A wine doesn’t necessarily need to be old, rare, or well-known to be deeply moving. Sometimes you just put your nose in the glass and discover something indescribably sublime.
This happened the other day during a casual tasting with one of our favorite importers. The wine was poured and the room almost instantaneously filled with pure excitement! After a little research, we discovered that this wine was sourced from an area of Barbaresco that is also used in the world-famous, Gaja “Sori Tildin,” and, “Costa Russi.” This is one of the most profound young Nebbiolos that I have ever tasted, and the combination of superlative quality and modest price is baffling. The 2011 Gaja, “Sori Tildin,” from what was a single vineyard prior to World War II, is currently trading for $350+ per bottle. We often talk about how there is value at every price point, and for its price, this is easily one of the best values we have ever offered on SommSelect.
Olek Bondonio of La Berchialla encapsulates everything the new generation of winemakers should. Keenly focused on terroir and the health of the vines, a non-interventionist in the cellar and an academic with regard to viticulture and viniculture, Olek has utilized his family’s prized vineyards in Barbaresco to craft world-class wines, which are beginning to garner serious attention. The family’s La Berchialla estate, one of the oldest parcels of Barbaresco, formerly contributed to the world-renowned cooperative, Produttori del Barbaresco. Olek’s ancestor, General Guglielmo Como, was actually a founder of the celebrated Produttori Barbaresco cooperative back in 1894. For six-generations, the bounty from their prized vineyards was farmed by sharecroppers and went to cooperative production. Under Olek, a winery was converted from old buildings on the estate and he now bottles his own wine from the prized sites. The jewel in the family crown, Roncagliette, is the remaining half of a vineyard sold following World War II to the Gaja family who labels it as “Sori Tildin” and the parcel just below as “Costa Russi.” This is one of the most serious locations in the world of Nebbiolo.
Olek farms the celebrated parcel of 52-year-old vines with biodynamic and organic practices, but is not certified. After years of work at Chateau Gruaud Larose in Bordeaux and stints in New Zealand and Oregon, Olek has all the tools to make world class wine. Nevertheless, he opts for a more hands-off approach in the cellar and lets the magnificent terroir speak for itself without the use of new oak. A pure sense of place with precise minerality, restrained and elegant fruit and impeccable balance, this exquisite snapshot of the Roncagliette Cru reaffirms the notion that Barbaresco is the true Queen of Italian wines with its feminine grace, stunning perfume and taut synergy of structural components.
The 2011 Bondonio “Roncagliette” has a concentrated garnet red core with orange reflections on the rim. The nose is incredibly concentrated and bursts from the glass with aromas of dried red and black cherry, preserved strawberry, dried rose petal, red tobacco leaf, wet leather, tar, dried orange peel and exotic spices. The palate is round, dense and rich while still retaining incredible elegance. Delicate flavors of sweet preserved plum, wild cherry and wet leaves are delicately interwoven into savory flavors of tobacco, leather, crushed earth and dried wild flowers. The 2011 is a bit warmer and more approachable than many of the 2010s. This wine is stunning right now and if you receive this, simply wait a few weeks to let the wine rest then pull the cork to enjoy the pure joy. Although, I must add, this wine has an incredible life ahead of it and will continue to evolve in a positive direction for the next decade or more if kept properly - peaking around 2020. If consuming now, please decant for 30-45 minutes and enjoy at just above cellar temperature (60-65F) for the best results. Please note that this wine has higher alcohol, so serving at room temperature will elevate the alcohol on the nose. If you are ever in Piedmont, you will rarely see someone drinking a casual glass of Nebbiolo without food. For most, Nebbiolo is something highly respected and commands the respect of great food. This wine will pair beautifully with dozens of dishes as long there is intensity and some fat in the dish. For a serious dinner, pair this wine with a big, intense dish like this
double-cut pork chop served with Porcini Mushrooms.
