Nebbiolo Prima: onsite report

Langhe, one of the most important areas in Italy and the wine world, is, like all the others, facing climate change. A constant in these years of viticulture.

The territory of Barolo and Barbaresco, and its surroundings, has a certain economic solidity, despite difficult harvests, and climate change has a lot to do with it.

Meanwhile, the figures of the economy are clear: Piedmont's wine exports, of which the Langhe is the main pillar, exceeded one billion euros in 2018, and in the first nine months of 2019 the growth was 5.2, according to ISTAT. An economic solidity that is a good omen for the future, thanks in part to the wines coming on the market these days, the new vintages and reserves of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, the result of happy harvests, such as 2016, and other not so easy harvests, such as 2014 and 2017. Irregular trends that challenge the territory of the Langhe, which is economically healthy, is the fact that on about 10,000 hectares is working for just over 62 million bottles with 10 different designations of origin.

For Barolo, in 2015, the production of 14 million bottles on an area of 2,091 hectares was exceeded for the first time by abandoning the Consortium's annual call to extend the designation by 20 hectares (which has grown since 2010). "A choice dictated only by caution, waiting to see how the wine industry responds to this significant increase in the number of bottles. The production of Barbaresco, on the other hand, is more stable, at about 4.5 million bottles in 2015 of 750 hectares, with a regular annual growth of 7 hectares.

Both Barbaresco and Barolo are characterized by family businesses: in Barolo, more than 60% (172 out of 351) produce less than 30,000 bottles per year (2,300,000 in total, about 18% of total production), with an average of 5 hectares each. A guarantee for a short supply chain that is even greater in Barbaresco, where 87% produce less than 30,000 bottles, covering more than 32% of the 3,884,000 bottles produced. The additional geographical indications, introduced for Barolo in 2010 and for Barbaresco in 2007 (created not so much to define qualitative rankings, but to give an order and historical and territorial value), are slowly becoming part of the company's strategies. For example, in 2014, harvest declarations in both denominations reached 50%, while 25% were bottled: a guarantee that the winemakers themselves are willing to give up if they are not fully convinced of the result at the end of the maturation of the wine.

The Roero is a small denomination, born in 2014, which today contributes with its 2,475 hectares to the aforementioned 10,000, of which 249 are dedicated to Nebbiolo with a production of more than 482,000 bottles in 2017. From its creation to the present day, the number of registered hectares has increased by 20%. A positive sign that is dictated both by the increase in the number of farms and by the contribution of young farms. Here also two types of Nebbiolo: one structured from clay soils (which therefore need to ripen longer to become Roero Riserva) and one that is more elegant and ready from sandy soils, excellent for Roero Annata, certainly with the necessary business exceptions and, even more, the earth around.

Compared with so many different versions of Nebbiolo - the princely grape of Piedmont - which has managed to fascinate the world in such different vintages, is a stimulating exercise, capable of providing a good measure not only of the ability of the vine to adapt and react to the pedo-climatic conditions to which it is subjected, but also of the impetus and maturity of the management that the winemakers (and the territory they represent) manage to implement.

However, the vines planted in a vineyard are subject to harsh and hormonal stress conditions, due to the limited space, the organization of planting and the agronomic practices that become weather conditions and their consequences in terms of pathogenic pressure.

These different vintages have not insignificant consequences for the plants, for the soil on which they grow and for the grapes harvested and the wine made from them. The climate crisis also affects the Langhe, with its sudden events (hail), stagnant periods (drought, heat, humidity) and general irregular and "out-of-season" weather conditions, which affect the physiological cycles of the vine and thus the typical aromas of the Langhe grapes, including Nebbiolo. Changes that the wine producers (but not only) struggle to endure, especially in the long term: because, firstly, they require planning capacity and forward-looking agronomic investments that are difficult to carry out due to a lack of sound scientific data and, secondly, because there is a lack of professionals capable of creating clear and precise communication bridges between science and producers, both producers and consumers, who have brought together experts in physics, calculation, economics, agronomy and communication in order to draw up climate prediction models and find concrete answers to the socio-economic problems that the population will face as a result of the expected rise in temperatures.

"There are concrete solutions that science can already provide today, along with forecasts" by inviting journalists and producers to put scientific research back into communication with those affected by the climate crisis on a daily basis. In Prato, for example, climate studies have been carried out in sectors which are each 5 km wide and which provide solid information in terms of forecasts in order to carry out positive long-term reactions to weather conditions. Projects that would certainly be useful in the event of frost, such as those that reduced not only production but also whole plants in the vineyards of the Langhe in April 2017, or in the case of the intense rainfall recorded in 2014, or even in the long weeks of increasingly frequent drought.

Let's see, then, in concrete terms these 4 vintages so different that have accompanied the wines of Roero, Barolo, and Barbaresco. A 2017 (which affects the preview of Roero and Barbaresco) of mild winter and a warm spring, both with little rainfall, which awakened the vines in advance, which were in difficulty both at the bottom of the valley and on top of the hills (due to the wind) of a frostbite in late April. The high temperatures in summer were only partially tempered by the cool nights, which forced the vines to stop the metabolic processes. The harvest was therefore early (two weeks - one of the earliest), but with normal alcohol and pH levels, low total acidity and lower yields. The result was wines that tended to be perfumed, but more imbalanced on the sip, with a bitter tendency at the end of the sip for Roero and some gusty imbalance for Barbaresco (with Treiso, who, however, surprises for elegance).

The winter of 2016 (over Barolo Annata and Roero Riserva) brought good but late water supplies (February and March) that slowed down the plants' awakening and phenological development, which, due to a cool spring and rainfall and a summer with no significant heat peaks that lasted for a long time, made it possible to harvest an optimally matured Nebbiolo from mid-October, which benefited from good autumn temperatures. Intense wines were born, with still strong tannins, clear varietal aromas and excellent aging potential (both for the Roero Riserva, but undoubtedly for the Barolo Annata, significant for the areas of Monteforte d'Alba and Verduno).

We remember a warm 2015 (for the Barbaresco Riserva), not permanent but for heat peaks. The abundant winter snowfall and mild spring have certainly helped the plants to cope with it, regulating their vegetative cycle well and avoiding water stress. Good agronomic management to reduce the solar radiation of the bunches was necessary. A light early harvest for the Nebbiolo, which presented unusual concentrations of tannins, good total acidity (6.5 gram/litre) and a considerable alcohol content.

Finally, the Barolo Riserva presented itself for 2014, complex in terms of humidity, low temperatures and pathogenic pressure, which led to a drop in grape production and an average good, but not surprising, oenological result. Nebbiolo in particular enjoyed a much better September and October than the previous months, taking advantage of the ripening in extremis.

Our subscribers to the newsletter, free of charge by the way, receive a full report of all the riservas tasted.