Latest Releases from Mauro Sebaste
All of the wines reviewed in this report belong to the Sebaste Selection Line, one of two product classifications in their lineup, the other being the Classic Line. The Selection Line includes bottlings that are subject to long aging and reveal the top quality of this winery’s portfolio.
Over the past year there has been no change in the level of toasting of the barrels they use, but there has been a move toward a more modest use of wood, with a decrease in the percentage of new wood used. Generally speaking, for most of their wines they have increased the percentage-use of large casks, especially for their excellent Barolo Trèsüri.
The Alta Langa Avremo continues to not be sold in the stateside market, which I consider a pity. It’s an excellent, well-crafted sparkling wine, that competes extremely well with Franciacorta and Champagne, but you can acquire it in the European market.
The winery continues to inoculate their wines using selected yeasts because they prefer their ability to manage the cleanliness and focus of the aromatics because of their commitment to bringing olfactory cleanliness to the market.
Starting with the 2024 harvest, they will introduce the use of truncated conical wooden vats during maceration in the vinification of their Nebbiolo da Barolo grapes. In addition, to complete the range of our wines, we will bring to the market the 2021 Nizza DOCG Barbera Riserva produced with grapes from their vineyards located in Bricco di Nizza, a central cru in the appellation and highly sought-after, aged according to the best Langa tradition by using large French oak casks for 24 months. I’m very much looking forward to tasting this Barbera Riserva!
2020 Mauro Sebaste, Alta Langa DOCG, Avremo (RT93) Pale platinum in presentation, it shows generous small bubbles spread across the bottom of the stem. With its piercing bouquet, notes of under ripe honey dew, white peach, chilled butter & wet gravel fill the air. As it warms in the glass the expressions of fruit become fuller and a bit riper with puffs of smokey flint emerging. The palate is refined and dominated by laser focused fruit that leads to a sharply focused, clean, and bright finish. Showing attention to detail and refined winemaking skills, 2020 is another vintage in a string that could improve with mid-term cellaring. In its current state this remains quite young. Drink 2026-2032+ Tasted May 2024
The name of this sparkling wine, one of Mauro’s more recent passions, comes from the names of the three source vineyards of the fruit: AVene, REmondà and MOrtizza combined with a creative imagination. These are relatively high vineyards in the +/- 500 meter range, which is perfect for growing the multi-cloned Pinot Noir (80%) and Chardonnay (20%) that are blended into this Zero Dosage, aka Dosaggio Zero Millesimo, bottling. The second fermentation in bottle lasts 30 months, prior to final corking. To my knowledge this wine is NOT currently distributed in the USA, but that could change at a moment’s notice. This bottle from Lot 22321, disgorged Oct. 2023.
2022 Sebaste, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Parigi (RT90) Soft, round and oozing deeply ripe fruit, notes of dark cherry, Ariel plum and sweet pomegranate emerge from the glass. The house style of this wine, in this vintage, is built on deeper, darker, and richer fruit than most Nebbiolo Langhe’s. The palate is equally ripe and rich, delivering a mouth coating sip with soft acidity, delicious, if not leaning toward the softer side on Nebbiolo. The 2022 is not yet available in the US market but should be arriving in short order. Drink now-2028 Tasted May 2024
Crafted from 100% Nebbiolo grown in calcareous soils located in vineyards near Alba and Diano d’Alba. The wine is aged in a combination of 400-liter tonneaux of 60% American and 40% French oak for one year, then bottled and released to market after a few months.
2020 Sebaste, Nizza DOCG, Barbera Superiore, Costemonghisio (RT92+) This is a serious Barbera showing a deeply hued purplish color. Ariel Plum, blackberry, Morello cherry and hints of new leather, minerals and underbrush emerge. The palate is stuffed with bright fruit as the generous acidity makes my mouth water. Soft tannins bring up the finish, where their ripeness is evident. This is a fine vintage for Costemonghisio. Available in the $30-ish price range, but relatively tough to find in the stateside market. Drink now-2029(+) Tasted May 2024
Aged in French Tonneaux for 18 months, this 100% Barbera hails from the Nizzi DOCG located in Vinchio, about 10 miles south south-east of Asti. This is prime Barbera country, and this wine expresses the majestic side of the variety, where the old vines – 60 to 70 years intermixed with some younger vines – are planted in sandy soils with silt and veins of clay. The first vintage of this wine was 2015, and 6 years into this project it is shaping up nicely.
2020 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo, Trèsüri (RT94+) Medium ruby garnet, soaring notes of dried Morello cherry, Methley plum, mentholated rose hips, balsam and sweet herbs dominate. As it takes on air in the glass the bouquet deepens. The refined, focused palate is richly fruited with robust, fresh acidity and finishes with suave, ripe tannins. Give this beauty a few years in the cellar and you will be handsomely rewarded. Drink 2027-2047 Tasted May 2024
A blend of grapes from three different cru vineyards: Verduno’s Cru Breri, which is near Monvigliero (utilized for the fruit’s floral, fleshier aspect), La Morra’s Cru Roncaglie (added for its elegant, fine grained, sophisticated tannin) and Cerretta in Serralunga (added for structure and depth). This wine gets longer aging than most classico Barolo: 36 months in a combination of 1600 liter and 400 liter tonneaux. The result is clean and bright, with a slightly modern mouth feel and is an excellent food wine!
2020 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo, Ceretta (RT95) The broad-shouldered power of this gem is evident from the first whiff. The hue is dark ruby garnet and brooding, giving a hint to what’s coming. There is a blast of energy as mineral laced notes of black cherry, ripe cranberry, red currant compote, cedar, sappy dried forest leaves, umami and hints of smoke emerge. A complex and powerful expression of Serralunga Barolo! The palate texture is equally masculine with succulent, ripe fruit and mesmerizing acidity that leads to a dose of sweet, ripe tannin on the long finish. Drink 2028-2048 Tasted May 2024
Barolo Cerretta is crafted from a single plot aged in 400 liter French oak tonneaux for 36 months, and is sourced from estate-grown fruit from the historical Cerretta vineyard in Serralunga. This impressive bottling is aged for three years in French oak, 400-500 liter tonneaux, employing mixed new and mostly used barrels. 2016 was the first vintage in which Sebaste partially bottled with the DIAM cork, closing 20% of the production with it. In 2020 they increased the percentage of DIAM use and the bottle I sampled was closed with DIAM.
2018 Mauro Sebaste, Barolo Riserva, Ghè (RT96) The masculinely hued 2018 Ghè wafts up power-lifting dimensioned notes of Bing and wild cherries, lavender, sappy balsam, mineral notes, and hints of goudron. As it’s swirled in the stem it broadens its aromatic complexity with notes of plum compote and Christmas spices emerging. The palate delivers a decadently rich, sensory warming texture, packed with ripe fruit, lush acidity and an endlessly long finish. A big bold and gutsy Riserva, this is not to be missed for Nebbiolo-philes! Sebaste produced an amazing bottling in a less than stellar vintage, testament to impressive vineyard management techniques and sophisicated winemaking skills. Bravo! Drink 2028-2050+ Tasted May 2024
Riserva Ghè comes from a small monopole plot of old vines in the Cerretta vineyard that produces just 800-1,000 bottles of this wine and in only the top vintages. This wine is 100% Michet clone which is green harvested to yield a mere 3 clusters per plant. Meticulously hand harvested, after gentle pressing the wine is aged in 400 liter French oak tonneaux for 30 months, followed by an additional 30 months in bottle prior to release. This vintage is closed with DIAM cork, a change from the 2016 vintage.
