I really enjoy wine tasting events where you can meet the actual winemakers. Yes, terroir is important but so is a winemaker’s personality that shines through and gives wine character. Recently, I’ve been lucky to meet winery owners from Barolo and Barbaresco, Piedmont’s most famous wine appellations. The cosy wine and dine evening was hosted by the Prime Society and Bar together with Italian Wine Club. Mr Claudio from Giacomo Fenocchio winery and Mr Vittorio from Adriano Marco e Vittorio were there to share their wine philosophies and passion. Founded in 1864, Giacomo Fenocchio estate is now being run by Claudio and his brothers. Its vineyards include the three ‘grand crus’ of Barolo DOCG: Bussia in Monforte d’Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto and Cannubi in Barolo. No shortcuts are used at the winery with the cornerstone of its philosophy being respect for grapes, time and environment. Balanced yields, natural fermentation without added yeast or use of rotary tanks - these are winemaking traditions at Giacomo Fenocchio. Barbaresco was represented by Adriano, a family winery located at the heart of Langhe. The estate has 22 hectares under vines with another 10 hectares of fields and woods where the famous white truffle of Alba can be found. Alongside Nebbiolo, the cultivated grape varieties include Barbera, Dolcetto, Moscato and Sauvignon Blanc. Both winemakers are traditionalists meaning their wines undergo extended maceration and prolonged aging in big Slavonian oak barrels (botti) as opposed to small barriques (the approach taken by modernists who make wines in an international, early-maturing style). The use of larger vessels allows wine to mature in a neutral environment without any drastic alteration of its own personality. First wine I got to try was Giacomo Roero Arneis 2013 served to accompany an entrée of kingfish crudo. Arneis is a white grape variety from Piedmont, most commonly found in Roero. The wine was highly perfumed and floral on the nose with pear and stone fruit aromas and nutty, slightly spicy notes. Nice texture of the palate and pleasing length, but unfortunately it lacks finesse and acid edge which makes it a bit flabby. This is a common problem for Arneis that has naturally low acidity and tends to get overripe if harvested late. It is a food-friendly wine that works as an aperitif but is boring on its own.Next was Giacomo Langhe Nebbiolo 2012 paired with duck and porcini tortellini. The wine is 100% Nebbiolo and has been aged for 10 months in Slavonian oak with maturation in the bottle. It is made of declassified Barolo grapes that come from younger vines (a common practice in Piemonte). A very approachable wine not overpowered by wood, yet it has body and complexity and reveals all the aromatics of Nebbiolo. Succulent, fruity and crunchy, it delivers aromas of red cherry, plum, pomegranate, cranberry, hints of rose petal, geranium and sweet spices. A good quality Langhe Nebbiolo, feminine and delightful. Unfortunately, it was served too warm and tasted unbalanced with alcohol at the forefront.The highlight of the evening was the blind tasting of Barolo and Barbaresco. First, we got Giacomo Barolo and Adriano Barbaresco of 2010 vintage paired with a juicy roast porchetta. Overall, Adriano Barbaresco was much fruitier on the nose with softer tannins but less complex than Barolo. However, it worked out really well with the porchetta: not too big and with just the right acidity to stand up to the rich pork. The second round was far more intriguing and sparked some lively discussion. Two single-vineyard riservas of 2008 vintage were served to accompany roasted beef. In context of Italian wines, the word ‘riserva’ means extended cellaring before release (time varies according to different DOCG requirements). I should also mention that 2008 is considered first-rate, high-quality vintage for both appellations: ideal ripening conditions led to deeper concentration wines with balanced acidity and beautiful structure, age- and investment-worthy wines. Grapes for Riserva Barolo Bussia come from Bussia di Monforte cru where soil is compact clay with calcareous sediments and rich in iron. This results in a beautifully structured, multi-layered wine. On the nose you get really intense black fruit and sweet spice from a warm vintage, slightly floral, wrapped in oak and earthy aromas. Juicy palate but tannins are barely approachable. It is getting there though and a few more years in a bottle should do the trick. This is what I call a serious Barolo, a wine of great potential that needs some further maturation to show its best. Riserva Barbaresco Basarin looked equally strong and really stole the thunder. With grapes coming from Barbaresco’s celebrated Basarin vineyard in Nieve, this wine lives up to its reputation. Deep garnet color, nose is intensively fruity and floral with exotic spices. Still evolving but definitely in the right direction with secondary aromas of toast, cured meat and good portion of wood slowly becoming stronger. Rich mouthfeel, subtle tannins with long, chewy and slightly mineral finish. This is a big masculine wine that can be enjoyed now but will definitely benefit from further aging. Adriano may not be among the top-notch Barbaresco names (like Pio Cesare, La Spinetta or Moccagatta to name a few) but their Basarin Riserva represents an extremely good value.To wrap up this long post just some final observations. Historically, Italian wines, and wines of Piedmont in particular, have been crafted to accompany food and are therefore super food-friendly. In fact, they can compliment a wide variety of dishes far beyond ‘la cucina italiana’. What to choose totally depends on your personal preference. If tannins of traditional Barolos and Barbarescos are too aggressive for you go for a modernists' version or, alternatively, for Langhe Nebbiolo or Barbera.
