Piedmontese White Wines Tasted in 2017
As I have written before, I am not a real fan of Piedmontese white wines. It’s a region that excels with reds, so maybe one should focus on what one does well and leave the whites to the rst of Italy. Of course pride and history would not allow for that so white wines are increasingly common throughout the region.
Most producer remain focused on Arneis, which for historical reasons makes plenty of sense. It was after all somewhat commonly planted here in the past, and is capable of producing a decent little white wine, which however is rarely the case. Most Arneis I taste seems to be cut from the same cloth: cold soak, cultivated yeasts, fruity wines with a hint of residual sugar and textures that seem greasy and thick. As you might surmise they are not my thing.
Other varieties such as local favorites Favorita, aka Vermentino, and brought back from the dead Nascetta are gaining traction along side international varieties, all of which have the potential to outclass the lowly Arneis in my opinion. There is of course good economical and logical reasons for producing these white wines and I look forward to watching them evolve over time, though I do hope that producers don’t get sidetracked into thinking that they need to produce special white wines here. Consumers are looking for refreshment and producers should be looking for some cash flow which dicates that the wines should remain fresh and unfettered. Let’s hope it is so!
2016 Elvio Cogno Anas cetta 13%
1994 restarted the production,
Very fragrant with a little sweet pork fat note on the nose that is joined by aromas of dried flowers with a grassy edge with lots of salt and rosemary on the nose making this almost a marinade in the mouth. A touch of dissolved gas adds a hint of early petillance. Super acids support lots of bright citrusy fruit in the mouth with a hint of rubber band on the mid palate with green fruit highlights. Good length and drive, with real energy on the palate, the fruit is more green apple this year, with just a lovely finish, this has a touch of Muscadet to it, but more body and complexity than your typical Muscadet. This is a great showing. 93pts
2016 G.B. Burlotto Sauvignon Blanc 13%
Bright on the nose,and a bit chalky with great aromatics, lovely ripe fruits edged in grass but this is slightly past the overtly grassy stage. Big in the mouth, texturally quite rich and smooth, bone dry yet with an impression of fruitiness on the palate that gives this a delicate sweetness. Hints of jasmine, then very grapefruit grae the finish along with a touch of phenolic bitterness that refreshes the palate. 91pts
2015 Ettore Germano Herzu
Riesling, in inox spending 6 months on the lees
5 grams of RS
Delicate, dusty, seems like one can smell the soil here layered under delicate floral notes with hints of candied lemon zest and earl grey tea. Round and opulent in the mouth, almost sweet with a sweet candied apricot and citrus palate, but this has polyphenolic bitterness that recalls wildflower pollen and honeycomb serving as contrast to the fruit and emerging gently on the finish which is driven by huge acidity. This is a big wine, but it has great balance. Chalky from the mid palate through the relatively long, somewhat sugar lengthened finish which ends with a buzzing energy and vibrancy from all the acid here. Totally fascinating wine. 91pts
2016 Ferdinando Principiano Langhe Bianco Timorasso 12%
Planted in same Alta Langa region as sparkling wine grapes
One month in bottle, not on sale yet
Crushed with stems, to keep it fresh and reduce the need for sulphur fermented with maybe 20% stems, they are added back to the liquid, no malo, natural yeast ph 2.9-3, ,
This is the first vintage where it really expresses what Ferdinando has been looking for, vertical, a finish with a sweetness of mature vines were planted in 2010
Very aromatic with distinctive lime, dried green tea aromas paired with limestone minerality. In the mouth one finds lovely richness with a lacy structure. This is mineral and rich with a hint of pear fruit sweetness in the mouth wrapped with juicy lime flavors and a lovely ripe dried herbal note that drives the finish. This really sits upright in the mouth, with good cut and excellent height. 90pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Elioro Chardonnay
Chardonnay, all barrique, one third new
Battonage once a week, in barrel for 9-10 months, then the same in bottle
Creamy barrel fermented nose shows off smoky, dried floral, and rich fruit aromas on the nose with a slight tropical note. In the mouth this shows fine balance, good acids, there's some sweetness her from the wood but plenty of acid as well to maintain the freshness and balance, good length. Pleasantly there's no real fat here, nice mineral note, really elegance tense and fine chardonnay with good length. 89pts
2014 Fracassi Ratti Mentone Favorita
Smoky soil tones, pear, heather, and a hint of mineral grace the nose. Medium light bodied, and very mineral driven with a lovely drape of fruit on the palate. A little smoky with fine length in a fresh style with a lovely hint of fruity sweetness buttressing a strong, salty minerality. 89pts
2015 Ettore Germano Nascetta
Five days on the skins with pumping over
Has that mineral, bacon fat, dried parchment aroma that I find in almost all examples of this variety. Chalky and slightly rubbery on the nose, almost like white pinotage.Intense in the mouth, the palate mimics the nose, with clay soil tones,and savory flavors. There’s a fine, bright. mineral finish rich with dried herbs, yet something unique and almost off putting here. Hints of heather and a whisper of tannin grace the finale. A divisive wine that I want to like more but I find it hard to fall for Nascetta. Obviously well made though and more complex than the Chardonnay. With air this brightens up considerably on the nose showing great freshness with floral and apricot notes on the palate, gains some richness and length as well. 88pts
2015 Massolino Langhe Bianco Chardonnay 13.5%
Lovely fruit on the nose but there's more ripeness here than with the 14, tropical and sweet, and less to my liking though it does retains some limestone and floral character. It's round in the mouth, but this is much fresher than the nose suggest, a lovely wine, yes it's fairly ripe but not over ripe with juicy green apple fruit and some pineapple as well. Clean, and a touch short, but fresh and pure. 88pts
2015 La Spinona Langhe Chardonnay 14%
With age turns very mineral
Smells a little of canned corn, lots of cut green apple fruit with lots of dried flowers, dried herbs rounding out the nose. Juicy in the mouth with real freshness, and brightness,and better purity than the nose suggests. There’s a round creaminess on the palate but it can’t fully buffer the super razor sharp acidity that has me think of Chablis if the Langhe! Good length. 88pts
2015 499 Enigma Vino Bianco 13%
Moscato in SS
Grapefruit pith and flowers in a fresh green apple laced nose. Really very pretty and delicate on the nose with a hint of chalk adding crispness. Broad and glassy in the mouth, nicely salty, a delicate wine. Good acids, crystal clear fruit in the mouth showing a little pear fruit and lovely floral inner mouth perfumes that grace the finish. 87pts
2014 Ettore Germano Binel
Almost 90% Chardonnay the rest Riesling, half aged in wood, half in inox
This comes from the older Chardonnay vines, harvested a week later than fruit used for the Chardonnay to give the wine its richness and big fruit, 550 meters for this with soils that are stoney so they drained well,
Smells sweetly of vanilla dusted yellow fruits topped with confectioners sugar. In the mouth there is a touch of sweetness, lending this roundness and highlighting the sweet fruit flavors, finishes clean and bright and acid driven with more of a dusty, almost sandy mineral base note blending with hints of dried grasses and a subtle toast note. 87pts
2015 Giulia Negri Chardonnay bottled last week 12.5%
SS then aged in barrique , 70% went through malo,
Lemon and lemon oil dominate the nose which also shows some chalk and riverstone quality along with a fresh oak top note. This is very pretty and perfumed in a tart fruit register that translates to the palate with its quince and citrus flavors. Bright, juicy and open on the palate, there is a little dusty tannin and some salinity. Long, moderately complex and youthful, this has some ageing potential and I would not be surprised to see this performing at a higher level after another 2-4 years in the bottle. 87pts
2016 G.D. Vajra Dragon Langhe Bianco 13.5%
A little Sauvignon Blanc interplanted with Chardonnay and blended with Nascetta, and a bit of Riesling to support acid
Nose shows a bit minerally, though predominantly cut apple fruit. In the mouth this opens with a lovely hint of fleshiness, just a hint of sweetness as well but nicely balanced by juicy acids. There’s a little mineral, but this is really quite fruity, offering great clarity in the mouth, but just dripping with juicy peachy fruit and a moderately long finish where the sugar does reappear. A bit mass-market buy gulpable stuff. 87pts
2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
Smoky, floral and fresh on the nose with spicy toned yellow fruit. This is rich but not with the fat that one might usually associate with Arneis. Clean, nice mineral finish, rich fruit, just the merest suggestion of sweetness. A lovely wine with bright character, edgy and ripe fruit. 86pts
2015 Ettore Germano Langhe Chardonnay 12.5%
Fermented and aged in inox, spending six months on lees with no more than 20% going through malo
Since 1988 this has always seen only inox.
Smoky on the nose, dried pear fruit, round, minerally and lively in the mouth. This offers up a lovely blend of fruitiness and freshness, with good length but is straightforward and a bit simple. 86pts
2015 Marcarini Roero Arneis
From 2 ha slowly pieced together in Montaldo Roero
White flowers with waxy herbal notes and some light apricot notes pop from the glass. On entry this is bright, juicy and relatively well endowed with bitter almond notes early on the palate, leading to a fairly round midpalate rich with, white floral notes and salty, bitter, mineral notes on the backend with a hint of bitter citrus pith on the finish.This offers up good depth and complexity though it's a touch thick in the mouth 86pts
2014 Poderi Oddero Langhe Bianco Collaretto 14%
Very fruity on the nose with lots of pear fruit, a little grapefruit and some honied floral notes. With a touch of flesh early on the palate then very mineral with a nice salty finish, this is a lovely wine. A bit simple but you have to like, the freshness and saltiness here. 86pts
2014 Giulia Negri Chardonnay 12.5%
14 months of barrique, both Chard and Pinot were very affected by hail in14
Fairly smoky on the nose, shows a lot of terroir signature with rich clay, aromatics. Light, elegant style, a little more new world fruit than Burgundy,, showing refreshing acids and fresher fruit in the mouth, a little bit of perhaps yeasty heaviness from the sur lees ageing Certainly well made and pleasant, if a little short. 85pts
2016 Rizieri Arneis 13.5%
Bottled several days before tasting
Decidedly cheesy nose, a bit dusty and with floral top notes. Medium full in the mouth with a nice edge to the mineral notes, bright, juicy acids, has a bit of stickiness on the palate, good length, correct, pretty fruit, just has the added weight in the mouth that seems to come with selected yeast. Lovely backend with slightly honied tones to the fresh fruit and sandy mineral tones. 85pts
2015 Luigi Oddero Langhe Bianco.
75% Chardonnay/ 25% Viognier
Finishes fermentation in two new tonneaux, stays in wood for one year including this end of fermet period, on e the lees in wood, new tonneaux this vintage but will not replace tonneaux
Sweet floral and apricot fruit with a buttery wood layered edge to it. Rich in the mouth, opulent, voluptuous even though with mineral accents serving as a counterpoint to the notes of barrel fermentation. Bright acids support a nice golden apple core of fruit, fresh and clean enough but this is a bit cougar juicy. 84pts
2016 Boasso Grappoli Roero Arneis 13.5%
Smells very much like a piña colada with lots of cream of coconut and a hint of pineapple, that tends to blow off revealing a sweetly fruited slightly mineral driven nose that still retains a copper tone note Sweet pears with a hint of pineapple show up on the slightly too viscous plate which layers in some sandy minerality on the rather long if heavy finish. Too thick for its own good. 83pts
2015 Diego Morra Chardonnay 14%
Clean and correct on the nose with pear toned dusty fruit. Bright and juicy in the mouth though a bit heavy up front before finishing with some briskness. Good product, could be from anywhere, correct yet boring $12 Chard. 83pts
Most producer remain focused on Arneis, which for historical reasons makes plenty of sense. It was after all somewhat commonly planted here in the past, and is capable of producing a decent little white wine, which however is rarely the case. Most Arneis I taste seems to be cut from the same cloth: cold soak, cultivated yeasts, fruity wines with a hint of residual sugar and textures that seem greasy and thick. As you might surmise they are not my thing.
Other varieties such as local favorites Favorita, aka Vermentino, and brought back from the dead Nascetta are gaining traction along side international varieties, all of which have the potential to outclass the lowly Arneis in my opinion. There is of course good economical and logical reasons for producing these white wines and I look forward to watching them evolve over time, though I do hope that producers don’t get sidetracked into thinking that they need to produce special white wines here. Consumers are looking for refreshment and producers should be looking for some cash flow which dicates that the wines should remain fresh and unfettered. Let’s hope it is so!
2016 Elvio Cogno Anas cetta 13%
1994 restarted the production,
Very fragrant with a little sweet pork fat note on the nose that is joined by aromas of dried flowers with a grassy edge with lots of salt and rosemary on the nose making this almost a marinade in the mouth. A touch of dissolved gas adds a hint of early petillance. Super acids support lots of bright citrusy fruit in the mouth with a hint of rubber band on the mid palate with green fruit highlights. Good length and drive, with real energy on the palate, the fruit is more green apple this year, with just a lovely finish, this has a touch of Muscadet to it, but more body and complexity than your typical Muscadet. This is a great showing. 93pts
2016 G.B. Burlotto Sauvignon Blanc 13%
Bright on the nose,and a bit chalky with great aromatics, lovely ripe fruits edged in grass but this is slightly past the overtly grassy stage. Big in the mouth, texturally quite rich and smooth, bone dry yet with an impression of fruitiness on the palate that gives this a delicate sweetness. Hints of jasmine, then very grapefruit grae the finish along with a touch of phenolic bitterness that refreshes the palate. 91pts
2015 Ettore Germano Herzu
Riesling, in inox spending 6 months on the lees
5 grams of RS
Delicate, dusty, seems like one can smell the soil here layered under delicate floral notes with hints of candied lemon zest and earl grey tea. Round and opulent in the mouth, almost sweet with a sweet candied apricot and citrus palate, but this has polyphenolic bitterness that recalls wildflower pollen and honeycomb serving as contrast to the fruit and emerging gently on the finish which is driven by huge acidity. This is a big wine, but it has great balance. Chalky from the mid palate through the relatively long, somewhat sugar lengthened finish which ends with a buzzing energy and vibrancy from all the acid here. Totally fascinating wine. 91pts
2016 Ferdinando Principiano Langhe Bianco Timorasso 12%
Planted in same Alta Langa region as sparkling wine grapes
One month in bottle, not on sale yet
Crushed with stems, to keep it fresh and reduce the need for sulphur fermented with maybe 20% stems, they are added back to the liquid, no malo, natural yeast ph 2.9-3, ,
This is the first vintage where it really expresses what Ferdinando has been looking for, vertical, a finish with a sweetness of mature vines were planted in 2010
Very aromatic with distinctive lime, dried green tea aromas paired with limestone minerality. In the mouth one finds lovely richness with a lacy structure. This is mineral and rich with a hint of pear fruit sweetness in the mouth wrapped with juicy lime flavors and a lovely ripe dried herbal note that drives the finish. This really sits upright in the mouth, with good cut and excellent height. 90pts
2015 Cordero di Montezemolo Elioro Chardonnay
Chardonnay, all barrique, one third new
Battonage once a week, in barrel for 9-10 months, then the same in bottle
Creamy barrel fermented nose shows off smoky, dried floral, and rich fruit aromas on the nose with a slight tropical note. In the mouth this shows fine balance, good acids, there's some sweetness her from the wood but plenty of acid as well to maintain the freshness and balance, good length. Pleasantly there's no real fat here, nice mineral note, really elegance tense and fine chardonnay with good length. 89pts
2014 Fracassi Ratti Mentone Favorita
Smoky soil tones, pear, heather, and a hint of mineral grace the nose. Medium light bodied, and very mineral driven with a lovely drape of fruit on the palate. A little smoky with fine length in a fresh style with a lovely hint of fruity sweetness buttressing a strong, salty minerality. 89pts
2015 Ettore Germano Nascetta
Five days on the skins with pumping over
Has that mineral, bacon fat, dried parchment aroma that I find in almost all examples of this variety. Chalky and slightly rubbery on the nose, almost like white pinotage.Intense in the mouth, the palate mimics the nose, with clay soil tones,and savory flavors. There’s a fine, bright. mineral finish rich with dried herbs, yet something unique and almost off putting here. Hints of heather and a whisper of tannin grace the finale. A divisive wine that I want to like more but I find it hard to fall for Nascetta. Obviously well made though and more complex than the Chardonnay. With air this brightens up considerably on the nose showing great freshness with floral and apricot notes on the palate, gains some richness and length as well. 88pts
2015 Massolino Langhe Bianco Chardonnay 13.5%
Lovely fruit on the nose but there's more ripeness here than with the 14, tropical and sweet, and less to my liking though it does retains some limestone and floral character. It's round in the mouth, but this is much fresher than the nose suggest, a lovely wine, yes it's fairly ripe but not over ripe with juicy green apple fruit and some pineapple as well. Clean, and a touch short, but fresh and pure. 88pts
2015 La Spinona Langhe Chardonnay 14%
With age turns very mineral
Smells a little of canned corn, lots of cut green apple fruit with lots of dried flowers, dried herbs rounding out the nose. Juicy in the mouth with real freshness, and brightness,and better purity than the nose suggests. There’s a round creaminess on the palate but it can’t fully buffer the super razor sharp acidity that has me think of Chablis if the Langhe! Good length. 88pts
2015 499 Enigma Vino Bianco 13%
Moscato in SS
Grapefruit pith and flowers in a fresh green apple laced nose. Really very pretty and delicate on the nose with a hint of chalk adding crispness. Broad and glassy in the mouth, nicely salty, a delicate wine. Good acids, crystal clear fruit in the mouth showing a little pear fruit and lovely floral inner mouth perfumes that grace the finish. 87pts
2014 Ettore Germano Binel
Almost 90% Chardonnay the rest Riesling, half aged in wood, half in inox
This comes from the older Chardonnay vines, harvested a week later than fruit used for the Chardonnay to give the wine its richness and big fruit, 550 meters for this with soils that are stoney so they drained well,
Smells sweetly of vanilla dusted yellow fruits topped with confectioners sugar. In the mouth there is a touch of sweetness, lending this roundness and highlighting the sweet fruit flavors, finishes clean and bright and acid driven with more of a dusty, almost sandy mineral base note blending with hints of dried grasses and a subtle toast note. 87pts
2015 Giulia Negri Chardonnay bottled last week 12.5%
SS then aged in barrique , 70% went through malo,
Lemon and lemon oil dominate the nose which also shows some chalk and riverstone quality along with a fresh oak top note. This is very pretty and perfumed in a tart fruit register that translates to the palate with its quince and citrus flavors. Bright, juicy and open on the palate, there is a little dusty tannin and some salinity. Long, moderately complex and youthful, this has some ageing potential and I would not be surprised to see this performing at a higher level after another 2-4 years in the bottle. 87pts
2016 G.D. Vajra Dragon Langhe Bianco 13.5%
A little Sauvignon Blanc interplanted with Chardonnay and blended with Nascetta, and a bit of Riesling to support acid
Nose shows a bit minerally, though predominantly cut apple fruit. In the mouth this opens with a lovely hint of fleshiness, just a hint of sweetness as well but nicely balanced by juicy acids. There’s a little mineral, but this is really quite fruity, offering great clarity in the mouth, but just dripping with juicy peachy fruit and a moderately long finish where the sugar does reappear. A bit mass-market buy gulpable stuff. 87pts
2016 Cordero di Montezemolo Arneis
Smoky, floral and fresh on the nose with spicy toned yellow fruit. This is rich but not with the fat that one might usually associate with Arneis. Clean, nice mineral finish, rich fruit, just the merest suggestion of sweetness. A lovely wine with bright character, edgy and ripe fruit. 86pts
2015 Ettore Germano Langhe Chardonnay 12.5%
Fermented and aged in inox, spending six months on lees with no more than 20% going through malo
Since 1988 this has always seen only inox.
Smoky on the nose, dried pear fruit, round, minerally and lively in the mouth. This offers up a lovely blend of fruitiness and freshness, with good length but is straightforward and a bit simple. 86pts
2015 Marcarini Roero Arneis
From 2 ha slowly pieced together in Montaldo Roero
White flowers with waxy herbal notes and some light apricot notes pop from the glass. On entry this is bright, juicy and relatively well endowed with bitter almond notes early on the palate, leading to a fairly round midpalate rich with, white floral notes and salty, bitter, mineral notes on the backend with a hint of bitter citrus pith on the finish.This offers up good depth and complexity though it's a touch thick in the mouth 86pts
2014 Poderi Oddero Langhe Bianco Collaretto 14%
Very fruity on the nose with lots of pear fruit, a little grapefruit and some honied floral notes. With a touch of flesh early on the palate then very mineral with a nice salty finish, this is a lovely wine. A bit simple but you have to like, the freshness and saltiness here. 86pts
2014 Giulia Negri Chardonnay 12.5%
14 months of barrique, both Chard and Pinot were very affected by hail in14
Fairly smoky on the nose, shows a lot of terroir signature with rich clay, aromatics. Light, elegant style, a little more new world fruit than Burgundy,, showing refreshing acids and fresher fruit in the mouth, a little bit of perhaps yeasty heaviness from the sur lees ageing Certainly well made and pleasant, if a little short. 85pts
2016 Rizieri Arneis 13.5%
Bottled several days before tasting
Decidedly cheesy nose, a bit dusty and with floral top notes. Medium full in the mouth with a nice edge to the mineral notes, bright, juicy acids, has a bit of stickiness on the palate, good length, correct, pretty fruit, just has the added weight in the mouth that seems to come with selected yeast. Lovely backend with slightly honied tones to the fresh fruit and sandy mineral tones. 85pts
2015 Luigi Oddero Langhe Bianco.
75% Chardonnay/ 25% Viognier
Finishes fermentation in two new tonneaux, stays in wood for one year including this end of fermet period, on e the lees in wood, new tonneaux this vintage but will not replace tonneaux
Sweet floral and apricot fruit with a buttery wood layered edge to it. Rich in the mouth, opulent, voluptuous even though with mineral accents serving as a counterpoint to the notes of barrel fermentation. Bright acids support a nice golden apple core of fruit, fresh and clean enough but this is a bit cougar juicy. 84pts
2016 Boasso Grappoli Roero Arneis 13.5%
Smells very much like a piña colada with lots of cream of coconut and a hint of pineapple, that tends to blow off revealing a sweetly fruited slightly mineral driven nose that still retains a copper tone note Sweet pears with a hint of pineapple show up on the slightly too viscous plate which layers in some sandy minerality on the rather long if heavy finish. Too thick for its own good. 83pts
2015 Diego Morra Chardonnay 14%
Clean and correct on the nose with pear toned dusty fruit. Bright and juicy in the mouth though a bit heavy up front before finishing with some briskness. Good product, could be from anywhere, correct yet boring $12 Chard. 83pts