Annalisa Chiavazza is the marketing and communications manager for Agricole Gussalli Beretta Group and sent me samples of Barolo to taste from Fortemasso, a winery based in Montforte d’Alba, Piedmont, which is a part of the Beretta Group. Annalisa had also sent me samples from Castello di Radda which wrote about in a blog. Castellodi Radda:Chianti Classico at its Best
I do not know the Barolo of Fortemasso but I really like the wines of Castello di Radda and since they both belong to the Beretta Group I was happy to try them and was very glad that I did.
The Fortemasso winery was founded in 2012, They have 5 hectares (single plot) in Monforte D’Alba (MGA-Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) Castelletto) for the production of Barolo Castelletto Barolo and Barolo Castelletto Reserve. The most central area of the MGA is called Pressenda (currently undergoing replanting) and is traditionally considered the location of the best quality, of a cru within a cru. It is one hectare and the other 4 hectare surround it.
Barolo DOCG Fortemasso made from 100% Nebbiolo from the Castelletto vineyard at 360 to 450 meters. The exposure is south-east and the soil is Diano sandstone, made up of sand, silt and clay. The training system is guyot and there are 4,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is manual. The freshly picked grapes are crushed and destemmed before fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel wine vats. Once alcoholic fermentation has begun, daily pumping over is carried out to facilitate the extraction of the color and primary aromas of the grapes from the skins. Fermentation lasts between eight and ten days and is followed by submerged cap maceration. This step, in addition to prolonging the period of extraction from the skins which began immediately after crushing the grapes, facilitates the stabilization of the color of the future wine. During maceration, which lasts an average of twenty-five to thirty days, malolactic fermentation also takes place. Aging in wood begins in December and lasts an average of thirty months. The wine spends eight – ten months of further aging in the bottle before being released. The wine has hints of violets, cherry licorice, tea spice and a touch of tar.
Barolo DOCG “Castelletto” Riserva Fortemasso made from 100% Nebbiolo. Thanks to their perfect position, the grapes are left to ripen until the sugar concentration and phenolic maturity are just right. This makes it possible to bring out all the organoleptic characteristics of the grape during vinification and lays the foundation for the prolonged longevity of the future Barolo Reserve. After crushing and destemming, the must ferments in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, where daily pumping over is carried out to gently extract the aromas and color from the skins. Using the submerged cap technique, the maceration phase begins. The aim is to optimize extraction and stabilize the color of the wine. This phase lasts an average of 30 – 45 days, during which malolactic fermentation also takes place. Upon completion, aging in wood begins, lasting an average of forty months. This is followed by bottling and subsequent bottle aging for twenty-two months. The wine has hints of violets, tobacco, cedar, licorice and a touch of cinnamon. This is a very impressive Barolo.
We spent the day with friends in New Jersey, enjoying the great weather in the beautiful garden.
Champagne Brut Grand Cru Millésime Brut 2005 Egly-Ouriet made from 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay
The menu was eclectic. With the Champagne we had Michele’s
Marinara
A Margarita topped with prosciutto, arugula, and flakes of Parmigano-Reggiano was next.
A second Margarita with sausages
Our final pizza was topped with mozzarella, sausages and peppers.
A big bowl of sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and anchovies accompanied our main course.
With the Barolo we had roasted sweet and hot pork sausages and chicken sausages with peppers, onions and potatoes.
For dessert, Michele made a mixed berry crisp which we ate with vanilla ice cream.
Langhe Arneis “UCAOS” 2019 Luca Bosio made from 100% Arneis The vineyards are located in the village of Canale at 200 to 400 meters. The average age of the vines is 20 years and their exposure is southwest. The soil is sandy and there are about 5,000 vines per hectare. After the harvest the must spends 24 hours at a low temperature with skin contact. The grapes are then pressed and fermentation takes place in temperature controlled steel tanks. The wine then remains on the lees for 5 months and 3 months in bottle before release. This is an aromatic wine with hints of peach, apricot and green apple with floral notes and a refreshing finish.
Barolo 2015 DOCG Luca Bosio made from 100% Nebbiolo. The cultivation area is Verduno and the vineyards are at 300/400 ft. The soil is clayey-calcareous and the training system is guyot. The average age of the vines is 50 years and the exposure is south and southwest. Skin maceration takes place over 15 days. The wine spends 36 months in Slavonian oak casks and then 6 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of red fruit, licorice, and spice with notes of violets and roses. This was a very approachable Barolo and would be a good restaurant Barolo and would be a good restaurant wine.
Rosso di Montalcino 2018 Contonesi “ La Mannella” made from 100% Sangiovese. The La Mannella vineyards are located on the North and Southern sides of the town of Monalcino. This wine is produced from younger, grapes planted in a single vineyard, so it can be enjoyed be enjoyed after a few years. The soil is rocky clay and the trellis system is spurred cordon. There is a hand selection of the grapes and traditional vinification takes place. Fermentation occurs with maceration for 20 days is stainless steel vats. The wine is age for 10 months in 30HL large Slovenian casks. This wine could be drunk now but will last for at least another 8/9 years. The wine has hints of cherry and strawberry with a note of violets and a touch of spice.
Brunello di Montalcino “La Mannella” 2015 Cortonesi made from 100% Sangiovese from the La Manella vineyards. The soil on the south side is sandy and rocky and the soil on the north side is clay with sand with good drainage. The training system is spurred cordon. There is a careful selection of the grapes and fermentation with maceration for 25 days in stainless steel tanks and Slavonian oak vats. The wine spends 36 months is large Slavonian oak casks. There are hints of red berries. blackberries spice, leather and a touch of cedar.
Brunello di Montalcino 2015 Riserva “La Manella” Cortonesi made from 100% Sangiovese. Only made in the best vintages and the best selection of grapes from the La Mannella vineyards. The soil is sandy and rocky with excellent exposure to the sun. The training system is spurred cordon. There is a careful selection of the hand picked grapes. Fermentation occurs with 25 days maceration in Slovenian oak vats. The wine is aged from 48 months in large Slovenian oak casks before release. The wine has hints of red fruit, blackberries, spice, leather, a touch of cedar and a note of almonds.
Brunello di Montalcino 2016 La Mannella Cortonesi made from 100% Sangiovese from vineyards north and southeast of Montalcino. The soil is clay and sandstone. The training system is spurred cordon. The wine is aged for about 36 months in 30 HL Slavonian oak barrels and 6 months in bottle before release. The wine has intense aromas of red fruit with hints of blackberry, leather, cedar and a touch of bitter almond. It has a long lingering finish. I was very impressed by this Brunello.
We started with Roses de Jeanne Champagne–100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5-hectare lieu-dit of Val Vilaine. The production is very limited. Cedric Bouchard. This is a single-vineyard, single varietal, and single-vintage, zero dosage Champagne, organic farming, low yields and harvesting at the right moment. Only free run juice is used and fermentation is in stainless steel with indigenous yeast. There is no filtering, fining or cold stabilization. The wines are bottled with no dosage under less pressure. This is full-bodied Champagne with hints of fruit, spice, lively acidity a touch of pear, a note of dried flowers and a long and lingering finish.
Deborah made the pizza dough according to her special recipe
Bramaterra 1979 made from 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina and 10% Vespolina. Tenuta Agricola Sella. The production area is in Northern Piedmont. The vines are 48 years old, the exposure is Southwest, the vineyard is at 300 to 350 meters the training system is guyot and the soil is volcanic in origin and reddish brown in color. Harvest takes place between September 22 and October 12. After the grapes are crushed, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with pumping over and delestage. There is 30 days maceration for the Nebbiolo and 16 for the Croatina. The wine is aged in 10 hl Slavonian oak casks for 28 months. There were hints of faded roses, leather, blackberries and a hint of spice.
Foccacia — We started with a white pizza sprinkled with sliced garlic and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It was delicious plain, and possibly even better with thin slices of mortadella or prosciutto on top.
Pizza Margarita — The classic pie and just perfect
Pizza with Pistacchios — After a couple of traditional pizzas, we moved on to some innovative ones, including this one topped with chopped pistachios, shallots and herbs.
Pizza with pastrami, sauteed shallots and cheese. It reminded me of an Alsatian Tarte Flambe’. Some guests added a dab of mustard, but I liked it without.
Chateaneuf-du-Pape 1995 Domaine Du Pegau made from 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 10% other varieties. The soil is mostly covered with pebbles, clay and limestone mixture tends to iron and sand. There is a manual harvest with no destemming. Natural yeast causes spontaneous fermentation which takes place in concrete tanks. maceration is for 12 days in 50hl old oak casks for 2 years. This is a big complex wine with black ripe fruit, hints of cherries and plums, black pepper, leather and a touch of meat. It was the wine of the afternoon and will last for many more years.
Pizza with salmon. Lightly smoked salmon topped this pie, one of our favorites of the day.
Pizza with sausage and mozzarella — always a crowd pleaser.
Pizza Margarita with bufala mozzarella. Instead of cow’s milk mozzarella, this Margarita was made with bufala cheese.
Barolo Riserva 1964 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of red fruit, tar, tobacco, violets, cedar and a touch of balsam.
Banana Cream Pie by Deborah. For dessert, we moved on to another type of pie altogether, an all-American Banana Cream Pie with a graham cracker crust and fresh whipped cream topping.
The pie did not cooperate when cut, so we ate it from bowls with a spoon. Is deconstructed Banana Cream Pie going to be the next big thing? I highly recommend it!
Champagne Andre Clouet “Cuvèe “1911” Grand Cru Brut NV made from100% Pinot Noir – 50% from 2002, 25% from 1995 and 25% from 1997. The estate vineyards surround the village of Bouzy where the soil is chalk and clay. The farming method is conventional. Fermentation is in stainless steel and natural barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place. The wine is aged for 6 years on the lees. This is a complex Champagne with citrus aromas and flavors, a touch of peach and a note of brioche.
Homemade Ricotta and Basil Gnocchi in tomato sauce from Michele’s book, 
Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2004 “Beradenga”Felsina made from 100% Sangiovese located in Castelnuovo Berardenga with mostly southern exposure between 320 and 420 meters (the soil here is rock quartz and calcareous alberese mixed with alluvial pebbles. The vineyards are on different slopes. There are about 5,400 vines per hectare. The training system is bilateral cordon and simple guyot with a maximum of 5 to 8 buds per vine. Harvest is staged due to different altitudes of the vineyards, the first three weeks of October. The clusters are de-stemmed and pressed and the must is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Programmed punch downs and daily pumpovers take place. In March/April the wine goes into medium sized Slavonian oak barrels and French barriques of second and third passage. After 12/16 months of aging the final blend is assembled. The wine remains is glass for 2 to 6 months. The wine has notes of red and black berries with a touch of spice and mineral tones. It was drinking very nicely.
Potato Gatto’, a recipe from Michele’s book, 
Leg of Lamb roasted with garlic, rosemary and anchovy was our main course. 
In the dish
Barolo Riserva 1967 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of red fruit, tar, tobacco, violets, cedar and a touch of balsam.
A few Italian cheeses to finish the wine. 
For dessert, a friend brought a very good version of Pastiera, aka Pizza Gran, a Neapolitan style cheesecake cooked with grain and flavored with orange and cinnamon from his local pastry shop.
On the plate
Arancini, fried rice balls seasoned with tomato and cheese.
Crostini with anchovies. Simple but the perfect combination of crispy toast and tasty fish.
Lunch in the garden
An entire wheel of Tuscan Pecorino cheese inspired the first course.
Pecorino Cheese cut
Barbera d’ Asti “Vigna Noce” 2010 Antica Azienda Agricola Trinchero The winery belongs to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists, an association of wine producers from around the world that believes in Organic and Bio-Dynamic production, terroir and as little interference as possible by the winemaker. Only natural yeast is used, there is no acidification of the wine, and clarification and filtration does not take place. Chemical treatments are not used in the vineyards; copper and sulfur are used but only when it is really necessary. The wine is aged for 7 years in large chestnut barrels. This is a traditional, classic Barbera. The winery is strictly organic. This is a full-bodied robust wine with hints of cherries, plum, and leather, balsamic touches and a note of smoke. This is a very impressive Barbera that will last for at least another 15 years. I had the 1999 recently and it was in perfect condition.
Michele made sausage ragu which she tossed with mezzi rigatoni, grated pecorino and arugula.
Pasta in the dish
Barolo 1998 “Bricco Francesco” Rocche Dell’Annunziata Rocche Costamagna made from 100% Nebbiolo from the Rocche dell’Annunziata vineyard one of the historic crus of La Mora. The soil is calcareous-clayey and there are 4,800 vines per hectare Traditional vivification wit a maceration that lasts for about two weeks. The wine is aged for 24 months in 30 hl Slavonian oak barrels and the at least one year in bottle before release. This is an elegant Barolo with hints of raspberry, violets and a touch of spice.
The last of Michele’s precious stash of Piemontese hazelnuts went into making these brutti ma buoni, ugly but good cookies. Not very ugly, but very very good.
A guest brought ice cream from a local shop which went great with the cookies. The flavors were rum raisin and dark chocolate.
