TN: Tasting Alt-Nebbs w/ Darrell & Oliver @ NEB#7..(long/boring)

WINE TALK
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NEB#7 Fri June 16, 2017

The 7’th convening of the NEB get-together was held this year at the OldSugarMill June 16-17 in Clarksburg/CA,
just south of Sacramento. It was hosted by KenMusso and RichardConverse at their DueVigne winery.

The Fri a.m. part of NEB#7 was intended as an educational tasting for our Nebbiolo producers. It was featured
as an alt-Nebb tasting…Nebbiolos from areas of Italy other than the traditional Barolo/Barbaresco.
This included the Roero, the AltoPiemonte, the Valtelline, and the Val d’Ossola. The discussion was chaired by
Oliver McCrum (of Oliver McCrum Imports) and Darrell Corti. Both provided most of the wines in the tasting.
Also providing a wine was EmilySchindler of Winemonger Imports.
The session was kicked-off by an introduction by NEB BoD Chair, KenMusso, of Darrell and Oliver with a little
bit about their backgrounds. Darrell then launched into a brief history of Nebbiolo in Italy and then described
some of the areas of Nebb we were tasting and how they compared to Barolo/Barbaresco. Oliver fleshed out Darrell’s
comments as we jumped from area to area and related some details on the various producers he presented. Both
shared their thoughts and comments on the wines as we tasted thru them.
Overall, I thought this was a rather impressive tasting of Nebbs. They all showed the classic aromatics of
Nebbiolo, some slanted towards the floral/lilacs aspect, some showing more of the pungent/tarry character. The
wines all seemed well-received by the Nebb producers in attendance.

Alt-Nebbiolo Wines Fri a.m.

  1. LaPianelle al posto dei fiori DOC: Coste della Sesia Rosato (5% Vespolina/5% Croatina; 13%) 2016: Light garnet
    color; lovely cranberry/watermelon/very spicy light earthy somewhat floral nose; quite tart spicy/cranberry/
    watermelon/lightly floral slight earthy/dusty flavor w/ light tanninc bite; very long tart/tangy very spicy/
    watermelon/cranberry/floral/cherry finish w/ slight tangy/tannic bite; everything you’d want in a crisp/tangy/
    bright lip-smackin’ rose. (OM)
  1. G.D.Vajra Clare J.C. DOC: Langhe Nebbiolo (14%; 20% whole cluster) Barolo 2015: Pale garnet color; very
    fragrant/perfumed/very spicy light floeal/lilacs/strawberry/alpine strawberry slight earthy/dusty quite
    perfumed lovely nose; slight spritz near-dry very floral/spicy/strawberry almost Brachetto-like slight
    carbonic maceration/grapey slight spicy/whole-cluster very pretty flavor w/ light bright tannins; long
    strong alpine strawberries/floral/lilacs slight spritz slight off-dry finish / light bright/vibrant tannins;
    resembles Brachetto more than Nebbiolo; an absolutely pretty easy-drinking very pretty red. $27.00 (CB)
  1. Marco Porello DOC: Nebbiolo d’Alba (14.5%) Canale/Roero 2015: Med.light color; quite aromatic floral/lilacs/Nebb
    light pungent/tarry bit earthy/dusty very attractive nose; quite tart/tangy light floral/lilacs bit earthy/pungent
    flavor w/ some hard/bitey tannins; very long rather floral/lilacs fairly tart finish w/ hard tannins; very lovely
    aromatics. (OM)
  1. G.D.Vajra DOC: Langhe Nebbiolo (14%) 2015: Med.light color; very fragrant strong floral/lilacs/violets slight
    earthy/dusty perfumey Nebb nose; rather tart very floral/lilacs/violets/spicy slight earthy/dusty flavor w/
    light slightly bitey tannins; very long perfumey/violets/floral/Nebb/lilacs slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light
    crunchy tannins; speaks strongly of Nebb but a very attractive floral wine that’s fairly drinkable now. $32.00 (CB)
  1. SandroFay DOC: ValtellinaSuperiore Valgella “Carteria” (13.5%) Teglio 2012: Med.light color; rather fragrant/floral/
    spicy/lilacs some earthy/loamy/dusty nose; quite tart/tangy fairly earthy/loamy/mushroomy light/bright floral/lilacs
    flavor w/ light/ripe tannins; very long fairly earthy/mushroomy/loamy slight floral/lilacs finish w/ modest ripe/gentle
    tannins; a very good expression of Valtelline Nebb. (EVN)
  1. Nobili Valtellina Superioro Sassella (13%; www.ViniNobili.it/en) Tresivio 2013: Med.light color; somewhat earthy/loamy
    pungent/Nebb/bit tarry quite spicy/Nebb/floral/violets very perfumed nose; lightly tart earthy/loamy/mushroomy light tarry/
    pungent rather floral/Nebb/violets classic Valtelline flavor w/ modest ripe/round tannins; very long some earthy/mushroomy
    light pungent/tarry rather floral/violets/Nebb finish w/ some ripe/smooth tannins; speaks strongly of Valtelline Nebb and
    lovely on the palate. (OM)
  1. Nebbiolo di Carema Riserva DOC: Carema (13%) 2011: Med.light bit bricked color; rather earthy/mushroomy/pungent light
    floral/lilacs/Nebb some complex fragrant nose; rather tart/tangy bit aged/mushroomy light floral/lilacs/dried rose petal
    flavor w/ light gentle tannins; long somewhat earthy/mushroomy light floral/lilacs/Nebb/violets dried rose petal/aged
    finish w/ light gentle tannins; shows lots of aged character and even a bit on the tired side. (EVN)
  1. LePrevostura DOC: Lessona (14%) 2013: Light color; quite perfumed Nebb/pungent/tarry some floral/lilacs/violets very
    aromatic nose; fairly tart/tangy slight earthy/dusty/pungent/road tar fairly floral/lilacs/aromatic flavor w/ light
    bitey tannins; very long/lingering lightly tarry/pungent earthy/dusty rather floral/lilacs/violets finish w/ light
    crunchy/brisk tannins; very attractive Nebb aromatics w/ a bit of the tarry aspect. (OM)
  1. Cantalupo DOC: Gehmme "Collis Breclemae (13.5%) Ghemme 2005: Med.color w/ light bricking; strong pencilly/cedary/complex
    very aromatic/perfumed some floral/violets/Nebb very slight faded rose petal/truffle/tarry beautiful ethereal nose;
    lightly tart/tangy rather smooth/gentle light floral/Nebb/violets/rose petal very light pungent/road tar rather complex/
    pencilly flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering light floral/Nebb/rose petal/violets quite complex pencilly
    finish w/ light solky tannins; shows that soaring/etheral character you love in an aged Nebb; beautiful Nebb. (OM)
  1. LaPianelle DOC: Bramaterra (10% Vespolina/10% Croatina; www.lepianelle.com/en/) Brusnengo 2012: Med.color; quite perfumed/
    aromatic/spicy floral/lilacs very light pungent/tarry very lovely nose; lightly tart/tangy/bit metallic quite floral/
    lilacs/rose petal/Nebb slight earthy/truffly flavor w/ modest bitey/brisk tannins; very long quite floral/violets/lilacs/
    rose petal/spicy slight tarry/pungent/truffly finish w/ modest bitey tannins; quite a lovely Nebb that can use a few more
    yrs of age. (OM)
  1. Cantine Garrone Prunent DOC: Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiore (13%) Crevoladossola 2013: Med.dark color; strong pungent/
    licorice/truffly/earthy/loamy slight tarry lightly floral/lilacs/Nebb fairly big/intense nose; lightly tart fairly rich/lush
    somewhat pungent/earthy/truffly/loamy/licorice light floral/lilacs somewhat complex flavor w/ ample soft/ripe tannins;
    very long/lingering pungent/licorice/truffly/earthy/loamy bit tarry light floral/lilacs slightly rustic finish w/ some
    ripe/round tannins; enphasises the pungent aspect of Nebb and less the floral/aromatic side; resembles some the Valtelline
    Nebbs; a rather unusual/exotic expression of Nebb. (ES)

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. Sources of these wines:
    OM: OliverMcCrumWines: www.OMWines.com
    EVN: Enoteca Vino Nostro: www.EnotecaVinoNostro.com
    ES: EmilySchindler/WineMongerImports: www.WineMonger.com
    DC: DarrellCorti/CortiBros: www.CortiBros.com
  1. Vajra Clare: This is a new wine for Vajra. The intent was to make a wine like they used to make Barolo back in
    the old days, back in the 17’th-18’th century. It was made w/ 20% whole-cluster and finished up in SS; very slightly
    off-dry and w/ a slight bit of spritz. Loads of very pretty alpine strawberry character but doesn’t speak much of
    (modern-day) Nebbiolo.
    Just like Calif Nebb is often rejected because it does not taste like Barolo/Barbaresco, this wine will likewise
    be rejected because is doesn’t smell/taste like Nebbiolo is “supposed” to taste. But it is a very pretty wine,
    very drinkable, in it’s own right. Screw what Nebb is “supposed” to taste like. It reminds me a lot of some of the
    trendy Carignanes/Trousseaus/Missions that are being made these days by hipster winemakers…light/pretty and
    very easy-drinking.
    The J.C. on the label stands for “Julia Child”. I liken drinking this wine to burying my face into the buxom
    bosom of a nude Julia Child, embracing her in my arms, and rolling down a hillside covered in alpine strawberries. :slight_smile:
    Truthfully, the J.C. stands for Jefferson-Corti. Darrell came upon a note from ThomasJefferson describing the Nebbiolos
    from Italy he’d been drinking and forwarded it to the Vajra folks w/ the suggestion that they use it to replicate
    the Piemonte Nebbs of his day in the 18’th-19’th Century. This wine is their attempt to allow us to drink Nebb as
    ThomasJefferson would have done.
  1. Nobili: This is a new producer for Oliver from the Valtelline. So new, in fact, that they’re not yet on his WebSite.
    His only previous Valtelline producer was Balgera. This Nobili impressed me as being much intenser and modern in style
    than the Balgeras, whom I also like but are more traditional in character. Maybe along the lines of A.R.Pepe.
  1. Prunent: This is the local name for Nebbiolo in the Val d’Ossola. (CantineGarrone.it/en)It was first documented in 1309,
    maybe the earliest reference to Nebbiolo in Italy. So Prunent could be considered a clone/biotype of Nebbiolo. To my
    knowledge, there has been no DNA work on Prunent, nor as it be planted anyplace else. The vnyd used to produce this
    wine is the oldest of the Garrone vnyds. The Val d’Ossola is a valley that extends NW from Lake Maggiore into the
    provence of the Val d’Aosta in the far North of the Piemonte. The valli is surrounded by rugged alpine mountains but it
    appears most of the vnyds are on the valley floor and not as rugged/heroic viticulture as in the Valtelline. Many of
    the vnyds are over 100 yrs old and ungrafted. They appear to be planted to some sort of a pergola system.
  1. LePianelle: This is a relatively new producer for Oliver and my first exposure to these wines. Thus far, these are the
    only two wines they make. I was quite impressed by the aromatics both of these showed. Worth tracking down.
    Tom
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Thanks for the detailed write-up, Tom! Fun and educational tasting - listening to Darrell Corti is always a great education. My favorites included the G.D.Vajra Clare, Sandro Fay, Lessona, and Prunent.

Some photos from the Nebbiolo tasting.

[resizeableimage=486,365]https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19397043_1530782993609235_7135504839100559438_n.jpg?oh=f267a10c908425b21f6db9565e77409e&oe=5B2343CB[/resizeableimage]
Darrell Corti, Oliver McCrum, Ken Musso

Wines in no particular order:

[resizeableimage=486,365]https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/19222717_1530790836941784_1892264943176431724_o.jpg?oh=167fc43b1aa96f8be87fdca6e5e48c05&oe=5B24B1D7[/resizeableimage]

[resizeableimage=486,306]https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/19222687_1530791493608385_6875509461729694793_o.jpg?oh=4d621d738855d4480f306dc39bb94f5c&oe=5ADDF447[/resizeableimage]

[resizeableimage=486,365]https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/19237789_1530791550275046_163734105484154975_o.jpg?oh=49f4498bb52823ee8546d54c6dc454cd&oe=5AE709BD[/resizeableimage]

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Darrell put that Vajra Claret J.C. wine in my hands and told me I must try it. I really enjoyed it. Looks like a great tasting.