For the next four weeks of the posts on the Great Piemontese Wine Giveaway I’m going to be dedicating a blog to each of the four (exceptionally kind) producer that have volunteered to be part of this and have each donated 3 bottles of their great wines to fill up the Lazenne Winecheck for the big prize. First up it’s the man, the myth, and the growing legend that is Enrico Rivetto!
Enrico’s wines are from the area that make Barolo, the king of Italian red wines! In Barolo there are five villages that make up the “region” of Barolo wines, and Enrico’s place is in the stunningly picturesque village of Serralunga D’Alba. The soils round here lead to these wines being among the fullest of all the wines of Barolo.
What’s makes what he does so special? Well aside from producing some of the best red wine I’ve ever tasted, he’s…well…he’s just really into it. His passion for what he does is just so infectious! At the bottom of this post is an interview we’ve done with him that’s well worth a read, and I think that’s what really comes through from it. He doesn’t use chemical sprays, he uses as many natural vineyard techniques as he can, he cares about being able to produce this great wine year on year for centuries to come.
I’ll leave the rest of that for you to read, the interview’s underneath here, but in the mean time, let’s head through the wines that he’s donated to the prize…
He’s really outdoing himself by letting us have a bottle of this. This one got awarded a massive 96 points from the Wine Enthusiast. There’s still loads of sour cherry fruit to this one, but with lots of plums, dates, cinnamon, liquorice, and smoke. Full of intensity, plenty of acidity, this is one that’s more than drinkable now, but could last for years in the cellar.
I tried this one the other night and it was my first ever Nascetta. Where has this been all my life??? Gorgeous flowery and fruity smells of honeyblossom, melon, lime, green apple, and white peach. When you drink it you get a huge whack of refreshing acidity and a really stoney minerality. It’s just so hard not to finish the glass and pour yourself another. Really blew me away!
Kaskal Metodo Classico Extra Brut
I was a bit gutted with this one, as unfortunately for me Enrico had sold out of all his stock, so I didn’t get a chance to try it. I’ve heard from others that this is pretty special. Nebbiolo is the grape that goes into making Barolo and Barbaresco, and Enrico is making a seriously heady sparkling wine from this superstar grape. I really hope I win the competition myself so I can try this one!
So there you go, that’s Enrico Rivetto and the wines that are part of the prize. Pretty sure that’ll be wetting your appetites. Sign up now for a chance to win!
Cheers!
SIGN UP FOR THE GREAT PIEMONTE GIVEAWAY HERE
Keep updated on the contest by subscribing to Please Bring Me My Wine in the upper right and/or following Lazenne on Facebook.
A Huge Thanks To The Producers Involved
Demarie (Vezza D’Alba), Francone (Neive), Rivetto (Serralunga D’Alba), Doglia (Coazzolo)
Terms and Conditions
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. ONLINE ENTRY ONLY. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. States and D.C., the UK, and other countries where wine can be shipped from Italy. Ages 21 and older. The Sweepstakes Period begins on February 3, 2016 and ends at 11:59PM PT on March 17, 2016. There is a limit of one (1) entry, per person throughout the Sweepstakes Period.
And Finally…The Full Interview With Enrico…
Can you tell us a little bit about the wines our winner will be getting from you?
You bet! I selected wines that represent their place of origin. The interpretation of each depends on the vintage.
The Langhe Nascetta is a unique wine, made from the indigenous white grape of the same name. The grape was primarily used for blending dating back to the 1800s. Gradually, producers started pulling the vines out to replant it for more profitable grapes like Nebbiolo and Barbera. By the 1990s it was near extinction until a small group of producers set out to revive it. When I decided to add a white to our portfolio I welcomed the challenge of Nascetta. Our Nascetta ages in concrete for 2 years with a continuous remixing of the lees. For those reasons we selected a screw cap closure, something that you don’t see a lot in our area. The grape has good aging potential and with our winemaking style it is best preserved with time and cap.
The Sparkling Nebbiolo, Kaskal, Extra Brut, is our newest release. The wine we are including is from the very first bottling, released in 2015. The entire process excites me because it is so much experimentation. First, we only use the grapes from tips of the Nebbiolo bunch – and, they come from our very best Nebbiolo vineyards (DOC and DOCG classifications). We use the previously discarded grape tips from these vineyards; they were not used because of their high acidity. Second fermentation happens in the bottle, like in the traditional champagne method, with extended lees contact of 45 months. Since it’s our first vintage we will continue to adjust and improve our methods. We hope to hear what people think about the evolution of the wine!
Our Barolo Briccolina is our top Barolo coming from our best vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba with southwest exposure. It gets almost 45 months of maceration with skin in wooden container without seeds. The wine shows pure elegance and finesse.
What’s the best tip you can give someone on enjoying wine?
Remember, emotions are transferred to the wine – you have to feel it! Do that by going deeper. Visit wineries, talk to wine makers; understand their wines and what they mean to them.
You’ve got a weekend In Piemonte. What would you do?
That’s easy! Visit the Serralunga castle, breath in the fresh air at the main piazza in La Morra where you can look out at all of Barolo and Barbaresco. On Saturday morning take a walk in Alba to visit the open-air market, hike the sentiero path between Monforte and Serralunga. And, of course, visit Rivetto to taste some amazing wines!
If you weren’t a winemaker, what would you be?
Wow, it’s difficult for me to think about doing something different than what I do now. If I have to answer, I guess it would be something connected with languages and anthropology.
Keep up to date with what Enrico’s up to on Twitter (@Rivetto), Instagram (@Rivetto_Wines) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rivetto)
