From: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
Varietal: Nebbiolo
Tasting Notes: Aromas of wild strawberry, cherry, and dark raspberry commingle with notes of orange peel, baking spice, underbrush, and rose petal. The wine is finessed and vibrant on the palate, which opens with the same breadth of fruit and non-fruit notes as the nose, with a medium body, good acidity, and elegant tannins.
Pairing: We’d recommend sharing this wine with friends over a charcuterie board and pizza, or serving this alongside dishes that feature mushrooms or truffles. Italian pastas (see recipe below), risotto, roasted pork or poultry, pork/chicken/beef and rice dishes that use elements of Chinese five spice or have an umami element are also great ideas. And, if you love BBQ or grilled food, braised meats or root vegetables, pork belly, and even homemade smashed burgers works wonderfully with this lovely red.
Tagliatelle With Mushrooms in Red Wine
By Florence Fabricant
About. The Monchiero Carbone farm and winery is located in the center of Canale, in the heart of the Roero DOCG in Langhe. Operating out of a nineteenth-century farmhouse with a historic cellar in its basement, the company owes its name to the union of two families through the marriage between Marco Monchiero and Lucia Carbone and the consequent merging of the vineyards inherited from both. It was established in 1990 to reunite vineyards owned by two branches of the family with a winemaking tradition dating back to 1918.
It is now owned and operated by the husband and wife team, Francesco and Lucrezia Monchiero; Francesco is Marco and Lucia’s son. On the label, as a constant reminder of their family's history in the area and the traditions they seek to uphold, the Monchieros have added the phrase (from local dialect) "Ogni uss a l'ha so tanbuss" – "Every door has its knocker."
“At the beginning of my adventure, the figure of my father was crucial… I mean all the work of setting up the company, the comparison among different production methods, the choices of cellar techniques, but I also remember the numerous clashes… In the end I was able to follow my own path and I thank him for letting me to do so independently.”—Francesco Monchiero
It was only with the 1995 vintage, as soon as Francesco finished his studies at the Scuola Enologica di Alba, that he rolled up his sleeves and started production. His determination and passion helped him distinguish the great potential of Roero, which in the 1990s had not yet expressed its strong territorial identity.
In 1994, the Roero Arneis, the native Roero white, came into the range thanks to Francesco’s strong passion. However, he was aware of the long road of research and experimentation that he would have had to undertake to bring out an autochthonous grape variety that was still relatively unknown. His intense love for this unique terroir led him to become the first president of the newborn Consorzio di Tutela del Roero in 2013.
Over the years, Monchiero Carbone has expanded, thanks to the enlargement of the winemaking cellar in 2004 and the acquisition of new vineyards. These plots have been identified with extreme care, as the land is the first architect of the quality of the wines.
The estate has thus grown, reaching the current 35 hectares. Among the most essential acquisitions are the Printi vineyard, the Renesio vineyard, on the hill that gave birth to the Arneis grape, and the Genestreto cru, in the municipality of Priocca, a single body of 12 hectares of vineyards, with clayey and magnesium-rich soils suited for viticulture.
Francesco is supported by the family's women: his mother, Lucia, has always handled the company’s accounts with diligence and precision, while his wife, Lucrezia, takes care of business relations and the reception in the cellar. The right-hand man is Danilo Gallino, who has managed the vineyards since 2003.
Monchiero Carbone wines are produced with certified grapes from sustainable production, following rules of production aiming to reduce the synthetic chemicals used in production as much as possible. The winery’s energy comes from a photovoltaic system installed in 2020 to reduce C02 emissions. They also use corks from a controlled and sustainable industry. The 2022 Monchiero Carbone “Sire” Langhe Nebbiolo was aged in a combination of barriques and stainless steel for a period of about six months.
