Piemonte! As goes WBW, so goes SLG!

I got an email from B today exclaiming her disappointment that she wasn’t able to get the Wine Blogging Wednesday together in time and that it is for Piemonte wines. Not to worry B, I’ve got your back. McDuff’s Food and Wine Trail will have a posting from SLG!

I love Piemonte for a wine region, it is perhaps one of my favorites. The wines have been kissed by the land with wonderful herb and floral qualities that I think compare with the garrigue of Côtes du Rhône. Mind you, I’m using this as a datum of comparable magnitude, not a head-to-head comparison. That would be silly and violate the proposition that all terroir are created unequally.

I love Barbera. I love Barbera for its floral notes and its bouncy fruit. It is a wine that does well oaked or not. All of the Barbera wines that I have had have been from Sonoma. This is my first Piemonte DDOC Barbera. Let’s see how this did. Will I be happy or disappointed?

Barbera
Mattei
Piemonte DDOC
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $13.99

Color: Ruby
Intensity: Moderately Dark
Aromas: Rose, ham, mushroom, raisin, savory herbs
Flavors: Cherry, strawberry, licorice, blueberry, plum
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Mild tannins,
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This is just a delightful wine with some dried flowers, berries and licorice. It has very mild tannins. Very drinkable with a wonderful mouth feel. There is a smokiness to it that isn’t barrel or toast, but more like caramelized ham which I wish I was having with this. After a while, the plum kicks in. As I would expect from a Piemonte, this wine has not been oaked and smoked to death. I’m just digging this wine.


I would have this wine with glazed ham, tomatoes and mozzarella or even without food. (Okay, I’m nuts, of course you should have food with this!) The fruitiness of this wine and the floral essences would be just great with bacon wrapped tenderloin. Perhaps a ratatouille, yah, that would work too. I would even go Mediterranean with eggplant salads. Oooh, tapas! Bacon wrapped dates and orejas.

Duck Pond Cellars, Dundee, Oregon

On my trip to Dundee, Oregon, we stopped into visit Duck Pond Cellars, on of the regions largest wineries. Arriving onto the grounds in late Fall, you could see the remains of the once beautiful rose garden that has been encroached upon by the ravages of the approaching winter.

Entering the well appointed tasting room and gift shop, we were greeted by our hostess who invited us to a tasting and enlightened us about the winery. The flight included their 2005 Riesling and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Then our hostess put two glasses on the table and gave us a side by side tasting of their 2006 Pinot Noir ($20) and their Pinot Noir St Jory Vineyard ($40).

The 2006 Pinot Noir is blended from grapes sourced from their Washington and Oregon vineyards. It was a bright and alive wine with cherry, strawberry, cloves and licorice with a good dose of acidity to make it crisp. A fairly good wine for the price.

Then I evaluated the Pinot Noir St Jory Vineyard and I finally got what Pinot Noir is all about. This wine was floral, spicy and rich with fruit and wood notes. Smooth tannins with a little less acid than the 2006. This was Heaven in a glass. I think I finally get Pinot Noir after this side-by-side comparison. The St Jory Pinot Noir is sourced from their vineyard in the hills south of Salem.

I saw that they also had a 2004 Barbera. Because they did such a great job crafting the other wines, I asked for a sample. It was excellent Barbera and my mother thought so much of it, she procured a bottle. Good job, mom.

If you are headed to Dundee, I would suggest a stop at Duck Pond Cellars. It was a fun tasting, the staff is friendly and the wines are excellent.