Those who know me know that I rarely fall in love to this extent. I went to Gabriele Scaglione in May with Federico, during his touch-and-go in Italy. Akiyoshi was missing, but I hope to meet him on the next occasion... maybe the three of us will go to another winery together and be surprised at how special wine is to unite people from every culture and every part of the world. Although Aki drinks very little, Federico and I will drink for him too! I have waited until today to tell you about these wonderful wines because I find there is nothing more beautiful than talking about a person, or a wine, when you are thinking about it. Gabriele Scaglione is a person with a passion and charisma that is truly out of the ordinary.
Che welcomed us in a wonderful and intimate environment, where it was a pleasure to taste his wines. We were three people united by a passion for good wine, good food and good taste, and this made us perhaps even closer.
Gabriele Scaglione: Alta Langa Metodo Classico Riserva Vendemmia 2011 Disgorgement 2017
I love this sparkling wine nowI've said it to the point of exhaustion. One of the last samples I received during the last edition of the guide... I didn't even know what to expect, but I never thought I would fall in love like this. I awarded it as one of the 5 best bubbles in Nord talia [I remind you that you can buy my Guide to Sparkling Wines by clicking HEREI] It was just after midnight. I was still tasting, because I am closer to a nocturnal animal than a person. I taste it, and reflexively I feel like sharing it with Federico, mainly for three reasons:
- I know that in luI like to drink, and well;
- In Japan, there is not yet such a sparkling wine culture, especially Italian and especially outside the most famous appellations;
- being that tene are 7 hours apart, I have a more similar time to him than to my countrymen.
Intense straw yellow with antique gold reflections. The perlage is creamy, not particularly numerous but perfect. The nose reminds me of a good Champagne: honeyed notes, nuts, dried chamomile flowers, candied ginger, brassia. In the mouth, it is creamy, very fresh and at the same time ripe, very persistent and the bubbles are creamy and very pleasant. At times it reminds me of a great pinot meunier champagne. For the full tasting of this and the other sparkling wines awarded in the 2018 edition of my 500 Bubbles in 500 guide, I invite you to click here!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Roero Arneis DOCG "Stubbornly' 2013
When I methen I saw Gabriel, I thought that he is someone who goes 'in a stubborn and contrary direction' just like me.
Intense, bright straw yellow that betrays a certain consistency. The nose is delicate, with notes of white chocolate, lemon cream, oregano flowers, rose, and fresh white pepper. In the mouth it is very soft and I feel a spectacular and unusual evolution for the Roero Arneis I am used to. Fresh and persistent, with a long, crazy finish in the precision of its organoleptic notes.
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Gabriele Scaglione: Langhe Bianco DOCG "Ellis'
In his ageichetta depicts a dog, and I realise that Gabriele, like me, loves animals and dogs in particular. Paco, my Pomeranian Foxhound, is about to turn 11 and I never imagined I would have such a faithful companion, capable of loving me unconditionally no matter what I offer him and no matter how bad I feel. With him, I realised that love has no form, no boundaries, no nature, and few relationships are as sincere and real as the one that can arise between a man and a dog. In our case, Paco has certainly given much more to me than I have been able to give to him, but I do my best, at least in this part of our lives.
2010 vintage
Intense, bright straw yellow. The nose has a beautiful hydrocarbon note which I did not expect. In the mouth it is even better, an excellent correspondence to the nose and a taste that ranges from floral to peach jam. In the mouth it is fresh, very soft, intense and very persistent. It has a long and fascinating finish.
2008 vintage
Intense, bright straw yellow. The nose has beautiful notes of ripe fruit, brine, a pleasantly alcoholic nose, white chocolate. In the mouth it is very pleasant, soft, fresh, with more hydrocarbon-oriented notes than on the nose. Persistent and still very fresh. Since I found it to be perhaps one of the best white wines I have drunk in the last three years, I was happy to take a bottle to my father.
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Gabriele Scaglione: Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 'Passeggiando in vigna' 2015
Ah, I am a 'Nebbioloist' of the highest order! I love Nebbiolo in all its forms! So when I have to taste a Nebbiolo I am always particularly happy! I have promised myself to do a Bordeaux-style 'Primeurs' tasting of all the Piedmontese Nebbiolos... who knows, maybe I will do it for real one day!
Intense, transparent ruby red, brilliant. Consistent. On the nose it is spicy and 'cackly', reminiscent of cherries in spirit. In the mouth it is intense, persistent, very fresh, soft, with a hint of mushroom that pleasantly surprised me. In the mouth it is very long, maintains the same freshness and acidity for a long time, soft, persistent. A wine that in my opinion has excellent ageing potential!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Barbera DOC d'Alba 'the four white rabbits' 2013
Parte start with an assumption: I A-D-O-R-O the Barbera d'Alba! I found this one particularly interesting because it retains the wild, perfumed nature of Barbera while being mellowed by time. The label then... it's the end of the world!
Ruby red (more ruby) intense and transparent. The nose is really good, fruity, cherries in spirit, roasted coffee, violets. In the mouth it is 'chewy', fresh, with nice tannin, savoury, intense and very long. I find it perfect with all sausages... and also on its own!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Langhe DOC Rosso 'Everything depends on where you want to go' 2011
I have learnt that nothing in life is more difficult than letting go. We are anchored like mussels to the present because of a fear that has characterised us over the centuries: the unknown. Sometimes we would rather be sick with certainty within the boundaries we know than try to be happy by discovering the world outside our comfort zone. This was the first thought I had when I read the name of Gabriele Scaglione's label "It all depends on where you want to go". I always knew that I would have a window overlooking the lake in front of which to write. I always knew that I would live by writing, even if as a child I was not clear about what. Now I have been confirmed that places, in almost all cases, are more important than the bonds we form with people.
Intense, semi-transparent ruby red, brilliant. The nose is very spicy, toasty, vanilla, magnolia. In the mouth it is very fresh, with lively and persistent tannins. In the mouth it is intense and long. It goes well with cheeses like the tomino that Gabriele paired us with... but it was also wonderful with my pork fillet!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Barbaresco DOCG 'Come un volo' (Like a flight)
For me Barbaresco is a cross and delight of Piedmontese wines. If Barolo is the austere and strong king, Barbaresco is undoubtedly its splendid sister, the elegant and refined princess. They are often compared, partly because they are made from the same grape variety, my beloved Nebbiolo. Between the two I have always preferred Barolo precisely because of its 'roughness' which, when it is well made, contrasts with an exceptional softness. I must say that Gabriele's Barbaresco, while maintaining the typicality of this type of wine, is in many respects closer to Barolo than to its Barbaresco colleagues.
2014 vintage
Transparent, brilliant ruby red. The nose has hints of spice but sweeter spices, blackberry jam, cocoa beans, nail polish remover, tobacco leaves. In the mouth it is very soft, very elegant, fresh, very balanced. A blunt tannin that makes it particularly fine is complicit in a very long finish. Perfect in combination with beef tartare, veal, tuna and even grilled eel.
2008 vintage
Amazingly, it has the same precise colour as the 2014: a splendid transparent and brilliant ruby red. The nose has many ethereal notes, solvent, morello cherry in spirit, undergrowth, porcini mushroom, blackberry, even a smoky aftertaste. The mouth is very soft, the taste has a very marked strawberry jam note. In the mouth it is very long and very persistent. Definitely the son of a vintage that managed to express the peculiarities of Gabriele's style - see also Ellis 2008 - with a Barbaresco like this, I could give up Barolo!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Barolo DOCG 'Passione di re' 2012
Transparent and brilliant ruby red, on the nose a very intense note of soft liquorice like wheel, followed by a hint of new leather and a berry jam before fading into a balsamic finish. In the mouth it is very fresh, with tannin present but not intrusive. Great persistence and very long in the mouth. Perfect for braised meats... and the legendary Boeuf Bourguignon I cooked on New Year's Eve with Julia Child's recipe! I must say that even with my pork fillet with Brisighella oil and Spongada (read the recipe for the one I prepared here) married perfectly!
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Gabriele Scaglione: Moscato DOC 'Un buon momento' 2017
The other mhe weakness is muscatels with oysters, as long as these are good and very fresh. Here, I've just been reminded of Davide Rossetti of i Love Oyster... and the wonderful Bordeaux sojourn I had after Perlage Suite won the 2017 Millésima Blog Awards precisely for a combination of a particularly salty oyster and a red sparkling demi sec cabernet [here is the most comprehensive article I have written on oysters, starting with how to recognise freshness]. This Muscat of Gabriele is wonderful: not too sweet, fragrant, elegant and disengaged. Gabriele is quite right: it is always a good time to uncork a bottle!
Pale straw yellow, with a peach and apricot nose, very pleasant honeyed note. Sweet sparkling wine without being sweet, very low sugar dosage making it perfect with oysters.
Grazthe wonderful experience!
As always rI would like to thank Sony and UniversoFoto.it for the beautiful RX100M4 with which all the photos were taken! Even in low light conditions like wine cellars it is always superb!!!
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