Cabernet Sauvignon is king in California’s Napa Valley and Pinot Noir from France’s Burgundy region is the standard that the world’s winemakers aspire to. Then there is Nebbiolo, the red wine grape from Italy’s Piedmont region.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are grown with great success in many other regions outside of Napa and Burgundy. However, producers from around the globe continue to try, but Nebbiolo seems to favor its tiny corner of the mountains in northern Italy. Even here in Piedmont this grape is fussy about where it will grow the best.
The Nebbiolo wines of Piedmont are as terroir-driven as any Cab from Napa or Pinot Noir from Burgundy. It is low yielding, thin-skinned and susceptible to disease but produces wines of outstanding quality. Whether it is Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo del Lange, Gattinara or Ghemme, the wines are known for their elegance.
Nebbiolo accounts for less than 5% of the grape varieties under vine in Piedmont but is by far the king of the region and the most difficult to grow. Since Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, it must be planted on south or south-western facing slopes to get maximum sun exposure. Also, the vines are very vigorous so they require strict canopy management to ensure that their energy is dedicated to ripening fruit rather than growing leaves.
During the harvest, which usually takes place late in October, an intense fog rolls into the region so it is thought that Nebbiolo got its name from the Italian word nebbia which means fog. The calcareous clay soils, the breezes from the Alps, hot spring and summer days and fall fogs all contribute to the grapes reaching the peak of ripeness, complexity and acidity.
Nebbiolo does not do well in various soil types. It prefers soils with high concentrations of calcium and limestone such as those found in and around Alba where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced.
Wines made from Nebbiolo are typically light in color, similar to Pinot Noir but have the structure that allows them to age in the bottle for years. Their very high tannin content in youth allows them to develop over time. The nose is one of Nebbiolo’s most outstanding qualities producing wines with complex aromas of roses, black fruit and licorice. The flavor profile includes cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and violets.
Borolo, made from 100% Nebbiolo, comes from its namesake town as well as the communes of Castiglione Falletto, La Morra, Monforte and Serralunga in the southeastern hills of the Langhe region of Piedmont. They are well balanced with aromas and flavors of roses, violets, spices, tobacco and white truffles.
Barbaresco was thought to live in the shadow of its famous neighbor Barolo but this is no longer true. Nebbiolo here ripens sooner and maintains more acidity than Borolo and is not as intense on the palate but with its fuller body and freshness, it is a great food wine.
Nebbiolo wines that are not from Barolo or Barbaresco are classified as Nebbiolo del Langhe. Coming from an area that covers ten communes in Langhe, the wines are medium in body, still show the best traits of their big brothers, have moderate aging potential and are great values.
Gattinara and Ghemme are the northernmost growing areas for Nebbiolo in Piedmont. The wines are lighter bodied than other Piedmont Nebbiolos with pleasant fruit flavors and good acidity.
Whether in the big and complex traditional style that require years of aging or in the modern style that is approachable earlier, Nebbiolo wines are not to be missed. Barolos often come with hefty price tags but are well worth the investment.
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