- Mind Boggling Aromatic Density - Fills the Room
- Dense Spice, Dried Roses, Tar, Tobacco
- Exhilarating, Intense Bouquet
- A Basket of Flowers
- Violets, Lilacs, Lavender
- So Addictive, Like a Drug
- Palate: Silky Cherries
- Medium Cherry Fruit
- So Hedonistic
- Incredible Density
- Grippy, Melting Tanins
- A Hint of Cherry Licorice and Chocolate
- Ridiculous Acidic Balance
- Delicious Now
- Will Age 15 Years Plus
2019 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Langhe Nebbiolo
- The SAME Grapes That Go Into Barbaresco (Less Barrel Ageing)
- Masterfully Well Made
- Nose: Dried Roses, Deep Perfume
- Palate: Perfect Dense Cherry Fruit
- So Sweet, Terrific Spice
- Finish: Super Long with Dense Cherry and Spice
- One of the Best Nebbiolo Values We've Sold
- This Is a Case Purchase Consideration Given the QPR
2020 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Langhe Rosato (Rose)
- The SAME Grapes That Go Into Barbaresco
- Yes - Barbaresco Rose
- Nose: So Pretty - Not at All Normal Rose
- Palate: Stunning Strawberry Fruit
- So Complex
- Fine Ground Minerality
- Lovely Richness
- Finish: Super Long
- One of My Favorite Roses
- Very Vinous - NOT Glug and Grin Picnic Rose
- One of My Favorite Roses
"Barbaresco 2018, together with vintage 2012, it is my favorite vintage in the last ten years! It has an intense bouquet, with hints of fresh fruits, a tannins very soft, harmonious and delicate. It is enjoyable to drink right now, but is has a structure that allows it to last a lot in the time, easily more than 15 years." - Giuseppe Negro
One of my strategies when sourcing new producers is to check what the local buyers who I respect sell.
The real experts are the wine buyers in the Langhe who drink more Barbaresco and Barolo than anyone on earth. They live there and a lot of their business comes from wine tourism - so they take their wines very seriously. Today's producer has built almost his entire business selling to the most discriminating Nebbiolo buyers on earth. From the look of his huge, stunning winery, he's doing quite well (even the doorknobs are custom made works of art).
Below is a partial list of his restaurant clients with their Michelin stars.
*RISTORANTE LA ROSSA.- Alba
*LOCANDA DEL PILONE - Alba
*VILLA D'AMELIA - Benevello
*LA MADERNASSA - Guarene
*21.9 - Piobesi d'Alba
*RISTORANTE ALL'ENOTECA - Canale
*DA FRANCESCO - Cherasco
**ANTICA CORONA REALE DA RENZO - Cervere
*RISTORANTE BUTTERFLY - Lucca
*DUE COLOMBE- AL BORGO ANTICO - Borgonato
Giuseppe is a professional from start to finish. He has excellent terroir, manages it well and is a technician in the cellar. Also, he prices his wines extremely fairly so that they are easy for him to sell.
Up first is the 2018 Giuseppe Negro Barbaresco "Pian Cavallo" for $37.99 a bottle each on a 4 pack purchase.
The palate is also classic in flavor profile. Mid season cherries with that classic Barbaresco
whirling spice. What sets this wine apart is the density. It has that density of fruit and brilliant texture more like the great wines of France with the spice intermingled in and out making it just thrilling every sip and swish. It just sort of hits the palate and soaks it with what it is even though the fruit itself is not overripe in profile. It's that fruit spice balance but it's more fruit now but only by 60/40 and with age that will vary more with the spice. The Pian Cavallo has terrific structure to keep the wine fresh - there is perfect balance on this wine. The tannins are so fine and super elegant and presented as juicy and sweet. Negro is an experienced hand and you can taste it in the balance of the wines. The finish is really, really long, dense, sweet and chewy. That terrific cherry spice gets blasted all over the palate and it lingers for a good 30-45 seconds. This wine is drinking now with a brief decant but it has the structure to age. It is simply awesome and will introduce you to the 2018 vintage.
whirling spice. What sets this wine apart is the density. It has that density of fruit and brilliant texture more like the great wines of France with the spice intermingled in and out making it just thrilling every sip and swish. It just sort of hits the palate and soaks it with what it is even though the fruit itself is not overripe in profile. It's that fruit spice balance but it's more fruit now but only by 60/40 and with age that will vary more with the spice. The Pian Cavallo has terrific structure to keep the wine fresh - there is perfect balance on this wine. The tannins are so fine and super elegant and presented as juicy and sweet. Negro is an experienced hand and you can taste it in the balance of the wines. The finish is really, really long, dense, sweet and chewy. That terrific cherry spice gets blasted all over the palate and it lingers for a good 30-45 seconds. This wine is drinking now with a brief decant but it has the structure to age. It is simply awesome and will introduce you to the 2018 vintage.
The second wine is the 2019 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Langhe Nebbiolo for $25.99 a bottle on a 4 pack purchase. This wine is made from the same grapes as those that go into the Barbaresco. Giuseppe just ages them for less time. I'm not kidding. He decided to do this because when he was breaking into the Italian restaurant market years ago, he wanted a high quality wine that he could sell by the glass. I rated this as one of the top Barbarescos I had in the 2016 vintage and it's not technically even Barbaresco! That's how good Negro is. This is a blend of Gallina and Pian Cavallo fruit.
The nose is classic Barbaresco with deep dried roses that spellbind you as they are so high toned and gloriously whirling spice. A deep, deep perfume like the kind you get on top tier Barbarescos. It has that waft and smells like a more expensive wine.
The palate is the perfect exemplar of dense cherry fruit accented but pure and deep cherry flower. This is not first of season cherry fruit but more mid season and you get that uptick in density and flavor depth. Terrific balancing spice with off the charts internal aromatics. Insanely long finish and so pure. 2019 lifts this to glorious heights. For this price, I can't really say I've had a better wine in Piedmont - it should cost a tick less than the PianCavallo. This is a case purchase.
PS Monsu is local Piemonte dialect for Sir (close to the French Monsieur) and is a mark of respect. His restaurant clients starting calling him this and he decided to name the wine as such.
The last wine, in a sense, should be the first because it's one of the best wines in its class even though it's quite inexpensive. It's the 2020 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Langhe Rosato for $21.99 a bottle on a 4 pack purchase. This is one of my favorite roses on earth. It blows away pretty much anything from the South of France. There is only 12 hours of skin contact so this is not over the top. This is a blend of Gallina and Piancavallo fruit.
The nose is gorgeous. It doesn't have that annoying rose smell - it smells like actual wine. Strawberry flowers, a hint of dried roses. Gorgeous minerals made from petrified roses. One of the few roses you really stop and think about on the nose.
The palate combines the traditional drinkability of rose with the complexity and elegance of Nebbiolo grown in elite terroir. Gorgeous, perfect strawberry fruit which is what you get in elite Nebbiolo rose. The density is terrific. So complex. Some overtones of dried roses. Incredible finely ground minerals. You also get this hit of richness. It's so balanced - everything is on a line. Like I said - this is not a glugger (even though it's priced in line with standard Rose. This is a substitute for serious white wines with fish and vegetable courses. It's that good.
2018 Giuseppe Negro Barbaresco PianCavallo - $39.99 ($151.96 4-pack)
2019 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Langhe Nebbiolo - $27.99 ($103.96 4-pack)
2020 Giuseppe Negro Monsu Rosato - $23.99 ($87.96 4-pack)
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