Piedmontese wines range from the light and easy to the complex and serious. This Saturday we’re tasting an array of wines from Piedmont that show off the diversity of the region. Come with us as we stroll through the vineyards.
2014 Fratelli Povero, Roero Arneis $14
A classic Peidmontese white with an intense and fresh bouquet, and dry flavors of fresh hay, the pippin apple, almond and pineapple.
2014 Giá Langhe Rosso $18 — 1 liter
Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo
The Giá is an easy going Langhe Rosso in a liter bottle meant for everyday enjoyment. The wine has intense red fruit and violet aromas that make your mouth water for the first sip which is pleasantly dry, smooth and perfectly balanced. This young wine shines with ripened plums and cherries. The palate is fruity, and smooth with a focus on dark red fruits accompanied by subtle notes of licorice, earthiness, and spice
2014 Giacomo Borgogno, Dolcetto $20
Founded in 1761 Borgogno it is one of the oldest cellars in Piedmont. The grapes used in Borgogno wines come from the Grand Cru vineyards of Barolo. Their vineyards are in Cannubi, Liste, Fossati, Cannubi San Lorenzo and San Pietro Delle Viole. Their Docetto is a classic Piemontese wine with aromas of dark wild berries, plum and earth notes. It has a good backbone structure yet is refined and fresh on the palate.
2010 Poderi dei Ginepri Nervi, Spana $22
Nebbiolo
Nervi was founded in 1906 and includes 24 hectares of Nebbiolo in the Gattinara DOCG of northern Piedmont. Their concentrated yet elegant Nebbiolo offers classic aromas and flavors of dried rose petals, tar and red cherry fruit. Made in a traditional style, this wine is beautifully balanced by grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity.
2011 Casa E. di Mirafiore, Barolo $40
The winery, located within the Fontanafredda village Serralunga d’Alba in Piedmont, was founded in the 1870s by King Vittorio Emanuel II of Savoy and named for his son Emanuele, Count of Mirafiore. The name was lost from the estate in the 1940s and passed through several owners until Oscar Farinetti, owner of Fontanafredda, bought the Mirafiore name once again. Classic Nebbiolo aromas of red berry, leather, crushed flower and a balsamic note unfold in the glass. The full-bodied palate doles out juicy black cherry, licorice and tobacco alongside firm, refined tannins.
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5.