Gillardi
– Third Generation Producer
– Father Started As a Winemaker at Barolo Legend Ceretto and Has Worked there for 40 Years
– He Supervises Winemaking at Gillardi
The 2019 Vintage
– Like 1982 for Bordeaux
– Better than Even the Legendary 2016
– Bonkers Aromas
– Terrific Fruit Quality
– Great Freshness, Density and Finesse
– Maybe the Best Vintage to Drink Young I’ve Tasted
– This Is THE Vintage to Try New Producers
2019 Gillardi Barolo Vignane
– A Terrific, Small Vineyard Between Bussia and Cannubi
– Spectacular Traditional Barolo
– Competes with the Big Boys (Mascarello/Brovia/Burlotto)
– Nose: A Nebbiolo Atom Bomb on Open
– Intense Lilacs and Roses
– Among the Most Intense Nebbiolo Noses I’ve Smelt
– Cherry Flower
– Sensual Cherry Licorice
– Licorice
– Cocoa, Leather, Hints of Tobacco
– Stunning Palate Density
– Utterly Magnificent
– Just Tastes Incredibly Expensive
– Sweet, Gorgeous Cherry Fruit
– Amazing Freshness and Elegance
– Razor Sharp
– Dense Cherries, Spice
– Penetrating Internal Aromatics
– Terrific Structure
– Finish – A Gorgeous, Lingering Kiss of Licorice
– A Perfect Amalgam of Flowers
– 2019: One of the Top 2 Vintages of the Past 20 Years
– The Lesser Blended Barolo Is $70 at Retail, This Would Cost $150+ at Traditional Retail
– Maybe the Best Traditional Bottle of Barolo we Have Ever Sold
– Expensive for Fass Selections Barolo But So Worth It As This Is So Special
2021 Gillardi Dolcetto di Dogliani Cursalet
– The DOCG for Serious, Structured Dolcetto
– 90+ Year Old Vines
– One of the Best Dolcetto I’ve Had As Dogliani Can Be
– Nose Is Incredibly Complex
– Dense Blackberry, Spice, Forest
– Perfect, Elegant Blueberry Flower
– Palate: Complex, Sweet Blackberry Fresh
– As it Opens, Elegant Blueberry, Elegant Blackberry
– Elegant Spice
– Juicy, Some Licorice As It Aerates
– Remarkable Old Vine Density
– More Hidden Denisty, Not a Sledgehammer
– Dogliani Has More Acidity than Dolcetto d’Alba
– Liquid Silk
– Utterly Fantastic Structure – Like Drinking An Architectural Masterpiece
– Balance
– Just So Incredibly Well Made
– A 20+ Year Wine – This Will Definitely Age Wonderfull
– I’m a Dolcetto Dogliani Guy As I Think It’s Best Value For Serious Wine in Italy. Much Better than Dolcetto d’Alba
– Grand Cru Dolcetto – $21.99 On a Case
Toe To Toe at La Libera
One of the best things about visiting the Langhe is the ability to eat at La Libera in Alba. It’s the go to place for many of the top winemakers in the region and the food is fantastic. Just brilliant, elegant takes on Piedmontese classics. Finanziera. Agnolotti al Plin. Veal Tongue.
But the other great thing is that you can drink the most famous wines of Piedmont at below US retail prices. So during the day, I taste our portfolio and at night, I drink the top wines of Piedmont to compare them.
Today’s first wine beat out both Bartolo Mascarello and Giacomo Conterno on my last trip. And for my palate, it was a solid win, not by a nose.
How on earth is that possible?
The winemaker has worked at Barolo/Barbaresco legend Ceretto for 40 years. He started as a winemaker at Ceretto and is now the guiding hand in the cellar at Gillardi.
This wine is his dream. The family has always made some of the best Dolcetto in Piedmont but he always wanted top terroir in Barolo. And now he has it. And those vines are treated like his children. Maybe even better.
I cannot encourage you enough to try the Barolo.
Wine #1
The first wine is the Barolo Vignane. This is as special a Nebbiolo as we have ever sold. It is utterly profound. The 2019 Gillardi Barolo Vignane for $92.99 each on a 3-pack. As we know 2019 was a fantastic vintage in Barolo with some of the most glorious, deep, vivid fruit I have ever tasted in young Baroli. This wine has the density from the year but none of the dark fruit. As I noted it’s a classic, classic old school Barolo. A throwback. And a beautiful throwback. Vignane is a terrific, small vineyard between Bussia and Cannubi. That’s a nice zip code This is the only cru of this small vineyard that I am aware of.
I’ve been so excited to taste this and wow oh wow is this one of the best 19s so far. Insane.
Deep, penetrating, layered nose of dark ripe cherries, unreal dried and fresh roses and so much more. The smells are so profound here. On pop and pour. Raspberry. So so fresh and so much fruit. But so pure and bursting out of the glass. This is so legit. 9.8 nose. This is rare air. Sick. Sick. Sick. This nose is classic old school Barolo. After air it gets more and more complex. Big cherry, spice, roses, tar and tobacco. Also has super vivid and detailed bright bright red cherries but they also are sappy and voluminous. Gorgeous roses and hit of licorice and even a slight hint and just a hint of anise that is so perfect. Wow. Leather, chestnut, old library books, tweed jacket. Just so much going on. This Barolo is old school original gangsta Barolo, not post global warming Barolo. It has a cooling sense to the fruit. Linear, precise, yet so utterly classic. The nose is exactly what you want and why you buy Barolo. Just really incredible tar and roses. But really just stunningly pretty. Like imagine a bush full of pink roses aromatizing all over you on a spring day.
What a palate. Wow, what a palate. Just an amalgam of sweet fruit. The most vivid, detailed black cherries one can imagine. Just bursting with intensity and purity. Man is this clean and compact. Sick complexity. Silky, sweet, ripe and intense tannins that are delicate and super suave. This is a baby but has unlimited potential. Supernatural balance and freshness here. Wow. Juicy and complex with a wonderful core of deep, bright and sappy black and red cherry fruit. So gorgeous. Amazing fruit cling on the palate and ample velve but sturdy tannins. Obviously holding a lot back but really a stunning and very complete Barolo. Knockout finish with such a brilliant hit of that bright black cherry fruit. After some air the palate gains density with just superb cherry fruit. Not dense as in fruity but dense as in you can sense the weight on the palate. Terrific spiciness as well. The internal aromatics are off the charts: rose, tobacco. There is some really good fruit on this wine which really grows like a crescendo on the palate. Medium bodied – think blackberries crossed with medium ripe black cherries. Just great tar and roses internal aromatics with great juiciness. Tannins are really silky. This wine has incredible structure and will age for decades even though it can be enjoyed today with a decant. The quality is off the charts. Truly one of the best Barolo we have ever sold and a top top 19. Gave this a 9.7 on Delectable.
Wine #2
Dogliani DOCG
This is from a DOCG called Dogliani which is renowned for its ability to make serious, bold, powerful and ageworthy Dolcetto. It’s so good, it got DOCG status. It’s the real deal. This is from 90+ year old vines and they deliver. This is as serious a Dolcetto as I’ve ever had.
Today’s second wine is beyond breathtaking. It’s easily the greatest Dolcetto I have ever had and the 2021, now having downed 2 bottles it is just an absurdly profound bottle of wine. As soon as you smell this you are can’t believe how good it is and how absurd the price is. Absurd in an inexpensive way mind you. It smells like a $50+ wine. It is that amazing. It is consistently a 9.3/9.4 wine on Delectable and it’s only $22.99. We cannot stop talking about this wine. It’s an insider wine as the amount of time we spend talking about it is disproportionate to how much we sell and I really want to change that. This is easily one of the best wines we sell. Period.
DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS DOLCETTO – This Is What Made Them Famous
The wine is the 2021 Gillardi Dolcetto di Dogliani “Cursalet” for $22.99 per bottle on a 4 pack purchase and $21.99 on a case.
What a freak show of a nose. Stunningly complex nose of blackberry, coffee grounds, chocolate, and tightly integrated spice. Wow this nose is outstanding. Super deep and pure violets. What clarity. Stunning. Just sick. Unreal clarity of fruit. So vivid. Like one has 20/10 smell! Earthy and crushed stones and outrageous blackberry fruit. Bold aromas of flowers, spice, blackberry fruit and very mineral tones make this almost waft. It is perfumed to the max and so, so compelling. Super high toned. Grapey and confectionary with a massive aromatic spectrum. Big earthiness as well after air. The value here is insane. Really compelling aromas. Some forest floor elements as well.
The palate is amazing. It is tight but focused like a laser. Huge structure and much room for development. Unreal concentrat
Really really mineral on the finish. The finish is long, juicy, complex and has some chocolate elements. Really remarkably elegant. Just awesome.
The structure on this wine is ridiculous. You can really feel it on the palate. It’s a 20+ year wine easy.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 after emailing with your first order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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A Word about Fass Selections and Social Media
I am big into certain social media and I want people to take pictures of the wines they have received or will receive and tag me in them and share their thoughts. I a am on Instagram. Please tag me there. I also am on Delectable which I love a lot. It is Iphone/Ipad only, but it’s like Instagram meets Facebook for wine. Tag me there and find me there as well. I want to know if you liked the wine, were not moved by the wine, hated the wine or the wine gave you a religious experience. I want to know it all. Feedback is key and I will answer all feedback e-mails as quickly as I can.
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