An Introduction to Piedmont Report

December, 2004

Welcome to the first issue of Piedmont Report, the Consumer’s Guide to the Wines of Piedmont. My goal is to provide not only extensive tasting notes of current releases, but also to take you into the vineyards and cellars of this incredibly fascinating region.  For many consumers, the large number of producers and vineyard designations in Piedmont makes gaining a familiarity with the region a daunting task.  I hope to make that easier. From time to time I will also write about thematic vertical tastings that explore one particular dimension such as the wines of a specific vintage, vineyard, or producer.

Piedmont is often viewed as one winemaking region, when in my opinion, it is a collection of small regions, each with its own characteristics.  I will examine the differences between Barolo and Barbaresco, take a closer look at the wines from the area around Asti, the Dolcettos from Dogliani, and the Nebbiolos from the northern Piedmont towns of Gattinara and Ghemme.  This journal is written for people who love the wines of Piedmont and those who have an interest in learning more about the region.

The Scoring System

I assign points to each wine on a 100-point scale.  My score is an overall score which reflects a wine’s expression of its varietal, vintage, terroir, aging potential, and distinctiveness.  I am also looking for structure, length on the palate, persistence of the finish and overall balance. Some of these qualities are difficult to articulate, but I believe the experienced taster can discern the differences between wines that are good, from those that are outstanding from those that are truly memorable.  No scoring system is perfect, including mine, but I do feel that an overall score best captures both my tasting approach and my impressions about a given wine.  Scores are intended to reflect a wine’s potential at maturity.  Wines tasted from barrel are scored within a range, reflecting the reality that these wines are not finished products.  Scores for wines tasted from barrel are indicated in parentheses.

Assessing young Dolcetto and Barbera is admittedly not terribly difficult in relative terms.  Tasting young Barbarescos and Barolos is another thing altogether.  The high alcohol levels and tannins these wines often present when young can make the wines very challenging to evaluate.  In addition, Barolo and Barbaresco are richly structured wines that are made to accompany similarly rich dishes.  Wines can sometimes appear to be very austere and closed in a blind tasting but then are fantastic when paired with the right cuisine.   By definition, a focused tasting removes these wines from their natural habitat, so tasting notes and scores should be taken as a general indication and not as gospel.  In short, Nebbiolo is very tough to judge when young and what I offer is only one opinion.  I tend to be conservative, so my scores should be interpreted as a lower bound.  Ultimately, the tasting notes will tell you much more about what I thought about a wine, especially compared to wines of the same type and/or vintage.  I rate every wine I taste, so if a particular wine is not included under a producer, I simply did not get a chance to taste that wine.  In conclusion, the best way to learn about the wines is to taste them as often as possible, preferably in a setting organized around a theme, such as vintage, cru, or producer.  The most rewarding aspect of a passion for wine is learning to trust your own palate.

Readers should note that I am personally responsible for all of my travel expenses, including lodging, transportation and meals.  I do accept sample bottles for the purposes of tasting.  I have no interest, either direct or indirect, with any winery in Piedmont Report, nor am I personally involved in any aspect of the wine trade.