Travaglini Gattinara – Nebbiolo in Northern Piedmont – at Angelini Osteria

September 20, 2019 by evebushman

Recently at Angelini Osteria a group of wine writers were invited to an intimate wine tasting and luncheon hosted by Cinzia Travaglini, owner of Travaglini Winery, and her daughter Alessia Collauto Travaglini. Cinzia and Alessia belong to the third and fourth generation of the Travaglini family – a renowned producer of traditional, limited production wines made in the tiny appellation of Gattinara in northern Italy’s esteemed Piedmont region.

Cinzia and Alessia will share their full U.S. range alongside a carefully designed menu, including current releases of Gattinara and Gattinara Riserva, as well as, Tre Vigne – a blend of Nebbiolo grapes from three historic vineyard sites made only in the best vintages, and Il Sogno – a unique appassimento wine, together with a few special, older vintages.

Wine and Tasting

So excited to taste the portfolio of “one of Italy’s most recognizable wines and the #1 selling Gattinara in the world.” The first thing that struck me, besides meeting the amazing mother-daughter team and before my first taste of anything was the shape of the bottles. Misshapen, like a Chateauneuf Du Pape, but with a slightly rounded front, flat back and sides, except for one notch that holds the thumb perfectly for pouring. We later learned that they designed the bottle in 1958 with the idea of both a decanter shape and one that catches sediment. No other winery has adopted their design.

Cinzia talked about the volcanic soil in the Gattinara area, its proximity to the Alps, “more fresh” weather and how each of these elements contributes to the elegance in the wine. She said it was easy to drink with all foods – which we would soon learn for ourselves.

Alessia explained that her grandfather planted vineyards in the 1920s, with a focus on quality over quantity. They produce 20 thousand cases per year.

Nebole 2013 – aromas and flavors separated by ;

We were greeted with a taste of their sparkling wine that was made from 100% Nebbiolo – as were all of the wines we were to taste – that had been vinified into a white wine. Lemon zest, talcum powder, white flower; bruised yellow apple, sawdust, lively with medium acid.

Nebbiolo Coste Della Sesia DOC 2017

Aged four months in stainless steel followed by 10 months in Slovenian oak. Can be drunk after 2 years or 40. Rose petal, stewed tomatoes, dry earth; dry red fruit, tannic, oak and a long finish.

Gattinara DOCG 2015

After stainless steel fermentation the wine underwent two years on Slovenian oak casks of different sizes. Earth, spice, dried red cherries, tree bark, barnyard; small red berries, dry, tobacco.

Gattinara Tre Vigne DOCG 2013

Three vineyard blend, aged four years in Slovenian oak after initial time in stainless. However, for that last fourth year, 20% is aged in barrique. The wine is later blended together and then rests for an additional 10 months in bottle. Earth, grilled mushroom, incense, crushed red fruit; got that same red fruit and mushroom on the palate, gritty, dry with a long finish.

Gattinara Riserva DOCG 2013

35-60 year old estate vines, aged three years in different sized barrels of Slovenian oak, then rests in bottle for an additional year. Floral, aromatic, milk chocolate; spice, red fruit and bright.

Gattinara Riserva DOCG 2009

These last three wines may have been my favorites of the tasting. This one, a 2009 and the 2006 that follows, definitely surprised me and I commented to Cinzia how remarkably different the aromas and flavors were between the older wines and their younger siblings. I also learned from Cinzia – after I mentioned this – that these two were “considered great vintages.” 35-60 YO vines, three years in Slovenian oak and one year in bottle. Plum, bark, dark chocolate, brown sugar; layered dark fruit, tobacco, dusty and lingering.

Gattinara Tre Vigne DOCG 2006

The second “great vintage” wine came from three different estate vineyards, four years in Slovenian oak, 20% held back in barrique for the final year, then blended back in with the rest of the wine and rests in bottle for 10 months. Blueberry, blackberry, perfumy, toasted wood; plums, slightly sweet with a beautiful balance of dusty fruits and tannins.

Il Sogno 2014

100 days of drying out leaving only 50% of the water in the grapes, 40 months in Slovenian oak, in bottle for 10 months rest. The highest % of alcohol in the line-up with 15.5. Fleshy red fruit, stems, earth, mint; slightly sweet, chocolate covered black cherry, easy to drink with lots of lovely berries and tannin.

The Menu

There was no specific pairing for the foods and the wine. We had three wines per course, per se, to try. I found that the younger lighter wines were perfect with the tomato and cheese course and the Branzino, while the older reds were outstanding with the lasagna and steak. I had to agree with Cinzia, the wines paired well with all types of foods. This is the full menu:

FIRST COURSE

Insalata Caprese, Market Tomatoes, Fresh Burrata, Aged Balsamic, Basil. (Healthy portion of cheese and we all inhaled this dish.)

SECOND COURSE

Pasta Duo: Bombolotti all Norma, Eggplant, Tomato, Basil, Dried Ricotta.

Lasagna Verde “Omaggio Nonna Elvira”, Beef and Veal Ragu.

(This was truly to die for. As I’m writing this I’ve just finished the leftovers they packed up for me. I will never want plain lasagna again.)

THIRD COURSE

Choice of: Grilled Branzino Filet, Chopped Tomatoes, Sautéed Mixed Vegetables.

Grilled Organic Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Spinach.

Grilled Hanger Steak, Arugula, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

(I shared the fish and steak with a couple of other people but missed out on the chicken. The fish was so delicate and so wonderful with the younger reds as I stated earlier, and the steak was delectable with the older reds. I linger over this in my mind now…)

PER FINIRE

Selection of Cheeses.

Housemade Biscotti.

(I had to skedaddle on the road so I missed this finale. I saw photos and heard from other writers in attendance that both the cheeses and the desserts were incredible.)

Photos of the food and wine here.

About Travaglini

Driven by a passion for exceptional Nebbiolo, the Travaglini family has been producing remarkable, limited- production wines in Gattinara for four generations. The Travaglini family has owned land in Gattinara since the beginning of the 19th century. The family’s winemaking tradition started with Clemente Travaglini, who was succeeded by his son Arturo, however, it was not until 1958 when Arturo’s son, Giancarlo, took the helm that the Travaglini Estate Winery was established as it exists today.

Today, the Travaglini family owns 146 acres of vineyards, 128 of which are dedicated to vines, primarily Nebbiolo, covering roughly 50% of total vineyards within the Gattinara DOCG. This small appellation lies in the rocky foothills of the Monte Rosa range, where ventilating winds blow down from the nearby Alps. Soils are rocky and rich in porphyry, granite and iron. Similar in composition to the Alps, Monte Rosa’s sedimentary rock is highly acidic, due to low levels of calcium carbonate and magnesium, and an absence of calcium. Vines grown in this rare soil produce grapes with a unique flavor profile, high acidity and firm tannins. The finished wines offer refreshing acidity, soft tannins, minerality and complexity.

https://www.travaglinigattinara.it/en/winery/

About Angelini Osteria

Gino Angelini has become known as simply everyone’s favorite Italian chef in Los Angeles, winning over the city with his authentic dishes. The Angelini brand has evolved into three divisions: dining, catering and products.

In 2001, Gino Angelini and his wife Elizabeth opened Angelini Osteria, an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. Since opening, Angelini Osteria has become one of LA’s most celebrated restaurants. The Osteria has blazed the trail for many Italian dishes in Los Angeles, including its famous Linguine Sea Urchin and the sought after Spaghetti Norcina. To this day the Osteria remains family owned and controlled.

The Angelini’s partnered with 17-year veteran employee, Girolamo Rindone, to open a classic Italian bar, Angelini Alimentari. Angelini Alimentari is a gourmet fast-casual dining concept featuring light California-Italian inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner fare with an focus on pickup and delivery.

https://www.angelinirestaurantgroup.com/angelini-osteria

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Vintage Eve Circa April 2013: Wine Steward, or Bottle, Faulty?

April 18, 2017 by evebushman

This is a true story, and I need you to be the judge. At a recent dinner out – locally, reservations under my name and the owner knew when I was coming – I might have made a mistake trusting the wine steward with selecting a Chateauneuf du Pape that would go with the meals we were ordering.

Waitress Clearly Lost

After perusing the wine list, I mentioned to our waitress what we wanted to spend and what we were looking for. I asked her for a recommendation. She said, “Do you want me to get ——?” (He is not referred to as a wine steward or sommelier, I believe he is the manager.) Yes, I knew who she was talking about, as she presumed I did, he’d been at that restaurant for a decade or longer. I was a wee bit surprised that she couldn’t make a suggestion on her own as the restaurant was known for its wine list and I had never needed the wine steward before.

The Wine Steward

Instead of talking to us about what we were looking for, or offering us any options, he came to our table and presented a 1997 CDP vintage that he said was no longer available on the wine list. I should have asked why he suggested that wine and why not any others, but I didn’t.

He opened the wine and poured us both (my husband was with me) a taste. I commented on the brown color, indicating some age. The wine steward said it was an organic wine, and told us about organic wine practices…for some reason he thought this would interest us or explain the wine.

I asked what grapes were in the wine, and he proceeded to list all Rhone varietals; not actually answering my question.

After he left we noted quite a bit of sediment in our glass – again not necessarily indicative of anything but age. Trusting the wine steward we forged ahead. Then I noted an astringency I hoped would blow off and bloom into some nice fruit and tannins.

Sending Back Wine

We swirled the wine, we let it sit for a while, and we tried it alone and with food. Then we began to consider sending it back. I’ve never sent back wine because it didn’t age well. And since this wine wasn’t corked we decided against it. Were we right?

Our Conclusion

As we paid our bill my husband and I agreed – we hadn’t enjoyed our meal and it would be awhile before we would return. We felt that the wine steward should have offered us a selection and answered the questions we asked – and we should have insisted instead of being too trusting about it.

The wine steward failed us, and it left us wondering, how many others may have shared the same experience? If a restaurant’s wine steward doesn’t make a customer happy, but only tries to convince them that they should be happy, that’s a fail in my book.

Whether the wine steward thought we were clumsy wine people, with little or no knowledge of wine or not, the experience left us feeling, well, hoodwinked. A bottle no longer available on the wine list could have been because it was awesome; in this case it appeared, with all of the circumstances – to have been removed from the wine list.

When I got home and Googled the wine I learned that Wine-Searcher.com reviewed the exact one, and a chart showed that the wine had peaked in 2003. I felt better, justified that I was correct in assume the wine hadn’t aged well. Now all I could consider was perhaps the wine steward hadn’t aged well either.

Eve’s Wine Pet Peeves, Again

December 16, 2016 by evebushman

Awhile back I did a few things, I wrote Wine Service at Your Home, an Event, Bar, Winery or Restaurant, another on Bad Somm Service and compiled a little 99 cent e-book called Wine Etiquette For Everyone: How To Feel Like A Pro In Any Situation Involving Wine. Fast-forward a couple of years and as it would turn out, my level of detecting aromas and flavors has also identified more BS in the wine community. Check it out, though I may have a couple or repeats in here as some things still really bug the hell out of me:

I recently dined at a restaurant that served wine and allowed BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). The waitress took the bottle I had brought in, opened it up out of my view (guessing there is one corkscrew in the place) then returned with the bottle, and presto, the cork was removed right through the now ripped foil. I had no choice but to remove the jagged remains from the top of the bottle myself. Why they would serve wine this way I don’t know. It’s just plain ugly and the diner has to do the work.

This is one a few people mentioned to me on Faceboook: Attending a catered party, complete with hired bartending services, and the bar ends up being low on basic supplies and the server is ill-trained.

Holding the wine glass by the bowl instead of the stem is only appropriately called for if the wine is too cold and the aromas are closed off. (I’ve been known to cup a frosted glass – another pet peeve – of white wine as I can’t detect a damn thing when the wine is served icy cold.) The stem is there for a reason, please use it. It allows you to easily swirl your wine so you can enjoy its color and aromas.

Anyone with the inability to handle a cork mishap hasn’t been trained properly. I’ve actually had to step in to rescue a broken cork from a bottle, or to wipe down the inside or outside of the neck of broken cork remnants.

This is very common: not pouring a taste when you BYOW to a restaurant. Any bottle can be corked or deemed undrinkable. Why not show the courtesy, and if the bottle is not up to par, there you are ready to offer a suggestion for replacement. Seems like a no brainer to me. When I’m hosting a party or working a wine event I always taste the wines before serving.

Please taste through your wines before subjecting a diner or guest to a pairing. Wine and cake is not my favorite pairing. Neither are cocktails and cookies. Like and like works with food: a good example is a big Cab with firm tannins will help break down fat in a big steak. But a sweet wine with an equally sweet dessert isn’t for everyone. Port alone or with a little chocolate is good, while a Sauterne is nice with a blue cheese, the rest you can keep to yourself.

Bad glasses: if you really don’t like the glasses offered at a restaurant enough that it negatively changes your experience, bring your own. A restaurant may not carry the latest Riedel or crystal glasses for the sole reason that they are expensive, highly breakable and not the easiest to fit in their dishwasher. Get over it or pack up and bring in your own.

If you serve wine in individual carafes please don’t empty the entire carafe into the wine glass. It’s not a show. Pour about two ounces, or up to the widest portion of the glass. Overfilling the wine glass won’t allow for swirling.

Ignoring a drip: really? Come prepared with a cloth napkin nearby when you serve wine. The diner shouldn’t be responsible to wipe up a drip. Or, if left unnoticed, have their clothing stained.

Over chilled white wines: I understand the majority of people like wine bucket service for their sparkling. It’s a nice show. But unless it’s 90+ degrees out I would rather discern the serving temperature myself of a white wine. If a white is served too cold aromas are shut down.

This should be obvious but while guests watch a server opening a wine they will notice dirty fingernails. Please clean up before serving. Egads people.

Not a biggie but the foil capsule is the bottle’s “dressing” and shouldn’t be completely removed. I’ve been told it’s easier for the staff, among other reasons, but it’s not supposed to be served that way and a wine person will only presume that you just don’t know any better.

Many a time a bottle is presented and poured with the label hidden in the palm of a hand. Please turn the bottle around, holding with one hand by the back and the punt, and confirm it was the correct one ordered. The bottle should then be shown to all of the guests at the table if possible.

This is fun to watch but not appropriate: holding the bottle between your knees or under your arm to retrieve the cork. If you simply can’t maneuver it, then place it on the table to help you balance the bottle while opening.

This happened to me once in a very high-end restaurant: The waitress and I both watched as the sediment slid out of the bottle and into my glass. Really? Stop pouring and replace the wine. She didn’t.

Snobs, I’ve touched on this one before but have since have to add: please be careful on social media. Your “expert’s rant” is subject to commentary so unless you know something to be a fact, and of value to others, keep it to yourself. Expressing an “elevated view” of wine makes you look like a snob, some of your followers may feel like veritable idiots and is a complete disservice to the wine community.

This video from Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) on opening wine is valuable, and if you want more there are four in the series you can watch here.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com