2009 Damilano Langhe Arneis Piedmont Italy

Damilano has always been producing great Piedmont high quality wines at very affordable prices. I’ve sold their wines for the past 8 years and never been disappointed. Their Barolos are their benchmarks, especially their entry level Barolo that is always sought after equally by amateurs and connoisseurs. An excellent Barolo for less than $25-$30 is a rare thing these days.

However, even if a bit late in the season, I would like to introduce you to their Arneis that I’ve been enjoying all summer, but which is still such a great juicy and easy going white that it deserves a bit of attention; even with the cooling temperatures, yet it has been a beautiful Indian summer so far, in New York.

This winery has ancient traditions. Its origins go back at the end of 1800, when Giuseppe Borgogno, great-grandfather of the actual owners, begun to grow and vinify vines. Now, thanks to the work of the young members of the family, Damilano has been enjoying a deserved success over the last 10 years. They produce the classical Langhe wines, and above all, very approachable complex Barolos (including 7 Barolos from various vineyards, a Barbera d’Asti, a Nebbiolo d’alba and their unique Arnies white).

The vineyard of “Cannubio” (or Cannubi) was already famous before the coming of the wine Barolo. The prestige of Cannubi never knew misfortune, in fact it always improved the name of the firms that bought its grapes or owned a small part of these vineyards. The 10 Piedmontese giornate (less than 4 hectares) place under the road that goes to the pasture and exposed to the east, are named “Liste”. All the witnesses gathered agree saying that “the soil is good” while higher and toward the woods the soil tends to be particularly cold and damp. The Damilano family is making a smart calculated turn for their “cantina” from forty-year-old industrial base to aritsanal frontier. Gifted in two Barolo sites, the fifty-year-old “Cannubi” vines are delivering superb, inviting results, while the “Liste” vineyard, a four-hectare eastern exposure, produces a mysterious strength for the Barolo district. A classic player to keep an eye on.



2009 Damilano Langhe Arneis Piedmont Italy
Suggested retail price $14.99
Imported / Distributed by VIAS Imports in NYC

Damilano Langhe Arneis is a gentle Piemontese white wine made from 100% Arneis grapes, by Damilano renowned oenologist Beppe Caviola. The grapes come from vineyards located near the villages of Canale (in Roero region) and Diano d’Alba (in the Langhe region), with Southeast exposure with an average altitude of 900 feet. The vines are planted on sandy, clayey-calcareous soils. The grapes underwent skin maceration for 7 days, followed by the alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Bottling occurred shortly after to keep maximum freshness.

The 2009 Damilano Langhe Arneis shows a pale straw yellow with slight greenish reflects. The nose is fresh, clean, refine and fruity with aromas of citrus and stone white fruit intermingled with blossom and mineral hints. The palate is dry and refreshing, quite delicate and elegant with yellow and white fruit flavors combined with slight fresh almonds notes. An inviting, versatile and friendly white wine that is suitable for any occasion with appetizers, fish courses and white meats.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the importer website at www.viaswine.com

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2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo Piedmont Italy

Produttori del Barbaresco Piedmont Italy

This weekend, I opened my last bottle of Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 vintage, a great, balanced, harmonious and juicy wine with a refreshing acidity. I’ll suggest that you buy yourself a bottle while available and before the 2008 arrive.

Produttori del Barbaresco wines are now classics amongst the wines that I buy from VIAS nearly every year. We just received cases of three out of their 9 single vineyard Barbaresco(s) in the 2004 vintage that represent some of the benchmarks of the Barbaresco appellation, and we still have some bottles of the 2001 vintage, both vintages are excellent and age worthy in Piedmont.

For Produttori del Barbaresco, it all started in 1894 with Domizio Cavazza, who realized the uniqueness of the Nebbiolo grape growing on the hills of Barbaresco. He gathered a few producers and created one of the first cooperatives to produce Barbaresco, called “Cantine Sociali”. The Cantine was closed in the 20’s for political reasons forcing the small growers to sell their wines in bulk to complement Barolo’s wines and to make Piedmont table wines.

In 1958, recognizing that the only way the small properties could survive was by again joining their efforts, the priest of the village of Barbaresco gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. The first three vintages were made in the church basement, then in the winery built across the square where the cellar of Produttori del Barbaresco is still located.

Reunited once again after being separated during the fascist regime in the 20’s, the small growers continued the work started and inspired by Domizio Cavazza in 1894, producing only Barbaresco wines and enhancing both the reputation of the wines and the village. The proud past of Barbaresco and the dedication of its creators have made Produttori one of the greatest producers of this renowned Piedmont area.

Produttori del Barbaresco, founded in 1958, now has 56 members and 100 hectares (250 acres) of Nebbiolo vineyards in the Barbaresco appellation, which is almost 1/6 of the vineyards of the area. Each family is in full control of its land, growing Nebbiolo grapes with experienced skill and dedication acquired over the last 100 years of winemaking. The winery produces high quality Barbaresco D.O.C.G. wines, from a blend of Nebbiolo grapes harvested in different vineyards, and a simpler Nebbiolo Langhe suited for earlier consumption.

In great vintages, wines are crafted from nine single-vineyard Barbarescos, nine classic premium sites within the Barbaresco village boundaries:

• Asili,
  
• Rabajà,
  
• Pora,
  
• Montestefano,
  
• Ovello,
  
• Pajé,
  
• Montefico,
  
• Moccagatta
  
• Rio Sordo

These are the geographical names of sites where Nebbiolo grapes have always been cultivated. The names of the vineyards, the total number of bottles produced, and the names of the owners of the vineyards are marked on the labels. In a good vintage they are divided between Barbaresco (40 %), single-vineyard Barbarescos (40%) and Nebbiolo Langhe (20%).



2007 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo Piedmont Italy
Suggested retail price $17.99-$21.99
Imported / Distributed by VIAS imports in NYC

Langhe Nebbiolo is produced every year; it ranges from 10 to 30% of the total production depending on the quality of the vintage (the better the vintage the less Nebbiolo is produced). It is somewhat a second label for Produttori del Barbaresco and it is made with the grapes from young vines or vineyards that produced less intense and concentrated juice. It does have the quality standard to be a Barbaresco, but the winery declassifies it and sells it to maintain the Barbaresco(s) complexity and quality as high as possible.

The result is an extraordinarily balanced, concentrated, juicy and harmonious wine with refreshing acidity that carries the fruit through the finish and adds brightness to the wine. The nose boasts intense wild berries and red cherry aromas with earthy, floral and mineral notes. The youthful palate is fresh, dense yet medium bodied and juicy. It combines, here again, earthy, floral and mineral notes intermingled with red and dark berries, liquorice and slightly yet integrated oaky flavors lingering for a while in the silky finish. Very approachable now, this wine may benefit from 2-4 years cellaring.

The 2007 vintage has been a success and I even wonder how I didn’t write something about it earlier. Due to the excellent quality of the 2007 vintage in Piedmont, if I was you, I will hurry up to find the last few remaining bottles that you can find. Pair this 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo with rosemary-flavored roasted lamb, garlic and parsley sautéed mushrooms.

Enjoy!

Ledom du Vin

Info taken from the importer website at www.viaswine.com and from the winery website at www.produttoridelbarbaresco.com

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