Never heard of Lessona or Bramaterra? Time to discover!

Discovering the regions of Lessona, Bramaterra and Costa della Seisa last week has been quite an experience. Lovely wines, lovely area, lots of passion amongst the producers and seemingly lots of potential in the vineyards. Young vines nearly all over the region makes the quality quite surprising. The wines from these DOCs was famous a hundred and some years ago. They border on Gattinara and continue over to Biella in the north of Piemonte. Production is still small but increasing, but my guess is that these wines will have a renaissance similar to Jura or Beaujolais Cru’s over the next decade or two.Above is Villa Era.

2011 Maria Chiara Reda Cajanto
Bright ruby. Some bramble, raspberries, slight anise note, lightly scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, somewhat rustic, fruity, slightly tight, good length. 86

2010 Maria Chiara Reda Castella di Montecavallo
Bright ruby. Scented, deeper nose, liquorice, bramble, leather, some vanilla, fairly intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, liquorice, cherries, stone of stone fruit, intense finish, leaner and fairly tight. Good length. 89

2014 Maria Chiara Reda Kylix Rosato
Pale red. Light nose of red berries, slight rose note and faint liquorice touch. Fresh acidity, fruity, lively, fresh, sweet ripe red berries, candied apples, good length. Lovely rosé. 84

2012 Villa Era
700 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, elegant red berries nose, raspberries, pure nose, delicate. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner palate, refreshing, tight, somewhat hollow mid palate, tight finish. It opens up. With air, getting more scented and floral. 88

2010 Pietro Cassina Rèra Russa Vespolina
Bright ruby. Fruity, leaner, fresh, liquorice, scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner, fresh, fruity, on the lean side. 85

2010 Pietro Cassina Lessona Ciuèt
Bright ruby. Scented, dark fruits, morellos, liquorice, elegant nose, fruity. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins. Fruity, rounded, fresh, fairly intense, liquorice, elegant, smoother texture, long. 91

2010 Pietro Cassina Lessona Tanzo
Bright ruby. Scented, dark, fruits, intense, liquorice, bramble, cherries, light herbal note far back. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, fresh, rounded, intense, slight rustic note, cherries and liquorice, long. 92

2009 Tenute Sella Lessona
Bright ruby. Red berries, light liquorice nose, fairly charming nose. Raspberries and candied apples. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively, leaner, firm and tight, good length. 86

2010 Tenute Sella Bramaterra
Bright ruby. Freshly cut nettles, dark fruits and liquorice nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively, fairly fruity but also a somewhat rustic structure. 87

2007 Tenute Sella Lessona San Sebastiano allo Zoppo
Bright ruby. Scented, anise, figs, roses, detailed nose, cherries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, structured, somewhat rustic, slightly hollow mid palate before a wider finish with loads of bramble and liquorice, long. 90

2007 Tenute Sella Bramaterra I Porfidi
Bright ruby. Some coffee, liquorice, tighter and firmer nose, almost mineral note beneath. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively, fruity, rustic texture, long and firm. 90

2008 Tenute Sella Lessona Quintino Sella
Bright ruby. Dark fruits, bramble, liquorice, some vanilla, spices far back. Tight. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, playful, intense, raspberries, cherries, anise, structured, almost juicy behind the slightly rustic, long. 92

2014 Tenute Sella Majoli Rosato
Pale pink. Red berries nose, fresh. Fresh acidity, fruity, fresh, lively, almost kemony finish. 82

(2013) Castello di Castellendo Centovigne Rosso della Motta Vecchie Vigne
6000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Raspberries, fruity, elegant nose, light floral note nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, lively, elegant. Young vines. 86

2010 Castello di Castellendo Centovigne il Centovigne
7000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Anise, some herbs, dark fruits nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, bit hollow, fresh and lively, bit herbal. Age of vines are 15 and 18 years. 83

2010 Castello di Castellendo Centovigne Castellengo Nebbiolo
4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, liquorice, bramble, raspberries, anise, light roses nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively, fruity, intense, playful, juicy and lovely balance. 90

2011 Sperino Uvaggio
Ca 20000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Intense, anise, dark fruits and berries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and lively, refreshing red berries, light herbal note and anise, detailed. 89

2010 Sperino Lessona
Ca 6000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, dark and red fruits, anise, elegant nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, structured, bit tight, red berries, fresh and long. 90

2009 Sperino 'L Franc
Ca 1000 bottles made. Ruby. Bell peppers, scented, cassis nose, some violets. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, leaner, fresh, some nettles and blueberries, good length. 88

2012 Clerico Massimo Ca' du Leria
2000 bottles made. Deepish ruby. Dark fruits, light floral note anise. Quite elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, somewhat fuller bodied, fresh. 87

2012 Clerico Massimo Spanna
5000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, some liquorice nose, lightly floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, elegant. 86

2009 Clerico Massimo Lessona
5000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, violets, cherries, morellos, raspberries, anise, layered, elegant nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red berries palate, lively, fresh and elegant. 89

2014 La Prevostura Corinna Rosato
3500 bottles made. Pale red. Light red fruity and citrus nose. Fresh acidity, some red berries, light citrus, playful. 82

2010 La Prevostura Muntacc
3000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Red berries, elegant nose, lightly scented and lightly floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, structured, red berries and anise, good length. 86

2011 La Prevostura Bramaterra
3500 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, some mint, detailed nose, Christmas spices and red berries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, structured, bit rustic, dark fruits and liquorice, good length. 88

2010 La Prevostura Lessona
4000 bottles made. Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, anise, faint light minerality far behind. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, leaner, quite playful, elegant, lively, good length. 89

2011 Noah Bramaterra
Bright ruby. Cooked fruits, anise, warm nose. Freshish acidity, ripe tannins, sweet, cooked nettles and jammy, lacks nuances and freshness. 84

Dinner at Santuario di Oropa

2009 La Prevostura Lessona alle er magnum
Magnum. Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, light anise note, delicate nose. Liquorice. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, elegant, rounded, smooth, good length. 88

2006 Sperino Lessona
Towards ruby. Violets, cherries, raspberries, bramble, liquorice, bit fuller and somewhat more layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, red berries, cherries, structured, lacks a bit on the mid palate compared to 2010, elegant. 87

2004 Sperino L'Franc
1000 bottles made. Ruby. Cassis, bell peppers, anise, some vanilla, delicate nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, quite smooth texture, elegant, nuanced, fresh, fine texture, almost silky, long almost red fruity finish. Playful. 91

2011 Noah Coste della Sesia Croatina
Bright ruby. Estragon, red berries, anise, scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, soft, fresh and fruity, little bit richer, fairly elegant.  88

2013 Pietro Cassina Rosa Rosarum
Pale red. Some herbs and red berries. Fresh acidity, leaner, fresh, some herbs, red berries and citrus. 81

2009 Castello di Castellendo Centovigne il Centovigne
Bright ruby. Red berries, some liquorice and herbs nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity but a bit hollow mid palate. 84

2008 Maria Reda Aralcader Vino Rosso da Uve Stramature
About 300 bottles made, the years that it is made. Ruby. Intense liquorice, tar, some roses, cherries, up front nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, bitter, intense, sweet cherries, intense, almost bitter liquorice, rich and fruity but also firm texture. Sort of an Amarone made from Nebbiolo, normally not my sort of wine, but long. 93

2009 Maria Reda Castello di Montecavallo
Ruby. Cherries, liquorice, dark fruits, more intense and deeper than the '10, but not as refined. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, rounded, cherries, quite fresh and elegant, good length. 88

2009 Rionda
Ca. 700 bottles. It couldn't be called Villa Era as it wasn't DOC at this time. Pale ruby. Some liquorice, cherries and cherry stones nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner, fresh but could have more fruit. One of the first vintages after restoring the vineyards in 2006/2007. 86