Piedmont Series - Salvano

Upon entering the building of Salvano, you're greeted by a lot of modern glasswork showcasing their bottles, along with some history about the winery. Despite its modern appearance, it doesn't lose touch with the more rustic character you'd associate with winemaking.

We had signed up for a lunch, and alongside each dish we were served a glass of the accompanying wine. Forgive me, but I don't remember the dishes anymore. Next time I'll try to take more notes and pictures, I promise!

I'm only discussing the wines we ended up tasting and buying. They have more wines in their repertoire than the ones mentioned here.

Langhe Sauvignon 2024

We started with a white Sauvignon Blanc, priced at €13.30 a bottle.

Picture of the Langhe Sauvignon taken in my wine cellar.

I brought two bottles home. It didn't really stand out, but it was certainly worth the price.

Barbaresco Riserva 2019

Next up was a red: the Barbaresco Riserva 2019, made from the Nebbiolo grape and priced at €43.90 a bottle.

We really loved this one and were also somewhat familiar with it. Although perhaps more with its daddy, or maybe even its grandfather. On our previous visit to Salvano, many years ago, we bought a bottle of their Barbaresco Riserva 1990.

Picture of an empty Barbaresco Riserva 1990

Unfortunately, I'm all out of those now, but I remember there being quite a difference from bottle to bottle. One time it tasted like it was slightly past its peak, while another bottle gave you the impression that it could still be kept for years. This is something that can happen with older bottles: they can evolve quite independently of each other, and the longer they are aged, the more they can diverge.

In both cases, though, it was a fantastic wine, so the 2019 should have plenty of potential as well. It is already very powerful, with plenty of fruit and some lovely tannins. It goes excellently with a roast, barbecue, or even game.

Awesome wine. I brought six bottles home!

Barolo Riserva 2019

Artistic front label of the Barolo Riserva 2019.

What can I say? It's a good Barolo from a good vintage, priced at €53. Definitely worth the price, although I had better ones during this vacation (but that's probably an unfair comparison).

If I compare it to the Barbaresco, although they are obviously very different wines, I think either one could come out as the winner depending on my mood. It's interesting how you can produce such different wines from the same Nebbiolo grape.

The label on the bottle was rather atypical, as you can see. Very artistic, but not particularly informative, so I also took a picture of the back:

Back label of the Barolo Riserva 2019 with all the necessary information.

Conclusion? Salvano has some very good wines at fair prices, and their lunch experience is simply top-notch. The food was great and the wines were perfectly paired with the dishes. Definitely one of my favourite visits!

PS: We also had some really great Grappa di Barolo Riserva but keep it quiet, that's between us.