Produttori vs. Sottimano

Do you prefer Produttori or Sottimano?

Beaunehead’s series of posts had me thinking - I drink a lot of Italian red, and have rarely if ever felt that Sottimano’s wines could hold a candle to what Produttori does.

Simple poll - although I’m sure it’s flawed somehow .

You know, Andrea Sottimano is a strong, sincere, wholehearted, passionated lover of Burgundy. What he deeply would like is to make Burgundy wines. But out of nebbiolo this is quite impossible, and the results show this, with softy, compact, low personality wines.

Well said,Andrea!
This sums it up for me nicely.

My goodness. Andrea, you managed in a few words what I have been trying to explain to folks for ages. Sottimano makes a perfectly fine red wine. But if you want a Barabresco you’re best to hunt on other grounds. Thanks for the succinct description.

My goodness. Andrea, you managed in a few words what I have been trying to explain to folks for ages. Sottimano makes a perfectly fine red wine. But if you want a Barabresco you’re best to hunt on other grounds. Thanks for the succinct description.

The poll is terribly flawed. Guess why? Sottimano makes very good wine. But the Produttori wines are better.

I tasted through a bunch of vintages of Sottimano Cotta and Pajore 3 weeks ago or so, and liked most of them, really loved a couple of them, notably the 2009s of each. That said, I also like Produttori, so I’m in the “like them both” camp.

I have some of each…Produttori is the classic go-to but it seems Sottimano’s on the improve.

I have limited experience with both, having tried less than ten wines of each and I instinctively voted for Sottimano, but can well understand that people prefer the more classic style of Produttori.
I disagree, however, with the definition “softy” and “low personality” for Sottimano’s wines.

I voted Produttori.
Sottimano is one of those producers where I spent quite a long time trying to convince myself I like the wines much more than I actually do .

Bob, thanks for acknowledging the inspiriration for your “thinking”. That’s my goal on [almost] every post: to get people thinking and to get myself thinking in response. So, mission accomplished.

The posting was, of course, in the context of “entry level Baroli/Barbareschi”. Your “poll” is about preferences. I continue to believe that no matter one’s preference/tolerance, the Produttori are too rustic to think of as a good “entry level” recommendation. I have never felt it was one of the good examples of its ostensible “old” style, but more the product of fiscal and technological limitations rather than conscious stylistic decisions. Its price and range of wines that the cooperative produces have intriguing possibbilities otherwise, though. And, I’m happy to hear that things there have changed in recent years. (I think the ersatz censor , John Morris, would allow me to point this out, without his interjecting his repetitious commentary that my comments are repeititious. )

But, “holding candles” is another discussion, almost completly. I have long preferred the light bulb or flashlights for such analyis. More efficient. And, less of fire hazzard.

You miss the point that they are in fact a good example of a traditional producer of Barbaresco. And that they offer great value in their wines. Something that is best learned at the “entry level”.

The whole “vs” concept is not one that I identify with.
Traditionalist “vs” Modernist.
That one is the most popular in Piemonte, with it echoed here a bit.
I often find that wine lovers ascribe meaning to their ideological associations of each side, and then often take an intentional stance defending their position.
In my contemporary experience, there is much more of a centrist movement among growers in Piemonte.
The black/white view encouraged by a “vs” mentality often leaves me with the feeling that people can’t see the “forest for the trees”. ALL of the wines are Piemontesi. The soils and genetics have primacy over vinification/style, especially in the longer haul. To have style preferences is of course natural.
But it is not
Yin vs Yang.
They are one in the same, ever interdependent, made of the same universal shtuff.
Both Produttori is beautiful and Sottimano is beautiful.
I prefer them both because they’re different.
I think that it is tricky, but we definitely need to create better language that isn’t as dogmatic and divisive as traditionalist and modernist. It is often not as useful as it should be.
Boh.

I’m not “missing” any point here. We just disagree, and you are confusing my opinions with not understanding yours.

I don’t think they are a “good” example of a traditional (whatever your term means) producer. As such, I disagree, therefore, that they provide good value. That many people like them and believe what you might doesn’t make it so. Budweiser is the maybe the most popular beer, but…so what. Cheap doesn’t mean “good value”.

I think that if someone’s “entry” are their Barbarescos made before they got modern equipment/facilities and could make actual choices, they would be bad representatives of “old style” Barbaresco, just like Bud would be a bad example of American beer. (And, likewise, if someonewere trying to explore Burgundy and, even if they loved that “barnyardy” stuff people made there up through the '80-- which people do-- no one would confuse it for good winemaking, no matter how cheap or how popular; no one aspires to make wine like that in the 21st century.) For someone who wants to explore a category, it is important to explore with good representatives. You and other fans think they are. I get it. I don’t. Let’s not complicate this discussion beyond what it is.


P.S. Can anyone here describe/provide information about the winery/winemaking technical upgrades made there recently, i.e., the specifics? Though I heard about them from a couple of posters, I have seen no specifics , and can’t find any such information on an internet search? Anyone?

Stuart - Actually, I was expecting you to complain that there was no “I only drink Rousseau” option.

Funny, but I did not see a “buzzkill” option in the poll.

Your “arrival” here does the job, “dictator of riesling for life.”

That option is always implied.

Well for you.

Still, the results of the poll are rather interesting, no? Apparently many of us prefer the rustic wines of an under-financed, Budweiser-like producer (my paraphrase of Stuart’s position) to Andrea’s wines.

To be honest, I’m not surprised by the results of the poll - it merely confirms the preferences/tastes I’ve developed based upon many years of drinking Piemonte wines. I guess one lesson that seems obvious - if you are going to ask advice regarding Nebbiolo on an internet bulletin board, you might be best served by not placing too much weight on the recommendations of a guy who goes by the moniker “Beaunehead”.

OTOH, I’m sure his take on the Cote de Beaune is pretty good.