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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The Super Stars!

Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Rocche di Castiglione’ 2004

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Lifting the level to Sordo's Riserva Range is always Fun! Winery Direct from an exceptional Barolo Year! Fabulous, both in itself and as a contrast to Villero. Where Villero is delicate and persistent, all finesse, Rocche is much more forceful with a similar range of characters. Everything is darker, deeper and more. The glory of this pre-eminent cru is the combo of style and power; how such waves and complexities stay in such long and vibrant shape. A great Barolo here. All aged releases hav

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Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Perno’ 2004

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Lifting the level to Sordo's Riserva Range is always Fun! Winery Direct from an exceptional Barolo Year! Update Dec 2023 Devoured at a Christmas function, the 2004 Perno is right in the zone. Sitting in that perfectly mature spot. Earthy and truffled, seamless and harmonious, poised, balanced, flowing and delicious. This aged Barolo is in its prime drinking beautifully. A perfect match to dry-aged duck breast with a white truffle and cured cherry sauce at Al Dente. From my experience o

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The Bold!

Giovanni Sordo Barolo Riserva ‘Gabutti’ 2004

Nebbiolo | Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo

The 2004 Riserva we see the parallels with the 2016, 2015 & 2008. The long structure is there, the complexity has built further, the wine is now fully comfortable wearing it's own skin, having resolved and built generosity. Of the 2015 it was clear that there was no chance to mistake the Gabutti, with its abundance of darker things; stock, porcini, graphite, smoke and black cherry. Under this very typical Serralunga ‘tarry/earthy’ mantle though, are other complexities of dried roses, orange

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Massolino Barolo DOCG MAGNUM 2017

Nebbiolo | Serralunga d'Alba, Italy

Excellent fleshy core of fruit. Opens beautiful. Fine acid and expertly handled tannin with a playful edge. Pretty perfume. Fresh red fruits, well balanced. Plenty of fun. Accessible now with much more to come. Comes in individual wooden box. Also available in 750ml.

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Borgogno Barolo ‘Cannubi’ DOCG 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

"The 2016 Barolo Cannubi is the first Borgogno Barolo made from organically farmed vineyards, which represents a pretty significant shift here. Bright and beautifully lifted in the glass, the Cannubi is so expressive today. Succulent red berry fruit, spice, blood orange, rose petal and star anise build as this sensual, open-knit Barolo shows off its allure, which is considerable." Galloni, Vinous

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Luigi Pira Barolo ‘Vigna Rionda’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo

In recent times, Vigna Rionda gets spoken about as the grand cru of the Langhe – altitude, exposure and soil profile play an integral part. As expected, this is Giampaolo’s flagship wine. The oak regime is similar to the ‘Marenca’ but with a larger portion of newer oak – around 30%. Ultra-powerful and layered in fragrances, flavours and textures. Smoke, graphite, incense, stock/porcini, sweet tobacco, violets. All this character is underpinned by a fierce, tingling acid line and a comp

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Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco ‘Martinenga’ 2017

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

This is a wine that has had me conflicted over the 3 times I’ve tried it. I’ve held off listing it watching and waiting to see what happens. The fruit quality and grape tannins in Marchese di Gresy’s Nebbiolos are irrefutable. The Martinenga Cru, a di Gresy monopole sits between Asili and Rabaja, that kind of pedigree explains much. The very high quality oak layer in the wine put me on pause. Was it too much? Time gave me the answer and the wine, the balance I sought. The secret to this

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Antoniolo ‘Osso San Grato’ Gattinara Riserva DOCG 2015

Nebbiolo | Italy, Alto Piemonte

Jesus wept on the Bones of Saint Gratto! The very blood of Christ! Stunning. If I ever made a wine of this caliber I’d retire on the high. Galloni’s note is bang on! The acid-tannin complex steps up again from the ‘standard’ Riserva. The tannins are layered, of depth, fine and long. You can ever so easily lose yourself in the glass! Mind-boggling complexity! "The 2015 Gattinara Riserva Osso San Grato marries finesse with power in grand style. Rose petal, sage, mint, sweet pi

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Barale Barolo ‘Cannubi’ 2015

Nebbiolo | Italy, Barolo

Cannubi to the core! Savoury, dark, brooding, rich aroma with a hint of chocolate. You expect power from the nose. It comes through on the palate. Bold even tannins sit under a solid core of fruit that despite it’s generosity and richness has an elegance to itt. Something savoury layered in. Quite complete. I expect as the tannins resolve a little here and secondary development build this will be quite something. It has a certain harmony about it that rings true of great wines.

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Level Up!

Oddero Barolo ‘Villero’ 2016

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Dark and brooding give it time and watch it blossom! Take the Barolo add 3 more layers for aroma, flavour and tannin. Ramp up the sophistication of the mouthfeel and you're kinda close to where the Villero sits. Dark and brooding give it time and watch it blossom! Awesome side by side with Sordo's Villero, very different in style. Both fantastic wines, you can see the common thread through the two. The 2016 has incredible energy, line and length, the tannins are superb. This is a Neb-Heads d

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Cogno Barolo ‘Bricco Pernice’ 2017

Nebbiolo | Novello, Italy

"This is a medium-bodied Nebbiolo from a hot vintage with a ruby-tinged appearance. The 2017 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice shows generous inner fiber and richness with dried cherry, blackberry, plum and dark spice. Fruit for this wine comes from a beautiful amphitheater of vines with the perched town of Novello high up on the skyline. I love the especially smooth and soft quality to what is a powerful and lasting wine. " Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate 95 Points

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Fratelli Alessandria Barolo ‘Monvigliero’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Verduno, Barolo

'The 2019 Barolo Monvigliero shows a medium dark garnet appearance with an especially focused quality of fruit. There is wild cherry and Japanese plum, but the Monvigliero cru also delivers crushed rose, earthy iris root, candied orange peel with clove and dustings of black pepper. The wine is exceedingly silky and polished in texture, but its inherent complexity is never diminished. It should be interesting to revisit this bottle after the 10-year mark. This estate was the first to bottle a Mon

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Vietti Barbaresco ‘Masseria Roncaglie’ 2018

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barbaresco

In my view the Barbaresco Masseria is the most under-the-radar wine at Vietti....The 2018 marks an important transition for the Masseria which is a trademarked brand, not a vineyard, named for one of the hamlets within the Cottá sub-zone where Alfredo Currado first sourced fruit for this wine in the 1960s. Over the years vineyard sources for the Barbaresco have varied.... Beginning in 2018, the Masseria is made exclusively from a sizeable parcel in Roncaglie Vietti acquired from Socré. Vinous

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E. Pira (Chiara Boschis) Barolo ‘Via Nuova’ 2019

Nebbiolo | Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo

This one's an argument for blending sites! The 2017 Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of seven plots from Barolo, Monforte & Serralunga! This one’s an argument for blending sites! The 2018 Barolo Via Nuova is an organic blend of fruit from six MGA sites: Terlo and Liste (in Barolo), Ravera di Monforte and Mosconi (in Monforte d’Alba) and Gabutti and Baudana (in Serralunga d’Alba). The 2019 Barolo Via Nova is another gorgeous wine in this tasting. Soaring and broad in its aromatic intensi

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The Super Stars!

Giovanni Sordo Barolo ‘Monprivato’ 2015

Nebbiolo | Piedmont, Barolo

Earthy and savoury with great depth and length. Incredible core of fruit. So many layers of flavour and tannin, just so much to get from this wine. Such purity, detail, so fine, it draws you in! The 4th wine made from this famous cru, which vies with Cannubi, Francia or either of the Rocches (of Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto) as the greatest name of Barolo. Until 2012 the Sordo family used their small parcel as part of the blend of their normale. It’s clear a great Barolo is emerging in

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Oddero Barolo ‘Brunate’ 2017

Nebbiolo | La Morra, Italy

Give it the requisite air time & it reveals all! Given the Oddero style and the commune of La Morra this has all the ingredients need to be an impressive wine, and it is just that. Before I got my head fully around the tannin complex in the Poderi Oddero wines I cracked one of these and thought, shit, that's a bit OTT, just on the tannin side. A third of the bottle coravined out and 1 month later I chucked the rest in a decanter. The transformation blew my mind. All had resolved and harmonised t

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