2012 Guido Platinetti, Ghemme DOCG “Vigna Ronco al Maso” Alto Langhe, Piedmonte, Italy.
Andrea Fontana’s Guido Platinetti, named for his grandfather, has been crafting beautiful Nebbiolo for the last 25 years and continues his impressive run with his beautiful and wonderfully textured Ghemme DOCG grown in the northern part of Piedmonte that has been getting so much buzz for the quality and value of their Nebbiolo based reds in recent years, these are wines, especially Fontana’s Ghemme, that rival the more famous Barbaresco and Barolo. This 2012 really reminds me of mineral driven, pretty and textural Barbaresco with it’s lovely bright fruit, clear transparency and pedigreed length, this Platinetti Ghemme is performing with complexity and grace showing off ripe fruit, silken tannins and refined acidity giving a full range of red fruits, earthy spice and sexy floral tones, all brought out by the unique terroir of ancient glacial deposits with granite, quartz, clay and iron rich stones. A light and elegant touch with a minimalist approach in the cellar, Fontana makes pure and energy filled wines, and this one shows off red raspberry, damson plum and kirsch along with a touch of savory/stony elements, sweet currant and saline notes with lingering rose petal, anise and forest floor, gaining with air, this is a sultry vintage, subtle seduction from the mouth feel and ease of use completes this 2012, a vintage marked by classic profiles, but with less power and density than the 2010 or as fruity as either 2011 or 2013. Most everything I’ve tried from Guido Platinetti, imported by Balanced Wine Selections, has impressed and I really adore this one, which I rate as a superb value for Nebbiolo, it’s not a blockbuster or a cellar surprise, but it gives a lot for the money and a guilt free early drinking wine.
($30 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
