Nebbiolo: riping in your wine cellar or drinking straight

All Barolo or Barbaresco, the more expensive versions of fine, elegant wines are of course from the Nebbiolo grape but today we are talking about the base, the Nebbiolo wine made from the grape of the same name.

What are the characteristics of the young Nebbiolo ?

In light of variables related to wine production and partly agronomic practices (see harvests from younger and more generous vineyards along with slightly earlier harvests in time), Nebbiolo expresses itself very well in its youth, through primary notes that are not trivial and rich in sensory articulations. Vinification in stainless steel helps to preserve the fruit in its organoleptic integrity, without the addition of exogenous fragrances, such as those of wood. The faster extraction, i.e. the result of shorter macerations, is another important aspect in the production of a Nebbiolo ready to drink, where the tannin system tends to stay in the background, leaving a smooth taste juicy and satisfying in the foreground. The olfactory spectrum is truly unique and distinctive, from nuanced balsamic to fruity (raspberry, strawberry and wild strawberry) and floral (violet). The young Nebbiolo is a small masterpiece of fresh and immediate pleasure.

How does the Nebbiolo evolve?

The Nebbiolo, with its aristocratic and powerful tannins, is rightly one of the varieties that are able to preserve and improve after a long maturation in the bottle. Because of its analytical characteristics, it has a natural tendency to produce sober wines. In fact, the Nebbiolo grapes, harvested at full maturity has a good amount of sugars. The equation that a certain sugar content corresponds to an exact equivalent in alcohol content is always valid. There is a high content of polyphenols - especially tannins - present that really retain the determining factor of the Nebbiolo vine. The wine obtained, traditionally vinified and aged in wooden barrels of various sizes, has the following specific characteristics:

- intense garnet red colour with tints that tend to fade slightly towards terracotta as it ages

- the nose, although the fruity aromas persist, especially in wines from warmer years, dominate the most complex fragrances that can go from dried flowers to tobacco and liquorice, and go through notes of tar and truffle.

- In more traditional wine-making (large barrels), the wines are distinguished by their moderately soft flesh, which leaves room for a heavier sensation, determined by the sobriety of the tannins, which are added in colder years or in cooler climate zones, the perception of sour ridge.

It is clear that these typical characteristics of the Nebbiolo may vary in terms of ripening depending on the terroir (type of soil, location, exposure, microclimate, annual climatic development, wine-growing habits and traditions) and the choice of vinification. When, in the 1990s, the use of new barriques predominated, in particular by some producers in the Langhe region, some of the characteristics described above were no longer easy to find, while today they are reverted to used barriques.

Upper Piedmont, another historic and important production area, rich in wines with exceptional aging potential, currently has many labels of Nebbiolo ready to drink, as is the case in the Langa and Roero, where almost all production realities in their proposal a vintage Nebbiolo next to labels that will challenge the decades.

The Nebbiolo that did particularly well in 2018 was from the winery L "Astemia Pentita which rightly had a first place in sales figures. Great potential for ripening in the cellar where we can cite that the grapes come from the vineyard in Monforte, actually destined for Barolo but the winery did not use the first 4 years of harvest followed by 8 years of use of the Barolo harvest and sales/production Nebbiolo...  Link to Nebbiolo d'Alba - L "Astemia Pentita