IN VINO CARITAS

TheWineForumPiedmont PerfectionA Celebration of Barbaresco & Barolo Wines

20 November

2013

Welcome to

TheWineForum

It is with great pleasure that we partner with NASDAQ OMX and Vinous Media to present you with an Evening in Piemonte. Our guide for the evening is world-renowned wine critic and founder of Vinous, Antonio Galloni, who has selected tonight’s wines to pair perfectly with Del Posto’s famed cuisine.

Like Burgundy, Barolo and Barbaresco are populated by tiny producers who regard themselves more as artisans than business people. Our tour of Piemonte will feature the wines of some of Barolo and Barbaresco’s most renowned producers: Giacomo Conterno, Vietti, Bruno Giacosa, Scavino, Bartolo Mascarello, Gaja, and Roberto Voerzio. Complementing the stunning, handcra� ed wines of these elite producers, we will enjoy the award-winning cuisine of the powerhouse team of Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Executive Chef Mark Ladner.

We hope you enjoy this event as much as we enjoyed preparing it.

David Spreng & Vidhi TambiahCo-foundersThe Wine Forum

20 September 2012

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Overview of the Region

PiemontePiemonte is an outstanding and highly distinctive wine region in northwest Italy. � is subalpine part (its name means “at the foot of the mountains”) of the former kingdom of Savoy was the driving force behind Italian reuni� cation in the 19th century and led the initial phases of Italy’s industrial revolution. Its geographical position both isolated and protected it during the period of Habsburg, Bourbon and papal domination which marked Italian life between 1550 and 1860, while its proximity, both geographical and cultural, to France (the kingdom’s court and nobility were Francophone until well into the 19th century) gave it both an openness to the new ideas of the European enlightenment and relative prosperity—in stark contrast to the poverty of much of the rest of the peninsula. It is no surprise, therefore, that Piemonte’s viticulture is the most stable and evolved in Italy and has made the greatest progress both in identifying the proper areas for growing its own individual vine varieties and in the proper techniques for fermenting and aging them. In the late 1990s, total annual wine production averaged over 3 million hl/79 million gal, with 40% at DOC level until recently.

Nebbiolo is Piemonte’s noblest grape and is, with the Sangiovese of Toscana, the grape responsible for most of Italy’s greatest wines. Although there are 12 Nebbiolo-based DOCs or DOCGs, only the world-famous Barolo and Barbaresco supply signi� cant amounts of wine. Piemonte’s workhorse grape, supplying the region’s everyday red wines (and an increasing number of smart ones), is Barbera, grown virtually everywhere there are vineyards in the provinces of Alba, Asti and Alessandria. Robust and warming, if at times rather rustic and sharply acidic, it has su� ered in the past from overcropping and indi� erent winemaking, but the 1980s and the 1990s saw signi� cant improvement in quality. Luxury cuvées of Barbera, aged in new oak, now challenge the price levels of � ne Barolo and Barbaresco. Dolcetto, Piemonte’s fruity red wine for young drinking, also demonstrated major improvement in the 1980s as more careful vini� cation mitigated its inherent bitterness, and more careful aging reduced the problems of reduction and o� -odours.

� is section is an abstract from the Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd Edition, published 2006) with kind permission from Jancis Robinson MW.

The Nebbiolo Grape

White grapes, with the exception of the Moscato used extensively for various Spumante and Frizzante (most notably Asti), used to be a virtual a� erthought in Piemonte, but the region’s production of white wine rose from a mere 10% of the regional total to 25% during the 1980s. Part of this surge is due to the increasing popularity and commercial success of Asti and the emergence of Moscato d’Asti as a signi� cant wine in its own right. But wines based on Cortese such as Gavi and those from the Colli Tortonesi and Alto Monferrato have also become increasingly popular. Native Piedmontese varieties such as Arneis and Favorita, mere curiosities in the early 1980s, were planted on 430 and 100 ha of vineyards respectively by the early 1990s. But perhaps the most surprising development of the 1980s was the arrival and rapid acceptance in Piemonte of chardonnay. Younger wine producers also experimented with Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and, especially, Cabernet Sauvignon, but these other international varieties have yet to establish a real foothold here.

Vines are planted at altitudes which can vary from about 150 m to above 400 m (490–1,150 � ), with the best, south-facing sites typically devoted to Nebbiolo, while the coolest positions are planted with Dolcetto (or Moscato in the zones in which it is grown). Barbera is widely planted in between. Average summer temperatures and rainfall are very similar to those in Bordeaux.

In 1995, a systematic revision of the entire DOC system of Piemonte produced Italy’s � rst overall regional DOC. � e territory was divided into six broad zones: Piemonte, Langhe, Monferrato, Colline Novarese (the province of Novara), Coste della Sesia (the Colline Vercellesi) and Canavese (the Carema and Erbaluce di Caluso zones to the north of Turin). Each of the region’s cultivated varieties can be used either for a smaller, more geographically restricted DOC or DOCG or declassi� ed into a large, more general, and hence “lower” DOC. � e Nebbiolo of Barolo, for example, can become either a Barolo DOCG or Langhe Nebbiolo DOC; the Barbera cultivated in the province of Asti can be used either for the Barbera d’Asti, Monferrato Rosso, or Barbera Piemonte DOCs. “Lower” appellations allow both higher yields and lower alcoholic strength. � e new system, in theory, allows all of Piemonte’s wine to achieve DOC status. While a laudable aim, many producers regret the lack of � exibility, and look in envy at how IGT is used in other parts of Italy. What has not been accomplished yet is the creation of recognised subzones or crus in the more renowned and important DOCs such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti and Moscato d’Asti—despite a long tradition of recognisably superior wines from certain areas within these DOCs.

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Barolo� e most powerful and dramatic expression of the Nebbiolo grape, takes its name from the village of the same name 15 km/9 miles to the south of the town of Alba in Piemonte.

In the mid-19th century, the local viticultural output was transformed from a sweet to a dry wine, assuming the character it has maintained to this day. Up to this point the elevated sugar content of the late-maturing Nebbiolo grape, the cold cellars of Piemonte in November and December, and the unavailability of prepared yeasts had combined to make a certain quantity of residual sugar in the wines all but inevitable. � e metamorphosis of the wines in the cellars of Giulietta Falletti, Marquise of Barolo, was e� ected by the French oenologist Louis Oudart, called to the zone by Camillo Cavour, the architect of Italian unity and mayor of Grinzano Cavour in the Barolo zone.

� e wine, (one of several) widely termed “the wine of kings, the king of wines” by its many avid admirers, enjoyed a privileged position from the very beginning, not merely among the nobility of Turin but also with the ruling House of Savoy. Carlo Alberto di Savoia, who greatly appreciated the wines of Giulietta Falletti, purchased and developed the properties of the castles of Verduno and Roddi, both in the modern Barolo zone, while Emanuele, count of Mira� ori, Vittorio Emanuele II’s son by the royal mistress Rosa Vercellana, developed the vineyards around the hunting lodge of Fontanafredda in Serralunga d’Alba. � is association with what was then Italy’s reigning dynasty has given Barolo an aura and a mystique which it has retained to this day.

Gallo d’Alba

GrinzaneCavour

Serralungad’Alba

CastallettoMonforte

Monforted’Alba

CastiglioneFalletto

Barolo

Annunziata

Verduno

La Morra

Novello

Vergne

Fossano

Mondovi

Alba

Perno

La Rosa

CerrettaBaudana

Disa

Garbutti-Parafada

La Delizia

Lazzarito

Marenca-Rivette

Margheria

Vigna Rionda

Collareto Serra

FallettoOrnatoBriccolina

Francia

Arione

Le Coste

Mosconi

Ginestra

Gavarini

La Villa

Gramolere

SantoStefano

ArnulfoVisette

Pianpolvere

Dardi

Bussia

Villero

MonprivatoBricco Fiasco

Arborina

BriccoManzoni

BriccoLucianiGiachini

Conca dell’ Abbaziadell’ Annunziata

Le Rocche

CannubiBoschis

Cannubi

Vallett

aBriccodelle Viole

Fossati

Case Nere

La Serra Brunate

Cerequio

ManzoniSoprana

Ravera

Rivassi

BussiaSoprana

BussiaSottana

Terlo

Paiagallo

PreaCastellero

La Villa CannubiMuscatel

SanLorenzoRuéLe Liste Alba

rella

Costa di Rosé

Bricco Rocch

e

Bosc

hetti

Sarmazza

Fontanile

Pugnane

Colombera

Brea

Cucco

Montanello

Codana

Monfalletto

Gancia

GatteraLe Turnote

I Tetti Roggieri

BriccoSan Biaggio

Manescotto

MarcenascoConca

Rocchettevino

Rocchette

Le Coste

Torriglione

Commune boundary

DOCG Barolo

Noted vineyard

Vineyards

Briccolina

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Towns� e core of Barolo has always been the townships of Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and the northern half of Monforte d’Alba, supplemented by outlying areas in a variety of other townships which have changed over the course of time. � e Agricultural Commission of Alba added Grinzano, part of Verduno, and a section of Novello in 1909, con� rming the previous delimitation work of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1896. � is became the o� cial de� nition of the zone in 1934, not without protests from Barolo and Castiglione Falletto, which considered themselves the true standard-bearers of authentic Barolo.

� e � ve core townships mentioned above contain 87% of the total Barolo area. � is sensible demarcation of the zone, disciplined yields (56 hl/ha (3.2 tons/acre) maximum), and reasonable requirements for cask aging (originally three years, subsequently lowered to two years) make this DOC (promoted to DOCG in 1980) one of Italy’s most intelligent. � ese sensible restraints have also curbed the multiplicity of superior wines labelled IGT characteristic of other areas of Italy (supertuscan, for example).

� e nature of the wine and the soil typeAlthough Barolo is always a rich, concentrated, and heady wine, with pronounced tannins and acidity, signi� cant stylistic di� erences among the various wines of the zone do exist and tend to re� ect the two major soil types either side of the Alba–Barolo road running along the valley � oor, separating La Morra and Barolo to the west from Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba, and Serralunga d’Alba to the east. � e � rst soil type, calcareous marls of the Tortonian epoch which are relatively compact, fresher, and more fertile, characterise the vineyards of the townships of La Morra and Barolo and produce so� er, fruitier, aromatic wines which age relatively rapidly for a Barolo. � e second soil type, from the Helvetian epoch, with a higher proportion of compressed sandstone, is less compact, poorer, and less fertile, with the result that the townships of Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba yield more intense, structured wines that mature more slowly. � e vineyards of Castiglione Falletto are on a spur that divides these two valleys, and produces wines that have some of the elegant and more forward character of the wines from Barolo combined with the structure and backbone of those from Serralunga.

All � ne Barolo, however, shares certain common traits: colour that is never deep (for Nebbiolo, like Pinot Noir, never produces opaque wines), ruby tending to garnet or brick with age; complex and expansive aromas of plums, dried roses, tar, liquorice, and—according to a few fortunate connoisseurs—the local white tru es. Full � avours are backed by substantial tannins, a dense texture, and real alcoholic warmth. (Barolo from Helvetian soils easily surpasses 14%, and an alcoholic strength of over 15% is by no means rare in superior vintages.) Excessive extraction and/or cask aging can easily lead to overly tannic and bitter wines, and obtaining the proper richness while maintaining a certain drinkability is the fundamental, and not easy, task of the individual producer, a balancing act which is not rendered easier by the late-ripening character of the Nebbiolo grape.

The town of Barolo

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Modern developmentsTwo developments have marked contemporary, post-DOC Barolo: the move towards estate bottling and single-vineyard bottling (principally by small producers), and an attempt to � nd a fruitier, less austere style of Barolo more in tune with modern palates. � e marketing of the wine was dominated by négociant houses until 1960, unsurprisingly in a production zone where the average property is little more than 1 ha (1,107 growers divided 1,164 ha/2,875 acres in 1990). Estate bottling represented both an attempt by peasant proprietors to reap greater economic bene� ts from the production cycle and a desire to put their name, as well as that of their holdings, before the public eye. Négociant houses, dealing in large quantities, necessarily blended the wines of di� erent provenances into a house Barolo (just like their counterparts in burgundy). When skilfully done, this did—and still does—accomplish the creation of balanced and harmonious wines which exemplify the general characteristics of Barolo. It is none the less true that certain privileged positions have long enjoyed a greater prestige and given more distinctive wines in both the written tradition (from Lorenzo Fantini in the late 19th century to modern writers such as Luigi veronelli and Renato Ratti) and in the oral tradition of the zone, opinions made concretely signi� cant by the higher prices paid by négociants for the grapes and wines of certain vineyards. While there is no absolute unanimity, most short lists of the � nest crus include Rocche and Cerequio in La Morra; Cannubi, Sarmazza, and Brunate in Barolo (this latter vineyard shared, à la bourguignonne, with La Morra); Rocche, Villero, and Monprivato in Castiglione Falletto; Bussia, Ginestra, and Santo Stefano di Perno in Monforte d’Alba; Lazzarito and Vigna Rionda in Serralunga d’Alba.

� e multiplicity of single-vineyard bottlings in the 1980s, in the absence of an o� cial classi� cation, has had the paradoxical result of focusing attention on and reinforcing con� dence in the brand names of single producers. It should be remembered that estate bottling and single-vineyard bottling are parallel and not interlocking phenomena: small producers, in many cases, have continued to o� er a generic Barolo in addition to those from a selected vineyard, and virtually all of the négociant houses could o� er a selection of Barolo crus alongside their blended Barolo by the late 1980s.

Like many of the world’s powerful and age-worthy red wines, Barolo has had to come to terms in the 1970s and 1980s with market demands for fruitier, less tannic wines that can more easily be drunk while young—not an easy transition

for a zone where fermentation and maceration have regularly lasted as long as two months. � e leaders of the movement towards a so� er style of Barolo were Renato Ratti, Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo, and the house of Ceretto. � eir methods consisted of shorter fermentations (generally 10–14 days) and an abbreviated aging period in wood followed by extended bottle aging prior to commercial release.

“Modern” and “Traditional” styles?� e proponents of this new approach were termed “modernists,” while those who retained faith in the old methods were called “traditionalists.” � is rather facile distinction fascinated the wine world in the 1970s and 1980s, but in retrospect it can be seen as nothing more than the continuing evolution and modernisation of wine-making in this small zone. � ere was no doubt that traditional Barolo, a product of long maceration on the skins, from relatively high-yielding grapes in which the tannins had yet to polymerise fully, needed extended aging in cask in order to so� en the hard tannins the wine displayed in youth. In truth, this so� ening of the tannins was brought about by oxidation, something that also oxidised the fruit. � is resulted in wines that were garnet or brick in colour, with oxidation and the hard tannins still evident on the palate.

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Quite o� en, Barbera was added to the wine prior to bottling in order to add a youthful tinge to the tired old colour, and a liveliness to the withered fruit.

As the world of wine opened up in the 1960s, and as some of the producers in Barolo travelled further than Turin or Rome, they came to realise that their wines were badly in need of modernising if they were not to become historical relics. � ere was a move to temperature control during fermentation, a reduction in the length of maceration, a move to pumping over rather than submerged cap in the belief that so� er tannins were extracted and a shorter time in barrel were steps in this direction. Instead of a protracted length of time in large old oak, some producers started to introduce small oak barriques to the cellars in the late 1970s in the belief that the sweeter oak tannins would help to moderate the aggressive grape tannins of the Nebbiolo. During the 1980s and 1990s, as prices climbed, producers were able to reduce yields, something that led not only to earlier picking (today, the harvest usually takes place in the � rst half of October, while historically the grapes were picked in late October) but also to riper tannins in the grape skins. � is, as

much as anything, has helped to temper Barolo’s tannins. It was facilitated by the move to rotofermenters in the late 1990s, a move which has resulted in a further abbreviation of the maceration time to between � ve and seven days.

Today, talk of “modern” and “traditional” styles is little more than a journalistic conceit. Wines from La Morra and Barolo, naturally more forward, are usually better suited to shorter aging than those from Serralunga, where the greater intensity usually leads to a longer period of barrel aging prior to bottling. Many producers have developed the historic trend for adding Barbera to Nebbiolo and today add Merlot, Syrah, or Cabernet in order not only to augment the colour but also to add impact and ripe berry notes to the more delicate character of Nebbiolo. Indeed, a proposal in the mid 1990s to reduce the minimum Nebbiolo content from 100 to 90% was defeated, but only a� er intense debate in the region. Style wars still exist but, as elsewhere in the world of wine, they are o� en between those who want to produce impressive wines and those who want to make them more drinkable.

An unparalleled series of exceptional vintages in the late 1990s and early 2000s (in ascending order of quality, 1996, 2001, 1999, 2000, 1998 and 1997) saw the trend for price increases accelerate. � is, in turn, led to an increase in planting. In 2004, there were 1,714 ha/4,285 acres under vine, an increase of 47% since 1990. � is has seen Nebbiolo planted in sites that were traditionally reserved for such lesser varieties as Dolcetto and Barbera. It is unlikely that Nebbiolo will be able to ripen properly in these sites, so there is a grim pessimism among some producers that quality, just when it should be improving in order to justify the higher prices, will, in fact, decrease as these new plantings come to be used in the production of Barolo.

Price increases abetted by an increase in supply also led to a downturn in sales; annual production rose from 7 to 10.25 million bottles between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, when many producers were struggling to sell their increasing backlog of vintages. As a result, prices stabilised, and a series of more a� ordable wines appeared on the market. Previous downturns in the region, the last of which was in the 1980s, led producers to improvements in the vineyard and the cellar. � e same will undoubtedly happen this time.

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BarbarescoBarbaresco is a powerful red wine based on the nebbiolo grape grown around the village of Barbaresco in the Piemonte region. Long considered very much the junior of Barolo in terms of its size and the power and prestige of its wines, Barbaresco emerged from Barolo’s shadow in the 1960s to win recognition of its own striking qualities of elegance and aromatic intensity.

� e wine is, in fact, a younger one than Barolo: it was not until the mid 1890s that Domizio Cavazza, professor at the Oenological School of Alba and director of the Barbaresco co-operative, succeeded in fermenting all of the sugars and producing a completely dry wine, replicating the work of Louis Oudart in Barolo 50 years earlier. Barbaresco did not enjoy Barolo’s connection with the House of Savoy and the nobility of the royal court in Turin, and su� ered relative commercial obscurity until the e� orts of Giovanni Gaja and Bruno Giacosa in the 1960s demonstrated the full potential of the wine.

� e production zone of Barbaresco is to the northeast and east of the city of Alba and is considerably smaller than that of Barolo but, as in Barolo, the area under vine has increased dramatically in recent years, from 484 ha/1,200 acres in the early 1990s to 680 ha/1,680 acres in 2004. � e wine is produced in the townships of Barbaresco, Treiso (formerly part of Barbaresco), Neive, and a fragment of Alba, although 95% of the cultivated vineyards lie in the � rst three. Neive calls itself “the township of four wines” (the others being Moscato, Barbera, Dolcetto), and Nebbiolo only consolidated its position there a� er the Second World War. Even today Neive has fewer than 100 ha of Nebbiolo, less than that of Barbera or Dolcetto, and half the area planted with Moscato.

Asti

NeiveBarbaresco

Alba

Treiso

Briccodi Neive

MonteAribaldo

Bongiovanni

Tre Stelle

Pajorè

Borgonuovo

Starderi

Mar

corin

o

BordiniAlbesani(SantoStefano)

Gallina

Montestefano

Cole

Moccagatta

Asili

Monte�co

Secondine(Sorì San Lorenzo)

Fasset

Porra

Rivosordo

Roncaglie

Montaribaldi

Roncagliette(Sorì Tildin)(Costa Russi)

Rombone

ValerianoRizzi

Briccode Neive-

Serraboella

Chirrá

CottáMartinenga

NervoBernadotti

Casotto Giacosa

Rabajà

Trifolera

Basarin

Masseria

San

Cristo

foro

TettiPasturaValtorta

Gaia

PaglieriGhiga

OvelloMontesomo

PelisseriMessoirano

Commune boundary

DOCG Barbaresco

Noted vineyard

Vineyards

Fasset

Marcarini

Bricco de Treiso

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The town of Barbaresco

Soil� e soil of the Barbaresco zone is fundamentally a calcareous marl of the Tortonian epoch and the wines, in their relative so� ness and fruitiness and their perfumed aromas, bear a certain resemblance to Barolo produced on similar soils around the villages of La Morra and Barolo, although it is rare to � nd a Barbaresco with the body and concentration of a � ne Cannubi or Brunate. A few positions in Neive, however—notably Santo Stefano and Bricco di Neive—give wines which are, in local parlance, baroleggiano, or resemble a Barolo.

Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, probably due to the vineyards’ proximity to the river Tanaro, while the wines tend to be a bit lighter as the region is further east than Barolo, and is therefore marginally more susceptible to the maritime in� uence that makes the reds of Asti lighter than those from Alba. � is lighter style of wine is re� ected in the minimum aging requirements, two years in total, a year of which must be in oak. � is is a year less than for Barolo.

Vini� cation and barrel agingWinemaking techniques, which had previously favoured extremely prolonged maceration and cask aging, evolved in the 1970s and 1980s, much as in Barolo, towards considerably shorter periods in cask in an e� ort to respond to modern tastes for rounder, fruitier wines. If Barbaresco is generally a lighter-bodied wine than Barolo (although these are wines which must have a minimum alcoholic strength of 12.5% and easily reach 13.5%), it is not lacking in the tannins and acidity that mark the Nebbiolo grape; young Barbaresco is by no means an inevitably pleasurable glass of wine. It does mature more rapidly than Barolo, however, and rarely ages as well. Barbaresco is normally at its best between � ve and ten years of age, with the exception of the above-mentioned vineyards in Neive. � e general level of winemaking skills is today every bit as good as in Barolo, although this was not historically the case. � e work done by the Produttori del Barbaresco, one of Italy’s � nest co-operatives, and by individual producers such as Angelo Gaja and Bruno Giacosa, has helped to establish Barbaresco as a top-quality wine, and a number of smaller producers have bene� ted as a result.

Ultra-short fermentations and barrique aging of the wines were introduced to Barbaresco in the mid 1980s, although the former phenomenon has found fewer converts than in Barolo; the so� er quality of Nebbiolo in Barbaresco—

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conserved by a shorter, one-year minimum aging period in wood—makes radical innovations in winemaking techniques less of a necessity. � e use of new oak spread rapidly, however, due to the powerful in� uence of Angelo Gaja, headquartered in Barbaresco itself, and its spicy and aromatic qualities seem to blend well with the character of the wine.

Prime locationsSingle-vineyard bottlings are a relatively recent phenomenon, in Barbaresco as in the rest of Italy. � e � rst e� orts date from 1967, and there is a less � rmly established written record of cru designation here than in Barolo. Lorenzo Fantini’s monograph on Piedmontese viticulture of the late 19th century indicates very few “choice positions” in Barbaresco (and none whatsoever in Neive). � e � rst attempts to list and rate the � nest positions date from the 1960s (Luigi veronelli) and the 1970s (Renato Ratti).

Négociants’ willingness to pay higher prices for grapes from certain vineyards, however, does establish the existence of a certain consensus existing in the zone, a tradition which gave an undeniable prestige to Asili, Monte� co, Montestefano, and Rabajà in Barbaresco; Albesani and Gallina in Neive; and Pajorè in Treiso. A certain number of the most famous vineyards—San Lorenzo, Tildin, and Martinenga in Barbaresco, Santo Stefano in Neive—are, in e� ect, “man-made” crus which have gained their current prestige from the dedicated work and exacting standards of producers such as Gaja, Giacosa, and Alberto di Gresy, and have no precise historical tradition behind them.

Producer Profiles

Roberto Conterno

Giacomo ConternoGiacomo Conterno is one of Piemonte’s most historic properties, with a brilliant track record that goes back to the early 1900s. Conterno was among the � rst wineries to own their own vineyards and sell into export markets. � e estate’s signature Baroli Cascina Francia and Monfortino are made from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Serralunga, one of the most pristine sites in all Italy. In particular, the Barolo Riserva Monfortino is considered one of the great wines in the world based on its ability to age spectacularly for many decades a� er its release.

Vietti � e Vietti, Currado and Cordero families boast a rich history that goes back many decades. Vietti was among the � rst growers to bottle single-vineyard wines, own their vineyards and build a signi� cant presence in export markets. Although the wines have always been benchmarks, they have never been better than under the current stewardship of brothers-in-law Luca Currado and Mario Cordero.

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Bruno Giacosa Since 1961 Bruno Giacosa has been behind many of Piedmont’s most historic bottles. Equally adept with Barolo and Barbaresco, Giacosa continues to cra� � ne, age-worthy wines that capture an enlightened approach to traditional winemaking. � e estate’s signature wine is the Barolo Falletto, which emerges from a beautifully positioned, south-facing vineyard in Serralunga. In top vintages, Giacosa’s famed Red Label Riservas are the stu� of legend.

Scavino Proprietor Enrico Scavino, along with his talented daughters Elisa and Enrica has been at the forefront in making rich, textured Baroli that can be enjoyed relatively young, but without sacri� cing longevity. � e Scavino family owns vineyards in many of Piemonte’s top sites across multiple villages. It’s hard to know where to start, the Baroli Bric del Fiasc, Cannubi and Riserva Rocche dell’Annunziata are all benchmarks.

Bartolo Mascarello Proprietor Mauro Mascarello has been at the helm at his family’s estate since 1970. Since then, Mascarello has made some of the greatest Baroli of all time. His 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1990 Barolo Monprivato are among the world’s greatest wines. � e Monprivato vineyard, in Castiglione Falletto, is one of the most pristine plots of land anywhere, with a rare ability to confer nobility to its wines in virtually every vintage. � e Riserva Ca’ d’ Morissio is a relatively new entry made from vineyards in the heart of Monprivato.

Gaja Gaja wines remain reference points for quality and consistency, an accolade that is likely to remain as Angelo and Lucia Gaja are successfully dealing with generational succession. Gaia Gaja and her sister Rossana are now ever present, while their young brother, Giovanni, is o� to college and seems destined for an important role himself. The Gaja family

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Roberto VoerzioRoberto Voerzio is renowned for a maniacal approach in the vineyards, which results in some of the richest, deepest Barolos being made today. Everything in these cramped cellars is bare-bones, which allows the unique voice of each of Voerzio’s eight La Morra single-vineyards to speak with notable eloquence. In particular, Voerzio’s wines from weaker vintages set him apart as one of the most gi� ed growers in Piemonte, Italy and the world.

RuinartRuinart’s history dates back to 1729, making it Champagne’s oldest house. Today the Ruinart Champagnes are made by Chef de Caves Frederic Panaïotis who clearly has an outsize passion for the house’s rich heritage. Ruinart is best known for their vintage Blanc de Blancs, but the Rosé is just as fascinating. Both wines have a track record of aging spectacularly well. One of the unique aspects of the Ruinart house style is that a signi� cant amount of the Chardonnay for Dom Ruinart comes from the Montagne de Reims, where the wines are richer, broader and deeper than in the Côte des Blancs.

QuintarelliOne of Italy’s true icons, Quintarelli is the bastion of traditionally made Amarone. At their best, the Quintarelli wines have no equal. � e estate’s top selections all see signi� cant time in cask prior to being bottled and are released only when the Quintarelli family thinks the wines are ready, not a moment sooner. Quintarelli’s 2004 Alzero is Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made from dried fruit, Amarone-style, and aged in cask. Alzero remains one of the most singular and unique wines in the world.

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White Tru� e of Alba� e “white tru e” or “Alba madonna” (Tuber magnatum) comes from the Langhe and Montferrat areas of Piemonte and, most famously, in the countryside around the cities of Alba and Asti; � e tuber magnatum pico, called “trifola” in piedmontese, is the most prestigious tru e. � ey can reach 12 cm in diameter and weigh 500 g, though most are usually much smaller. Its aromatic perfume and taste are unmistakable. Prices depend on the seasonal production and on several quality features. It is collected from the second half of September to December. � e International Fair of the White Tru e of Alba celebrates this exclusive product with prices in 2009 reaching USD14,000/kilo. � e world record price paid for a white tru e was set by Stanley Ho in December 2007 when he paid USD330,000 for a 1.5-kg tru e auctioned simultaneously in Florence, Macau and Hong Kong.

Black Tru� eBlack tru es include several species that can be collected all the year round. Good specimens can be found in late autumn and winter, reaching 7 cm in diameter and weighing up to 100 g. In the Langhe one � nds the “Scorzone” (Tuber aestivum Vittad). Its high quality makes it a tasty and less expensive tru e to enrich the typical dishes of the Langa. In the Scorzone one can � nd all the aromas of the woods, with an intense and delicate perfume. In December 2009, black tru es were selling for USD1,500/kilo.

Use in CookingBecause of their high price and their pungent taste, tru es are used sparingly. Supplies can be found commercially as unadulterated fresh produce or preserved, typically in a light brine. White tru es are generally served raw, and shaved over steaming buttered pasta or salads or fried eggs (the latter is recommended by many gourmets as the best way to enjoy the � avour). White or black paper-thin tru e slices may be inserted into meats, under the skins of roasted fowl, in foie gras preparations, in pâtés, or in stu� ngs. Some speciality cheeses contain tru es as well.

About TrufflesA tru e is the fruiting body of a subterranean mushroom. Almost all tru es are

“ectomycorrhizal” and are therefore usually found in close association with trees. � ere are hundreds of species of tru es, but the fruiting body of some (mostly in the genus Tuber) are highly prized as a food.

History� e � rst mention of tru es appears in the inscriptions of the neo-Sumerians regarding their Amorite enemy’s eating habits (� ird Dynasty of Ur, 20th century BCE) and later in writings of � eophrastus in the fourth century BC. In classical times, their origins were a mystery that challenged many; Plutarch and others thought them to be the result of lightning, warmth and water in the soil, while Juvenal thought thunder and rain to be instrumental in their origin. Cicero deemed them children of the earth, while Dioscorides thought they were tuberous roots.

Italy in the Classical period produced three kinds of tru es: the Tuber melanosporum, the Tuber magni� canus and the Tuber magnatum. � e Romans, however, only used the terfez (Terfezia bouderi), a fungus of similar appearance, which the Romans called tru es. Unlike tru es, terfez have no taste of their own. � e Romans used terfez as a � avour carrier because of their property to absorb surrounding � avours. Indeed, Ancient Roman cuisine used many spices and � avours, and terfez were perfect in that context.

Tru es were rarely used during the Middle Ages. Tru e hunting is mentioned by Bartolomeo Platina, the papal historian, in 1481, when he recorded that the sows of Notza were without equal in hunting tru es, but they should be muzzled to prevent them from eating the prize.

During the Renaissance, tru es regained popularity in Europe and were honoured at the court of King Francis I of France. However, it was not until the 17th century that Western (and in particular French) cuisine abandoned “heavy” oriental spices in favour of natural � avour. Tru es were very popular in Parisian markets in the 1780s. � ey were imported seasonally from tru e grounds, where peasants had long enjoyed their secret. In 1825, the French gastronome, Brillat-Savarin noted that they were so expensive they appeared only at the dinner tables of great nobles and “kept” women.

cuisine abandoned “heavy” oriental spices in favour of natural � avour.

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Expert Profile

Antonio Galloni’s career as one of the most trusted and respected wine critics in the world spans nearly a decade. In 2004, while a graduate student at MIT, Antonio founded Piedmont Report, the � rst in-depth, English language journal solely focused on Italian wine. Antonio’s success led him to Robert Parker and � e Wine Advocate where became the lead critic and covered the wines of California, Italy, Burgundy and Champagne. At TWA Antonio spearheaded the production of video content, developed numerous public events and seminars such as his highly anticipated “La Festa del Barolo,” and ran numerous charitable events. Vinous is the continuation of a vision for a contemporary wine media platform � rst conceived by Antonio with Piedmont Report in 2004.

For Your Notes

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