A Tale of 2 Vintages in Bramaterra - 2 Incredible Under $30 Nebbiolos from Alto Piemonte

 Filippo Barni
 - Distinctive "Brooding" Style
 - Almost Pommardian Flavor-Wise (Less Brawny, More Elegant)
 - Darker Fruits, Complex Aromatics
 - A Major Middle of Nowhere Discovery
 - Only 330 Cases Made

2016 Filippo Barni Bramaterra
 - All Star Nose
 - Tar, Leather, Smoke 
 - Mid Season Cherries, Unreal Bruised Cherries 
 - So Layered 
 - Sous Bois 
 - Palate: Sick Cherries 
 - So Taut and Deep
 - Complex, Structured and So Old School
 - Texture is so Sexy and Alluring
 - Caresses, Just a Bit of Grip
 - Will Age for 25+ Years and Peak in 10

2014 Filippo Barni Bramaterra
 - In the Right Hands, 2014 Can Become a Favorite Vintage
 - So Nervy, Beautifully Tense
 - Nose: Floral, Bright, High Toned
 - Chestnut, Killer Aromas
 - Ethereal Cherries
 - Tar, Mashed Roses
 - Palate: Juicy, Nimble, Terrific Cherry Fruit
 - Good Concentration and Depth
 - Gorgeous Sweet Cherry Fruit

2012 Filippo Barni Cantagnal Erbaluce Apassiemento Autumnal
 - One of the Most Special Wines I've Ever Sold from Italy
 - I Think That Italy Is #2 Behind Germany for Dessert Wines
 - This Wine Reminds Me a Bit of Aged Riesling
 - Crazy High Acidity and Freshness
 - A Vinous Treasure
 - Nose: So Complex
 - Dried Apricots, Sea Breeze, Orange Zest, Jellied Orange Citrus Flesh
 - Amazing Detailed Nuttiness
 - White Raisins, Golden Raisins
 - Caramel That is so Elite and Expansive
 - Palate: A Wow
 - So Rich and Decadent
 - Apricot, Grilled Nuts, Citrus Jelly
 - Superbly Mineral and Complex
 - Burnt Orange Rind
 - Fascinating Minerals
 - Spectacular and so, so Juicy

 - Gorgeous Mouthfeel and Texture

"To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them. To die-to sleep,

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there's the rub..."

Hamlet, Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1

"These wines compete with very good Barolo quality-wise"

One of my most experienced and knowledgeable customers 

When I was tasting these wines, the word that kept on going through my mind was "brooding." And when I think of brooding, my mind naturally turns to the Prince of Denmark. I'm not saying that I contemplated my existence while drinking these wines.  Well, not any more than I usually do. But there is a fascinating character to them.  Almost introspective in a way.  And they are not exactly glou glou wines. Many of our Alto Piemonte wines have that bright cherry fruit with uplifting spice.  

These are at the other end of the spectrum.  Deep. A bit dark. Very complex in a way that captures the
attention.  And maybe leads you to contemplate your existence.

There has definitely been a gold rush in Alto Piemonte but it hasn't quite reached every little town. And it didn't reach the 2,127 population commune of Brusnengo until my partner, in one of his insomniac late night data scrapes found Fillippo Barni and got them to send me samples.

They only make 330 cases of wine a year and are likely too small for pretty much anyone but us. And they don't market much so the prices are, let me say, more than fair. I could have charged 30% more and they would still be great deals. Maybe even more than that. It is very rare to find wines with this kind of complexity these days.   

The Wines

Up first is the 2016 Filippo Barni Bramaterra for $27.99 a 4-pack. Nope. Not a typo. They sent me two bottles and each one was spectacular. Why are these wines this good? I'm sure they work hard in the vineyard and are hands off in the winery but there's something extra here. There's a sense of refinement one does not get that often in Alto Piemonte. And at the price of $28 a bottle I don't think one gets it anywhere in the world of wine really. 

What a nose. An all star nose. Heaven. Tar, leather, smoke, mid season cherries and so layered. Sick nose. Sous bois. Unreal bruised cherries. Mint. Menthol. So so so high toned and expansive. Cough drop. Just sick. A 9.5 nose. Easy.  On Day 2 it didn't let up. Sick sick nose. Haunting. Ethereal. Like a Volnay/Bramaterra cross. Wow. Spices and cherry and well but also sick nuance and other stuff. 

Palate is incredible. Concentrated. Sappy and so pure. Velvety tannins, and sweet earthy fruit. Barely sweet though. Deep, super deep. Amazing mid palate with a tiny bit of opulence and such sap and purity. Such sick cherries. The fruit is so taut and deep. Complex, structured and so old school. Texture is so sexy and alluring.  Really caresses the palate in a persistent yet gentle way.  On day 2, palate is crazy. Like crazy juicy with sick tannins and ripeness but so classic. Man this is impressive. Awesome texture. High quality refined tannins and some vivid, sappy dark cherry fruit on the finish. Long. Better in 5-7 years. Maybe more. Vin de garde. 

Long finish and refined tannins cake to the mouth. Long. Pure. Fresh. Sweet deep fruit. This is astonishing. Incredible density and yet light on its feet. This is one of the best Bramaterras I've ever had.  

What a finish. $27.99. Will age for 25+ years and peak in 5 and will last and last. 

Next up is the 2014 Filippo Barni Bramaterra for $27.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. I had two bottles of this and while the first one was very good the second bottle floored me and convinced me I have to sell this wine. 

2014 is not an easy vintage but in the hands of the right winemaker like it is today the wine comes scores as flawlessly made and just wonderfully delicious. As good as 16 but in a different style. As many of you know I adore 14 in the Langhe and when a producer nails the vintage in the Alto Piemonte as Barni did in 2014 it can become a favorite vintage. 

Such a nice nose. Really light touch but pretty and detailed. So old school. Floral. Bright. High toned. Chestnut. Killer aromas. After air it gets going. Glorious nose, Sous bois up there wazoo. Dead leaves. Wet earth. Underbrush. Mulch, spice, cherries, so many cherries. Like ethereal cherries. Iodine, tar, mashed roses, lifted aromas that penetrate the nasal cavity. Divine.  

Palate is juicy, nimble and has terrific cherry fruit that lasts and lasts. Very fresh. Velvety tannins. A bit of the angular nervy quality of 2014 but needs air but also thats 2014 sometimes. Very tense vintage. I like it. Give this vintage some Clonazepam. Like 2008 in Burgundy. Terrific showing. Gets better and more interesting with air. Good concentration and depth. Nice sweet cherry fruit. Divine. Palate is high acid and very lifted with sappy early mid season cherry fruit. Not as dense as 2016 and maybe more angular but superb anyway as the balance is there. A great wine in a complex vintage. The acid is so good and the wine is balanced. Really took what the vintage gave it. That's what the best winemakers do. 

Now I have one of the most special wines I've ever sold from Italy and the first ever Alto Piemonte dessert wine we have ever sold. We are talking hen's teeth rare. Erbaluce is one of my favorite grapes as it makes profound dry wines but it really shines when it comes to dessert wine. It has crazy high acidity and freshness but also super duper minerality and luscious fruit. Kind of sounds like Riesling! Claudia Barni, who is just one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet online, lol, we are in a pandemic, sent me samples of their precious and very rare dessert wines.

The 2012 Filippo Barni Cantagnal Erbaluce Apassiemento Autumnal for $36.99 on a 500ml bottle per 3 pack is a vinous treasure that is why you shop at Fass Selections. Claudia, being also sent me the 08/05/03 to compare to the 12 to see how this wine ages  and man does it age. It ages wonderfully and gets fresher, leaner and infinitely more complex and nimble. 

What a nose. Dried apricots, sea breeze, orange zest, jellied orange citrus flesh. Amazing detailed nuttiness. So complex. Wow! Is that soy? Yes it is. Hoisin as well. I can't place the nuts but they are so brilliantly realized. I swear there is a Chinese food thing going on in the nose here but it works! 

On the palate, wow. Rich. Decadent. Not shy. Amazing texture. Just great acidity and so long. Flavors of apricot, grilled nuts, citrus jelly, and superbly mineral and complex. So airy in the finish with bits of caramel and charred orange rind. Viscous but also fresh and textured. Gets longer as it airs out. 

Day 2 notes are very important with dessert wines as they lose nothing and only get better and fresher as was the case here. 

White raisins. Golden raisins. Caramel that is so elite and expansive. Grilled nuts. Burnt orange rind. And fascinating minerals that really put this in a class by itself. Wow this is spectacular and so so juicy. Just incredible freshness, yet rich and so beautiful. It has such intense flavors but also it has the balance and depth of the best sweet wines I have ever had . What mouthfeel and texture. Insane inner mouth aromas and caramel that is to die for. It has the sphere and orb in a sweet wine. Amazing! This will last 25 more years! Amazing!

2016 Filippo Barni Bramaterra - $29.99 ($111.96 4-pack) 

 

2014 Filippo Barni Bramaterra - $29.99 ($111.96 4-pack) 

2012 Filippo Barni Cantagnal Erbaluce Apassiemento Autumnal - $38.99 ($110.97 3-pack {500 ml})