Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2019 Barbaresco Tre Stelle is attractive, but also a touch lean and austere, possibly the result of its relatively recent bottling. Sweet dried cherry, leather, spice, licorice and pipe tobacco emerge, but only with great reluctance. Even so, the 2019 has enough depth to drink well for another decade plus. The ethereal, gracious style is quite appealing, but I would prefer to see more depth on the mid-palate.
In the immediate post-war period my grandparents Beatrice and Ferdinando fell in love with this house and its singular view on the natural spectacle of hills up to the amazing setting of the Alps. I kept splendid memories of games in the wild, of creamy and hot milk just milked, of festive days in the farmyard for threshing wheat, of evening tales during the stripping of corn, of aching knees for the collection of hazelnuts, of large baskets of the harvest and intense smells from the fermentation of the grapes in the vats. In 1974 the need for "real things" moved me definitively to this house, one of my most intense memories. Hence a dream was born: to give continuity to my grandparents' farm. And also the path to serenity and tranquility. Thus began their story ... infinite: the house, the vineyards, the cellar and the family. In 1997 Italo joined me with his children, Davide and Riccardo : their present and their future.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.