Enzo Boglietti visit, Piedmont

PRODUCER PROFILE : ENZO BOGLIETTI, La Morra, Piedmont

As Enzo races around his stunning new winery, his long curly locks swinging wildly, pulling barrel samples from left and right, I scamper behind, doing my best to keep up. We babble excitedly in a messy mix of French, English and Italian and despite this, one thing is clear … I am about to be amazed and seduced by these powerful yet subtle wines.

Enzo Boglietti, aided by his father Renato and brother Gianni, who tend the vines, is considered to be a “new” kid on the block: the family-run company began in 1991 with 2.5 hectares in La Morra and now boasts 21 hectares with an annual production of 75,000. They produce four wines from Barolo, three from Barbera, two Dolcettas and four Langhes wines. Enzo would usually be placed into the “modernist camp” of Piedmont producers. Broadly speaking, the modernists prefer the use of small oak barrels, short fermentations and lots of rotofermenter extraction producing easy-drinking, pleasant wines, as opposed to the traditionalists who don’t use too much oak, don’t want too short a maceration and not too vigorous extraction of flavour and colour. But I would put Enzo in the centralist camp.  He has taken the best of both sides and adapted the best practices to their raw materials.

For this is where it all begins, in the vineyard, and every decision they make, from bud to bottle, can be tasted in their well-balanced, age-worthy and complex wines. The traditionalist in him embraces strict low-yield control, minimum use of chemicals, organic fertilizers, high planting densities, hand-picking at harvest, hand-sorting, de-stemming, fermentation with wild yeast only, and a prudent oak-aging programme followed by bottle aging. And the modernist in him judiciously accepts s the these traditional practices and producing a wine that both educates and pleases the cons

Forgive the oxymoron, but they are modern classics in the making. And like their maker, they are classic but not boring, and modern, without pandering to facile market trends.

Dolcetto 2008

fresh, elegant, 13%

Dolcetto d’Alba Tigli Neri 2008

14.5%, veielles vignes, tannins verts, mais bien, une manqué de souplesse

Like it rushed to sugers and tannins never caught up.

Dolcette 2007

Much better, fruity, fresh, lovely (GR says both D’s are elegant and expressive)

Dolcetto d’Alba Tigli Neri 2007

Beautiful, elegant, florale, bien fait, tout est la, premieres matires solids, premier bouche perfectly toned, finish perfect

Barbera 2008

A difficult year for Barbera – good for Barolo. Nez de violet, florale, bien elegant

Said 2007 best

Barbera 2007  X

14.5%, not better than 2008, in my opinion, this is well done, but nothign more, nose is hot, florale bouche is hotter, sec et court – aucun finale.

Barbera d’Alba Roscaleto 2007

14.5%  - much more elagnat and fresh

Barbera d’Alba Roscaleto 2006  X

On teh nose –a cetate – vernis – but then lifted – ok, but still too hot – just gets pulled off – not drinkign well today (GR – plum, persistant, complex, plump)

Barbera d’Alba Vigni dei Romani 2006

14.5%, nez epice, mineral, correcte, bien equilibre, vraiment superb

Barbera d’Alba Vigni dei Romani 2005

Echoes the 2006 but shows what is coming – superb – same character as 2006

Langhe Nebbiolo 2008  X

Soil – sable – can drink younger – less acidite

Nez et bouche plus medicinale – cote cerise – bon bon, je n’aime pas.

Typique pour le terroir – mais apres, ca reviens – c’est un vrai voyage – a real surprise – wine was all over the place – nicely so – took me for a ride

Langhe Rosso Buio 2007

80% neb and 20% Barbera

Vraiment bien, spicy, mineral, supple

Nose a bit closed still, Bouche explodes

(GR – drinking beautifully already)

Langhe Rosso Buio 2006

Nose still closed – florale, frais, mineral bouche explodes

Round, supple, (GR- morello cherry, tobacco, elegant, palate long)

Barolo Fossati 2006

Really puissante – lots of alchohol but still gras and with great acidity.

Nose spicy, powerful

Barolo Fossati 2005

More feminine enormous, rond, superb – beautifully done

(GR – fresh tasting but dry tannins – fresh palate 0 dry mouth)

Barolo Case Nero 2006

Nose of caramel and chocolat

Barolo Case Nero 2005

Better structured – nose acetone – but bouche clean – explodes with flavour. Prefer the 2006 now but think the 2005 will last longer

(GR – clenched, muscular, nose closed)

Barolo Arione 2005

Well done – better than the 04? Stunning perfection

(GR – frsh, depth, tobacco, spices, red berry fruits classic, drinkable despite youth and powerful structure.)

Barolo Arione 2004

Disc shows some age – noticing that these wines are slow to lose their colour.

A little more fluid , easier, less  structure – or am I comfusing ageing with the newer wine above? (GR – texture)

Langhe Merlot Vigni Talpone 2006

Big – open – nose vegetal and green

Langhe Merlot Vigni Talpone 2004

More acidity – nose far more perfumed, open, similar bouche to 06, more alcoholic

Langhe Cabernet Vigni Talpone 2006

Loved both of these – nothing to say

Langhe Cabernet Vigni Talpone 2004

Stunning ...well-aged, plenty of fruit and perfectly balanced.