93pts Wine Enthusiast

Ethereal aromas of white peach, preserved lemon, honeysuckle and acacia honey permeate the glass of this pretty wine. The palate is round and rich with beeswax, preserved apricots and candied pineapple that are all wound around a core of intense minerality. Drink now–2035.

Winemaker Notes

Intense yellow, very clear and consistent. It is intense and complex on the nose: in the early years there are fruity smells reminiscent of pear, peach and floreal smells such as acacia flowers and hawthorn and mineral notes. The honey note is very typical of this wine. In the mouth, the Derthona is a dry, warm and soft wine with a good match between high levels of alcohol and high content in organic acids. It has no edges but the texture is balanced and very persistent.

Derthona goes perfectly with rich recipes, with fish dishes such as anchovies, scallops, but also with Piedmontese cuisine appetizers such as russian salad (boiled vegetables cut into small pieces combined with mayonnaise), veal with tuna sauce (thin slices of cooked meat served cold accompanied by egg and tuna sauce), raw Albese meat with truffles. Stuffed courgette flowers, vegetables in batter and blue cheeses with a fat paste. But also Montébore. In France we find raclette (melted cheese with cold cuts and vegetables), escargot a Bourguignonne (snails with butter, garlic and parsley), French onion soup. In Spain with Galician octopus. In Sweden, skagenrora (shrimp sauce with smoked salmon and mayonnaise). In Iceland Plokkfiskur (halibut cooked with boiled potatoes). In India the samosa (fried dough snack stuffed with vegetables, legumes, meat). In Thailand the Yum Nua (beef salad). In Japan, dishes cooked according to the tempura method.

Blend: 100% Timorasso

Winery Notes

Giacomo Borgogno & Figli is considered a dynasty of Barolo. This historic house prides itself as being a harbinger of the traditional style. The estate was founded in 1761, although today the family cites 1848 as the date of official establishment, coinciding with a document dated 1848 that attests to Borgogno’s first wine sale. The vineyards, approximately 50 acres (20.25 ha) thereof, are found in the greatest sites within the Barolo commune including Liste, San Pietro delle Viole and Rue.

Especially notable is Borgogno's library collection of older-vintage Barolo, one they’ve diligently safeguarded since before WWII. The family continues the practice of cellaring considerable amounts of wine from the very best vintages even today. They periodically re-release, providing the rare opportunity to enjoy perfectly cellared, historic-vintage Barolo. This is truly the best way to understand how traditional Barolo was meant to be experienced.