The Angelo Germano winery is based in the village of La Morra, but the family, which has deep roots in the zone, has holdings in the villages of Barolo and Monforte d’Alba as well. Over the years, a succession of Angelos and Davides have perpetuated the Germano name in Barolo wine, but it was a Teobaldo Germano who started it all at the end of the 19th century: Teobaldo was the founder and first president of the cooperative winery (cantina sociale) in Barolo, which was established in 1902; years later, his grandson Davide Germano purchased the cantina sociale buildings while also spearheading the creation of a winemaking consortium in Barolo and Barbaresco (pre-dating the creation of the DOC appellation system by decades). Davide’s son, Angelo, followed him, growing the family business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and then we arrive in the present day, with—you guessed it—another Davide, who draws from some great vineyard sources in crafting the Germano wines.

One of these is “Mondoca di Bussia” (the Oddero winery also bottles a wine from here). Part of the famed “Bussia” vineyard, Mondoca (alternately known as Mont d’Oca) is at the crest of a south-facing hill above the hamlet of Dardi. Soils are a mix of marl and sandstone that turns chalk-white in summer, and this soil type, combined with the south/southwesterly aspect of the vines, produces wines known for firm, even austere, tannins and serious depth. While many wines from other sections of “Bussia” are rounder and a little more approachable in their youth, “Mondoca di Bussia” is typically a cru whose wines need some time to come together.

Davide Germano’s 2010 “Mondoca di Bussia” was fermented in stainless steel and aged in 500-liter French oak tonneaux barrels for a little more than two years, after which it spent two more years aging in bottle (which entitled it to the riserva designation you’ll see on the label). Now with a few more years of bottle age behind it, the wine is just beginning to unwind and reveal its considerable aromatic charms. In the glass it is a classic crimson-tinted ruby with some orange reflections at the rim, and while it is a bit reticent when first poured, it fills the room with its perfume after a minute or two in the glass. Notes of dried cherry, strawberry, blood orange rind, rose petal, leather, tar, a touch of balsamic, and turned earth carry through to the palate, where the ferrous tannins still have plenty of grip—for maximum enjoyment now, I’d suggest at least an hour in a decanter before serving at cellar temperature or just above (the cooler temperature will keep the alcohol in check). It is an incredibly heady, intellectual glass of wine, with a finish that goes on and on, but it’s really just starting to blossom—I think its peak years will come about 5 years from now, and it should still be amazing on its 20th birthday. Most important is pairing this wine with food—the level of acid and tannin here demands it, as much as I enjoy sipping the wine slowly on its own. If you’ve got time for a project, tackle this recipe for Piedmontese agnolotti while the wine opens up in the decanter (taking care not to drain it all before the pasta is ready). This is the stuff dreams are made of, folks. Enjoy! — David Lynch