KEEPING ITALY ON TOP: WHOM YOU KNOW CELEBRATES ITALIAN STYLE INTELLIGENCE AND EXCELLENCE: Musso Barbaresco “Pora” Docg Highly Recommended by Whom You Know!
There has been a lot to celebrate recently; Whom You Know as a website turned 8 years old on January 25th and Peachy Deegan turned a year older on January 29th.
Guess what we drank to celebrate?
Barbaresco “Pora” Docg!
The third and final hit of the inaugural Musso hit parade on Whom You Know concludes with this, our favorite of the three.
Musso has previously earned high accolades:
A distinguished richness envelops your olfactory senses when the bottle is opened; we were impressed by notes of plum, blackberry, blueberry and an embellished garnet dark indigo hue awakened our Galway Crystal wine glass. Unparalleled smoothness greeted our palate after we poured the wine, which showed it had great legs when we swirled it around in the glass; if it had human legs you know it would probably wear Emilio Cavallini (from Florence!).
The slightly tannic quality evoked a heightened glamour of yesteryear with a modern touch and this pairs well with a myriad of carnivorous endeavors as well as anything chocolate.
The Nebbiolo grape has been present in Barbaresco since ancient times, although its organized production dates back just to the second XIX . These hills of the Langhe have been able to select the most suitable areas, where the soil is more hospitable and exposure promotes better ripening of the grapes. It's clear that for the Musso family, this is a beloved vocation, not a job.
The grapes for this Nebbiolo destined to be Barbaresco are produced in the estate vineyards of Musso in the historical cru of Pora, once known as Citadel Pora. Here, soil reproduces the characteristic mixture of limestone and clay that produces a wine full of character and ability to withstand time and has a pronounced sophisticated complex quality that will make you fall in love with it.
Soil: this is an historical vineyard, about 2 and a half hectares, with mainly limestone and frequent intersections of clay. For this the soil is complete and compact and particularly suitable for the cultivation of Nebbiolo.
Altitude: between 240 and 280 meters above sea level.
Exposition: from west to south-west.
Vinification: hand harvested, the grapes are crushed and de-stemmed at the cellar. Then, the vinification follows a traditional method in steel containers. The maceration lasts about 20 days and has an immersed cap with periodic pumpovers. The fermentation temperatures oscillate between 28 and 30° C.
Maturation: after racking, the new wine matures in oak barrels of 50 hectoliters for 12 months and then for another 10-12 months in barrels of 20 hectoliters.
Bottling: after this period of evolution, Barbaresco "Pora" is bottled in the summer of the second year after harvest. The bottled wine is stored in the winery for about 7-8 months. Then, finally, it is ready for the market and consumption.
Tasting notes: Barbaresco “Pora” is a very expressive and grand wine: starting with the color, a red garnet decidedly intact and pure without wavering; the scent is ethereal, very rich in fragrant scents such as cherries, raspberries and wild strawberries along with hints of dried flowers. The next flavors to arrive are spiced with cinnamon and vanilla. The flavor is consistent: full bodied, intense, enveloping and with fine mature tannins.
Food Pairings: an important wine wanted to be accompanied by important dishes. For this, Barbaresco "Pora" is a classic wine red meat. Traditionally it was approached with a preference for game meat, today it’s complexity and fullness do well with all red meat cooked in various ways, from roasts, stews and braised local cuisine as well as international dishes. With the passage of time and the maturation of the wine, Barbaresco does not always need a gastronomic pairing, but can be enjoyed by itself that articulates thoughts and emotions. A wine of meditation.
Musso Barbaresco “Pora” Docg is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
Put some of this liquid garnet into your glass and sip excellence!
History of the vineyards and the wines of Barbaresco
In this village dedicated to wine, the Musso winery has developed its own history, whose features are often coincided with broader events that have marked the path of the entire society.
The Musso winery was founded in 1929 and coincides with one of the most critical moments of the Italian economy and the world, the year of the "Great Depression", that brought down myths and structures that seemed invincible. In those years it was difficult just to manage everyday life and to pool resources for survival.
Yet, Sebastiano Musso, born in 1906, did not lose heart. Even with being left alone at a young age from the untimely death of his father, he found the strength to fight back and establish a small winery in Barbaresco.
He didn't have a lot of ground, only “3 giornata piemontese” (a little more than one hectare, 2.62 giornata equal 1 hectare) one in the locality of Cavanna and one on the hillside of Ronchi. It was small, but enough to start. While he continued the work of the family, cultivating the vineyards, he started producing his own wine.
The following years were very difficult: those of World War II and after the war. Yet he managed to survive making wine and selling it, overcoming the difficulties and distances. Year after year, the markets were enlarged. In the early sixties he understood that it would take more grapes and help in the vineyards and winery to cultivate and produce. The light of progress began to show its reflections in the distance.
It was in the sixties that his son Augusto, who left some time before to Turin to seek a life in the city in the mechanical sector, thought of his decision and he knew it was time to return home. He didn't miss the city lights and knew there was a family and a winery waiting for
him in Barbaresco. His future was there to look after and follow the family business.
It was the beginning of 1968, the era of big bets in agriculture, especially in viticulture and oenology: Italy had passed its wine law of origin only a few years ago and this would give more certainty to those who produced and those who consumed, enhancing the quality of the wines.
It was in 1966 that Barbaresco, the wine to which his father Sebastiano had dedicated his life, had become a DOC wine and this recognition had created great interest for the wine.
With his return to the winery, Augusto brought the enthusiasm of youth. The winery benefited and in the following years, Sebastian and Augusto expanded their vineyards with the purchase of a plot on the hill of Pora and an entire farm in Rio Sordo.
Today, the stars are still the men and their generations . They do not contradict each other, but are in total synergy, highlighting the best capabilities of each.
First is Valter Musso, a young winemaker who joined the family winery in the mid-eighties, today is a mature man and head of the winery, overseeing the responsibilities in the vineyard and the winery to produce quality wine.
But he is not alone, there is also the next generation, his son Emanuele, who supports him with marketing the wine and his grandson, Luca Accornero, who takes care of the work in the vineyards.
INITIATIVE
At the entrance of Barbaresco, Via Domitius Cavazza 5, is still the home of the Musso Winery. Here is the cellar where the grapes are vinified, aged and when ready put in the bottle for final aging. Again here, the bottle assumes the final look, the elegant label that will accompany the wine its the way to the market.
Each step is performed in a dedicated environment, using the most appropriate containers to give the best quality to each wine: the steel tanks for vinification, wooden casks of various sizes, dedicated space in the cellar the maturation of the wine and the aging in the bottle before release.
Even the vineyards, about 10 hectares in all, are mainly in the hills of Barbaresco and planted with traditional varieties (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Freisa) along with the universal Chardonnay. Musso 's vineyards are located in four of the most prestigious crus of Barbaresco: Pora, Rio Sordo, Ronchi and Cavanna.
There remains another varietal, Arneis, cultivated in the Roero beyond the river Tanaro, in Santo Stefano Roero. The winery cultivates the vineyard in collaboration with a winemaker in the Roero.
The main star of the winery is the Nebbiolo grape with about 50% of their total vineyard area. The remainder is divided among five other varieties.
The results of the work in the vineyard and in the cellar are about 80,000 bottles of wine per year on average. Barbaresco makes up 40%, a grand red wine with structure and long aging. Two types of Barbaresco are produced from different vineyards and two single crus: Pora and Rio Sordo.
Along with the Barbaresco there are four other reds and two whites: Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, a fragrant red wine that can be drunk younger.
Then, Barbera d' Alba DOC, Dolcetto d'Alba DOC and Langhe Freisa DOC. Finally, the two white wines, Langhe Chardonnay DOC and Roero Arneis DOCG.
