FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Marvels from ancient PIEDMONT

Marvels from ancient PIEDMONT

What can you expect from 700-year-old grapevines? Magnificent wines, as Cordero di Montezemolo proves in Bangkok

BANGKOK FANS of Italian wine had a treat on Tuesday with the chance to sample reds and whites from Italian winemaker Cordero di Montezemolo.
The Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok’s Brasserie Europa hosted a wine dinner to promote the best vintages from a vineyard established in 1340. Nineteen generations later, the winery is still entirely family-run, currently occupying 28 hectares in La Morra, a rare scale for the hilly northern Piedmont region.
Various grape varieties continue to be cultivated according to sun exposure, soil type and altitude.
Compared to the age of the vineyard, wine production is still in its infancy – if 50 years can be considered “infancy”. That’s how long the family – Paolo Cordero di Montezemolo and then his son Giovanni – have been making wine from the grapes they grow.
Four stellar wines from Cordero di Montezemolo were paired with scrumptious Italian dishes created by new executive sous chef Carlo Valenziano.
The antipasto was a bowl of light and tasty Tuscan-style panzanella salad with buffalo mozzarella. Packed with flavour and texture thanks to the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, red onion, capers, focaccia and creamy mozzarella, the refreshing dish went well with Arneis Langhe DOC 2013, made entirely with Arneis grapes that are among the most difficult to cultivate.
With its distinct mineral and lemony notes and dry fruitiness on the palate, this is a summery and bright white that can go with a huge variety of food. In this case, the pear and floral nose enhanced the perfume of the greens in the salad, while the smooth dryness evened out the creaminess of the cheese.
The pasta was dumplings with a ricotta and spinach filling served with tangy and herbaceous rustic tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. This heavily seasoned dish found a perfect mate in medium-body Barbera d’Alba DOC 2013, whose high acidity and soft tannis toned down the richness of the cheese. The prominent hint of prune and ripe fruit comple-mented the tomato sauce, while the full, fresh finish helped brighten the overall dish and cleansed the palate.
For the main course, the chef baked a leg of lamb and served it with braised red onions and green broad beans. This was paired with Nebbiolo Langhe DOC 2013, made with what’s considered the quintessential Piedmontese wine grape and the dominant variety in the region. Its signature spiciness and strong tannis countered the heaviness of the seasoned meat, while the vivacious fruitiness lit up the palate.
The highlight among the evening’s tipples, Barolo Monfalletto DOCG 2010, was served with the dessert of caprino cheese and fresh fig. Routinely described by aficionados as seductive, compelling and gorgeous, the wine evokes liquorice, cherries, cacao and fresh raspberries. It’s rich, full-bodied and elegant on the palate, making it an ideal match for game meat, including venison and duck.
Served with traditional Italian goat-milk cheese, the hint of liquorice brightened the slight mustiness of the cheese, while traces of vanilla and berries balanced the earthiness of the fig. Wine experts might suggest saving this vintage until 2018, but I’d say it’s great as is right now!

Find out more about the wines at www.Cordero DiMontezemolo.com/En.
 

nationthailand