WTN: Autumn and nebbiolo

Something about a fine walk in an Ithacan gorge on a splendid fall day that puts me in the mood for nebbiolo. Perhaps it's the dried leaves, the crisp dry air that smells of roasted earth with a bracing feeling of being alive. Whatever, I came back from that walk in the mood for Piedmont and opened Giuseppe Mascarello's 2003 Monprivato. Surely not the most powerful nebbiolo out there, this hit my sweet spot with a cherry skin washed fragrance, a very light fading color in the glass that is a solid, elegant wine, etheral in feel and weight with candied rose petals and cherry fruit leather flavors. Very drinkable now. A-/B+

I can completely relate to the autumnal connection; thanks for the note Mark.

Sounds nice! I've got some earlier vintages that I should try!

I had a really nice 2006 "Produttori" Barbaresco tonight; it was already showing lovely, sweet, ripe berry fruit (on the nose and in the mouth) for a truly cellar-worthy Nebbiolo, but it also had the tell-tale "sotto bosco" (forest floor) and a bit of leather and truffle. The lovely crisp acidity and generous fruit almost balanced the generous tannin (along with a 3 hour decant).

This is a very, very successful "Normale" from the Produttori; the best I can remember....

marco

Hi Mark -

Thanks for the note - glad you enjoyed this wine. I have never had the Mascarello Monprivato, but really liked Mascarello's 1999 Villero when I tried it a couple of years ago.

I had a really nice 2006 "Produttori" Barbaresco tonight; it was already showing lovely, sweet, ripe berry fruit (on the nose and in the mouth) for a truly cellar-worthy Nebbiolo, but it also had the tell-tale "sotto bosco" (forest floor) and a bit of leather and truffle. The lovely crisp acidity and generous fruit almost balanced the generous tannin (along with a 3 hour decant).

This is a very, very successful "Normale" from the Produttori; the best I can remember....

marco

Hi Marco - Thank you for the great note. I am a big fan of the Produttori wines, including the "regular" Barbaresco, which I think is a great QPR as far as Nebbiolo goes, but have not had the 2006 yet. Glad to hear that it is up to the same standard as previous vintages have been.

I had a really nice 2006 "Produttori" Barbaresco tonight; it was already showing lovely, sweet, ripe berry fruit (on the nose and in the mouth) for a truly cellar-worthy Nebbiolo, but it also had the tell-tale "sotto bosco" (forest floor) and a bit of leather and truffle. The lovely crisp acidity and generous fruit almost balanced the generous tannin (along with a 3 hour decant).

This is a very, very successful "Normale" from the Produttori; the best I can remember....

The Produttori, so it has been said, are releasing only the Normale in '06, including all the juice usually destined for the Crus into it. The reason for this wasn't that there was anything wrong with '06 -- indeed, far from it -- but rather that they felt that they had released enough Cru bottlings in recent years and that the market would better receive a single '06 bottling.

Mark Lipton

The Produttori, so it has been said, are releasing only the Normale in '06, including all the juice usually destined for the Crus into it. The reason for this wasn't that there was anything wrong with '06 -- indeed, far from it -- but rather that they felt that they had released enough Cru bottlings in recent years and that the market would better receive a single '06 bottling.

Curious -- I see MacArthur (in D.C.) is selling the Produttori 2006 "Torre" bottling, unless it's a typo or mistake. I've had the normales before (as well as the Nebbiolo Langhes) and loved them all, but never a Cru. Is this one worth getting (for $34)?

Torre = Normale

Torre = Normale

Ah. Thank you for enlightening me.