Varietals - Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo, Piedmont's Liquid Truffle

Italy’s Piedmont region produces the Nebbiolo grape, favored by many wine lovers for its low yield, high quality grapes.  These grapes are grown in the cool hills of the Piedmont, in the northwest of Italy, and the wines produced offer high acidity and tannins paired with light fruit flavors.  Traditional styles should be aged several years to bring forward the best they have to offer.  Look for Nebbiolo labeled as Barolo, Barbaresco, or Langhe Nebbiolo. 

Barolo, a region to the east of Alba in Piedmont, is the apex of Nebbiolo, producing wines with as many heady, delicate scents of earth, violets, roses, and dried cherries as they have tannin and acid. Even though basic Barolos are aged three years before release and Riservas are aged for at least four, these are wines that need to be cellared for a decade or more before they reach their peak. If you're looking for one to drink sooner, look for the oldest vintage you can find, or buy a less-expensive bottling (around $30 instead of $75 or more).

Barbaresco, grown in a region on the other side of Alba from Barolo, tends to be a little less severe than most Barolos, but it still ranks among the biggest, burliest wines in all of Italy. Prices are similar to most Barolo, with bottles ranging from $25 to $70 or more.

A more affordable option without the need for aging comes from the Langhe region.  A Langhe Nebbiolo may not have the power or aging potential of Barolo or Barbaresco, but it will give Nebbiolo's hallmark truffle and rose fragrance and dried cherry flavors at only $15 to $30.

Piedmont also offers two of Italy's friendliest grapes, Barbera and Dolcetto. Barbera is the heartier of the two, with as much acidity as it has fruit flavors. It produces anything from $10 gems brimming with ripe cherry flavor (like basic bottlings from Batasiolo, Chiarlo, and La Sera) to brawnier reds with similar flavors but meatier tannin. The heartiest (and most expensive) can rival Barbaresco in stature and in price (such as single-vineyard bottlings by Conterno, Prunotto, and Voerzio).

Dolcetto means, loosely, "little sweet one," a reference to its charming, plump fruit flavors. Dolcetto that runs $8 to $15 tends to be for casual drinking; bottlings from Asti and Alba (noted on the label) tend to run deeper in flavor and higher in price. Einaudi, Poderi Colla, and Conterno Fan-tino are good, widely available choices.

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