Three days, nine wineries, over 60 wines tasted and a few bottles shared over BBQs along the way… safe to say we packed quite a lot in.
Our annual wine trip took us to Piedmont this year with our good friends at Winetraders.
Day one kicked off at Walter Massa, famous for breathing new life into the Timorasso grape and producing some truly brilliant white wines. From there we headed to La Zerba, where wonderful things are happening with Cortese, before finishing at Scarpa… home to some of the best vermouth any of us have ever tasted.
Thirty-two wines later, we were feeling suitably educated (and very well looked after) and ready for day two.
Next up was Marco Porello, home of Birbet, a lightly sparkling red that quickly became a team favourite, before moving on to Cabutto Barolo and the local co-op Clavesana, who operate on a much larger scale whilst still producing wines of incredible quality.
One of the highlights of the trip was tasting the new 2021 vintage of Cabutto Barolo, which was showing exceptionally well already. We’re very much looking forward to sharing it with our guests before too long.
The day wrapped up in the best possible way: great wines from Mascarello, a BBQ, and long conversations stretching into the evening as the Piedmont sun slowly disappeared behind the vines.
Before we knew it, it was our final day.
After a slightly slower start for some, we headed off to La Morandina, a superb Moscato d’Asti producer, before visiting Frasca, a new addition to the Winetraders portfolio, and finally Ferraris estate, who have become key ambassadors for the indigenous Ruchè grape around the world.
The three days flew by in a haze of vineyard visits, cellar tours, tasting notes and beautifully long lunches. More than anything, the trip was a real eye-opener into why Piedmont is considered one of the greatest and most diverse wine-producing regions in the world. From fresh, mineral whites to structured Barolos and delicate sparkling reds, every stop offered something completely different.
Trips like this are such an important reminder of how much patience and personality goes into every bottle we pour at Blacklock.
Spending time with the people behind the wines and hearing their stories, seeing the vineyards firsthand and understanding the traditions that shape each region, makes us all the more excited to share them back home.
After a couple of hours travelling and some fond farewells, we arrived back to clear skies in the city, already talking about the wines we can’t wait to open for everyone.