Tasting Notes, European Trifecta
Tasting Notes, European Trifecta
Giacomo Borgogno
Barossa-based Jeremy and Heidi Holmes have eked out a niche market with their import business d’Or to Door Wines Direct, not least of all because they have a good eye for quality and value. They’ve recently picked up the traditional Piedmont-based Borgogno winery, bringing in a set of stylish wines that impress.
The 2014 Borgogno Barbera d’Alba(A$39) is a wine of real restraint and fruit-focused style. It smells of raspberry leaf and mountain herbs, is gently flinty with a little pastry-like edge. Some young rose florals and reticent red berry fruits are present in the mix. The palate is all about acidity, really tart and tangy, it has mouthwatering impact, succulent red berry flavour and will suit spicy food a treat.
The 2015 Dolcetto d’Alba (A$29) has fresh red and blue fruits on the nose with some crushed violet-like florals – really straight-forward and appealing. On the palate it marries incredible plushness and generosity of tannin with richly flavoured blueberry and cassis fruits, finishing with an attractive acid snap. It is one of those wines that is impossible not to like and represents terrific value in the range.
The 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo No Name (A$49) is a ‘Etichetta di Protesta’ (protest label) and a great wine, too. The 250-year-old winery had a cask of 2005 Barolo that was rejected by the DOCG because it was stylistically ‘irregular,’ they so declassified it and labelled it in protest simply as No Name. The wine itself is a light, crunchy maraschino cherry-scented nebbiolo with plenty of acidity and fine weighted tannins. It’s a refreshing, early drinking style that will work well alongside foods that need wine to cut through richness.
The pinnacle of this set of wines is the complex, deep and delicious 2010 Borgogno Barolo Fossati (A$129). The nose smells of gentian, dried rose petals and fragrant ripe red cherry fruits. It has depth and richness, and is very approachable in a silky and elegant style with rich dark cherries and chocolate, wild herbs, bright acidity and punchy tannins. The palate has a smooth and even shape with a long and balanced finish. Drink it now or cellar for a decade or more and reap the rewards.
Note: d'Or to Door Wines Direct no longer have current stocks available of Borgogno wines, but we do stock a number of back vintage bottles, available for purchase. Please browse our site for the range, or contact us directly with any queries.