I worked in a quick, two-and-a-half-day visit to the Langhe at the end of a work trip to London a month ago but only now have had time to post notes.
I visited Rizzi in Neive five years ago on the recommendation of an Italian friend in the trade, and I was impressed with their wines. Ernesto Dellapiano retired from his paper-making business in the 1970s and began buying some prime plots near the family’s estate at the western edge of the Barbaresco DOCG zone. Now his son, Enrico, is running things. He is conscientious and a delightful person. (There’s more background on the cantina’s web site.) Sadly for them and us, they have not been well distributed in the U.S. but it’s worth watching for them because they offer good value. The 01s were super and way cheap.
The winemaking for the nebbiolo is fairly traditional, but like many others in that camp, he’s experimenting with other grapes and wines. It was a very appealing line-up. (I’m a hard grader and rarely score anything above 94. A 90-point wine is nothing to be ashamed of.)
(Notes from other visits on this trip can be found at: Vajra, Burlotto, Marcarini and Brezza.)
Extra Brut 2007 (50% chardonnay, 40% pinot nero, 10% nebbiolo; previously opened)
Quite interesting, with some intriguing aromatics that I’d like to attribute to the nebbiolo and nutty, slightly yeasty notes. Good depth, and held my interest. This was the first vintage.
2010 Chardonnay (planted in 1978)
Seemed to have untoasted oak notes, but it’s actually made entirely in steel. Wow! Chardonnay fruit that has character on its own. Good balance and acidity. Piemontese chardonnay doesn’t get its due.
2009 Dolcetto (opened two days earlier)
Pow! A powerful grapy nose – succulent. A little less impressive in the mouth, but that might reflect the fact that it had been open so long. (Enrico said that Treiso was always considered prime dolcetto territory, and the grape was favored over barbera there.)
2008 Barbera (opened four days earlier)
Lovely, complex nose. Bright fruit, some wood and what I call weediness – like freshly cut thistles in summer time. 87 points (the first one I assigned points to)
2007 Barbaresco Pajorè (opened the day before)(the vineyard is within the village of Barbaresco; a piece was purchased by Gaja early in his winemaking life)
Like most other 07s I tasted in the area, this was quite approachable, and Enrico says it should be ready to drink in two years.
Glorious nebbiolo perfume of black fruits and, seemingly, tertiary aromas (though that seems a bit soon). Good soft tannins. A tad diffuse for my tastes, but that was my reaction to the vintage in general. 88/89
2006 Barbaresco Pajorè (opened the day before)
Also glorious on the nose, and more complex. So many layers. Much tougher than the 07 (harder tannins), yet elegant. Also in keeping with the character of the vintage. 91+
2007 Barbaresco Boito (opened fresh) (the south-facing vineyard just below the ridge on which the house and winery sit)
Nice, riper fruit than the Pajorès. Full bodied and fruity in the mouth and quite approachable. Slightly roasted fruit flavors and silky tannins. 90
2006 Boito (opened fresh)
Similar in flavor profile to the 07 but more complex, and such great grip – very tannic and backward. 91+
2004 Boito (freshly opened)
Enormous perfumed aroma. Classic nebbiolo on the nose and palate (rose hips, licorice), with everything that makes the 04s so appealing: depth, structure and elegance. It’s still quite young – more backward than the 07s – but slowly opening up. With limited space in my luggage, this is one I chose to buy because their 04s were not imported to the U.S. 93+
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