Piedmont Club - January 2025

Piedmont lovers, it's time to raise a glass to a new year with some incredibly expressive wines from one of the world's most storied regions! January 15, 2025 marks the latest release for our Drink Piedmont Club. As always, we'll dive deep into the producers and regions, so we can all learn a bit more about the magic of Piedmont. Without further ado, let's get to the wines!

White: La Spinetta Derthona Timorasso 2023

About La Spinetta:  The family's history began in 1890 when Giorgio's grandfather left Italy for Argentina, hoping to return one day to buy land for farming. While Giovanni was never able to come back, Giuseppe, Giorgio's father, did, and in 1977 the family established the estate in Castagnole Lanze. From there, the brothers Giorgio, Bruno, and Carlo have transformed their estate into a benchmark producer of Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Moscato, and now, Sangiovese. There is a modern touch to their wines, and I feel like this translates very well to their white wines especially, but I can find the Nebbiolo to be a bit overdone. 

About Timorasso and Derthona: This bottling comes from the Colli Tortonesi area of Piedmont, east of the Langhe, and is made from the Timorasso grape, which was nearly forgotten until recently. Its current resurgence is thanks to producers who saw its unique potential. I like to think of Timorasso as a cross between Riesling and Chardonnay; like Riesling, it has a vibrant acidity, and like Chardonnay, it has a richness and texture that is all its own. Many producers in the region, including La Spinetta, are putting the name "Derthona" on the label as it is the old name for the area and a way to highlight the unique terroir of this region.

Red: G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera 2019

About G.D. Vajra: The Vajra family has been farming the Bricco delle Viole (Serralunga) vineyard since the 1880s. Aldo Vajra took over the estate in 1968 and has been a pioneer for the region ever since; he was the first in the region to achieve organic certification in 1971. They also created private biotype selections of Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, and pioneered the revival of the Freisa grape, as well as the cultivation of Rhine Riesling in Piedmont. Today the estate is managed by Aldo and his children: Giuseppe, Francesca, and Isidoro. They are known for their traditional approach to viticulture and vinification, with a focus on expressing the uniqueness of their vineyard sites. No Barolo producer is hitting their stride more in the last few vintages than G.D. Vajra. 

About Ravera: The Ravera cru in Barolo is the best known Cru of Novello, a lesser-known village in the southwest of the Barolo zone. The soils here are a mix of clay and sand, and are especially rich in iron, which helps give the wines a vibrant acidity. The vineyards face southwest, capturing plenty of sunshine, yet are not as sun-drenched as other nearby crus. Some believe this cooler aspect will be a huge benefit in the face of our changing climate. This is a wine that is best in a few years as the tannins are powerful in youth, yet are incredibly compelling with plenty of complexity to decipher. It's a wine that seeks to show the intensity and complexity that is Barolo. I recommend drinking this before the end of 2025 or after 2028 as Barolos tend to go into a "dumb phase" between their youth and their developing states. Here's the Ravera ownership map with G.D. Vajra's pieces on the south and west sides.

I hope you're all as excited as I am for this release! This is an opportunity to taste some of the best that Piedmont has to offer and I know these wines will bring you much joy. On to the next!