Our review

Selection - Wine Review

www.selection-online.de

Igiea - Barbera d'Asti 2003 - ****/***** - Ausgezechnet (excellent)

---

Kyle Phillips -Italian Wine Revue-Cosa bolle in pentola
Nov/Dec 2006–

Tenuta Grillo Igiea Barbera d'Asti 2003
Deep pigeon blood ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is penetrating, with balsamic notes and some green leather mingled with iodine and alcohol, but not much fruit. On the palate it's full, and fairly soft, with jammy sweet red berry fruit that gains sufficient definition to keep from flagging from citric acidity, and is supported by tannins that have a warm cedary burr to them. It's a child of the vintage, and as such displays its shortcomings -- overripeness, in particular -- but within the context of the vintage is lively and will drink quite well with succulent red meats. Expect the bottle to go quickly, if you like this style.
2 stars

---

In vino veritas - Bimestriel Belgique
Nov/Dec 2005 – n°116

Toutes les régiones italiennes étant représentées au salon, j’en ai inévitablement ramené un panier, très sélectives il est vres, de coups de coeur. Commencons par le Nord, avec le Piémont. Un nouveau domaine y est né en 2002 à Monferrato des oevres d’un jeune couple passionné : la Tenuta Grillo, 17 ha en production. 2003 est leur primier millésime avec del vins d’une forte personnalité, à l’antithèse des vins technologiques. Baccabianca, 100% cortese, est un blanc au nez d’herbes sèches, de miel et de fruits secs avec une bouche dense, droite et profonde, issu d’une macération de 40 jours ce qui lui apporte de la tannicité ; longue finale sur la fraicheur. Fermeté et verticalité pour le Pecoranera, un assemblage inhabituel de merlot, freisa, barbera et dolcetto : nez d’encre et fruits noirs frais, bouche concentrée. 14.5° d’alcool et important extrait sec.

Bernard Arnould

---

Club Papillon
La notizia e il vino del giorno

La notizia di oggi, 24-11-2004

The wine. It’s a true wine, a Barbera 2003 (once they would have called it “the barberasa”), made in Gamalero (AL), by Guido Zampaglione from Tenuta Grillo. It is red purple, very deep colored, at nose it shows in its opulence, with note of berry jam and violet. At mouth is “cheweble”, fully, mellow, rounded, of great balance. It matchs with a Dolcetto, as much intriguing.

La notizia di oggi, 21-04-2005

It’s a revelation; Papillon had already reviewed it in autumn and today at its debute. We are talking about the Tenuta Grillo’s wines from Gamalero, Guido e Rita Zampaglione. After his first experiments, exciting, with Dolcetto and Barbera, here is Baccabianca (cortese 100%), a sunny wine, as you would never expected, and the Monferrato Rosso “Pecoranera” (“BlackSheep”) 2003, from grapes of Freisa, dolcetto, barbera and merlot. The colour is that of a gloomy ruby, very concentrate, but it strikes the purity of its purfumes pronuncedly mineral and fruity. At mouth is between smooth and mellow, wide, fresh, complex, of great pleasantness. Excellent on beef.

---

LA STAMPA, TuttoLibri.
3 december 2004
In cantina
Paolo Massobrio

The peasant’s wine is still the point of the argument. It seemed buried behind those cunning dodgy trafficker winemakes who buy stocks at the cooperative to sell this “tipic wine” in demijohn to foreigner. But, Guido Zampaglione, from Tenuta Grillo, differently, gave me two bottles, labelless: “One is Dolcetto and the other is Barbera, you will recognize it!”. Yes, a recognizable wine, finally. It won’t be the future of the italian oenology, but it touchs you, and I drunk those dark bottles with unexpected voluptuosness. Beppe Sardi, the owner of the restaurant “Il Grappolo” was laughing: “This is the old “Barberasa”. How good it is!”. In spite of certain “Beautiful” wines, that if you leave them open for 48 hours, they only reveal their wooden soul.

---

L'altra Guida - www.tigulliovino.it

(for more news about the tasting, see the web site)

Igiea 2003 - "Excellency Mention" ***/***

Baccabianca 2003 ***/***

Pratoasciutto 2003 ***/***

Pecoranera 2003 ***/***

---

Guida Veronelli 2006 D.Thomases-G. Brozzoni

- Baccabianca: 87
- Igiea: 88
- Pecoranera: 89
- Pratoasciutto: 90

---

Top Hundred 2005 P. Massobrio- M.Gatti

Pecoranera 2003

---

Gourmet's international
IWF Merano selezione 2005
Igiea 2003
Pecoranera 2003

---

Salone del Gusto - Torino 2006
Laoratorio del Gusto:
Baccabianca 2003

---

Bibenda Febbraio 2007 - Paolo Lauciani "acquisti consigliati". Out of 22 wines selected, Pecoranera 2003 reached the highest grade.

---

Breviario dei Vini 2007 - Carlo Cambi Editore

Baccabianca 2003

---

For more news about the tastings see the italian web page "dicono di noi"