Giorgio Pelissero at WWWB

"I'm like old wine. They don't bring me out very often, but I'm well preserved." - Rose Kennedy, on her 100th birthday

Were tasting the really old wines tonight its Vintage Madeira at the Wine Bar- some of these are the last bottles of their kind on the planet earth!

We have an incredible line-up of events to finish up January with two “Once In a Lifetime” tastings of Piedmont wines starting with the greatest producer in the Piedmont Bruno Giacosa on Thursday January  25th and then we have our good friend Giorgio Pelissero coming in on Monday January 29th. 

There are not many people that I will work on Monday night for but Giorgio is one of them not only does he make great wines, but he is also a great personality and friend of the Wine Watch.

Azienda Agricola Pelissero is a family-run vine-growing estate located in the district of Treiso, in the heart of the zone of production of Barbaresco.  Many gradual changes have been performed by the successive generations of the Pelisseros who transformed the grape-selling activity started by Giovanni Pelissero into winemaking of all the estate-grown grapes. Winemaking takes place in a cellar surrounded by vineyards situated in a zone called Augenta, the biggest plot of land belonging to the property.  The first bottles of wine dated back to 1960 and were produced by Luig Pelissero, whose work was followed by his son, Oenologist Giorgio who, after finishing his studies, decided to work full time at the winery.  The Pelissero family takes care of all the activities from pruning the vines to marketing the wine. The estate consist of twenty hectares of vineyards which yield a total of 80,000 to 100,000 (according to the year) bottles of wine, namely Dolcetto d’Alba from two vineyards (Munfrina and Augenta), Barbera d’Alba Piani, Barbaresco, Barbaresco Vanotu (this is the dialectal word for the name Giovanni, Giorgio’s grandfather), Grignolino, Favorita, Freisa and Nebbiolo.

Tonight, you get to meet the man behind the passion and commitment to the land and hard work in the vineyards and cellar as we welcome Giorgio Pelissero to dinner.  Giorgio has persevered in his endeavor to make high quality wines and now we are the benefactors and have real satisfaction because of his research in the vineyards and, successively, in the cellar.  Every year when I taste the new releases from this producer there are further improvements in Pelissero’s wines.  This evening we will feature a few vintages of my favorite wine from this estate the Barbaresco Vanotu along with the entire line-up of new releases paired to a Special tasting menu prepared by chef Toni Lampasone. The fee for this tasting of 10 Pelissero wines and dinner is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Pelissero Wine Tasting with special guest Giorgio Pelissero at WWWB
Monday, January 29, 2018
7:30 PM

2013 Pelissero Barbera Piani
Price: $23.00       Sale $20.24

Piani, the name of the zone where this vineyard is located, in Italian means "flat" and, in fact, the portion of this hill is little steep. This site has always been well known for high quality Barbera production. The elegance of many Barbera (a grape rich in colour and acidity but poor in tannins) from Langhe region is here integrated with a good structure which gives to this wine a particular identity.

The colour is red ruby bright and intense; the vivacity makes it tempting. The olfactory sensations are very delicate including blackberry and plum in the beginning and typically vinous in the end. On the whole the olfactory fragrance provides a pleasant and teasing feeling. Saltiness and acidity are in the foreground of this wine that does not hide its polifenolic power. Barbera amplitude is very interesting together with its persistent aftertaste.

2009 Pelissero Barbera D'alba Tulin
Price: $33.00    Your Price: $29.04
Quantity in Stock: 4

(89 Points)  A new addition to the lineup, the single-vineyard 2009 Barbera d’Alba Tulin wraps around the palate with blackberries, smoke, tar and licorice. From a stylistic point of view, the Tulin is a decidedly racy, at times super-ripe wine clearly marked by two years in barrel. This is certainly a promising wine. It will be interesting to see what develops in future vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Pelissero is without question one of the top-tier estates in Barbaresco. Every wine in this lineup is solid and well worth seeking out. In particular, the 2009 Barbareschi are some of the very finest wines I have ever tasted here. The management of the tannins – such a problem at other estates – was expertly handled. Pelissero’s 2010 Barbareschi had been bottled just before my visit and were too closed down to properly evaluate.  Wine Advocate #203Oct 2012

2013 Pelissero Nebbiolo Langhe
Price: $25.50    Your Price: $22.44
Quantity in Stock: 11

Site: Treiso, Neive and Barbaresco villages Variety: Nebbiolo 100% Exposure: south - east - west Altitude: 200 – 400 m. Year of planting: all the Nebbiolo vines for Barbaresco planted in more recent years, up to 15 years old age Breeding form: gujot Density of plants per hectare: 5000 First and unique year of production: 1960 Soil: different soils in Barbaresco area. Characteristics: we produce this wine with the grapes that, according to the vintage, are not suitable for making Barbaresco. Among them, all new planted vineyards bought in the past few years, and consequently considered too young for producing a great Barbaresco. Technical notes: in vinification we try to exalt the Nebbiolo's characteristics of freshness: macerations are not too long and always temperature controlled. Ageing is made partly in barrique (20/30%) and the rest in 50 hl oak barrels for around 8/9 months. After blending, it rests in the bottle for 2 months and finally commercialized. Tasting sheet: clear, bright, purple red with evident clearer tannic nuances around the glass edge. Olfactory sensations are persistent, fragrant and wide open exalting the fruit of the wine. It is also rounded by evident perception of strawberry and raspberry typical in this wine. Good gustative persistence with the classic light tannin astringency of Nebbiolo, very well rounded by the wood aromas and other flavour components (proteins, salts, trivalent salts). Lovely finish, persistent and stimulating.

2003 Pelissero Long Now            
Price: $58.00       Sale $51.04

This unique blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo is from a very hot year and these wines are drinking at their peak right now.  It will be interesting to taste this next to the monumentous 2010 which is still a baby.

2010 Pelissero Long Now
Price: $74.00       Sale $65.12

(92 Points) Given the personality of the year, I am not surprised to find the 2010 Long Now closed down. Over time some of the wine's inner silkiness and perfume begins to emerge, but only slightly. There is plenty of energy and focus in the glass, but like all of Pelissero's 2010s, the Long Now needs time. The superb energy and precision of the finish is promising for the future. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.  Wine Advocate

2012 Pelissero Barbaresco Nubiola
Price: $44.00    Your Price: $38.72
Quantity in Stock: 23

Characteristics: it is the last born of our Barbaresco wines. The first bottles date back to 2001. It belongs to an historical, traditional and cultural important denomination and it has got all the strength and complexity a great vine is able to express. The blend Nubiola shows in fact the name with which in the historical treaty of agriculture "De Ruralium Commodorum" (dated 1330) where Pier Dè Crescenzi (a jurist of Bologna) mentions one of the best vines known at that time describing it as a "a sort of black grape called Nubiola… wonderfully vinous and adapted for wine making."

Tasting sheet: it has an intense ruby red colour, to the nose it has both fruity and floreal notes that go from the ripe red fruit to the officinal herbs. Soft, tasty, velvety at the same time, leaves on the taste buds a note of sweetness and roundness typical of ripe grape with a slightly dry and astringent closure that distinguishes the Nebbiolo.

2010 Pelissero Barbaresco Tulin
Price: $109.00    Sale $95.92
Quantity in Stock: 7

(94 Points)  Pelissero's 2010 Barbaresco Tulin explodes from the glass with a head-spinning array of aromas and flavors. Rich, full-bodied and intense, the 2010 boasts stunning depth to match its racy, intense structure. Deeply spiced, mentholated notes saturate the full-bodied, voluptuous finish. The combination of fruit and structure is super exciting, to say the least.  Galloni

2010 Pelissero Barbaresco Vanotu
Price: $130.00    Sale $114.40
Quantity in Stock: 4

(94 Points) The 2010 Barbaresco Vanotu is an extremely persuasive expression of Nebbiolo that opens to a dark, brooding color, thick concentration and an attractive dark garnet hue. The personality here is overtly savory and masculine with layers of cured meat and leather that support a wider offering of pressed cherries and tar. The generosity is outstanding. The only element out of place is the tannin that is spectacularly young at this point. This wine won’t show its best side for years more to come. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035. Giorgio Pelissero has a good amount of news to report from his corner of the Barbaresco appellation. He is putting the finishing touches on a new winery with extra room for storing old vintages. He is also about to announce the acquisition of four additional hectares that will bring his total vineyard holdings to an impressive 40 hectares (with 15 hectares of Nebbiolo in the Barbaresco denomination). Wine Advocate #207 Jun 2013 Reviewer: Monica Larner

2003 Pelissero Barbaresco Tulin
Price: $86.00       Sale $75.68

Two older examples of Pelissero’s wines to show just how well they age the 2003 is at its peak right now but the 1998 will last for another couple of decades in the cellar.

1998 Pelissero Barbaresco Annata
Price: $98.00       Sale $86.24

Menu

Veal Carpaccio with black truffle and Ciacci Piccolomini Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Short Rib with mushroom Duxelle Polenta Napoleon

The fee for this tasting of 10 Pelissero wines and dinner is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.