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On to Barbaresco in the fog on Thursday to taste with Renato at Cantine del Pino. The area is lower lying than Barolo, wines mature on average 2 weeks earlier so represent a different interpretation of the Nebbiolo grape.
I really enjoyed the Langhe Nebbiolo 10 and Barbaresco Ovello 07 made from 70 year old vines.
Then on to Cigluiti to see a sweet family. Old man Cigluiti was a wonderful wizened patriarch and his daughter a great character, and the salami we were given was the BEST! Lovely easy drinkers all.
It was hard to tear ourselves away but lunch beckoned, what a scene, our waiter Caesar was hysterical and could have happily filled in for Manuel in Fawlty Towers !
4 hour high speed drive across to Alto Adige for dinner with Matteus of Manincor, now this is an exciting winery entirely bio-dynamic and producing really different pure drinkable wines, set in against a backdrop of the Dolomites.
We tasted through them all the following morning having had a very quiet night with hardly a drop to drink – Charleeeee. I loved these wines and felt positively enlivened after the mornings tasting.
A final quick visit to Tiefenbruner to taste and witness a strange collection of concrete gnomes, lunch and then to Verona for the flight home.
Italy is a pleasure, there is time to taste and talk, the food is wonderful and I just wish I could speak more of the lingo – guess I just need to get back over there.
Salute!