Piedmont producers

Jim_Erwin · May 12, 2013, 3:55pm

Another active discussions focuses on a ranking of recent vintages. This got me to thinking what discussion it might generate if the topic were producers rather than years. If this has been covered in older threads, my apologies. The topic:
If you were to take the top 25 Nebbiolo producers from the entire Piedmont over the last 30 years and organize them into five levels, how would you structure the ranking?

Kris_Patten · May 12, 2013, 4:36pm

Five tiers is too many, but my first would be:

Giacosa
Gaja
Giacomo Conterno
Sandrone
Vietti
Elio Grasso (sheerly on QPR, since all the rest are big ticket wines now)

johannes.c · May 12, 2013, 7:00pm

Tier 1:

Giacomo Conterno
Bruno Giacosa
Teobaldo Cappellano
Bartolo Mascarello
Beppe Rinaldi

Jim_Erwin · May 12, 2013, 7:43pm

OK, I knew Tier 1 wouldn’t be that hard but since I can’t add an “Easy” button to the post, I will add a pick list. It is not presented in any order, but that is the challenge to you. I am sure that there will be some favorites that are missing but this is a start.

Bruno Giacosa
Gaja
Produttori del Barbaresco
Giacomo Conterno
Domenico Clerico
Paolo Scavino
Poderi Aldo Conterno
Guiseppe Mascarello
Bartolo Mascarello
Massolino
Guiseppe Rinaldi
Marcarini
Moccagatta
Luciano Sandrone
Elio Grasso
Roberto Voerzio
Roagna
G. D. Vajra
Vietti
Sottimano
Antoniolo
Mauro Molino
Guido Porro
Brovia
Stefano Farina
Schiavenza
Elvio Cogno
Einaudi
Pira
Seghesio
Parusso
Prunotto
Giano Corino
Cappellano
Cavallotto
Azelia
Vallana
Ferrando

david_dickerson · May 12, 2013, 7:54pm

G Mascarello

David_Lobe · May 12, 2013, 7:54pm

Tier 1 - in no particular order

Bruno Giacosa
Bartollo Mascarello
Giacomo Conterno
Giuseppe Mascarello
Gaja

Bill_Boykin · May 12, 2013, 8:18pm

Tier 1 in no particular order
G Mascarello
B Mascarello
G Conterno
B Giacosa
G Rinaldi

Tier 2
Cappellano
Cavallotto
Produttori
Roagna
Vajra

Tier 3
Burlotto
Brovia
Oddero
Marcarini
Castello di Nieve

Gotta go

Sanjay_Nandurkar · May 12, 2013, 9:05pm

My experience is limited and there are many producers I haven’t tasted from that list.

Tier 1
Bruno Giacosa
Giacomo Conterno
Gaja

Tier 2
Vietti
Sandrone
G Mascarello
B Mascerello

Tier 3
Elio Grasso
Produttori
Rinaldi

Ken_V · May 12, 2013, 10:14pm

Here’s a rough shot. A * means not on your original list. This is a very personal list and not an attempt at some independent classification, i.e. YMMV.

Tier 1
Bruno Giacosa

Tier 2
Cappellano
Giacomo Conterno
Guiseppe Mascarello
Bartolo Mascarello
Guiseppe Rinaldi
Produttori del Barbaresco
Gaja
Vietti
Brovia
Altare*

Tier 3
Cavallotto
Domenico Clerico
Paolo Scavino
Poderi Aldo Conterno
Roagna
G.B. Burlotto*
Luciano Sandrone

Tier 4
Elvio Cogno
Massolino
Marcarini
Moccagatta
Elio Grasso
G. D. Vajra
Ferrando
Cortese*
Castello Neive

Tier 5
F. Rinaldi*
Antoniolo
Guido Porro
Einaudi
L. Pira*
E. Pira*
Seghesio
Parusso
Prunotto
G. Corino
R. Cornio*
Azelia
Vallana
Cantina del Pino*
Manzoni*

Jeff_Cassetta · May 12, 2013, 10:23pm

Looks correct…

Kim_Caldwell · May 12, 2013, 10:34pm

My experience isn’t broad enough to make such a list…But…I’ve gotten the most pleasure from the following producers…

Bruno Giacosa
Giuseppe Mascarello (Mauro is still one of my favorite wine people)
Bartolo Mascarello
Produttori (esp. Rabaja, Asili)
F. Rinaldi

I no longer cellar Sandrone (not my style) or Giacomo Conterno.

In the next couple of years I hope to get to know the wines of Burlotto and Cavalloto a bit better.

Ken_V · May 12, 2013, 10:40pm

Given your list, I certainly understand Sandrone, but why no G. Conterno?

Kim_Caldwell · May 12, 2013, 10:51pm

Ken - PM sent

Tom_Maskell · May 12, 2013, 11:25pm

Billy Boykin,

I always knew you had a terrific palate. +1

Bill_Boykin · May 13, 2013, 1:02am

Tommy M
Likewise.
It’s been too long since we raised a glass or 10,let’s try and make it happen this year.

John_M_Fodera · May 13, 2013, 1:16am

This is the first one that makes sense. Scavino, Sandrone, & Aldo Conterno would be in the next tier. Probably the Voerzio brothers too.

Arif_F · May 13, 2013, 4:17am

Bingo. But I’d have Marcarini in Tier 2.

Tom_Lee · May 13, 2013, 4:34am

Nicely done. What are your thoughts on Pio Cesare as I noticed they did not make your list?

Tom

Ken_V · May 13, 2013, 11:17am

Not much of a fan. I think they’ve been adrift for decades. At least when Sandrone and Voerzio over-oak their wines, they do it with conviction. The 2008 Ornato I tasted at La Festa was marred by green stems and vanilla.

I.T_Halbert · May 13, 2013, 11:35am

Bill Boykin wrote:
Tier 1 in no particular order
G Mascarello
B Mascarello
G Conterno
B Giacosa
G Rinaldi

Tier 2
Cappellano
Cavallotto
Produttori
Roagna
Vajra

Tier 3
Burlotto
Brovia
Oddero
Marcarini
Castello di Nieve

Love this list, though I think Brovia is better than 3!

I also think that the Alpine producers have a place on this list: Ferrando’s Carema is otherworldly IMO and the Novaresi producers Ar.Pe.Pe, Massimo Clerico and Rovellotti can be remarkable wines.

It seems hard to compare producers like Sandrone and Voerzio with Cappellano and Roagna. These to me seem like different wines altogether!