Needing to restock after returning from two-and-a-half weeks in northwestern Italy then France, I stopped at the big Kroger on 11th Street the other day, the one with a nice wine selection, and felt compelled to pick up at least a couple of bottles of wines labeled “Nebbiolo.”
Before the trip, which was largely in Piedmont, I hoped to learn more about the region’s star grape, Nebbiolo, that becomes Barolo and Barbaresco in its most exalted forms. A visit to 13 Celsius prior to leaving and sampling a 2022 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo had convinced me that these were worth exploring, too. Nebbiolos are the lesser-aged, less fussed about, easier to drink and much more affordable, if less complicated bottlings from the Barolo and Barbaresco producers. I returned also with an enthusiasm about those.
These Nebbiolos were created, in part, to provide income while the Barolos and Barbarescos are aging, similar to the Rossos from Montalcino and Vino Nobile in Tuscany. But Nebbiolos have struck a cord, certainly at least where it is produced, becoming the everyday wine for nearby Alba and much of the area, at least for younger drinkers, I was told, displacing Dolcetto, long the wine found on most lunch and dinner tables. This has been helped by the changing climate that has made the fickle and late-ripening Nebbiolo grapes easier to grow well. As Aldo Vacca, the former head of Produttori del Barbaresco, said on Levi Dalton’s podcast: “There are really no bad vintages anymore.” Like Barolos and Barbarescos, Nebbiolos are better than ever and there is more of it, too.
Nebbiolos don’t have the complexity nor depth of flavor of the Barolos and Barbarescos, but exhibit the pleasant red fruits and maybe a spiciness with noticeable acidity and tannins. But those tannins, especially, are muted compared to the younger Barolos and Barbarescos that are on most restaurant menus, and what most people here drink at home making a Nebbiolo often a better choice with the meal. This was my experience at lunch recently at Campamac, an ambitious, Michelin-cited restaurant in the village of Barbaresco. When I asked for a Nebbiolo – I had to have something with that grape in Barbaresco – the enthusiastic, youngish sommelier recommended what turned out to be a beautiful Bruno Giacosa from the 2022 vintage that he thought was more approachable than from the previous year. It went quite well with the agnolotti with wild goose and the Torinese take on the Milanese. He commented that the famed Bruno Giacosa was the second best Barbaresco producer after Gaja. By all accounts, true.
In addition to possibly being quite satiating and satisfying on their own, the Nebbiolo wines are also a chance to understand the winery better and determine whether or not you want to spend the additional money for their Barbaresco or Barolo. “Nebbiolo is a preview for Barbaresco and Barolo” according to Michela Cucca, my host when I visited Produttori del Barbaresco a couple of weeks ago. I was told at another winery that if you like their Nebbiolo, you will like their Barolo or Barbaresco. Davide Abram at Pio Cesare told us that “The better the Nebbiolo, the better the Barolo and Barbaresco.”
You can find Nebbiolos for around $20 to $30 retail. I quite enjoyed the Nebbiolo from Produttori del Barbaresco that has been available in Houston for a while, but I didn’t feel like paying $27 at Kroger for it after buying a couple of bottles for €15 a piece at the winery. The higher tariff is certainly worth it, though.
If you enjoy Barolo and Barbaresco, you should definitely seek out a Langhe Nebbiolo or a Nebbiolo d’Alba. Or if you just enjoy Old World wines are looking for a reasonably inexpensive wine to accompany a meal, you might give one a try.
Before the trip, which was largely in Piedmont, I hoped to learn more about the region’s star grape, Nebbiolo, that becomes Barolo and Barbaresco in its most exalted forms. A visit to 13 Celsius prior to leaving and sampling a 2022 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo had convinced me that these were worth exploring, too. Nebbiolos are the lesser-aged, less fussed about, easier to drink and much more affordable, if less complicated bottlings from the Barolo and Barbaresco producers. I returned also with an enthusiasm about those.
These Nebbiolos were created, in part, to provide income while the Barolos and Barbarescos are aging, similar to the Rossos from Montalcino and Vino Nobile in Tuscany. But Nebbiolos have struck a cord, certainly at least where it is produced, becoming the everyday wine for nearby Alba and much of the area, at least for younger drinkers, I was told, displacing Dolcetto, long the wine found on most lunch and dinner tables. This has been helped by the changing climate that has made the fickle and late-ripening Nebbiolo grapes easier to grow well. As Aldo Vacca, the former head of Produttori del Barbaresco, said on Levi Dalton’s podcast: “There are really no bad vintages anymore.” Like Barolos and Barbarescos, Nebbiolos are better than ever and there is more of it, too.
Nebbiolos don’t have the complexity nor depth of flavor of the Barolos and Barbarescos, but exhibit the pleasant red fruits and maybe a spiciness with noticeable acidity and tannins. But those tannins, especially, are muted compared to the younger Barolos and Barbarescos that are on most restaurant menus, and what most people here drink at home making a Nebbiolo often a better choice with the meal. This was my experience at lunch recently at Campamac, an ambitious, Michelin-cited restaurant in the village of Barbaresco. When I asked for a Nebbiolo – I had to have something with that grape in Barbaresco – the enthusiastic, youngish sommelier recommended what turned out to be a beautiful Bruno Giacosa from the 2022 vintage that he thought was more approachable than from the previous year. It went quite well with the agnolotti with wild goose and the Torinese take on the Milanese. He commented that the famed Bruno Giacosa was the second best Barbaresco producer after Gaja. By all accounts, true.
In addition to possibly being quite satiating and satisfying on their own, the Nebbiolo wines are also a chance to understand the winery better and determine whether or not you want to spend the additional money for their Barbaresco or Barolo. “Nebbiolo is a preview for Barbaresco and Barolo” according to Michela Cucca, my host when I visited Produttori del Barbaresco a couple of weeks ago. I was told at another winery that if you like their Nebbiolo, you will like their Barolo or Barbaresco. Davide Abram at Pio Cesare told us that “The better the Nebbiolo, the better the Barolo and Barbaresco.”
You can find Nebbiolos for around $20 to $30 retail. I quite enjoyed the Nebbiolo from Produttori del Barbaresco that has been available in Houston for a while, but I didn’t feel like paying $27 at Kroger for it after buying a couple of bottles for €15 a piece at the winery. The higher tariff is certainly worth it, though.
If you enjoy Barolo and Barbaresco, you should definitely seek out a Langhe Nebbiolo or a Nebbiolo d’Alba. Or if you just enjoy Old World wines are looking for a reasonably inexpensive wine to accompany a meal, you might give one a try.
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