Vietti Wine tasting, Piedmont @ Strato Troika Sky Dining

"You can't allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. There's a need to respect the past, but it's a  mistake to revere your past."- Bob Iger

It was a sunny afternoon filled with gorgeous weather, amazing people and fantastic wines from the great Vietti Family!
Finally have the opportunity to meet the people from this extraordinary winery that has an amazing history of producing exceptional wines in their vast portfolio!

This lovely afternoon we were given this opportunity to be educated and taste the 6 of their wines which are their pride and joy!

 

Arneis is a white varietal originated from the Piedmont region and it was revived from the verge of extinction in the 1960s..

Arneis has always been associated with the region of Roero and this varietal has a very floral scented characterisic with delicate aromas like pear and apricot with a nutty hint of hazelnut and almond.. Roero Arneis meant little rascal from the piedmontese dialect and this varietal has always been a finicky varietal to cultivated and care for as it is a low yielding varietal that is susceptible to powdery mildew and if the region encounters a warm season; the varietal would have a hard time retaining it's natural acidity throughout the growing season..

The first wine we began our Piedmont journey is the Vietti Roero Arneis 2018..
This wine is made with 100% Arneis which is hand selected from vineyards located in the Roero area..
The harvest starts in the middle of September but it varies according to the growing season of the year and whether the grapes has reach the optimum phenolic development and sugar levels based on the winemakers..

The alcoholic fermentation was done in the stainless steel tanks in controlled temperature after the grape must was pressed and clarified to preserve the fruit flavours of the varietal.. There wasn't any malolactic fermentation done for this white wine as it is to preserve the acidity, fruit notes and freshness that it gives instead of making it heavier and savoury for the drinkers

Tasting notes:
Aroma:
almond, hazelnut, peach, prunes, lemon, lime,melon, tangerine, grapefruit, jasmine, seashell

Palate:
It has a dry sensation in terms of sweetness filled with a medium bodied mouthfeel on the palate with a medium plus acidity with a slight hints of bitterness towards the back of the palate. The wine has a creamy sensation to it with a medium long finish and flavourful intensity of the fruit notes!
This wine is great as an aperitif wine to begin with or even to have it alone with a hearty bowl of pasta or creamy risotto!

Food Pairing:
aperitif with light hors d'oeuvres
seafood
salads
vegetable consomme
white meats
pork
creamy cheeses
Italian cuisine: Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil

Alternative grape varietal:

Pouilly-Fume
Viognier
Chenin Blanc
Gavi

After a very refreshing Roero Arneis, we then were greeted by the first red of the series which is what Piedmont region are famous for!
2nd wine is the Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne 2017

This wine is made with 100% Barbera grape and it was actually harvested from 3 different vineyards in Agliano Terme and the other villages in the hills surrounding Asti..
The grape must undergoes the process with cold maceration in a stainless steel tanks then it undergoes the fermentation process approximately 2 weeks with daily pumping overs without extracting too much of tannins and bring out bitterness or harsh notes to the wins..
After the wine being macerated for another week then it was racked and transferred to those big Slovanian oak barrels or Barriques for malolactic fermentation for the duration of 18 months..

Tasting notes:
Aroma:
ripe red cherry, sweet baking spices, dark chocolate, rosemary, dried mangoes

Palate:
It has a dry, medium bodied red wine with a medium plus acidity.. This wine has a medium plus body together with a soft with slight grippy tannins. It has a very powerful flavourful intensity which was really well balanced and has a medium finish that is very refreshing to enjoy without food! This Barbera has a good integration with the oak and fruit flavours that show great harmony in the palate and great complexity to be enjoyed with a plate of pizza Margherita!

Food Pairing:
Antipasti
Heavy salads
Grilled vegetables
warm and hearty soup
Pasta
Pizza Margherita
Pork or Chicken with light cream sauce (preferrably berry based)

Alternative grape varietal:
Beaujolais

Let's move over to the 3rd wine and this wine is known as the baby Nebbiolo towards it's big and bold brothers and sisters or the Precursor to the Barolo and Barbaresco!
Nebbiolo Perbacco 2016

This Perbacco was made with 100% Nebbiolo grape harvested from different regions  majority in Barolo and small portion from Barbaresco.. The grape must was under cold maceration after it was harvested and then it went under the alcoholic fermentation for a period of 3-4 weeks..Each of the grape must from different parcels was vinified and undergoes fermentation separately then it was tasted by the wine maker to determine the blend for Perbacco or the best ones will be kept for the Barolo Castiglione..
This wine was aged for the duration of 2 years and also the malolactic fermentation was done in both barrique and slovanian casks.. There was some blending in the steel tanks prior to bottling..
The wine can be bottle aged for another 15 years!

Tasting notes:
Aroma:
chinese herbs, ginseng, dried plms, violet, dried cherries, baking spices, menthol

Palate:
It has a medium acidity accompanied by a softer tannins and a medium finish on the palate.. It has a medium bodied with some nutty essence like hazelnut and almond.. It has a very strong and powerful aroma but it gradually shows that it has complexity and elegance that would benefit with some ageing in the bottle..

Food Pairing:
Aged cheese
Roasted red meats
Wild game
Hearty stew
Spaghetti bolognese with some minced meats

Alternative grape varietal:
Pinot Noir
Xinomavro (Greek)
Older Rioja

The 4th wine is one of those wines that we all have been waiting for! Let's all welcome the Queen of Piedmont wines; Barbaresco Masseria 2015

Tasting notes:
Aroma:
Violet, cherries, blueberries, plums, blackberries, sour cherry, rosemary, roasted chestnut, orange, tobacco, licorice, leather, earth, black tea leaves, rose petals, minerals, coffee

Palate:
It has a savoury tannins, leather, dried plums, ripe cherries, roasted chestnut, tangerine accompanied by a medium plus crisp acidity and there was a slight hint of bitterness which was rather extensive throughout the palate.. It has a fuller bodied with an amazing balance despite being a very young and bold Barbaresco but it has a long and lingering finish to enjoy after the wine has the helping hand from decanting it before you taste it..

Food Pairing:
Sharp, aged cheese
Hearty stew
Wild Game
Roasted red meats with some root vegetables

They save the best for last for this wine and fun filled Piedmont adventure!
Barolo Castiglione 2015

This wine is made with 100% Nebbiolo grape selected from the small vineyards surrounding the Barolo region.. The vines are in the age of 40 plus years old and planted in a clay-limestone soil that was trained in guyot style.. There are several crus that was used to make this wine and they were vinified and aged separately with varying approaches inclusion of organic practices to highlight and preserve the terroir of each cru and it's characteristics! Fermentation of the grape must happens in the stainless steel tanks with regular check and cap submersion to beyyer extract the colours and flavours from the nebbiolo grapes..
It is then aged for an approximate of 30 months in oak and barriques then it went through assemblage or blending by the winemaker before bottling it..
This wine has to be decanted for an average of 3 hours considering that it is still relatively young for a Barolo to be enjoyed now..
Tasting notes:
Aroma:
dark plum, dark cherries, tar, dark chocolate, violet, rose, red cherries, orange rind, tobacco leaves, liquorice, dried herbs, raspberries

Palate:
leather, dark plum, medium plus acidity, medium full bodied, powerful tannins, bold structure,dry with slight hint of bitterness ending with a long and rounded finish and mouthfeel
Has potential for long bottle ageing and the wine would evolve to a more secondary and tertiary notes that lean towards a more savoury mouthfeel and texture

Food Pairing:
Hearty stew
wild game
 roasted red meats with roasted root vegetables
 tomato based dishes
 hard cheese



With that amazing line up of flavourful and exceptional reds, we make the ending as sweet as possible with that bubbly and floral Moscato d'Asti Cascinetta DOCG 2018

It's made with 100% moscato d'Asti grape that was selected from vineyards in Castiglione Tinella.. The average aged of the vines are 40years old and only the best grapes with extended maturation are being selected for the production of Cascinetta..
The must is being carefully crush, pressed and naturally clarified and it was kept in a cold storage to halt the yeast fermentation process..
Alcoholic fermentation present for a short period in stainlees steel tanks for the production of CO2 and it was preserved and the fermentation was halted again to achieve the 5% alcohol range.. According to the winery representative, there isn't any malolactic fermentation present in order to preserves the fruit, floral notes, acidity and freshness that moscato is well associated with!

Tasting notes:
Appearance & Aroma:
Pale yellow colour with slight fine bubbles..
Lemon, lime, candied lemon, peaches, rose petals, green pears, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, honeysuckle, beeswax

Palate:
On the palate, you can get an overwhelming hit of sweetness being that it has a high residual sugar left from the halted alcoholic fermentation..
There is an intense flavour of candied lemon, peaches, apricots, melon, honey, pear with a very refreshing medium plus acidity, slight complexity from the creaminess with a spritz finish to it that makes it very refreshing for most people to enjoy after a heavy meal!


Food Pairing:
Aperitif
Asian cuisine like chinese or Thai
fruit based with cream dessert
blue cheeses

Alternative grape varietal:
Muscat Blanc
Moscatel
Torrontes
Gewurtztraminer