Nebbiolo
Proud Piedmontese
It’s the king of Piedmont: the most sought-after wines come from Nebbiolo. It reaches its highest expression in Barolo and Barbaresco. Its acidic, tannin-rich wines in its youth are often unapproachable. With maturity, however, it develops an ethereal bouquet of cherry, liquorice, violet and rose, as well as truffles, tar and forest floor. Nebbiolo takes its name from the Italian “Nebbia”, meaning fog. This not because of the weather in Piedmont, but due to the whitish film on the ripe, red berries. It was first mentioned by this name in the 13th century. Much like the Pinot noir, Nebbiolo can precisely reflect its terroir, but only if it is really pleased with where it is. It likes cool climates and calcareous soils. Attempts have been made to transplant it, for example, to California, but the results were disappointing. It feels most comfortable in the hills of northern Italy.
