Elvio Cogno Pre-Phylloxera Barbera d'Alba is made from 100 percent Barbera.
Produced from one of the last archaic vines of the Langhe area, an open air museum of viticulture from a time gone by, the plants are over one hundred years old. The vines are not grafted but propagated through cuttings, thus maintaining, over the decades, the original Barbera characteristics.
The vineyard has an excellent exposure and sandy-chalky terrain, situated in Berri near La Morra, which guaranteed the vines a natural protection from Phylloxera and imparts unique and exclusive characteristics to the vines. The intriguing simplicity of the vines and their typical, traditional charm that derives from the microclimate and favorable altitude make a one of-a-kind wine.
The low production per hectare guarantees an intensely rare and rich organoleptic concentration. The wine is refined in oak casks that slowly develop the primary aromas. Pleasant and refined, complex even as a young wine but able to withstand bottle aging, it expresses its solid uniqueness even over the years.
A bright, rich ruby color with intense purplish highlights. The aroma is enveloping, aromatic and deep with noticeable spices on first impression and raspberry, strawberry and ripe cherry notes in background. Finish with pleasant harmonies of wild flowers. On the palate it is well structured, fresh and the acidity is excellently balanced, the tannins texture is embracing and flavors remind you of sour cherries, blackberries and prunes.
Review:
Planted in almost entirely sand, this own-rooted vineyard with some vines over 120 years old is a singular expression of Barbera. Elegant aromas of wild rose and fresh bay leaf mixed with cranberry, sour cherry and underbrush are just some of the notes you will discover in this complex wine. The palate is refined and well-balanced with fresh youthful red fruits, fresh flowers and fine tannins driving the wine home. Drink Now–2035.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Fenocchio DOC Barbera d'Alba Superiore Bussia is made from 100 percent Barbera.
The color is a deep ruby red with garnet reflections. It has a rather intense bouquet, with scents typical of the vine and a full bodied and dry flavor, with a distinct and pleasing acidity. It becomes mature with aging, acquiring a full and balanced flavor.
Parcel is 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) planted at 300 meters above sea level.
It pairs well with red and white meats, tagliatelle pasta and cheeses.
Filippino Elio Barbera d'Alba Superiore is made from 100% Barbera.
This 100% Barbera shows an intense fruity bouquet with subtle vanilla and toasty notes. Full and spicy flavors, and a good body.
The grapes are pressed and the stalks are removed. The must ferments at about 26°C for 6-9 days. After racking, before the end of fermentation, the new wine is put in 225 liter Allier barriques for long months, depending on the vintage and the wine’s structure. It is subsequently moved into stainless steel vats to rest for some months before bottling.
Livia Fontana Barbera d'Alba Superiore is made from 100 percent Barbera.
Organoleptic characteristics: intense ruby red color. Fresh and intense aromas with currants and berries notes. Warm, full, rich and persistent taste, full body. Suitable for long aging.
Excellent accompaniment to warm appetizers, rich first courses, red meat and the medium-seasoned cheeses.
Livia Fontana Barbera d'Alba Superiore is made from 100 percent Barbera.
Organoleptic characteristics: intense ruby red color. Fresh and intense aromas with currants and berries notes. Warm, full, rich and persistent taste, full body. Suitable for long aging.
Excellent accompaniment to warm appetizers, rich first courses, red meat and the medium-seasoned cheeses.
Gagliasso Barolo Riserva Oak Box is made from 100% Nebbiolo
Complex and intense aromas of red fruits intermixed with licorice, prune, leather, smoke and notes of toasty oak and vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate with loads of ripe dried and candied fruits, pepper and mocha.
The wine comes in a 6 bottle wooden box.
After malolattic fermentation the wine stays for 10 months in French barrels, 10% new oak and 90% different years; after this period all barrels are blended ( 50% Torriglione and 50% Rocche dell’Annunziata) in old barrels for 48 months again. The wine is bottled and refined for 24 months.
There's a gritty, sandy quality to the tannins that would cut through roast pork stuffed with prunes.
Review:
Brilliant ruby red. Hearty and approachable on the nose, noble spice, peppery, slightly of blood, mineral components, noble ripe berries. Very expressive on the palate with close-meshed, compact tannins, salty, deep and long.
-Falstaff 94 Points
Made from 100% Barbera.
Vineyards: The vineyard are located in the village of Novello ; WEST exposure with medium slope.
Average density of vines: 5500 vines per hectare
Method of cultivation: classical Guyot method with medium-short pruning; the vineyard are three, two with west exposure and one south with medium slope. Green harvest in two different times with reduction of grapes with a production per hectare around 5500 kg .
Winemaking: The grapes are harvested very ripe with a meticulous selection; the fermentation took place in stainless steel vats with temperature controlled. The fermentation is around 30°C with 8-10 days of maceration ; malolattic fermentation took place spontaneously in stainless steel vats.
Refinement: After malolattic fermentation the wine stay for 18 month in new French barriques; then the wine is bottled and refined for 12 month.
Bottle production: 3000 circa
Tasting Notes: This Barbera offers ripe dark fruit, spice and earthy sensations, as well as hints of black pepper and anisette. Refreshing acidity makes this very food friendly. It would work well with pasta topped with porcini mushrooms.
The Gagliasso Estate
The Azienda Agricola Mario Gagliasso is located in the town of La Morra, south of Piedmont, in the province of Cuneo, in the Langhe area.
The winery offers one of the most beautiful views over the Langhe area.
La Morra is located at 513 meters above sea-level, 13 km from Alba, on the top of an imposing hill with the Alps and the Monviso as a background. The hill is planted with vines, for ming huge waves and creating an amphitheatre of rare beauty.
Luca Gagliasso’s family has a long history of winemaking. Luca's grandfather began 50 years ago, at which time he bottled the first Barolo from their historic vineyard, Rocche dell'Annunziata. Around 1987, Lucas's father took over the family tradition of producing wine and brought forth a few changes: he started by using barriques from France, together with large barrels and temperature controlled steel vats. He also purchased a new vineyard. Luca began working with his father during the 2000 vintage, only part time for the first 3 years. He also worked for 3 years with their wine consultant in an analysis laboratory, and worked as a consultant for other wineries.
Luca now works alongside his father, mother, and sister on their 12 hectares of vineyards. On the weekends, Luca's sister and mother work in their restaurant as cooks – only the Gagliasso wines are served. They are currently extending their facility and in the future they plan to incorporate some guest rooms to the restaurant.
The Gagliasso family produces around 60,000 bottles: 40% Barolo, 30% Barbera, 20% Dolcetto and 10% Chardonnay. They have around 250 barriques and 6 large barrels.
Dolcetto is very fruity, aged for a small period in big cask. They produce 3 Barolos and 2 Barberas, one aged 18 months in new oak and the other one only in steel vats. They age the Barolo for 18 months in new barriques, then 12 months in a large cask. Chardonnay is cold macerated, then fermented and aged in French oak for 9 months.
2021 Shiraz Viognier The Shiraz Viognier is our flagship, a careful selection of the best of the Shiraz Viognier parcels we craft from our Murrumbateman vineyard.
Review:
I've been chipping away at a bottle of this 2021 Shiraz Viognier all week of a nighttime, and a very interesting and impressive trend has emerged. Despite the wine in the glass being delicate, pristine and almost a little nervous (a product of the cool La Niña year that was responsible for over 1,000 millimeters of rain, when the average is only 630 millimeters), over the course of a couple of days at first, it opened up beautifully, the major impact being on the texture, which has silked right out and has brought all components of the wine into harmony. Onto day three and four, the wine has started to indicate little hints of the exotic spice, cocoa nib and roasted meat rind that it picks up in old age, yet it has not fallen to the ravages of oxygen. This evolution tells me everything I need and want to know about its quality and ageability. So, what's it like? It has notes of rose petals, raspberry leaf tea, brine, licorice root, redcurrant, tobacco leaf and even a hint of orange rind/bergamot. The palate is shaped by very fine tannins that cascade across the mouth, leaving a trail of cocoa nib, clove bud and again with the orange zest/bergamot suggestion. Such a beautiful wine in youth, it's no wonder much of it won't make its first birthday! As seems to be the ongoing trend, this has 6% Viognier inclusion and is lighter in alcohol this year, at 13.2%. Highly collectable.
- Wine Advocate 97 points
Kershaw Smugglers Boot Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir made from French clones PN667, PN115 and PN113.
The name derives from the time of trade embargoes in South Africa when growers & winemakers smuggled grapevine material into the country by hiding the cuttings in Wellington boots. The Smuggler’s Boot range celebrates that ingenuity.
Attractive strawberry, savory and star anise spice linger on the nose. Juicy and sumptuous on the mid palate with breadth of flavor offset by a nimbleness of fresh acidity, friable tannins and sinuous mouthfeel, this Pinot unwraps to earthy, fennel, chocolate and a hint of incense to a long supple finish.
Handpicked grapes were first bunch sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed and the destemmed berries sorted to remove jacks and substandard berries. After a 3-day maceration in 500kg open-topped fermenters, the uncrushed grapes began a spontaneous fermentation. A gentle pigeage program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 10-16 days.
The free-run wine was racked to a combination of 50% French oak barrels (10% new) and 50% breathable plastic eggs with the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded followed by a light sulphuring after which the wine was racked off Malolactic lees and returned to cleaned barrels for an 11-month maturation. No finings, simply racked and light filtration prior to bottling.
Richard Kershaw’s personal suggestions for dishes include charcuterie, its salt and fat being complemented by the delicate spicy notes and fruit; Pork loin with honey, pepper, and lemon-zest glaze; Carpaccio; duck cassoulet; ovenroasted monkfish with garlic mashed potatoes; seared tuna; wild mushroom risotto; a simple beet salad with some hazelnuts and ricotta cheese; a slice of Brie or Gorgonzola dolce.