Crisp and clean, with a soft, satiny mousse and a minerally underpinning, layered with flavors of white raspberry and white cherry fruit, lemon zest, spring blossoms and fresh herbs. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now.
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The story of the Enrico Serafino winery is the story of Roero, one of Piedmont’s key winegrowing areas. Roero faces the famous Langhe hills across the Tanaro River in the northeast part of Cuneo Province, and together with Monferrato to the east, Roero and Langhe are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for their beauty and their winemaking traditions. Enrico Serafino is the oldest winery in the area, having been established by a gentleman of the same name in Canale d’Alba in 1878. The winery has now been in operation continuously in its original location for 140 years.
In typical Piemontese fashion, founder Enrico Serafino made a wide array of different wines, using grapes grown in areas that even then were known for their high quality, such as Barolo and Gavi. Under modern laws, the wines of a denomination must normally be made inside the specified winegrowing boundaries, but this was long before the first DOC laws were passed in Italy, and it was not unusual for wineries to bring in fruit from any number of neighboring communes. Due to its very long history of making Barolo in Canale, the Enrico Serafino winery is grandfathered as an exception to the requirement to vinify Barolo inside the limits of the Barolo DOCG. Today the winery owns 25 acres of Barolo vineyards in the renowned areas of Serralunga, Monforte d'Alba, and Castiglione Falletto and also makes traditional red wines of Barbera d'Alba and Nebbiolo d'Alba.
Less typically, Serafino in 1878 also began making metodo classico sparkling wines. At that time, sparkling wines as we know them today (wines that were clear of yeast sediment and didn't routinely explode) were a relative novelty. The process had really been mastered in Champagne only a couple of decades earlier, and the procedures and technology were just starting to be available outside Champagne. But sparkling Moscato was beginning to be made in Piedmont, and Serafino was a trailblazer for the nascent industry.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Canale (Cuneo province), Piedmont VINEYARD: Barolo (Serralunga & La Morra), Langhe, Roero, Alta Langa VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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90
DECEMBER 2023
Enrico Serafino "Oudeis" Alta Langa DOCG Brut 2018
Crisp and clean, with a soft, satiny mousse and a minerally underpinning, layered with flavors of white raspberry and white cherry fruit, lemon zest, spring blossoms and fresh herbs. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now. 90
AUGUST 2023
Enrico Serafino "Oudeis" Alta Langa DOCG Brut Rosé 2019
100% Pinot Noir. Bright, medium deep orange, onion skin; aromas of orange peel, pear and dried strawberry. Medium-bodied with very good concentration, very good acidity, good persistence and a clean, dry, appealing finish. Nicely balanced, this is a subdued style of rosé to pair with lighter red meats. Enjoy over the next 2-4 years 90
JUNE 2023
Enrico Serafino "Pajena" Barbera d’Alba DOC 2021
Black plums, cassis, earth and oyster shells on the nose. It’s fruity and tangy with a medium body, soft tannins and a crisp, easygoing finish. Drink now. 90
MAY 2023
Enrico Serafino “Zero” Alta Langa DOCG Brut 2017
95+
JULY 2020
Enrico Serafino Zero 140 Alta Langa Brut DOCG Riserva 2007
This is a special wine with the words "pianeta, terra, planet, earth" painted by hand at the bottom of the bottle. The Enrico Serafino 2007 Alta Langa Metodo Classico Pas Dosé Riserva Zero 140 opens to a pale gold color and shows immediate warmness and creaminess. This sparkling blend of 85% Pinot Nero and 15% Chardonnay is very inviting. You get poached pear and peach with toasted almond and baked bread. The texture is soft and rich with fine, soft beading that keeps the wine lively and fresh to the end. It ages on the lees for a whopping 140 months, or 12 years. In fact, the winery claims that this is the longest-aging sparkling wine produced in Italy. A precious few 890 bottles were made (and my sample was disgorged at the end of January 2020). 92
OCTOBER 2023
Enrico Serafino "Oudeis" Alta Langa DOCG Brut Rosé 2019
Fresh aromas of strawberry, rose and cherry and hints of wild herb are on the nose. The palate is lifted and vibrant with savory notes melding perfecting with the soft red berry notes, finishing with crushed stones and crisp acidity. 93
DECEMBER 2022
Enrico Serafino “Zero” Alta Langa DOCG Brut 2016
Airy and crisply refreshing, the 2016 Zero wafts up with a bouquet of sweet smoke and pretty pear and sour melon nuances. It's elegant and soothing on the palate, with a burst of minerality up front that slowly gives way to green apple contrasting with candied ginger. Residual acids cleanse the senses while forcing them to water as this finishes long and nearly salty in character. The Zero does an excellent job of impressing with its savory character while urging the taster back to the glass for more. Well done. 91
AUGUST 2022
Enrico Serafino "Grifo del Quartaro" Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2021
The nicely balanced Enrico Serafino 2021 Gavi del Comune di Gavi Grifo del Quartaro is fragrant and floral with star jasmine and acacia followed by orchard fruit, citrus and salty mineral. The wine is thin and crisp with enough tonic energy to pair with fried shrimp or calamari. |