Coppo – since 1892
Founded in 1892, Coppo is a family-owned winery in Canelli, in the Asti region of Piemonte, Italy, is one of the oldest wineries in Italy. Early in the 20th century, it was one of the first wineries in Italy to bottle its wines in estate bottles.
The Underground Cathedrals
We shared with you a bit about their wines in Tunnels and Tufa – The Underground Cathedrals and Coppo Cellars
(We received 2 of their wines as samples with the #WorldWine Travel writers a little while ago. Rest assured, all opinions are our own.)
Ancient cellars were carved into the tufa rock beneath Canelli as far back as the 16th century. Beneath the town, you will find 5,00 square meters of tunnels that go as deep as 40 meters. In 2014, these tunnels were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These “underground Cathedrals” are still central to the Coppo Winery and, after recent renovation, are open for tours.
Coppo Barolo
Coppo began making Barolo in the 1950s, before the founding of the Barolo DOC in 1966 or its elevation to DOCG in 1980.
The demarcation lines for the DOCG include 11 communes including Barolo, Niovello, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Diano d’Alba, Grinzane, Catiglione Falletto, Roddi, Verduno, Charasco and La Morra.
The Coppo Barolo is from the Comune of La Morra, but its historic winery is located in Canelli in the Asti region. As one of the early producers of Barolo, it was grandfathered in to be able to vinify outside of the demarcated area.
La Morra
La Morra, of the 11 Barolo Communes has the most vineyard hectares planted to Nebbiolo.
The area is known for elegant Barolos that are approachable when released, which is rare for a wine that ages well and often needs that age to be enjoyable.
The soils here lend themselves to softer tannins in the wines because the roots do not struggle to dig deep into them. These are younger soils in grand geological terms.
Although you can enjoy them sooner, these wines will still age for 15 to 25 years.
Coppo Barolo
del Comune di La Morra 2020
From Nebbiolo grown in the glue-gray marls and calcareous clay of La Morra, this Barolo is hand-selected in the vineyard and aged three years in large-format barrels.
Telltale signs of Barolo are that it is medium garnet in the glass, and the nose has notes of tar and roses.
This Barolo lived up to that, although the “tar and roses” was a bit more subtle, like anise, licorice, and clove with dried rose petals. It opened gradually in the glass with red cherry and violets, dried fruits, dried herbs, and spiciness, like mulling spices, warm with bits of savory notes.
All these aromas became flavors in my mouth, with a deepening note of blood orange and then a long finish as the tingly tannins smoothed into velvet in my mouth.
14.5% abv – $59.00 SRP
Albeisa
You will notice the raised lettering on the neck of this Barolo Bottle. I researched the story behind this…
Unione Produttori Vini Albesi was founded by 16 producers in the Langhe area of Alba in 1973. This group brought back a specific bottle shape designed in the region in the 1700s by glassmakers to set the region’s wines apart, but disappeared by the 1850s. Today, you see “Albeisa” embossed on the shoulder of the bottles.
While the organization is limited to Langhe producers and wines, they are also committed to protecting the environment. In 2007, the signature Albeisa bottle was made 30% lighter, decreasing CO2 emissions in transport as well as decreasing raw materials and cutting glass waste.
Albeisa B.O.C.G. – Bottiglia di Origine Controllata e Garantita
Braised Beef Agnolotti with Gorgonzola sauce and Coppo Barolo
Ages ago, before this wine even arrived, I thought about what I would pair with it if it came.
“I will dive into a beef and gorgonzola dish, perhaps steak with a gorgonzola sauce. Or Agnolotti del Plin filled with braised beef in a gorgonzola sauce.” I wrote at the time.
I ruminated on this idea and developed a recipe, braising beef flank steak with shallot and carrot in red wine, to create the filling for my pasta. I made the little pillows, working on my technique as I went. While they were not the most beautiful agnolotti (I consider them rustic), they tasted amazing. We plated them with the reduced braising liquid, drizzled with the gorgonzola cream sauce, and topped with more Gorgonzola and fresh rosemary.
Each element was fine on its own, but together—the agnolotti, the sauce, the braising liquid, the rosemary, the wine…the bite was transformed.
The fruit notes in the wine brightened with the food while the Gorgonzola pulled up the savory notes. The rosemary sharpens everything, including the green herbal notes and the resinous note that echos the licorice.
This was indeed an exceptional pairing. (scroll to the bottom for the recipe)
More on Coppo
They are restoring the historical buildings, including a 17th-century home near the winery and a silkworm factory from the early 20th century.
This is a winery steeped in lush history that is working to preserve this history so that it can share it with others. If you have a chance, visit.
Other wines from Coppo
Earlier, we paired the Coppo Flagship Barbera called Pomorosso with Pumpkin Pasta with a Creamy Pumpkin Bolognese
A recipe you can find here:
Barbera from Coppo Cellars in Piemonte and Pumpkin Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Bolognese
More on Wines of Piemonte
- 9diDante Purgatorio Dry Vermouth and recipes
- Dante, the 9 Circles of Hell,and Sweet Vermouth
- Asti Spumante and reminiscing with junk food
- Comparing Chardonnays from two unexpected regions
- Moscato d’Asti DOCG – A place for “Sweet” Wines
- Bagna Càuda 2 ways and Sauvignon Blanc
- Bacon and Butternut Pasta with a Langhe Nebbiolo
Braised Beef Agnolotti with Gorgonzola Creme Sauce
Beef braised in red wine makes the filling for this pillowy agnolotti. They sit in the delicious reduced braising liquid, are drizzled with a creamy gorgonzola sauce, and are topped with more gorgonzola and fresh rosemary.
This pairs well with a Barolo, or look for any Nebbiolo wine!
Ingredients
Braised Beef
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 1 1/2 carrots finely chopped
- 1/2 lb beef flank steak
- 1/2 bottle red wine
Agnolotti
- Pasta Sheets
- 3 eggs
- 2 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Gorgonzola Creme Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups heavy creme
- 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 4 ounces Gorgonzola
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Fresh Rosemary (for garnish)
Instructions
- You will need fresh pasta for this. I made pasta for another dish the day before and had half of the dough left. I put this through my hand-cranked pasta machine to a thickness level 7.
Braising the beef
- Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high.
- Add the shallots and carrots and brown them slightly. Move them to the side and add the beef.
- Brown the beef on both sides, then add the wine and deglaze the pan.
- Lower the heat (as low as your stovetop will allow) and cover. Allow this to cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The meat should be pulled apart easily with a fork.
- Remove the beef, strain the vegetables from the braising liquid, and set the liquid to reduce on low heat.
- When the meat is cool, chop it into cubes and pulse it in a food processor until it is fine.
- Add 2 eggs and the cheese and mix for your filling
Making the Agnolotti
- Lay out your pasta sheet and place small amounts of the meat mixture down one side
about every 2 ½ inches. - Brush three sides with the eggwash from your third egg.
- Fold the pasta sheet over to form the pillows.
- Cut between the pillows and seal carefully with your fingers.
- Set these on a plate, and heat your pasta water (salty like the sea) to boiling.
- Boil for 6 to 8 minutes until cooked through
Gorgonzola Sauce
- Heat the wine in a medium saucepan over high, reducing it by half.
- Add the cream, reduce the heat, and reduce the mixture by one-third.
- Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and Gorgonzola and grate in the nutmeg. Stir until creamy, and the cheese is melted.
To plate
- Spoon some of the reduced braising liquid in the bottom of your bowl.
- Add the agnolotti and drizzle it with the gorgonzola sauce.
- Top this with a bit more crumbled Gorgonzola and fresh rosemary.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 585Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 220mgSodium 732mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 34g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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