Within sight of the Alps, Piemonte (the Italian spelling, it’s Piedmont in English) in northwestern Italy arguably is, along with Tuscany, Italy’s most famous wine producing region. Of course, that’s like deciding whether George Washington is more famous than Abraham Lincoln.
And that fame is mostly centered on two wines from the Langhe subregion: Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines are always made 100 percent of the indigenous nebbiolo grape. Curiously, nebbiolo appears capable of reaching such heights only in Piemonte, as there are very few examples of similar quality produced anywhere else. There’s just something about this grape grown in this place as expressed in the resulting wines that testify to the synergy of grape and terroir. Maybe it’s the proximity to the Alps and the Ligurian Sea, and the resulting cooler climate and prominent fog (nebbia is Italian for fog).
Named after towns in the region, among serious wine lovers, Barolo and Barbaresco are considered among the world’s great red wines. Presenting different expressions of nebbiolo, Barolo is most often characterized as more muscular and tannic, larger scaled, and somewhat austere but with dramatically intense fruit. In Barbaresco, the soil is more fertile, thus the wines tend to be slightly less tannic but better balanced. Still, both exhibit substantial tannins and typically display enticing cherry fruit and notes of roses and what has been described as tar. Still, both deftly exhibit a balancing act of elegance with substantial tannins. A typical flavor profile includes enticing cherry and raspberry fruit with pungent, smoky forest or tobacco and often menthol notes.
If you want a sense of what all the fuss is about at more affordable prices, wines labeled “Langhe Nebbiolo”, usually feature grapes from younger vines and multiple vineyard sources. The wines approximate their bigger siblings but with lesser intensity and softer palates.
Importantly, Piemonte is more than nebbiolo. Beyond these icon wines is a quite diverse panoply of native grapes that produce fascinating, affordable wines. Probably the next most significant is barbera, the mostwidely planted grape in the region. Its many benefits include a generally juicy, easy drinking character and reasonable cost, resulting in an ideal everyday wine. It typically produces rich, concentrated dark berry flavors, often with hints of licorice, and occasionally earthy notes with good acidity but softer tannins. Barbera from Astiand Alba (towns in the Langhe) are what you want to look for.
Dolcetto is another important red variety. The grape is appealing for its exuberant fruitiness, tangy bitterness, and affordability. It’s the classic drink now wine.
Barolo
2017 Pio Cesare “Pio” ($85) bold, tight yet harmonious, full but firm, fine tannins, licorice and smoke notes
2015 Enrico Serafino “Monclivio” ($46) solid introduction to Barolo; firm structure, fine texture, juicy, tobacco hints
Barbaresco
2017 Marchesi di Grésy “Martinenga” ($65) bright, delightfully candied fruit, rich earth accent, mint, tobacco, supple, vibrant finish
Langhe Nebbiolo
2018 Vietti “Perbacco” ($29) intense, minty, black pepper
2018 Enrico Serafino “Picotener” ($25) charming, earthy, spice, soft frame
2019 Marchesi di Gresy “Martinenga” ($26) vinous, slightly bitter, spicy
Barbera d’Asti
2019 Vietti “Tre Vigne” ($18) concentrated, licorice, spice, supple
2018 Marchesi di Gresy ($19) floral, elegant, soft, bracing, subtle spice
Barbera d’Alba
2018 Pio Cesare ($25) easy going, saturated, mineral, spice, tangy finish
Langhe Dolcetto d’Alba
2019 Marchesi di Gresy “Monte Aribaldo” ($19) delightfully light, piquant, bright, supple
NOTE: Featured image courtesy of Marchese di Grey