2014 Antoniolo, Gattinara (RT 90) Like all the Gattinara’s produced by Antoniolo, this wine is 100% Nebbiolo. In this vintage the normalé bottling – production of approx. 10,000 bottles – shows a round softness and more gentle structure, making it very approachable and drinking well early. Red cherries, a hint of earthiness and floral high notes lead to a generous expression of Nebbiolo with good balance and acidity. This wine should drink well now -2030+
2014 Antoniolo, Gattinara, Osso San Grato (RT 94) 100% Nebbiolo sourced from a 3-hectare vineyard that was planted in the 1940s and 50s, this bottling is fermented for 20 days followed by aging for 36 months in 35 HL old casks. Showing a crystalline, ruby translucence, a core of red berries and white flowers crowned with a penetrating minerality waft out of the glass. The palate reveals a beautiful weightlessness punctuated with a tangy sour cherry note. Lovely fresh acidity and elegant tannins provide an excellent punctuation mark. 2014 was a tough, low production vintage in Gattinara, yet Lorella Antoniolo and her team did a fine job crafting elegant, aging worthy wines. This is a beautiful Cru Gattinara worth laying down in your cellar, but the cooler micro climate in these Dolomiti foothills creates an ideal climate for creating smooth, ripe tannins and this wine can be drunk now with proper oxygenation. A top-quality bottling and highly recommended. Drink 2024 – 2039+
Braida
2017 Serra dei Fiori, La Regina Langhe, Nascetta (RT 91) A blend of 70% Nascetta and 30% Chardonnay, this is a rich, broad shouldered blend showing the Piedmont climate where it hails from. Aged in stainless steel, but you’d never know it, this is meant to be drunk at a young age. With its pale straw hue, it shows bright notes of honeydew melon, white peach, honey suckle and crushed gravel. The palate is round and relatively rich with a charismatic balance of fruit, tannin and acidity. A fine value in the white wine market. Drink now-2025+
2016 Braida, Monferrato Rosso, Il Bacialè (RT 91) A unique blend of 60% Barbera, 20% Pinot Nero, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, aged for a year in a combination of large and small barrels. This shows ripe, round fruit with notes of black cherry, Damson plum, menthol and hints of minerality. The palate is lush, broad shouldered and leaning toward the masculine side of the equation, with bright, fresh acidity and relatively soft tannins. A tasty value in the $20-25+ price range. Drink now-2026+
2016 Braida, Barbera d’Asti, Montebruna (RT 93) 100% Barbera grown in the Montebruna vineyard in Rocchetta Tanaro, aged for one year in large casks of 20, 35 and 55 hectoliters. Here the hue takes on a deep, dark shade of ruby, with notes of black berry, dark cherry, lavender and hints of new saddle leather lead to a lovely mouthfeel with a lovely round character, soft acidity and relatively soft tannins. This is crafted from mostly young vines and is an excellent food wine. Trading in the mid-$20s to low 30s. Drink now-2026+
Rick Thompson Wine 