1997 Luigi Dessilani Caramino Riserva

Luigi Dessilani e Figlio is a 125-acre estate that has been in same family for nine generations. Today it is run by Enzio Lucca and his son Nicola. Located in Fara, the estate is known for making well-crafted wines from lesser-known appellations such as Gattinara, Ghemme, Fara and Sizzano. Nebbiolo is the predominant grape, though in the various denominations it is blended with such indigenous grapes as Vespolina, Bonarda, and Uva Rara. Gambero Rosso typically gives Dessilani wines 2 or 3 bicchieri, which are very good ratings. And the New York Times has noted that “Dessilani produces long-lived wines in the traditional style. They are increasingly hard to find because patient connoisseurs seeking flavor intensity and complexity buy them whenever they find them.”

Piedmont’s name means “foot of the mountain” and it aptly describes Piedmont’s location near the Alps, just east of France and south of Switzerland. For admirers of Nebbiolo wines, Piedmont is Italy’s most exalted region, since it is home to Barolo and Barbaresco. Barolo and Barbaresco are names of towns as well as names of the two most prestigious Piedmont DOCGs. Piedmont, with 142,000 vineyard acres, has seven DOCGs and fifty DOCs, the highest number of DOCS in any Italian wine zone. Despite its relatively northern location, its sometimes cool and frequently foggy weather, Piedmont produces mostly red wines. The Nebbiolo grape thrives in this climate and in fact takes its name from the Italian word for fog, “nebbia.” With its rich buttery food, majestic red wines and complicated vineyard system, Piedmont is often thought of as the Burgundy of Italy. As in Burgundy, Piedmont vineyards generally have well-established boundaries, and the vineyards are often divided into smaller parcels owned by several families. Though Nebbiolo is considered the most “noble” Piedmont grape, Barbera is actually the most widely planted grape. Dolcetto is the third most common red grape. White wines in Piedmont are made from Arneis, Cortese, Erbaluce and Moscato. Though Barolo and Barbaresco are the stars of the region, the easy-to-drink, sparkling “spumante” and “frizzante” wines of the Asti DOCG are the most widely produced. There are also Piedmont Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT) wines that are often an innovative blend of traditional and non-traditional grapes. This relatively new appellation status was started in 1992 as an attempt to give an official classification to Italy’s newer blends that do fit the strict requirements of DOC and DOCG classifications. IGT wines may use the name of the region and varietal on their label or in their name.