I truly put everything on the line, risking it all to the very last berry.
\nWhen it comes to Nebbiolo, I turn into a real “hunter” of phenolic ripeness.
\nI chase that finesse and elegance in the tannins that only this grape, pushed to its limits, can express.<\/p>\n
Fear wasn\u2019t absent.
\nA little more rain, and there would\u2019ve been next to nothing to bring to the cellar.<\/p>\n
Why take such a big risk? Was it really necessary?
\nProbably not. Especially this year.
\nBut I\u2019m realizing, as the years go by, that I\u2019m turning into a pathological perfectionist.<\/p>\n
Let me explain. So I waited, and I harvested grapes with a beautiful Botrytis Cinerea: not sour rot, but noble rot, which helps concentrate the wine\u2019s aromatic compounds. And even if no one cares about these mental fixations, this year I felt a little heroic myself. In fact, I felt like a true… RO-HERO!<\/p>\n I like details. They\u2019re not essential, but they make all the difference. I truly put everything on the line, risking it all to the very last berry. When it comes to Nebbiolo, I turn into a real “hunter” of phenolic ripeness. I chase that finesse and elegance in the tannins that only this grape, pushed to its limits, can express. Fear wasn\u2019t absent. A little more rain, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThis was a year when I should have focused more on the big picture rather than the details.
\nBut I have the fortune (or misfortune!?) of having a friend who has told me for years:
\n“You can always make a GOOD Nebbiolo. But to make a GREAT Nebbiolo, you need patience and must wait for the tannins to ripen\u2014even if it means taking risks.”<\/em><\/p>\n
\nOf course, the harvest wasn\u2019t easy. Extremely delicate clusters with skins on the verge, splitting with alarming ease!
\nBut, it\u2019s done now.<\/p>\n
\n(Perhaps, even more so this year).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"