The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

A Focused Comparison Over Alba White Truffles at Donato Enoteca Barolo is often called the “king of Italian wines,” but not because it’s big and heavy like Cabernet or Syrah. In fact, Barolo is closer in body and texture to Red Burgundy or Etna Rosso—pale in color, high in acidity, intensely aromatic, and built on tannin rather than weight. Made entirely from Nebbiolo in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, Barolo combines red-fruited lift with earthy, leathery depth, giving it a structure that’s firmer than Burgundy but far less dense than the Bordeaux or Rhône varieties often associated with “full-bodied” reds. With age, Barolo and Burgundy actually grow more similar: both develop sous-bois, dried flower, and savory complexity, though Burgundy generally remains gentler while Barolo keeps a bit more grip and spice. Both pair beautifully with truffles, but in Piedmont there’s no debate— Barolo is the traditional and definitive match for Alba white truffles , thanks to its perfume, acidity, a...

I run a wine tasting club at  Tango . It's a great perk for employees, especially when their VP of Engineering (i.e. yours truly) personally invests time and energy to entertain and educate. About a third of the company attends, it's popular. To celebrate our recent D round ( $280M ) and passing 200m registered users, we splurged a little bit. See for yourself - this was a mesmerizing line-up of some of the world's greatest wines. Chave and Quintarelli were jaw-droppingly, mind-bogglingly great. Others - very good too. Tasting notes: JL Chave Hermitage blanc 2009 - wow, amazing wine, depth, complexity, impact! Up there with top grand cru white burgundy. Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er "Clos des Ducs" monopole 2006 - top wine from Volnay, complex and interesting, secondary notes, but a bit medicinal / pine-needle and in need of more time to smooth out the remaining tannins. I suspect that 2006 was not the greatest vintage of this legendary wine. Gia...

I mean, what DOESN'T go with a juicy cheeseburger?! - IMHO, the greatest creation of American gastronomy! To continue his annual tradition of pairing vinous greats with burgers, Dan pulled out Giacomo Conterno ! Conterno is one of the top three names in traditional Barolo - the other two are Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello. Yes, there are many others, commanding great respect and high prices. But you mention the name of Giacomo Conterno, and drooling starts. Barolo is Conterno's top expression, but the winery also make impressive Barbera - structured, deep, balanced, and not cheap. Now, of course I have asked in the past - why should Barbera aspire to greater heights than an everyday drink that Piedmontese have traditionally taken it for? But be that as it may, this year my friend Dan "the gour-man-d" served his fantastico garlic shiso burgers with two 2008 Conterno Barberas d'Alba - Cerretta (new vineyard) and Cascina Francia (venerable old vineyard). C...