Red Wine

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo, pronounced NEH-bee-oh-low, is such a unique variety. The name is derived from the Italian word Nebbia meaning fog.

Two theories for the name exist. The first that it refers to the fog that the vineyards of the Langhe are often immersed in. Second that the natural bloom that covers the grapes gives them a foggy appearance. Given the latter applies to most red grapes I prefer the former! There are 4 main clones of which Nebbiolo Lampia dominates over Nebbiolo Michet, Rosé (now proven to be a different variety), and, Bolla.

Where is it grown?

Southern central and north Piemonte. The two big guns here are Barolo and Barbaresco. It is grown throughout the Langhe including the Roero, Asti, Carema, Biella, Novara and Vercelli. In Alto Piedmonte, it is known as Spanna, and, is often blended with Croatina and Vespolina. We have seen Giacomo Conterno buy Nervi in the Commune of Gattinara to produce wines in the region. It is also grown in the lower parts of the Valle d’Aosta where it is known as Picotendroi, and, Valtellina in Lombardy where it is called Chiavennasca among others.

What does it taste like?

The ultimate case of not judging a book by its cover, Nebbiolo, at first appears pale in colour, old wines can have the appearance of rusty tap water.

Then you smell it! The aroma of most red wines is dominated by fruit characters. In contrast, Nebbiolo’s aroma is typically a mix of complex secondary aromas, earthy, tarry, spice, rose, citrus peel, woody herbs like rosemary, liquorice, phenol, dark chocolate, tobacco, truffles, leather, and, dark cherry fruit, often more evident on the palate. You’ll see this difference immediately by comparing it two the other two main Piedmontese varieties Barbera and Dolcetto.

Good Nebbiolo has a core of fruit running the length of your tongue, along with layers of those same secondary characters. Nebbiolo’s grape tannins give it a distinct texture, that for those who have not tried it before can seem hard, and, unyielding. Look for the quality and depth of tannin.

Achieving well balance tannin, alcohol, and, acidity makes for great Nebbiolo.

More than most other Italian wines, Nebbiolo, demands food to be at its best. A little fat and salt, enhance the texture and bring out the flavours.

Check out all the articles in the Wine Bites Mag exploring Nebbiolo.

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Rocche di Castiglione’ 2008

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Sucked one of these back beginning of April 2022. Cracked, decanted for around 3 hours, dranks over a couple. It just kept getting better and better in the glass, incredible harmony, those faded flowers of Castiglione Falletto, fine long tannins, perfectly balanced with flavours that lingered long after the last drop was gone. Excellent layering of secondary characters. Just superb! Everything you'd expect from a strong year of Rocche di Castiglione. This is such a great opportunity to loo

$198

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Parussi’ 2008

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Sordo's Parussi always sits on the bolder side for the Cru, which it turns out has split soil types. Theirs being on soils more similar to those of Serralunga. The resulting structure shows in the wine. The 2008 is drinking beautifully, showing darker fruits and like the other 2008 Sordos seamless, with exceptional harmony and balance. This is such a great opportunity to look at different Crus in a horizontal from one producer! Matured Barolo straight from the cellars of Sordo ... Bring It

$198

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Ravera’ 2008

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

It's fascinating the from one of Barolos Northern most Crus in Monvigliero, moving to one of the Southern most in Ravera from Novello we see two Crus that are more playful and expressive in their youth. Here we typically see supple tannins, oppulent red fruits with front to mid-palate attack. Again the metamorphosis only time can offer us really is something special. Here's a chance to see a Ravera with a decade+ of bottle age on it and find out just how it transforms! This is such a great

$198

$191ea in any 3+

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Perno’ 2008

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Perno, always the darkest and most structured on release, is perhaps the wine in the Sordo Cru lineup that goes through the most dramatic metamorphosis with time. Monforte is the least defined of the Barolo Communes, the end result is a diversity of styles. Barolo from Monforte can have incredible power, darknesss and earthiness, less reliant on fruit than other communes, in recent times we have soon producers making finer, elegant, perfumed iterations. Sordo's Perno sits in the middle, perhaps

$198

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Borgogno Barolo ‘Liste’ DOCG 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Loaded with finesse, this wine has enticing aromas of rose, woodland berry, pine forest and herbs. Elegantly structured, the delicious palate delivers juicy Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and wild mint framed in tightly knit, polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well-balanced. Drink 2022–2036. Kerin O'Keefe

$201

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Borgogno Barolo ‘Fossati’ DOCG 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Underbrush, wild berry, rose and camphor aromas form the enticing nose along with a whiff of forest floor. The youthfully austere, savory palate delivers ripe red cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and botanical herb framed in firm, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced. This stunner is definitely one for the cellar. Drink 2026–2041. Kerin O’Keefe, The Wine Enthusiast

$201

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo ‘Villero’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Superb! An excellent Villero. Complete, pure, elegant, refined, such harmony in its youth bodes well for a little something special with the passage of time. The first time I had Sordo’s Villero was the 2015 and it blew my mind. 2013, 2016, 2017 followed. All superb. The 2019 is right up there. Seriously good. Right now across all the 2019's the acid sits marginally proud. For wines of this calibre I'm stoked to see the balance where it’s at in their youth. In just a few years it will r

$204

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Cavallotto Barolo ‘Bricco Boschis’ 2017

Nebbiolo | Castiglione Falletto, Italy

Focused, pure, without interference of oak, complex, considered élévage. Wine of great expression and vibrancy. “The 2017 Barolo Bricco Boschis is superb. A rush of crushed raspberry, rose petals, mint, sweet spice and blood orange gives the 2017 its effusive, sexy personality. Medium in body and exceptionally polished, the 2017 is an absolute jewel of a wine. Many 2017s are nervy and in need of time to soften, but not the Bricco Boschis. All the elements are so well-balanced. If I was going

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Cascina Fontana Barolo ‘Commune di Castiglione Falletto’ 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

This is an impressive beverage! There are things happening here that are very good. The textural elements: dusty, even long tannins, that are just a little bolder than the 2015 and will benefit from 3-5 years before you crack a bottle. The fading flowers are more prominent than in the classico and red fruit more dominant with excellent length and delicacy. It has wonderful development, layered complexity that you need not pick apart. Simply enjoy a wine full of personality. A consistent r

$208

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Sottimano Barbaresco ‘Currá’ 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

My cup overfloweth! Barbaresco kicking it up a gear! My first taste of a Sottimano. WOW! This is stunning. Such a complete wine. It has everything and all the right places. A density and richness of dark fruit. Long, lingering and delicious. The richness is perfectly tempered by exceptional tannins of depth. This has been expertly macerated, the time on skins during ferment and just following the completion of the alcoholic fermentation is apparently around 40 days. That time has woven, truffles

$209

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Barale Barolo ‘Monrobiolo di Bussia’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

A component that was previously blended into the Barolo del Barolo. A beautiful perfume lifts from the glass. An extra pop of perceived acidity makes for tannins with a playful edge to the mid-palate adding pleasure. Truffles, earthiness, darkness, with energy. Of the first three Barolos this will need more time to resolve. Serious gear. Winemaker’s hat on I can see why they separated. It will clearly give so much more with a few years in bottle. A presence yet sophistication of perfume a

$209

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KO 96 AG 94

Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Ovello’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is powerful, savory and intensely linear, in classico Ovello style, and yet it appears to have enough fruit behind its imposing tannins to develop well over the coming years. In this tasting, the Ovello feels pretty closed post bottling, but its inherent balance and qualities are there. Clean saline notes extend the finish in promising fashion. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 94 Points KO 96 *NOTE Galloni tasted in Sept 2023 noting his intent to look at the P

$209

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KO 98 AG 93

Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Pajé’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is full of character. Strong mineral, savory and floral notes jump out of the glass, before veins of tannin make themselves felt on the palate. A powerful, young Barbaresco, the Pajè is going to need a number of years to come into its own. That said, all of its signatures are very much present. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 93 Points KO 98 *NOTE Galloni tasted in Sept 2023 noting his intent to look at the PdB Riservas in 12 months expecting they will resolv

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KO 96 AG 92

Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Pora’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a pretty tightly wound wine, certainly moreso than is typically the case for this Barbaresco, which is often much more engaging in the early going. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar and earthiness lend notable savory nuance in this decidedly nervy, somber Pora. There's good fruit intensity and plenty of character that makes me want to revisit this in a few months' time. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 92 Points KO 96 *NOTE Galloni tasted in Sept 2023 noting his in

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KO 98 AG 93

Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Rio Sordo’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo is quite deep in this vintage, with notable depth in its dark-toned fruit. This is an especially powerful Rio Sordo that is still coming together. Its intensity is palpable, even if I see less of the finesse that I associate with wines from this site. Today, all of the wine's energy is directed inwards. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 93 Points KO 98 *NOTE Galloni tasted in Sept 2023 noting his intent to look at the PdB Riservas in 12 months expecting they

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KO 98 AG 93+

Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva ‘Montefico’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

The 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is one of the most searingly tannic wines in the range. Readers will have to be patient with the 2019, as it is going to need time. As always, Montefico is a Barbaresco built on linear intensity more than size. In 2019, the qualities are quite accented. Time in the glass opens the bouquet nicely, but the 2019 remains quite closed. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 93+ Points KO 98 *NOTE Galloni tasted in Sept 2023 noting his intent to look at the PdB Riserva

$209

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