Antonio Vallana, Spanna, Piedmont

Day One: 85 points - cranberry, pomegranate, vegetal, dusy thyme. Disjointed and rather unenjoyable. Small taste and recorked immediately and left for day three. Day Three: 87 points - decent weekday sipper but utterly forgettable. Drank a glass, was ok. More even as the tannins have mellowed and the fruiy is coming into focus. Day Four: 93 points - what happened!?! This is killer. Drinks like a cross between Paolo Bea and Nicolo Grippaldi (more the latter). Suave and silky …

2018 vintage

Cherries, flowers, and wet earth on the nose, more of the fruit less of the earth in the mouth. Tannins a little grippy, acid very pointy, but mostly just pleasant to quaff and not think too much about.

2018 vintage

Impromptu Italians (Terra Rossa) : An intensely volatile, balsamic nose, which had lovely lift. Earthy and well-developed on the medium-bodied palate, which had a punch of deep, dark cocoa-tinged fruit, a hint of funk and a lipsmacking finish. A very distinctive wine, in a nice window.

2008 vintage

No Burlotto at Terra Rossa (Terra Rossa, N1) : Beautifully resolved, balanced and delicious. Just a really nice thing to drink! A sort of Burgundian poise and balance: dark cherry, burnt sugar, young leather, autumnal leaves. The perfume is quietly intense - not the breathtakingly expressive high-toned aroma of the Langhe, more of a transparent silken layer draped over the fruit. Clearly a lighter interpretation of Nebbiolo but no less intense or compelling. I originally scored it a bit higher, …

2008 vintage

PnP. Cherry and rose, earth/compost under the fruit, some leather notes, medium- body, medium+ acidity, tannins seemed fairly tame when first opened, but start emerging with some time and air, and become more aggressive. This has improved since last tasted in 2/2023, but this still has a long life ahead. It's likely not as long lived as some vintages, but this should easily go 10-12+ years from the vintage. An understated wine, and an incredible value.

2018 vintage

Светлый гранатово-чайный цвет, прозрачное. В аромате красные ягоды, земля и компост, овощи, скотик, шерсть, мох, гвоздика, аптека, лак, кожа, специи, дерево. Во вкусе среднее тело, высочайшая кислотность, интенсивные шероховатые танины. Интересное, комплексное. 90/100

2018 vintage

Better as it ages. Amazing that a wine at this price point has that ability along with a goodly amount of complexity. Shut your eyes and its Barbaresco or Gatinera. So happy that Antonio Vallanas great grand children have kept up the tradition.

2018 vintage

Great Nebbiolo character. Clear dark red. Some resin on nose. Nice even presentation with tart fruit and a bit of tannin on finish. All for $21. Will definitely look for more.

2018 vintage

Still going strong. Lots of bright red berry flavor.

2008 vintage

My last bottle and still quality. Fresh, primary red fruit with this bottling's characteristic prickly acidity. Still youthful and I honestly can't guess for how long this will drink well. Ten years? Surely, but if it turned out to be 30 I really wouldn't be surprised. The only thing that keeps me from grabbing more is the desire to grab more of vintages that are better still.

2018 vintage

In contrast to the btl of 2009 Campii Raudii I posted on recently (I suspect an off btl), I’m loving this 2008 Novaresi Spanna. It has all the qualities I like in Vallana’s Spannas. Not a big wine ( it’s med/ med+ intensity) with lovely cherry, rose and other florals, touch of mint, orange, and iron. On the elegant side. TY, Francis!!!

2008 vintage

Over two nights. Quick a 30 minutes decant. Medium ruby red with a touch of orange at the rim. The nose is lively and energetic showing forest red fruit followed by herbs, tar, potting soil and funky notes. On the palate, this is light-to-medium bodied wine offering bright red fruit, herb and earthy notes. Savoury and refreshing. Good weight and intensity, fruit is in full balance with medium + acidity and tannin. Funny prickly sensation on the palate. Medium-long finish. …

2018 vintage

Really good again. Tempted to buy more of this but will probably go for the '19 instead. Waiting on the '19 CR to be released as well. We opened several "better" wines this weekend, yet this was the most enjoyable.

2018 vintage

Deep ruby. Pronounced red cherry, red currant, rose, cranberry, mint, tobacco, tar, bark, medium+ tannin and acid. Fruit ripe and primary still and the wine can age. Nice example of Alto Piemonte. Floral notes bloomed in the glass.

2018 vintage

Decanted over abt 45 minutes. Medium-deep tile-red colour, a bit hazy. Quite wild on the nose, funk, potting soil, herbs, forest red fruit. On the palate, it is rather thin and astringent, the acidity is brought to the fore. Seems to be closed down and coming through its undrinkable/dumb phase. The bottle I had abt year ago was much more enjoyable.

2018 vintage

Beautifully aromatic, and great structure. Really great value!

2018 vintage

My local is all over this wine right now, and I’ve never had Vallana before, so I was happy to try it. It came off pretty gummy to me and really not as vertical as it should be. Perhaps it’s just young and dumb? Hold

2018 vintage

Loads of green pepper and olive. Medium mouth feel. Serious tannins, but with good fruit. Nice finish, but not long enough. Surprisingly good for a $20 wine. I’ll buy six more. If this had been a $50 bottle, I’d have given it only 88 points.

2018 vintage

So, nine months has made a world of difference here. This previously seemed rather astringent and unpleasant, but it has softened more than I would expect in less than a year. Fresh cherry now dominates the nose and palate and the astringency has become accent rather than dominating theme. There is a hollowness in the midpalate which suggests it will never be a great vintage, but it should be a pleasant one for nearer term drinking, while waiting on the …

2018 vintage

PnP. I knew this would be too young, but curiosity got the better of me. There's beautiful cherry fruit, some rose, and herbs in the nose. Similar flavors on the palate and then a wall of tannins that carry into the finish. This will really need some time to come together and show itself. I've been lucky enough to have some Vallana wines when they were 20-35 years old and they age remarkably well. Best to hold these until at …

2018 vintage

Light garnet color almost translucent but sturdy tannin. A lovely herb character. I find this wine rather elegant and good value at the $25 I paid.

2018 vintage

My first of these and really way too young. Still, some pretty and bright fruit present, just not really coming together. There's a somewhat harsh edge that flashes at times and tells you to wait a few years. Interesting to compare this to the Campi Raudii. This is harder and meaner at this stage, but if I had to guess which had some Vespolina (and Uva Rara) I'd probably say this one, and be wrong. While the CR from this …

2018 vintage

A smudge in the print makes it hard to read the lotto number, it looks like L23929. This was decanted three hours before dinner and served over three nights, stored in an eto wine storage decanter. It was very good all three nights, with the tannins emerging more with time and air. It has all the attributes of fine Vallana Nebbiolo, and should evolve well, and improve, for the next 20 years. It's a very balanced and silky wine for …

2018 vintage

Consumed over two evenings. Definitely better on night 2 as it had really opened up. Very much in the tradition of the Vallana Spannas going back to the mid 1960s. Always good, sometimes sublime Nebbiolo flavors that can rival some of the better, much more expensive Gattinaras, Barbarescos and yes, Barolos.

2018 vintage

Been drinking vintages of this wine and its siblings going back to the mid 60s. Always pure Nebbiolo ranging from good to sublime. This vintage needs more time to develop its profile. Drinkable now, but really needs another year or two to develop.

2018 vintage

Not quite as remarkable as the bottle a few months ago, but more like the one early this year. Nose has big tar and floral tones. The palate is earthy, chewy, full of dark fruit. Moderate tannins. Really delicious.

2008 vintage

Not quite as spectacular as the last bottle, but still a rich delicious Spanna. See my notes for 2018 for similar notes.

2008 vintage

Man, I've blown through, over the years, almost 1.5 cases of this Spanna, and I wish I still had a case left. This bottle just sings with an almost ideal nebbiolo profile. Hard to find a barolo that could beat this baby. The nose is just beautiful -- with massive tar and floral tones that keep on giving. The palate is earthy, chewy, full of dark fruit. Tannins round out the profile with a soft hit. A great wine.

2008 vintage

Another great bottle of this. The nose has gotten an incredible level of sweet tar and some floral. Palate is earthy, chewy, cherries. Has some spiciness and good acid and more tannins than before. Great QPR.

2008 vintage

What a hit. This nose is floral with toasted cherries. Palate is earthy, chewy, cherries. Has some spiciness and good acid and more tannins than before. What a QPR.

2008 vintage

A much softer bottle this time compared to last few bottles. I think it may be reaching its limit, since the spice and acidity have reduced substantially. Still earthy and fruity and an excellent wine for simple Italian fare.

2008 vintage

What a deal. I just looked at what I paid for this wine, and it has an absurdly wonderful QPR. Nose is floral and dark with a wiff of toasted cherries. Palate is earthy, chewy, cherries, a splash of spiciness and good acid and modest tannins. Just a delightful mouthful.

2008 vintage

This Spanna is such a winner. Nose is floral and dark with a wiff of toasted cherries (really darkly cooked cherries). Palate is earthy, chewy, cherries, good acid and modest tannins. Great with country pate.

2008 vintage

Another great bottle of this nebbiolo. Nose is earthy, dark, with some tar. Palate is rich, full of dark berry notes, good acidity, more earthiness, and a good hit of tannins to lengthen the flavors.

2008 vintage

Nose full of earth and dark cherries and some menthol. Palate is chewy, ripe cherry fruit, strong acidity, spice, earth -- with good hit of tannins at the end.

2008 vintage

Another lovely bottle of this great QPR of nebbiolo. Has developed some real tar on the nose along with earth and spice. Ripe dark cherry fruit on the palate with hit of spice and a hit of tannins at end.

2008 vintage

Similar notes to last bottle in April, which see. Needs to air for 45-60 minutes to really come out.

2008 vintage

Has improved from 90 to 93 easily. Great nose full of earth and dark cherries. Palate is chewy, ripe cherry fruit, strong acidity, spice, earth -- with good hit of tannins at the end.

2008 vintage

A private lunch (Berner's Tavern, London, UK) : Only 12.5% ABV. Very distinctive character derived from acidic soil and porphyrite rock, completely different from the Nebbiolos from Alba. Sour black cherries on the nose, good depth, mineral; satiny texture, medium weight, transparent and precise, focused by its minerality and freshness; a pleasant softness is buffered by good (but certainly not forbidding) tannic grip, well-judged oak provides warmth; good length. Good stuff.

2008 vintage

This was bottle 20 of 28 purchased and consumed over the last 2 years and the best showing yet. It was decanted for 1 hour and served with an Italian lentil stew and a tomato salad then finished with a selection of cheeses. The rustic charm of this bottle really paired well and it was an absolute pleasure to drink. It is a very well balanced wine that has the structure to go another 7 years and possibly more. But …

2008 vintage

Much more ready than the first bottle. Great Nebbiolo flavors with a long complex finish of chocolate and dried fruit. I've loved the Vallana Spannas since my first experience with 1978 Spanna Del Piedmonte. I've had them all, the Cinque Castellie and Campi Raudi included. Great wines at a great QPR.

2008 vintage

This bottle showed a whole lot of tannin and was a bit unbalanced. However, the underlying basis of this wine is real Nebbiolo flavors with a potential for aging. I finished the bottle two days after opening it and it really was Avery nice mouthful of juice.

2008 vintage

Deep ruby. This is in a really nice place now: focused black cherry and blackberry flavors, bright focus on the palate, medium bodied with a long finish.

2008 vintage

At $14-15 this is Vallana's basic Spanna and is a nice introduction to Nebbiolo, but no one should confuse it with the long-lived (50+ years) single vineyard and Riserva wines from Vallana. Excellent QPR and perhaps the most elegant wine you can find at that price. It is light, delicate and silky, very nice bright red fruits fragrance and flavor, with a bit of spiciness on the nose. Tart, a food wine for sure. With air it developed some deeper …

2008 vintage

This had a noticable musty tone to it. My first compromised bottle after 15 lovely bottles.

2008 vintage

Funky nose that did not blow off, violets, tart/bitter orange, some red fruit, short finish. Underwhelming. A bad bottle?

2008 vintage

I would describe the initial nose as barnyardy at best, faintly fecal. But this blew off after about a half hour to yield a very rustic but rich interpretation of nebbiolo. A very interesting wine that seemed to improve with more aeration. Rich, dark, plummy fruit, earthy, sinewy, rustic; I look forward to one more bottle I found in the cellar. Not at the level of the great single vineyard Spannas of the 50s and early to mid 60s.

1978 vintage

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Antonio Vallana, Spanna, Piedmont

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