New Mountain Nebbiolo Find
2007 Antoniotti Bramaterra Rosso
From the Haunts of N. Piedmont, 100 Miles North of Barolo
Mountain Nebbiolo delivers something exceptional, something truly fascinating: a perfume, a steeliness, a clarity and detail that makes these red wines feel as though they share much with the world of white wines.
Wines from these parts always manage to lure us in, whether it's Ferrando's Carema or Ar Pe Pe's Valtellina wines, just to name a few peers in the category.
Naturally, when I heard that the team at Louis/Dressner had added a northern Piedmont producer to their consistently excellent portfolio, I was very excited to taste. I'm also very excited to share today: We are the first, and currently the only, to carry the 2007 Antoniotti Bramaterra Rosso in the country.
The background: Odilio Antoniotti is the estate's patriarch and proprietor; he's assisted in the winemaking by his son Mattia. For generations, this family has been one of the very few bottlers of Bramaterra.
Bramaterra is a small appellation - maybe 30 hectares in total; Antoniotti works five of them - where Nebbiolo and its northern Piedmont cronies Croatina, Vespolina and Uva Rara grow on volcanic porphyry soils at high altitudes. The translation in terms of terroir is compelling, flinty minerality and coursing acidity.
Antoniotti's version shows that briskness and the nervy core that's typical in these precincts, while it also offers an impressive intensity of flavors and aromas rendered with great precision. Spices, roses and purple flowers intermingle with an assertive minerality.
Needless to say (it's imported by Louis/Dressner, which means it's pretty much guaranteed to be produced as naturally as possible), the methods used at Antoniotti are traditional ones: natural treatments, no chemicals, everything tended by hand. The wines spend 30 months or more in large botti, go into bottle unfined and unfiltered and receive additional bottle age before departing the house cellars.
Small production, such high-maintenance care and rarity in the market usually translates into considerably higher costs, yet this comes today at as low as $25.75. At this pricing, this is a great wine to have around for the cellar and the table both. As alluded to above, fans of Ar Pe Pe, Ferrando or the like are strongly encouraged to explore these.
Though this is my first experience with Antoniotti wines, this 07 Bramaterra has the acidity and balance that lend wines longevity - this makes me guess it will benefit from at least five years in the cellar, and quite likely more.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2007 Antoniotti Bramaterra Rosso
