Roagna, Barolo Pira 1996 Reserve, 21 years of emotion in the glass

Last July I have had the opportunity to take part in an important national wine event. I have tasted about a hundred of Piedmont wines and thirty of the amazing Barolo DOCG. They were in good shape. However, only one wine has aroused the unanimous emotion of all of us tastes: the Barolo Pira Riserva 1996 of the company Roagna.You have to know that we all asked for an extra glass of wine to fix it better and remember what can become, greatly improving, a Barolo that comes from Nebbiolo grapes harvested 21 years ago.

Carlo Hauner: the sun shining off the glass with the Malvasia delle Lipari Passito 2014 selection

Is it a given to think that a sour wine from the South is supposed to give off heat, colours, scents of fresh and tropical fruit, and intense flavours? Well, picture it in your mind and close your eyes: it actually is! There is an amber wine that emits intense and unexpected aromas that will please and delight you: in fact, you will feel like you’re sitting on a deck chair, on a beach on a small Mediterranean island, sipping your cool wine.

Fongaro Durello Pas Dosè, the new way of sparkling wine

Today I’d like to tell you about a sparkling wine that really surprised and impressed me. It’s part of the Lessini Durello DOC typology and it is, of course, a Classic Method (Champenois). But first, it seems only fair to introduce the type of grapes from which this wine is born: it is the Durella, so called because of its thick and hard skin (“Durella” meaning “hard”).

Lisini Ugolaia Riserva 2011, journey into the heart of Brunello’s noblest

The love for Brunello di Montalcino is unyielding: for us Italians is an unshakable certainty, considering it is our most famous and appreciated red wine (along with Barolo) all over the world. This type of wine has today reached full maturity of style thanks to its unquestionable quality, which reaches the highest levels. Among the many Brunello wines I have tasted, there is, however, one that I could define my “heart’s Brunello” simply because it was one of the first tastings of my sommelier course. It really was “love at first sip”, believe me!

Elvio Cogno and his Barolo Ravera 2010, an enduring classic

 

It can certainly be said that the Elvio Cogno Barolo was originally conceived under the sign of the purest tradition of vine, wine and land, never losing or compromising its identity over the years.

Elvio Cogno, founder of the family company, who died a year ago after decades of work in the vineyard and in the cellar, had a fixed goal in mind: to exploit the great potential of wines from the Langhe, and in particular the area of Novello, a town in in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.