of ripe lingonberries, gravel and violets.

The taste is charming and light with fine red fruit, a nice acidity and a medium long finish.

87p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Dolcetto d´Alba

This Dolcetto comes from Gattera and offers up a sandy, inky nose with notes of cool blueberries and ripening plums. 

The taste is fine and sandy with note of plums, blueberries and gravel. Fine tannins. Very, very good.

88p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Langhe Freisa

This comes from the top of the Arborina hill. The nose is spicy and a tad foursquare with notes of grass, incense and burnt rubber.

The taste is tight and dry with notes of dried grass, rust and a mix of red and black fruit. Not that charming (as I usually finds Freisa).

85p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Langhe Nebbiolo

An open, fruity nose with notes of rosehips, red cherries, gravel and mushrooms. A fine herbal note.

The taste is young and forward with sily tannins, juciy cherry fruit and a good structure for medium aging. Very fine. 4+ years.

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barolo la Foia

I got the opportunity to taste two bottles of the -18 la Foia, one that had been opened two days before and a freshly opened bottle. Nadia summarized: "smell the first one and drink the second wine". I agreed. The bottle that had been opened earlier had a deep, sweeet, fine nose with fine cherry fruit and notes of licorice and roses. The freshly opened was more closed and seedy.

On the palate the freshly opened bottle showed a perky fruit with a fine intensity and lovely cherry fruit. The other bottle was not tired per se but the fruit was a bit laid back and it didn´t show the same intensity. The first score is for the already opened bottle and the second for the freshly opened one.

91p/92p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barolo Arborina

The -18 Arborina is a beauty. The nose is deep and focused with notes of hard cherry candy, red plums, dark incense, rosehips and a hint of smoke. Very fine.

The taste is pure, tight and concentrated with notes of mushrooms, hard cherry candy, dry licorice and leather. Very, very long. Very handsome. Great wine. 8+ years.

95p   (tasted 2022/09)

2015 Barolo Riserva la Foia

3 years in wood and 3 years in stainless steel before bottling. What a wine! The nose is large scaled and open for business with stunning notes of cooked cherries, Finnish licorice, Christmas spices, a moist forest floor and tobacco. Lovely.

The taste is old school with rugged tannins, cooked fruit, concentration, a fine balance and a long, long, lingering finish. As I wrote in my notebook - Barolo at its best. 6+ years.

96p   (tasted 2022/09)

Francesco Ricasoli In Stockholm - Great As Ever!

I was invited to a tasting dinner by Wineworld. It is always a treat to meet Francesco Ricasoli and hear him talk about Tuscany, the wines of Ricasoli and the vintages.

The food at Ett Hem was fantastic!

2019 Torricella

Some years back the Torricella was quite marked by wood (though that was not a big concern for me...). Not any more. The 2019 shows of a cool, fresh nose with notes of grass, birch sap, spices and a hint of smoke. Very, very good.

The taste is fine and balanced with a very good acidity, fresh fruit and a good lenght. There is a lot to like here and for 19 Euro, it is a bargain.  

89p   (tasted 2022/10)

2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Brolio

A very deep, concentrated, sandy nose with notes of dry licorice, ripe red cherries, tiles and hints or rosemary. Very, very good.

The taste is tight and elegant with crisp cherry fruit, silky tannins and a long, balanced finish. 5+ years.

90p   (tasted 2022/10)

2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledilá

A very tight, structured nose with notes of warm sand, dried mushrooms, hard cherry candy and a hint of dark chocolate. Very fine.

The taste is taut and backwards with lots of locked up cherry fruit, broadshouldered tannins and long, long finish with tobacco, earth and herbs. Lots of potential here, give it 8+ years.

93p   (tasted 2022/10)

2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Ceniprimo

A very deep, handsome nose with notes of tobacco, dried up cherry cake, fresh herbs and gravel. Very refined. Lovely.

The taste is racy and refined with notes of ripe cherries, gravel, tobacco, cherry licorice and a nicely perfumed touch. Silky tannins. Young and tight, 6+ years.

93p   (tasted 2022/10)

2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Roncicone

From the get go, the most impressive one in this great line up. The nose is very deep, aromatic and complex with notes of ripe cherries, some black currants, tobacco, tiles and charcoal. High and intense. Stunning.

The taste is tight and structured with intensity, nerve and balance. Gorgeous black fruit. Aristocratic. Goes on and on and on. There is a 1er Cru Bordeaux feeling about it. Great wine. 6+ years. Bought!!

96p   (tasted 2022/10)

2018 Casalferro

100% Merlot. A deep, spicy nose with notes of plums, sugared coffee, tobacco and hot earth. A fine depth. Very, very good.

The taste is young, focused and firm with notes of ripe plums, coffee, tobacco and dried black flowers. A long finish with juicy tannins. Very fine. 5+ years.

91p   (tasted 2022/10)

2012 Vin Santo di Chianti Classico

We finished the tasting with this sweet thing. A deep, beautiful nose with notes of creme brulee, ripe tangerines, apricot and a hint of smoke. Very fine.

The taste is pure, racy and sweet with notes of ripe oranges, apricots and a hint of coconut. A fine acidity balance the sweetness. Very long. 

91p   (tasted 2022/10)

A Visit To Kullabergs Vineyard

A fine day during this summer I had the possibility to visit Kullabergs.

The first vines (Solaris) were planted in 2006. The rest of the estate, in all 14 ha, was planted in 2017 (8 ha) and in 2019 (4 ha). 

The grapes grown on the estate are PIWI grapes (a abbreviation from Pilzwiderstandsfähigen Rebsorten) which are more resistent to fungus and other dieseases (read more here (in Swedish) - Resistenta PIWI - druvor utmanar vinvärlden | Anders Melldén | SvD)

We were guided by winemaker K Felix G Åhrberg, first in the vineyards and then in the cellar, both the old and the new, which was under construction and will be very impressive. Felix is a charismatic man with a mission of making the greatest wines is Sweden. The Immelen, see below, are not only a great wine compared to other wines made in Sweden, it can hold its own to many wines from the rest of the world. It will be interesting to follow the progression of this estate.

2021 Askeäng

Tasted from tank. Souvignier Gris (85%) and Solaris (15%).  

The nose is very fresh and upfront with notes of yellow pears, grass and minerals. Very fresh.

The taste is pure and grassy with a fine acidity and additional notes notes of lime, gravel and fresh flowers. Very, very good.

89p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 Immelen

Tasted from tank. Solaris (86%), 7% Souvignier Gris (7%) and assorted grapes (7%). 

A stunner. The nose is deep and broad with notes of grilled lemons, chrushed rocks and white flowers. A hint of oak which add to the complexity.

The taste is racy and refined with a great acidity, a long finish and gorgeous fruit. Very young of course, this is going places. Great wine.

93p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 K

Tasted from tank. Solaris (90%) and assorted grapes (10%).

Made partly from botrytized grapes, which I really don´t sense on the nose, it appears fruity but dry with notes of oranges, gravel and hay. Cool and fine.

The taste is steely and fine, a hint of sweetness in the finish. An assortment of yellow fruits. Verr, very good. You can`t detect the alcohol, which is 14,7%.

90p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 Paradis

Tasted from tank. Same wine as the above but with longer aging. It comes in at 13.5% and shows a deeper, more refined nose with notes of red apples, warm grass, sun warm rocks and ripe oranges. Again, not that much sweetness on the nose.

The taste is just great with a lovely balance between sweetness and acidity. Notes of ripe oranges, quince, warm grass and salty minerals. Very long. Really fine.

92p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 RVP

Tasted from tank. A blend of Rondo and Regent with 10% of Immelen. Light and upfront, the nose displays notes of of dried up raspberry jam, leather and forest floor. Fresh.

The taste is young and spicy with notes of dried raspberries, tobacco and forest floor. Perky tannins. 3+ years.

87p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 Skäret

Tasted from bottle. A rosé made from Rondo, Regent and Cabernet Cortis. A upfront, fruity nose with notes of dry passionfruit, red currants and grapefruit. Very good.

The taste is fresh and forward with light red berry fruit, passion fruit notes and a fine acidity.

87p   (tasted 2022/07)

2021 Gylleröd

Tasted from bottle. A orange wine made from Souvignier Gris with 20 days skin contact. Notes of yellow plums, wet cement and hints of apricots. Very good.

The taste is cool and stony with notes of plums, white currants, earth and chrushed rocks. A hint of bitterness in the finish.

86p   (tasted 2022/07)

2020 Immelen

Tasted from bottle. A deep, complex nose with the same characteristics as the 2021 above. A stellar wine. Just great. Wish I had some.

93p   (tasted 2022/07)

2014 Barolo V. Lazzairasco, Guido Porro

2014 Barolo V. Lazzairasco, Guido Porro

Tasted and bought at the estate in 2018 - Barolista: Not So Long Overdue Notes - The Barolo Boys Visits Sandrone & Guido Porro

Four years later it displays a fine, cool nose with notes of forest floor, smoke, ripe red currants and tiles.

The taste is soft and forward with notes of red currant licorice, dried raspberries, earth and dry leather. Relatively open for business, could be drunk over the coming 8+ years.

The wine comes from the Lazzarito MGA and Porro have used this name since 2010.

90p   (tasted 2022/10)

A Couple Of Days In Piedmont - Visit To San Biagio

San Biagio

This is a family business with Tiziana, her brother and their father. They make a lot of different wines from their 18 ha, producing around 65.000 bottles per year. Tiziana was a gracious host and opened the entire range of wines, and then some, making this a wonderful visit indeed.

2020 Langhe Chardonnay Ad Maiora

A fine, fresh Chardonnay with nice yellow fruit and some gravelly notes.

The taste is racy and fine with notes of ripe lemons, gravel and grass. A fine acidity. Very good.

87p   (tasted 2022/09)

NV Vino Rosato Ad Majora

A fine, spicy nose with notes of wild strawberries, herbs and earth. A fine low key sweetness to the fruit.

The taste is earthy and finely structured with notes of raspberries, gravel and herbs. Very, very good. 100% Nebbiolo.

88p   (tasted 2022/09)

2021 Pelaverga

A typical Pelaverga nose with notes of incense, white pepper and assorted red fruits. Interesting enough, this Pelaverga doesn´t come from Verduno but is grown in the MGA Capalot.

The taste is spicy and earthy with a notes of white pepper, herbs and a hint of tobacco. Very, very good.

89p   (tasted 2022/09)

2021 Dolcetto d´Alba

A young, upfront nose with notes of ripening blueberries, cherries and violets. Fresh.

The taste is crips and juicy with an earthy, cranberry touch and a fine, bitter tannins. Very, very good.

88p   (tasted 2022/09)

2019 Barbera d´Alba Superiore Ad Majora

An open, fruity nose with notes of ripe raspberries, licorice and fried herbs. 

The taste is fat and spicy with notes of raspberry licorice, dusty earth and sweet tobacco. A fine warmth.

89p   (tasted 2022/09)

Tiziana showing me the San Biagio MGA

2019 Barbera d´Alba Superiore

A big, concentrated nose with notes of ripe raspberries, moist earth, violets and fresh herbs. Very fine.

The taste is tight and focused with lovely fruit, a very fine acidity and a long, juciy finish. 5+ years.

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2020 Langhe Nebbiolo Ad Maiore

A classic, low keyed Nebbiolo with notes of cherries, forest floor, rosehips and licorice. Very, very good.

The taste is cool and classic with silky tannins and a very nice cherry fruit. 3+ years.

87p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Langhe Nebbiolo

The -18 LB is another creature with more depth, a sweeter cherry fruit and fine notes of roses and asphalt. Very fine.

The taste is tight and nicely concentrated with notes of tobacco, ripe cherries, rosehips and leather. Long. 5+ years.

91p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barbaresco Montersino

A very fine, flowery, delicate nose with notes of wild strawberries, herbs, roses and fresh mushrooms. Lovely.

The taste is refined and silky with finely polished tannins, a gorgeous cherry/strawberry fruit and a long, elegant finish. 6+ years.

93p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo del Commune di La Morra

An open, fruity nose with notes of earth, mushrooms, dried cherries and licorice. Very, very good.

The taste is fresh and lightly focused with notes of red cherries, gravel, rosehips and mushrooms. 3+ years.

88p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo  Bricco San Biagio

This is a beauty, with a deep, aromatic nose with notes of wild strawberries, roses, rosehips, dry licorice and a hint of tobacco. Very handsome.

The taste is refined and balanced with notes of red apples, dried strawberries, tobacco and dried flowers. A long, lingering finish. Silky tannins. Great wine. 6+ years.

94p   (tasted 2022/09)

2017 Barolo Capalot

A very fine, dark, earthy nose with notes of wild raspberries, tobacco, leather and a ever so slight hint of mint. Very fine.

The taste is expressive and structured with lots of red/black fruits, forest floor, asphalt and rosehips. Very, very long. 8+ years.

93p   (tasted 2022/09)

2016 Barolo Rocchettevino

A deep, multi layered nose with notes of sweet/sour cherries, paint, dried flowers and asphalt. Some balsamic notes. Very fine.

The taste is racy and refined with notes of hard cherry candy, asphalt, rosehips, dry licorice and paint. A very fine structure for aging. Great. 8+ years. 

94p   (tasted 2022/09)

2018 Barolo Galina

The -18 Galina is a masterpiece. The nose is deep and succulent with notes of dry licorice, perfect ripe red cherries, asphalt, paint and roses en masse. Just awesome.

The taste delivers all that the nose promises with pure, silky, hedonistic fruit, perfect tannins and a finish that goes on and on. Will get even better with 8+ years in the cellar. Stunning.

96p   (tasted 2022/09)

2016 Barolo Sorano

A brilliant, deep, forward nose with notes of leather, dark cherries, chrushed rocks, herbs and violets. Tight and very fine.

The taste is taut and concentrated with stern, dark fruit, broad shouldered tannins and a long, long, tight finish. This will need a lot of time in the cellar, 10+ years. Great wine.

95p   (tasted 2022/09)