A sign in the beautiful village of Monforte d'Alba
Dear wine lovers,
If Piemont was still part France like it has been in History, the best French wine would surely be Barolo.
This sentence is not from me but I remember hearing it long time ago and it really opened my curiosity on this wine.
Last week, as we went near Turin to shop for used concrete tanks for our vineyard project, I spent some times in the Langhe wine country. This area is a real labyrinth since it is full of hills and mounts that all look alike even if the beauty of these scenic views is wordless. On these steep slopes, there is a grape, the name of which comes from the typical local fog ("Nebbia") : Nebbiolo. This small berry has the natural asset of having a thick skin in order to resist humidity and when you can bring it to maturity, it gives outstanding results.
Barolo wines are produced in several villages between Alba and Barolo. After a traditional winemaking, they are aged for a minimum of 3 years, mainly in oak cast or barrels. These wines need time to smooth down their tannins brought by this thick skin compared to the juice produced. But when they are ready, it is an explosion of fruit, tobacco and lots of very complex flavors as it ages. Nowadays, the 2001 is quite ready and you would enjoy drinking it with, of course, the typical white local "nugget" : The white truffles that you can use for this very simple truffle pasta recipe*.
It is difficult to find some average Barolo but what's most difficult is to find a good price for a good quality. Here is what I found during my week-end :
- Podere Ruggeri Corsini where Nicola works very seriously and in total respect with Nature. If you live in Portland OR area, you should find his wines, including some very good Barbera and Dolcetto, in the wine stores.
- Tenuta Montanello where Alberto is now making his wines after having sold for a long time the grapes to the coop. He also has a very nice B&B, where we stayed, recently remodeled, in a 150 years old farm with an outstanding view on the vines. His wines already show a lot of potential and the prices are very fair.
By the way, if you are visiting this area, there are wine bars everywhere, which is a great way to eat and taste these local wines by the glass. There are also lots of B&Bs and don't forget to visit the Slow Food University in Pollenzo and its famous Banca del vino.
Ciao and Cheers !
Jean-Marc
Any comments, edits are very welcome at [email protected]
A great book of all the wines from Langhe where Barolo is the king
*Truffle pasta recipe
Ingredients for 6 persons :
1 pound homemade fresh egg pasta
6 quarts boiling salted water
6 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 fresh truffle (white, if posible)
Preparation :
Warm 4 to 6 soup dishes in a 200 degree oven. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook at a boil until barely tender to the bite. Drain in a colander and return to the pasta pot.
Toss with the butter, salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese. Use tongs to pile the pasta in individual heated soup dishes.
At the table shave a generous amount of the truffle over each serving.
