This month, we travel back to Piedmont to compare and contrast two of Luca Corrado's sumptuous Barberas:  2006 Vietti La Crena Barbera d'Asti and 2008 Vietti Scarrone Barbera d'Alba. 

Your allocation is for a bottle of each.  

Vietti Barbera d’Asti “La Crena” 2006 The 2006 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is a dense, brooding effort loaded with mineral, infused dark fruit, violets, graphite, flowers and French oak. This is an especially seamless yet mid-weight La Crena built on elegance rather than power, with an impeccably clean, polished finish that rounds things out. It remains one of the most under the radar wines in Piedmont. La Crena is made from vines that are over 70 years old in Agliano, one of the most privileged sites for Barbera in Piedmont. 93 Points, Wine Advocate

Vietti Barbera d'Alba Scarrone 2008 The younger vineyard of the unique “Scarrone” Barbera project, planted in 1988 in one of Castiglione Falletto’s most famous Barolo vineyards. Scarrone is an insanely beautiful, layered Barbera. Silky tannins frame a core of perfumed dark fruit, spices, licorice and minerals. This opulent yet impeccably balanced Scarrone possesses awesome richness and tons of style. Sweet floral notes ring out on the finish

The Vietti winery, now owned by the family’s fourth generation, is based in the small medieval village of Castiglione Falletto, the heart of Piedmont’s famous “Langhe” wine region. Here the Currado family carefully and patiently handcrafts lauded wines that are the result of a unique combination of sun and soil.

Although the family has made wine for two centuries, the first Vietti labeled wines were produced by third-generation Mario, who transformed the family’s farm into a grape growing winery. In 1952 Alfredo Currado married Mario’s daughter Luciana and made a name for Vietti’s single-vineyard Barbera and Barolo. He also put the native Piedmont varietal Arneis on the wine map. In 1970 the Viettis began working with artists on an ongoing, original artwork label program, featuring Pier Paolo Pasolini and Janet Fish among others, which received an exhibition at New York’s MOMA in 1996.

In 1990 Alfredo and Luciana’s son Luca joined the family business as winemaker after working at California's Simi Winery, Opus One, Long Vineyards and Bordeaux's Mouton-Rothschild. His innovative winemaking utilizes a unique combination of the modern and traditional.

Luca's focus on terroir is reflected in his careful cultivation and organic farming of more than 25 single vineyards. Recently he eliminated equipment that measures acid and tannin levels in favor of a more intuitive, and wine-specific approach, and also stopped publishing tasting notes, preferring that wine critics and drinkers apply their own perceptions and preferences to his wines. In 1983 Mario Cordero, Alfredo and Luciana’s son-in-law joined the winery to run marketing and sales. In 2005 Luca’s wife, Elena Penna, started to work in the family winery in marketing and public relations.

Vineyards and Vinification: Vietti currently owns 80 acres of vineyards spread over nine communes within Barolo, and in nearly all the key regional appellations, including Barbaresco, Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba. Total production is currently 17,000 cases. The estate’s vines are from 10 to over 90 years old. The oldest, planted by Luca’s grandfather Mario, are made into the Vigna Vecchia (old vine) Barbera D’Alba wines.

RECIPE:  Chicken Marengo Serves four

Ingredients
1 oz butter
1 tbsp  oil
3 lb chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
6 shallots
1 oz plain flour
1/2 pint dry white wine
1/4 pint chicken stock
13 oz can chopped tomatoes
8 oz button mushrooms
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 parsley sprig
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper
8 oz cooked peeled prawns
chopped parsley to garnish

Melt the butter with the oil in a large flameproof casserole. when the butter is foaming, add the chicken pieces, and cook for 10-12 minutes until browned all over. Lift out and drain.
Add the shallots, and cook over a high heat for about 8 minutes until browned all over. Life out and drain on paper towels.
Spoon off all but 1 tbsp of the fat from the casserole. Add the flour, and cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Lower the heat, and blend in the wine and stock, stirring until well combined. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato puree, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.
Return the shallots and chicken to the casserole, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in a preheated oven at 180C (350F) for 1 hour or until the chicken is almost tender. Stir in the prawns, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Garnish each serving with chopped parsley and serve at once.

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