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Bruno Giacosa's decision not to bottle his 2006 single vineyard Barolo and Barbaresco’s (due to inferior quality) is curious indeed. In a vintage that most consider excellent (even with the hail damage in Barbaresco, it can still be on par with 1999 or maybe 2001) this may signal a permanent changing of the guard that started with the departure of enologist Dante Scaglione (who did not finish the 2006’s or 2007’a at Giacosa, contrary to reports). At 80 years of age, Bruno Giacosa has given this world (and my palate) so many treasures, but a loss of this magnitude may be too great to overcome. I am hopeful but it may be a while before this estate regains their grandeur in total, or better said, reinvents themselves with a new full time winemaker and artist (reported to be the son-in-law of the Falleto vineyard manager). Even with the turmoil, it appears that the legend wishes to prove a point that he can still make wine - I can report that the 2007’s at the upper end appear to be very promising, so stay tuned.

Even still, Dante Scaglione was so important to Giacosa that his loss is immeasurable to Bruno at this stage in his life. Scaglione was responsible (in total or in part) for the master wines at this estate dating back to the classics of the early 1990’s (either officially or unofficially he also had a hand in the 1989/1990 red labels as they were raised, including the 1989 Collina Rionda Riserva one of my top 20 greatest Italian wines of the last century). In an official capacity as Bruno's right hand man for the last 16-17 years, his brushstroke and resulting influence on this estate (certainly among a handful of what I call the 6-star properties of Italy, above 5-star quality) is immeasurable.

With that said, Giacosa's loss is Pier’s gain.

Yes, I said Pier.

We pioneered the Pier estate several years ago and they have gone on to mixed results (albeit at bargain basement, even crazy prices for single vineyard Barbaresco). When they hit, their wine can be among the finest price/value stars of the Langhe but results have been too irregular. All of that is about to change with the stunning arrival of Dante Scaglione as their enologist/consultant. Whatever prompted Scaglione to leave Giacosa after the 2005 high-end wines were bottled will remain behind closed doors but his decision to grab the reigns at Pier was an easy one for him – they were under the radar, still malleable with two critical elements he required: stunning terroir and a nod to tradition. Dante knew could elevate Pier to the top in a hurry with a vision that combined Giacosa's tradition with Gaja’s foresight and consistency. To accomplish this, loads of work would be necessary but the proof is in the pudding and the Asnas is Scaglione’s first achievement (kept somewhat secret from the public until today).

When Dante asked Pier why they didn’t produce a Costa Russi or Sori San Lorenzo-like wine (they had the terroir to do it), they had no answer. As most of you know, Gaja is unable to use the term “Barbaresco” on his high-end wines due to the constraints of varietal make-up (Barbaresco is Nebbiolo – period). Gaja prefers to blend his “Barbaresco” with small amounts of Barbera, Cabernet or Syrah depending on the vintage character. While Gaja can be quite modern in style, what if you took the core principles and tradition of Giacosa and made a Gaja-like Langhe Rosso (Costa Russi et al) with small amounts of Barbera or other (something they would not do at Giacosa)?

You will find out soon enough...

Enter the 2007 Asnas – the wine that will change the game in Treiso and put Pier on the map for good. I’m not going to say they are the next Giacosa (the wine should do the talking for them) but you get the idea of where I’m going with this. Anyone interested in the Langhe will be well-served to give this more than a passing glance.

Let's just say, Scaglione is not fooling around with this wine. 2007 was a great vintage for him to start and the material he had to work with was exemplary. I’m sure they toyed with increased pricing and a complete overhaul of the packaging/identity of the estate but the owners did not want to do that, preferring to gradually show the way by the quality of the wines (which is more in keeping with the Italian modus operandi – forget the in your face “here we are!” and instead a gentle show of force from the results in the bottle).

Where does that leave this wine? As one of the best buys of the season. The 2007 Asnas, released to us early (so everyone can try it come this fall), is a blend of Pier's best Barbaresco (Nebbiolo), Barbera and (surprise!) Petit Verdot – the inspiration may be Sori Tilden but the muscle and personality is all Bruno. This simple “Langhe Rosso” needs to be tasted and I’ll just leave it at that.

Jon Rimmernman Garagiste,
Seattle, Washington April, 2009

Nonno Pietro Grasso was born in 1878, he changed the course of the family¹s history forever by founding the winery, now managed with great care by his son Giuseppe and his grandson Pier Paolo, who was born exactly a hundred years later. Now it is Pier Paolo, who became committed to continuous growth, capitalizing on his family's spirit of sacrifice and hard work. The winery is located in the renowned village of Treiso, situated about 7 km from Alba, the capital of the Langhe wine district. The wines are produced using grapes from reputed vineyards the Grassos have bought with years of painstaking work.

	The grapes are grown on the prestigious sunny hillsides surrounding the winery, which boasts an outstanding view of hilltops and ridges that slope gently towards the town of Alba, crowned in the distance by the majestic peak of Monviso. It is truly in the vineyard that we strive to reach our maximum quality potential, aware of the fact that a great wine is first born here... An optimal level of quality is essential. The most important factor for achieving this is the vineyard's exposure together with its terrain. The cultivars of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera are planted only in the best exposures facing south, sout-west and south-east.  The vineyards are managed in such a way as to obtain lots of extracts that produce wines rice in tannins and coloring matter.
To obtain this result, it is necessary to tend the vineyards with strict purning (in the older vineyards no more that 7-8 buds per vine) and thin out the grape bunches at the time of the color change. The vineyards belonging to the Pier estate are situated in the municipalities of Treiso and Barbaresco. The grape harvest usually takes place during the first three weeks of October depending on the weather condition of each vintage and always a few days before the Barolo harvest. All grapes are harvested in small baskets.
Three generations of heart, passion and love; the authentic blend of our family's success. Pier Wines: www.piervini.it view wine