Last month I attended only the second Nebbiolo Day organised by Walter Speller, the Italian Specialist on Jancis Robinson’s team. I knew I was in for a treat, but the day even exceeded my lofty expectations. You see, I love Nebbiolo and the opportunity to spend an entire day tasting through a plethora of wines made from this beautiful grape is my idea of a day well spent. Even better was the chance to try Nebbiolo across the board; not just Barolo and Barbaresco, but heading north into Alto Piemonte as well across the 12 smaller appellations there. In fact, I was so taken with these wines that I’m organising a tasting entirely around them!
Nebbiolo is a pretty remarkable grape. Naturally high in acid and finely grained tannins yet pale in colour, it’s responsible for some Italy’s longest-lived, most hauntingly beautiful wines. If you study wine through either the CMS or the WSET, you’ll get to know Barolo and Barbaresco intimately; the producers, the crus, the styles, the trends…. yet not unlike the more famous wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, they’re practically inaccessible to my generation, both in terms of price and the fact they need some serious age to show their best, particularly Barolo. As a result, I found myself generally drinking ‘lesser’ Barbaresco and a great deal of wine from DOC Langhe, a regional appellation that includes much of the experimental wines/varieties, as well as declassified wines, often made from younger vines in the more famous estates.
This is certainly no hardship. Producers like Vajra, Produttori del Barbaresco, Roagna and Elvio Cogno are producing Langhe Nebbiolo that is engaging, delicious, affordable and entirely varietal. They age well and yet are delicious when young; my kind of wine! Yet variety is the spice of life, and moving further north from these rolling hills is Alto Piedmont, a historically important region containing 10 appellations, the base of which was formed millions of years ago by an imploding volcano. Back in the 18th century, parts of this region, notably Gattinara, were by far the most famous producers of Nebbiolo in northern Italy, eclipsing both Barbaresco and Barolo. Then vine disease, economic expansion of the textile industry and phylloxera caused these difficult, rocky vineyards to be abandoned and they have never recovered their former glory.
Events like Nebbiolo Day are to be applauded, partly for this reason. Having the chance to taste the great and mighty vs the relatively unknown is always a useful exercise, and even the most renowned producers had to be discovered somewhere along the way! Yet speaking to many of those tasting their way around the room, it wasn’t only my own palate that was drawn to the lighter, pure-fruited expressions of Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte; indeed, those tables seemed much the busiest by the end of the day! Here are some general thoughts about these wines and Nebbiolo in general:
Elevation Matters: The old adage about Nebbiolo was generally about it being a late-ripening variety that benefits from lower elevations and south facing slopes, to ensure it ripens fully. However, looking at the elevation and aspect of some of these more northerly regions, I’m not convinced that’s true anymore. During a Masterclass at the end of the day with Piedmont expert Alessandro Masnaghetti, he mentioned the impact of elevation on not just ripening, but flavour profiles. Apparently whilst riper, grapes grown at lower elevations tend towards the more savoury, truffle, tar and earthy flavours of Nebbiolo with much heavier tannins. Those at higher elevations tend towards more floral aromas, fresher acidity and lighter tannins. With vineyards in Piedmont varying from around 200-550m in elevation and higher in parts of Alto Piedmont, it comes as no surprise to see such large differences in style.
Soil: Nebbiolo is a grape that’s particularly sensitive to its surroundings, which goes some way to explain its popularity in wine circles; grapes that easily transmit terroir such as Pinot Noir, Riesling and Nebbiolo are highly prized. Soil is naturally a huge part of this, and the general rules seem to follow similar lines as other grapes: limestone soils lead to freshness and elegance, clay soils to broader, more powerful wines, sandy soils to wines with lighter tannins and often finessed flavours and so on. I largely found this to be true whilst tasting around the room but yet again, Alto Piedmont is different in this regard, mainly due to its largely volcanic soil. The wines so often had a purity of fruit and a focus about them, regardless of the appellation, that I so rarely find in the more traditional appellations of Piedmont, yet without the intensely smoky flavours of the wines of Etna or the Canary Islands. Producer after producer referenced the importance of these soils mixed with limestone and sand. As a relative newcomer to the region, I can’t say for sure, but due to the consistency of these characters across the wines, I’m inclined to believe them!
Blending Partners: Another oddity of Alto Piedmont is the addition of other grapes to the blend. Whilst rarely necessary it’s a common practice and whether it’s Uva Rara, Vespolina or Croatina, it instantly changes the profile of the wine, adding complexity and also subtly changing the structure of the wine. I found that Vespolina instantly added a peppery, savoury character to the wine whilst the addition of Croatina generally made for a softer, slightly richer wine, in some cases a little more than I would ideally want! Unfortunately I didn’t find enough examples where Uva Rara was the sole companion to Nebbiolo and so couldn’t form an opinion on its addition, although sources seem to suggest it works in a similar fashion to Croatina. For my palate, I far preferred the addition of Vespolina.
Delicate Extraction: I often think that Nebbiolo tannins are misunderstood and often miscommunicated. Yes, young Barolo can be heavy and aggressive, and levels of tannins are almost always in the high-range of grape varieties, but well managed Nebbiolo tannins are also finely-grained and deliciously textural. Whenever I found a wine I found to be particularly elegant or finely textured, I was curious to know what the method of extraction might be. More than 90% of the time, submerged cap fermentation was the answer. Historically this was, somewhat ironically, the choice to extract as much colour as possible from the grapes through a process of long maceration, often for several months, by pinning the cap under the juice, often through a simple matrix of wooden planks. It’s a full-on method of extraction but also a slow one, with the cap not broken up or punched down in any way during the process. As a result, the tannins are slowly extracted from the skins yet in a very delicate manner, which I believe leads to their structural integrity and textural appeal.
Other Wine-Making: I’m not a fan of new oak coming anywhere near most Nebbiolo. There, I’ve said it. Some of the worlds most expensive Barolo spends a considerable amount of time in new oak, and gains huge scores from critics and consumers alike, but it just isn’t for me. The beauty of Nebbiolo lies in its delicacy, subtlety and freshness, all of which are easily masked by clums…sorry, ambitious wine-making. I was thrilled to discover that new oak isn’t well received in Alto Piedmont. Old oak botti are very common and the result is a slightly paler, browner colour, well integrated savoury characters and an uninhibited expression of mountain Nebbiolo; pure-fruited, mineral and savoury.
In the Family: Much of the Old World is proud to have wineries under the same family ownership for generations, but Alto Piemonte takes this to a whole new level. Many of the wineries I spoke to were tracing their family traditions in the region back centuries, and in some cases the methods of production hadn’t changed significantly at all. The magnificently old-fashioned Antoniotti family are still bottling wines manually and speaking to the wine-makers present at the tasting, it was far less about technique and far more about tradition. This can of course limit a region, but in the case of the fragmented, small Alto Piemonte, it serves as a voice that helps distinguish them above the noise.
Appellation Size: I was quite staggered to learn just how small some of these regions really are. In Spain, our smallest DO is DO Alella to the north of Barcelona; all 350 hectares of it. Comparatively, the largest appellation in Alto Piemonte is a miniscule 95ha and there are a good few well under 50ha. When you start to find appellations smaller than many estates in more classic regions, you have to marvel at the perseverance of the producers still soldiering on and making wine here. It’s also remarkable that prices stay at a reasonable level even with the necessarily limited productions!
With the propensity for wine-drinkers to look for fresher, lower alcohol wines that speak strongly of their place, I can immediately see the attraction of Alto Piedmont. The wines are accessible, at least in terms of price and drinkability, almost always refreshing and relatively unknown; if you’re seeking for a new experience, plenty await you here! The difficult, I imagine, would be finding them. I’m very fortunate to have Vinissimus on my doorstep which is where I buy 99% of my Italian wine in Spain, as otherwise our selection would be limited to Super-Tuscans and the top end of Barolo/Barbaresco. These are wines that suit my palate well and I look forward to exploring different producers and styles further. Vinissimus do deliver abroad so if you wanted to give them a try, have a poke around and see what you find. Even the most ambitiously priced wines (Ar.Pe.Pe aside) rarely breach 30 euros and there’s a lot of drinking pleasure to be had for under 20! Get drinking!
Favourite Wines of Nebbiolo Day
No long tasting notes this time I’m afraid, as I wanted to keep this article brief and to the point. However, aside from the wines I’m showing at tonight’s tasting, here are a few of my favourite wines from Alto Piemonte and Valtellina that I tasted on the day:
Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva 2015 – Fresh, finely grained and a rare exception to the use of new oak, which was slightly spicy but very well integrated indeed. Will need 5 more years to really open up.
Podere ai Valloni Vigna Cristiana 2010 – Wow, what a wine. High-toned red fruits, peppery spices, crushed rocks and fresh herbal characters; really engaging stuff. Compact and firm still, just starting to yield on the palate, but incredibly focused and precise. A great bottle of wine that will stand the test of time.
La Pianelle Al Posto Dei Fiori 2016 – My first encounter with a rose Nebbiolo and I find myself charmed! Bright strawberry fruit and crushed rose petals; hugely perfumed and yet still spicy and fresh on the palate. Very Nebbiolo in character. Quite expensive, sadly.
Le Piane Boca 2015 – Much better than the heavy, slightly unwieldy 2009. Bright red fruits, dried rose petals, sappy herbs and very light toast. Fresh, easy drinking and I suspect will gain a lot of complexity over the coming years. Again, slightly too expensive for me!
Nervi Gattinara 2015 – Roberto Conterno’s new project since 2012, a move that sent shockwaves through this small community. Apparently no single vineyard wines were made in 2015 and all the grapes into this cuvee instead. Still tight and a little closed, there’s plenty of red fruit stuffed in here, delicate mineral notes and surprisingly accessible tannins. Far more refined than your typical Gattinara