- Poor Volcanic Soils
- Cooler Climate
- The Next Really Important Wine Region
Podere Ai Valloni Has Been Making Perhaps the Most Elegant Wines in Alto Piemonte for Decades
- So, So, So Pretty, Complex and Delicate
- Some of the Most Elegant Nebbiolos in Italy, Bar None
2011 Podere Ai Valloni Boca Vigna Cristiana
- Nose: Very Intense Roses - Dried and Fresh - Amazing
- Almost Burgundian Stylistically
- Mineral, Earth, Tar
- Palate: Complex Fruit, So Elegant
- Cherries, Cherry Flowers, Mineral
- Delicate, Yet Nuanced
- 92 Pts Wine Enthusaist
2017 Podere Ai Valloni "Sass Russ" Colline Novaresi
- Nose: Deep Damson, Mid Cherry Core, Hints of Licorice and Anise
- Palate : Juicy, Dark Cherry and Sour Cherry Fruit
- Wonderful Stylishness for a $17.99 Wine
The Elegance of Old Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo, for me, is a grape that makes wines of beauty. Of nuance. It is called the pinot noir of Italy, for a reason. And there is a reason why the big boys in the Langhe are buying wineries in Alto Pimenote. The volcanic soils (see below) allow for the creation of some of the most elegant nebbiolos in Italy, bar none.
Podere Ai Valloni
There is something special about the Boca of Anna Sertorio at Podere Ai Valloni. After having enough of them and having other Alto Piemonte appellations I can say that Boca reminds me most of Chambolle-Musigny. They have an elegance and finesse plus intoxicating aromatics that are just fantastic. Combine that with the most unique earthy minerality I've found in Alto Piemonte, the incredible attention to detail and high level of winemaking you have perhaps the best values in a sea of values. The thing about the wines of Podere Ai Valloni is the stunning refinement.
The Wines
Today's first wine needs a 2-3 hour decant as do all Valloni wines no matter what age. Minimum. 2011 Podere Ai Valloni Boca Vigna Cristiana ($35.99 each on a 4 pack) has it in spades. What a wine.
The nose is very intense roses combined with stunning cherries, minerals and cooling blue fruits. Sappy almost Burgundian nose. It is so, so floral and the fruit is especially pungent in 2011. Mushroom, tar, roses, cherry fruit, mineral and so so aromatic. Really gets in the deep nostril areas. There is also a very specific type of minerality that is due to the volcanic soils but also the uniqueness of the Vigna Cristina. Layered and so aromatic. I kept smelling and smelling which helps as I have a huge nose. It's so delicate yet nuanced and as I said before, layered. It is stunning and a nose one can delight in all evening. I could smell it all night and almost did. You won't believe it.
The palate has awesome ripeness and the most elegant and refined tannins. The Valloni Bocas manage to have an amazing balance of ripe fruit and ripe tannins. In all the wines. You can't believe these tannins. So soft, so juicy, so ripe, so sensual. You swish so hard in your mouth and there are no hard edges. It's just magic. There is an amazing level of complex fruit that is so dense and so juicy with absolutely no hard edges. Early season but rounded cherry fruit with cherry flowers and some pine. Just a hint of cherry liquor rounds it out. Terrific brightness. Amazingly complex crescendo of a finish that has all the freshness. All of it. So so clean. The refined and elegant tannins just stay with you. Juicy and so so complex with wonderful purity and big tannins.
Finish is a hint of licorice and a swarm of cherries. Lovely poignant and high acidity that makes the finish last for days. Below is the 92 Point WE score.
"Crushed herb, mature dark-skinned berry, star anise and balsamic notes of camphor lead the way. Made with 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina and 10% Uva Rara, the austere palate offers dried cherry, orange zest, licorice and dried sage. It's linear and austere, with tightly knit tannins and firm acidity." 92 Points Kerin O'Keefe WE
This needs 3-5 years but seems to really be a another winner at this estate. An amazing achievement. Do not miss this wine. The blend is 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina and 10% Uva Rara. Barely anybody makes 100% Nebbiolo up here as it is cooler here than down South in the Langhe and as a result, pure Nebbiolo has too high acidity and can be harsh. Vespolina and Uva Rara are darker grapes with lower acidity that balance the Nebbiolo. It's the perfect formula as these grapes are indigenous and awesome. They add juiciness and color. Nebbiolo provides the structure, acid and aromas. Although Vespolina has some shows aromas as well. Floral but in a different way than Barolo or Barbaresco.
Up next I've got a wine I'm debuting from Podere Ai Valloni which was too good not to sell. Their entry level Colline Novarese is superb in 2017. It's a fresh and juicy wine but it also has the subsequent structure of Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte. The 2017 Podere Ai Valloni "Sass Russ" Colline Novaresi for $17.99 a bottle on a 4-pack is a stunner.
The nose has a deep damson mid cherry core with hints of licorice and anise. On day 2 the nose is much more focused with stunning levels of spice and more focused sour cherry and deep cherry fruit that is vivid as can be. It's rustic but has that utterly charming rustic Nebbiolo charm that is like high end rustic. Big juicy wine with big tannins but with stylishness that is wonderful for a wine of this price. It's pure, deep and refined with terrific vivid dark and sour cherry fruit on the palate. Savory and mineral mixed in add to the allure. Great acidity but not overly aggressive. Very harmonious. The Nebbiolo gives the structure and body to this wine while the Uva Rara gives the color. Ripe tannins suggest this can be a short term ager. This was a wine that also, inexplicably, was significantly deeper, richer, riper and more harmonious on day 2. On day 1 it took an hour to open up as the Blend being 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Uva Rara is a precocious one and needs time to air out, but for different reasons than the Bocas. This needs air for the blend to sort itself out and also as a function of youth. This gets 6 months stainlesss steel and then some time in old barrels. It has incredible energy, fruit and spice. It only gets 6 months in the stainless steel but gets refined with time in the bottle.
2011 Podere Ai Valloni Boca "Vigna Cristiana" - $37.99
($143.96 4-pack)
2017 Podere Ai Valloni "Sass Russ" - $19.99 ($71.96 4-pack)
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