Piedmont 6-Pack: the Whole Picture
On our travels searching for wine, curiosity drives our every stop, hoping that we will discover something new and great…and learn something along the way. “What's local and interesting?” we ask at every wine bar or meal. Sometimes it's a winemaker we have heard about and want to try, and sometimes we follow the lead of the guy behind the bar. You never know what you’ll find.
It means we try a lot of wine, and most of it is pretty uninteresting. Not always bad, per se, but certainly not worth shipping around the world to bring to you. The reality is that a lot of wine gets dumped out of our glasses.
It was a hot day in Serralunga, and we sat down for lunch on the patio of the Vinoteca Centro Storico, in the shadow of the hilltop fortress that defines the town. This little eatery, in the heart of Barolo, is the kind of place wine lovers flock to; classic dishes of beautiful Piedmontese food, a remarkable wine list, full of top names.
So, of course, Dan and I both ordered a glass of something to go with our meal, and, search me, I can’t recall what those wines were. But I do recall that both of them ended up getting poured out on the sidewalk after just a few sips.
“No thanks!” was all Dan said.
The problem was we just came from one of the best lineups you could ask for in Barolo. Just down the road from Serralunga, in a tiny enclave among the hillside carpeted in vines, is the micro-winery of Contrada di Sorano, run by Paolo and Cristina Baudana. Frankly, it still boggles my mind that in a winery smaller than most Americans’ garages, Paolo is crafting not just some of the tastiest Nebbiolo we’ve come across, but a full range of Piedmont varieties.
I’ve mentioned this before, and it bears repeating: winemakers who achieve quality and consistency across the entire lineup are worth paying attention to. When we visit a winery, we’re fortunate to be presented with multiple bottles opened for us to taste and understand the winemaker's work and their story. And when it hits home, it’s hard to choose. Contrada di Sorano is the type of place where you just want to declare, “We’ll take it all!”
So, from time to time, when we can’t just pick one wine to beat the drum about, we ask the winery to put together a mixed box together for you, so that you can experience what we experience, that is, the bigger picture of what a winemaker does, and the different dimensions of pleasure coming from that particular corner of the world.
Contrada di Sorano Piedmont 6-Pack
Piedmont is known for Nebbiolo, but you’ll also find varieties like Dolcetto and Barbera, which are what the locals drink while the big, structured Barolos age in their cellars. Fortunately, Paulo also crafts a more approachable Nebbiolo, one that’s more immediately enjoyable. This Piedmont 6-Pack contains 2 bottles each of this triumvirate for you, so experience the multi-dimensional pleasures of the Barolo region. Think of this like visiting the winery in person, and then walking out with a “perfect" mixed box to enjoy at home.
• Barbera Superiore ‘Sottosopra’ 2021 •
This combines two parcels, one near the bottom of the hill (Sotto), the other near the top (Sopra) - perfectly balanced with ripe raspberry and black cherry, a thread of salinity, and bright, mouthwatering acidity.
• Dolcetto ‘Autin’ 2022 •
Brimming with blue and black fruit, with a faint crack of black pepper, and succulent to its core. This is a delight to drink, the sort of thing the Piedmontese locals sip with their meals, while they wait for the Barolo to age in the cellar.
• Langhe Nebbiolo 2021 •
Cherished for its delicate aromas, distinctiveness, and transparency of place, Nebbiolo can command some pretty hefty prices when Barolo is on the label, and requires years, if not decades, of aging. Langhe Nebbiolo is crafted to be a little softer and ready to drink in its youth. This one still showcases the glories of Nebbiolo: rose petals, sweet mid-palate fruit, fine-grained, yet firm tannins. Don’t be afraid to open this one now.
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Here's the thing, if you have only tried one of Paolo and Cristina's wines, you’ve got to try them all. And if you’ve tried them all, well, you probably already know they are all stellar in their own way. What they are doing up on the sunny hillside in Seralunga is just magic. Bravo!
That same magic we experienced in their tiny winery - that's what we want to share with you through this 6-pack.