I discovered Torraccia del Piantavigna wines at the 2020 Barolo Brunello Barbaresco wine tasting in Washington D.C hosted by Empson USA. 

The Torraccia del Piantavigna winery is located in Italy’s Piedmont region, specifically  the Ghemme and Gattinara D.O.C.G. regions. Pierino Piantavigna planted Nebbiolo in his first vineyard.  Years later the winery was started and in 2020, the winery owns close to 100 acres of vineyards with the grape varieties of Nebbiolo, Vespolina and Erbaluce. All of the vineyards are cultivated by hand and the grapes are hand harvested.

The winemaking protocol uses Allier oak casks. According to a brochure offered at the wine tasting, “…medium sized (2,500 l) Allier oak casks are the preferred choice as they soften the tannins without masking the essential varietal notes of the grape.”

Torraccia del Piantavigna produces three levels of wine that include young and old D.O.C. wines plus the D.O.C.G. wines.

Wines

ErbaVoglio 2018 was produced with an indigenous grape variety known as Erbaluce.  The wine was aged for five months in stainless steel tanks followed by one month in bottle. This dry white wine had 13% alcohol. The wine was a peach color. The aroma was of yellow stone fruit and the fruity taste included notes of peaches and apricots. The finish was crisp and fruity.

Nebbiolo 2018 (Neb) 2018 was a translucent red color. The wine was a translucent red color with a fruity aroma. The taste had notes of light cherry and red fruits. The finish began with mild tannins that built up.

Gattinara D.O.C.G. was produced with Nebbiolo grapes. The wine had 13.5% alcohol. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of three years . The wine was an orange-red color. The wine offered notes of blackberry and black cherry. The mouthfeel was velvety-smooth.

Ghemme 2013, produced with 90 percent Nebbiolo also included the Vespolina grape variety. This wine  was a dark orange-red color. The mouth feel was smooth and had tannins. The taste was fruity and included blackberry notes. The finish was long.

Visiting Torraccia del Piantavigna

According to the Torraccia del Piantavigna website, the winery has a large, elegant wine store where wine and distilled products are available. At the same location visitors can discover a wine bar,  tasting room and an International Wine, Grappa and Liqueur Library. Visitors can also visit the winery. “We can arrange a range of different options from a simple visit to a full tasting, a light snack of local specialities, a visit to the vineyards or a master-class with our enologist.” Please contact the winery in advance.

Cheers!
Kathy