Classic Wines

Affluent - The Wines of Piedmont

Ask any connoisseur where the world's greatest wines are produced and you're likely to hear the same regions you would have ten or twenty years ago: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Napa - the usual suspects.

But in recent years, the wines of Piedmont have made a deliciously persuasive case for inclusion in that group.

World-class wines are nothing new to this region, of course; Barolo has enjoyed a reputation as a blockbuster for centuries. And Barbaresco-the queen of Italian wines to Barolo's king - has been on a fabulous role of late. But it's only recently that the true potential of this out-of-the-way region has gotten the attention it so richly deserves.

This is primarily due to a paradigm shift that's taken place all over the wine-producing world. For until recently, Barolo and Barbaresco were produced in such a style that they weren't terribly approachable until they'd had some down-time in the cellar. And while such patience was almost always richly rewarded, few people had either the equipment or the inclination to wait that long. As a result, some of the finest, longest-lived wines in the world remained relatively unknown outside a few select circles or ardent admirers.

But now, an important change is occurring: As wine has grown more popular with a wider range of people - as it's moved into the mainstream, essentially, and shed its old reputation as a luxury reserved only for the effete or the wealthy - Piedmont's producers have begun making wines that are more approachable at an earlier stage in their evolution. And a generally warmer climate has helped them achieve this stylistic change, too.

This was no easy trick, and there's still a serious discussion in the wine world as to whether this has resulted in a better product. But one fact is indisputable: This paradigm shift afforded more people the opportunity to enjoy the wines of Piedmont than ever before. No longer did you have to cellar a bottle before it was drinkable. No longer were these wines unappealingly tannic and acidic in their youth. No longer were they solely the provenance of the select few.

This so-called democratization, however, has caused a split in Piedmont, just as it has throughout the wine world. These days, the top level of Piedmontese winemakers typically fall into one of two categories: Traditionalists and modernists. The former produce wines that are built for the long-haul, and that require a great deal of patience to be fully appreciated. The latter produce wines that, though they still typically reward cellaring, nonetheless provide a great deal of pleasure in their youth.

I recently traveled to Piedmont to taste these wines where they're produced, to speak with the winemakers who are at the center of this vinous revolution, and to experience the wines as I'd always been told they should be: Alongside the hearty food of the region.

My first night in Italy, I had the opportunity to visit the legendary Angelo Gaja at his winery in Barbaresco. His wines have always seemed to me to represent the best of both schools of thought: They are both delicious in their youth and profound in their maturity. Among the highlights of the wines we tasted that evening were his 1988 Sperss (rich with the aroma of fresh white truffle and possessing a texture more akin to liquefied silk than anything else) and his 2004 Costa Russi (a supremely elegant mouthful of grilled herbs, chocolate, ripe berry fruit, and white truffle).

I spent the entire week visiting the region's top producers, the best known of which include Pio Cesare, Marchese di Barolo, and Coppo, among others. And while each of them had their own unique take on what Barolo and Barbaresco should be, I was struck by the overall high quality of nearly everything I tasted.

Traditional or modern in style and at every price-point, the wines of the region were not only exceptionally well made, but each of them had its own idiosyncratic personality that made it absolutely irrestible. I particularly loved the 2004's, whose restrained elegance made them both delicious now and likely to improve for a decade or more. For more immediate drinking pleasure, go with the 2003 vintage, whose heat resulted in softer wines with a bit more roundness and ripe fruit.

After centuries in the shadows of the world's other great regions, Piedmont is finally garnering the attention and widespread respect it has always deserved. It's about time. These complex, nuanced, food-friendly wines are some of the most exciting in the world right now. And the fact that so many of them can be enjoyed either as soon as you bring them home or after years in the cellar only makes them that much more appealing. They are, in the truest sense, the best of both worlds.