Piemonte mini study: eight interesting wines
I’m increasingly drawn to the red wines of Piemonte, and not just the great Barolos and Barbarescos. I recently tried these wines, all of which are available from UK merchant Justerini & Brooks (prices indicated)
Azelia Dolcetto d’Alba Bricco Oriolo 2020 Piemonte, Italy
This is juicy, bright, fleshy and supple with lovely focused raspberry and cherry fruit. Pure, bright and linear. 92/100 (£14.68)
Paolo Scavino Barbera d’Alba 2021 Piemonte, Italy
Nice density here: supple bright raspberry and cherry fruit, showing nice structure and focus. Bright and pure, finishing tart. A lovely wine. 93/100 (£15.18)
Elio Altare Barbera d’Alba 2021 Piemonte, Italy
Vivid colour. Primary, fresh and floral with lovely raspberry and cherry fruit. Has a chalky mineral edge with lovely presence. Slightly saline and mineral, and really fine. 94/100 (£16.68)
Luigi Oddero Langhe Nebbiolo 2018 Piemonte, Italy
Pale in colour. So elegant, fine and ethereal with good acidity, fine tannins and good acidity. A light, highly drinkable Nebbiolo but it has enough complexity to hold the interest. 93/100 (£21.68)
Roberto Voerzio Disanfrancesco Langhe Nebbiolo 2020 Piemonte, Italy
Suppl, stony and quite serious with a mineral edge to the red cherry fruit, plus some sweet plum and also some nutty hints. Very fine, finishing grippy. 93/100 (£23.18)
Pierro Busso Barbaresco San Stunet 2016 Piemonte, Italy
Stony and mineral with a nice savoury edge and a twist of tar and leather. Some rose petal florality, with grainy structure. There’s quite a bit of firmness here. Fine, structural and classic. 94/100 (£55.68)
Azelia Barolo San Rocco 2014 Piemonte, Italy
Structured and quite mineral with nice firm tannins under the focused red cherry and raspberry fruit. It’s quite primary and youthful now (even thought it’s nearly 9 years old), and firmly tannic. But this is a really good wine, despite the patchy reputation of this vintage. 95/100 (£83.68)
Roagna Barolo Pira 2014 Piemonte, Italy
Supple, fresh and very fine. This is silky, but also structured, showing pure red cherry and raspberry fruit with a hint of waxy, earthy development. Fine fruit here, with purpose and structure. 95/100 (£90.68)
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
