For our monthly wine tasting on Thursday, December 7th, from 5-8 PM, we will be exploring in depth the wonderful wines of one Piedmontese producer: Azienda Agricola Scagliola. Additionally, we will have on hand two "bonus wines" that will be available at considerably reduced prices.

 

 

     Calosso, a small town in Piedmont, on the last hills of the Monferrato district, bordering on the Langhe, is dominated by a sweeping vineyard landscape. Here, in this traditional farming area, nestles Azienda Agricola Scagliola. Three generations of the Scagliola family have dedicated their lives to the cultivation of naturally healthy vines. The vineyards cover an area of approximately 15 hectares, planted 350-400 meters above sea level. The experienced cultivation of the vineyards, the rational use of wine-making techniques and the careful selection of grapes and musts all come together to produce a limited number of bottles which express the truly great qualities of the wines native to these lands. Located on a hill at San Siro and started by their grandfather, the estate is run today by brothers Maggiorino and Mario Scagliola. Although the previous generations were content with merely growing grapes and selling their wines in bulk, in 1980 the Scagliola brothers began investing in facilities to bottle Moscato d'Asti and subsequently added roto-fermenters for the production of red wines. Today the facilities are state-of-the-art, and new buildings and machinery are added continuously to allow for growth. In the vineyards, treatments against threats to the health of the grapes are based on the particular conditions in each of the fields, and the meteorological conditions at the time, and are reduced to the necessary minimum. The winery currently cultivates and produces wines from Barbera, Brachetto, Chardonnay, Dolcetto and Moscato grapes, all of which you will have the opportunity to sample.

 

Scagliola, Chardonnay Piemonte "Casot dan Vian" 2005, $16.99 - Italy's Piedmont region has long been famed for its blockbuster red wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. Today, however, the planting of French varietals, such as Chardonnay and Merlot, is on the rise. From 1980 onwards the Scagliola brothers' continual investment into state of the art machinery has allowed them to experiment with such varietals not typical of the region. This wonderful, unoaked Chardonnay undergoes only 25% malolactic fermentation which results in a slightly creamy textured wine with medium body and acidity, retaining excellent freshness and balanced fruit. It is an intense straw yellow color with flowery and fruit aromas of peaches and apples. Its flavors are full and lingering with light notes of vanilla and passion fruit. Incidentally, its name, Casot dan Vian, means "little house in the vineyard," as depicted on the label. Currently used as a tool shed, this tiny building, having neither electricity nor running water, was inhabited until the 1960's by a family that worked on the land.

 

Scagliola, Dolcetto Monferrato "Da Sempre" 2004, $14.99 - Da Sempre means "as always" in Italian. The name reflects the character of this Scagliola wine. This Dolcetto is a very young wine, bottled in the spring after the harvest. It is meant to be a house wine that pairs well with any type of food. This 100% Dolcetto comes from 20 to 25 year old vines that are planted in soils of calcareous, clay composition. The grapes go through Malolactic fermentation and are only aged in stainless steel. This results in a fresh and easy drinking wine with intense ruby color and a pleasantly fruity palate.

 

Scagliola, Barbera d'Asti "Frem" 2004, $17.99 - The Scagliolas currently cultivate Chardonnay, Moscato, Barbera, Brachetto and Dolcetto grapes. The notable absence of Nebbiolo from this list means that the Scagliolas' best vineyard sites are planted instead with Barbera. Their Barbera Frem, aged in large Slavonian oak casks instead of barriques, is simple and attractive, showing mineral and violet tones, and fleshy vigor on the palate.

 

Scagliola, Barbera d'Asti "SanSì" 2003, $34.99 - Barbera tends to create wines with very soft tannins that are well suited for everyday consumption and relatively short-term cellaring. These wines are transformed, however, by ageing in small French oak barrels. The additional tannic structure, vanilla and spice added by the use of new wood definitely take them to the next level. Sansi is Piemontese dialect for San Siro, the name of the hamlet in which the winery is located. Sansi also means "taste this" and is therefore an invitation to try this wonderful wine. The 2003 vintage is ample, with hints of mature fruit, cacao, spices and vanilla on the nose. The palate is dry and robust, with rich persistence. Drinkable indeed, this wine made it to the national finals for a three glass award in the 2006 edition of the Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines guide.

 

Scagliola, Barbera d'Asti "SanSì Selezione" 2003, $59.99 - The Scagliolas' top bottling, SanSì Selezione, won three consecutive three glass awards from the Gambero Rosso's Italian Wines guide for the 1999, 2000 and 2001 vintages. Only the finest grapes from the top vintages are used for this luxury cuvée. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in new French barriques, the SanSì Selezione boasts a dense garnet ruby color right to the edge. It releases refined, concentrated notes of small red berry fruit with hints of charred oak, dried leaf and forest floor. The palate is full-bodied but dry, progressing into a lovely, consistent, lingering finish with nuances of licorice. This wine is surely a tribute to the quality of the estate's winemaking.

 

Scagliola, Moscato d'Asti "Primo Bacio" 2005, $14.99 - Moscato d'Asti was the initial focus and claim to fame for the Scagliola winery, and by tasting this wine it is easy to see why. Primo Bacio, Italian for "first kiss", is delicately sweet and slightly effervescent. The intense aromatics in the glass are indeed followed by a dancing across the palate of fine, creamy bubbles and a tingle of acidity which evoke a sense of the name.

 

Scagliola, Brachetto Piemonte "Petali di Rose" 2004, $19.99 - Brothers Maggiorino and Mario Scagliola produce this lightly sweet, frizzante red wine from the unusual Brachetto grape. It unleashes intense flavors of wild berries on the palate, and gorgeous aromas of rose petals on the nose, hence the name Petali di Rose.

 

 

Francesco Bellei & C., Brut Extra Cuvée N/V, $24.99 - Founded by Francesco Bellei in Bomporto, just northeast of Modena, in 1920, the winery has remained under the stewardship of the Bellei family for four generations. The vinification of the sparkling wines has always been conducted by the "traditional method" of secondary fermentation in the bottle; in fact the company has categorically refused the use of an autoclave in the production of their sparkling wines. Giuseppe Bellei travelled to the Champagne region of France to learn how to make a true Champenois, and in 1979 started to vinify, in addition to Lambrusco, a sparkling wine made from Trentino Chardonnay and Pinot Nero from Oltrepo Pavese, utilizing the classical method. The desire to produce a high quality sparkling wine led Bellei to search for a location dedicated to the production of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay. In 1980 they planted the "San Lorenzo Dietro il Monte" vineyard in the hills of Riccò di Serramazzoni, in the province of Modena. The vineyard's soil and microclimate guarantee a viticultural ecosystem similar to those found in the Champagne region and are therefore ideal for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones from France. "San Lorenzo Dietro il Monte" is 75 acres in total of which half is forest. It has been producing since 1991 and the first sparkling wines were released in 1994. Furthermore, since 2000 the grapes have been farmed organically. The non-vintage Extra Cuvée has fine, elegant bubbles and the intense, dry style of a great Brut.  December's Super Deal #1 - Save $5.00 off the regular bottle price!

 

Tramonti, Chianti Classico 2002, $24.99 - Tramonti is located about a mile southeast of Castellina in Chianti, which is approximately 15 miles south of Florence and 10 miles north of Siena, in the heart of Tuscany and the Chianti Classico area. The name has been associated with its location in documents dating back almost a thousand years and means "between hills" but also "sunsets". The property was purchased by its present owners in 1995 and includes a large farmhouse, originally the home of two contadini (feudal farm workers) families, and four additional farm buildings on almost 200 acres. The house and the barn have been restored, combining modern amenities with a traditional Tuscan style. Martin Kolk and Kyle Wolfe's Castellina in Chianti winery never misses a beat. The Chianti Classico has an excellent entry on the nose that mingles attractive pepper with rich fruit, where cherry and strawberry stand out, that are long lasting and delicious.  December's Super Deal #2 - Cases for only $240 all month--a savings of $60 compared to the bottle price!