Blog

  • Published

    8 January 2024

    Tags

    Buttafuoco DOC – l’Antico Piemonte in Lombardia!

    • 8 January 2024 /

    While not as famous as the other ‘Bs’ (Barbaresco & Barolo) to the west, the relatively new DOC, Buttafuoco, is clearly a player in the Full Bodied Italian Rosso squad – probably in defence – & justifies its selection on several counts: geographically, geologically, historically, & ampelographically (grapes!). The name ‘Buttafuoco’ seems to have two......

  • Published

    28 August 2023

    Tags

    Valtellina – where Chiavennasca is key!

    • 28 August 2023 /

    Emerging from ‘chiusura‘ here in Italia, I reflect on that February visit to Lombardia’s stunning Valtellina region, north-east of Milano. Outside of the Langhe & Roero, I think it would be fair to say that Valtellina joins Alto Piemonte as a source of fine Nebbiolo-based wines, or should I say Chiavennasca… And just as with Alto Piemonte,......

  • Published

    10 February 2022

    Tags

    2017 Barolo vintage – c’est très jolie!

    • 10 February 2022 /

    2017 Langhe vintage: after a relatively mild winter, I recall a warm sunny March, & atypical 23 degree days accelerating the vegetative growth, followed by spring rain, & then on April 14th frost that damaged Barolo’s lower vyds & localised hail in Barbaresco (San Cristoforo). But it was the constant 30 degree days & drought caused......

  • Published

    21 July 2021

    Tags

    Monte Etna – let the Lava flow…

    • 21 July 2021 /

    Twenty years on from those initial tremors, when a group of trail-blazing producers – Messrs. Cornelissen, Franchetti, Graci, de Grazia, Foti/Benanti – recolonised the abandoned lava terraces & started making a (new) case for vini dell’Etna, it was time to return with my colleague Chloe, plus four DBGitalia amici produttori (Manuel Marinacci, Martina Fiorino of......

  • Published

    15 February 2021

    Tags

    Vintage 2016 in Piedmont – very promising indeed…

    • 15 February 2021 /

    In the Roero & Langhe in particular, the winter season was cold but not particularly snowy; in March, while Burgundy was burnt by frost, the Roero & Langhe enjoyed cold temperatures & dry days; April remained chilly & dry (compared to the warmer & damper April 2015); this continued into May, with temperatures mirroring the......