Vignaioli Santo Stefano - A Wine Adventure
Beneath the shadow of the Barolo
Castle, lunch awaited. After a nice espresso at the Old Café next to the
Osteria where we eventually had lunch (in 86 degree heat and a nice 60%
humidity), we made a not-so-quick stop in the regional wine shop to
peruse the Barolos of the area. This lovely little wine haven is under (below the street)
the Castello di Barolo offering tasting and education. That day there
were three types of Barolo to be sipped the first coming from different
soil than the classic Barolo and this one was very light in color and
depth as well as flavor. The second one was a finely blended version of
Barolo, one of the modernists versions and very warm and soft on the
tongue. This was a nicely balanced wine (quite ready for consumption).
The last one was a classic or traditionalist Barolo and was very dark in
color and of course, had deeper tannins thus, not as smooth to the
palate.For these two
“pigs”, the balanced modernist version was destined for their wine
cellar (costing mind you, a lot more than the classic version), this
wine was from Bergera Pezzole, labeled as Le Strette 2004, estate
bottled. Happy as a clam with two bottles in her possession, they
pointed their toes towards Belbo on a hunt for i Vignaioli di Santo
Stefano. With a few stops here
and there to ask directions, they wound up falling into the large
cellars of Vallebelbo and while there, decided to stock up on the
classics; Asti, Moscato and Brachetto (gotta LOVE that cherry red color
with frizz)! While there, directions to “the boys” (i Vignaioli) were
obtained and as heavily loaded as the mini mouse car was, they headed to
the hills!I Vignaioli
di Santo Stefano are in a locale of Santo Stefano Belbo; way, way up
top to the crown of the hills. Numerous switchbacks greet you on a road
big enough for one car or a tractor as it winds up, up and away.
Vineyards on steep slopes covered both sides of the old mule road; “Good
lord” I thought, “How in the world do they harvest on these slopes,
let alone work the vineyards daily without losing it?” Just as that
thought crossed my mind while approaching the cellar drive, a weary,
sweat-drenched soul pops out of the brush with his weed whacker and
mask, leaving behind him a steep hill of vines. I did not want to
know the cost of the wine because the price, no matter what
it is, is worth it; what kind of crazy fool works on slopes so steep
their legs at the end of the day must ache from the effort to stay
upright? Watching the scene before me, I realize few wineries in
Napa Valley are anything close to the difficulty of these vineyards.
This
stop was for a Moscato that we had been searching for, for
quite a while. We quickly purchased a case (the heat was killing us all)
of their elegant, long-necked bottles of frizzy, sweet, golden colored
Moscato d’Asti. Looking at these bottles she realized this was a first,
she had never before seen a wine with bubbles in anything but the
classic champagne-type bottle. Moscato runs at 5.5% vol making this an
easy aperitif or desert wine. While packing the box into the “mouse on
wheels,” the young wine keeper gave them a bottle of their more
expensive Moscato Passito 2002, labeled “Il” to test out. Next trip we will consider going back during the cooler weather and buy up a few of the Passito
and really enjoy the heady pleasures of Moscato.There
was also a stop to the Castello Mango and wine shop to test out the
Moscato on display. As it turned out a case of another wonderful
delectable sweet/dry wine headed to the cellars. This was from the
hills of Mango known for its Moscato. It was labeled Tintero
Moscato d’Asti, D.O.C.G., Sori’ Gramella 2007, 5% vol. and this ones
goes down like silk! ;-)Lastly
but definitely not least, I must mention the grappa purchased at
Grinzane. Never before had I tasted anything in the grappa department
as divine as this amber colored ambrosia! This was called “Elisì” from
the wonderful distillery Berta, check out the link regarding the
history of this four generation family in the distillation business!This
particular grappa is made up of 50% Barbera 1996, 25% Nebbiolo da
Barolo 1999, 25% Cabernet 2001. The French Barriques are 225 liters of
Troncais d’Allier, with a finished product at 43% vol. with a beautiful
amber color. Elisì is the
result of careful selection of the best grappa products, refined for the
last 10 years in those French barriques. Assembly of the different
years and various grape varieties, bestow the elegance, complexity of
aromas and emotions to this grappa that only the great, distilled
liquors of the world can transmit.
(July 25, 2008)
Wine Country Piemontese - Definitely a Wine Frolic
A
trip through the Piemontese wine country, le Lange e Roero is a sight
to behold. The stops for this tour were Grinzane Cavour castle and
regional wine store, Mango (hills of Moscato) and their regional wine
store, Barolo and it’s regional wine shop with an off the track stop at i
Vignaioli di S. Stefano and the cantine di Vallebelbo. Grinzane
offers a great little self guided tour of the castle, which includes
the history of Le Langhe and after that there is a cute little bar for
coffee and a book, a restaurant for suggestive dinners and a super-duper
wine shop!
The storekeeper was wonderful allowing us to taste (without paying) three types of Barolo Chinato, and various
grappa. Of the two Chinato, we preferred the drier one so on that note,
she gave us a taste of one by Ceretto and what a great suggestion that
was! Barolo Chinato is a splendid, unique digestive and dessert wine.
This
little known beauty goes back close to the end of the 1800’s to the
heart of the Barolo territory. The drink stems from an ancient recipe,
which has been
carefully preserved through the centuries. The infusion of China
Calissaya bark and several aromatic alpine herbs with aged Barolo wine
has long been considered a
remedy for several diseases. Aged for quite a long time in oak barrels,
this aromatic wine becomes a low-alcoholic "elixir", amber-colored and
with ruby-red reflections. The spicy, intense and persistent
nose coupled with the bittersweet taste of the China bark make it a
lovely and inviting wine. A rare specialty for connoisseurs!
Granted, Barolo Chinato debuted as a medicinal wine but quickly found popularity for reasons other than
medicinal. Production of this wine comprises a natural infusion of
China Calissaja bark, rhubarb root, and about ten other aromatic herbs
where the alcoholic content is deliberately kept low in order to
highlight the wine’s Barolo component,Colour: Deep garnet red. Bouquet: Full, rich, heady, and opulent, exuding spices and aromatic herbs. Palate: Sweet, full-bodied, velvet-smooth, pleasantly bitterish in the finish.
Grape variety: 100% nebbiolo Alcohol: 16.5 % vol. Residual sugar: 18% Serving temperature: 18 – 20° C.
Cesare
Pavese’s book “Il Diavolo sulle Colline” was chosen to represent the
wine’s magnificent sensory complexity, its power, its aromatic
pleasures, as well as its profound relationship to the land from which
it originated. The Barolo base wine for the “Il Diavolo sulle Colline” Chinato is produced from grapes fro
m
the Municipalities of Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte
d’Alba, which yield Barolos of pronounced character and structure, to
which are added others from the areas of Barolo, La Morra and Verduno,
rendering wines of greater fragrance and elegance. After a 20-day, 30 degree C maceration, the wine goes into the traditional oak casks where it matures for at least two years.
There
are diverse and excellent ways to serve this wine: mixed with mineral
water and ice, as an aperitif; neat, as a delicate after-dinner liqueur;
or warmed up and served with orange peel, becoming the ideal drink for
frosty winter evenings. Barolo Chinato is a fantastic companion with
chocolate desserts expressing its diversity as something more than a
meditation wine. Barolo Chinato is best served in a long-stemmed wine
glass.
To be continued…;-) so much more to come!
(July 21, 2008)
