Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... WINE & RATINGS Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos After disease and hailstorms destroyed most vineyards in the early 1900s, Alto Piemonte has bounced back to become an underappreciated source of Nebbiolo. BY KERIN O’KEEFE 0 Photo by Meg Baggott 0 These five denominations of Alto Piemonte are underappreciated sources of elegant, long-lived wines. If you’re a fan of Nebbiolo, the sole grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco, you’ll love the radiant, mineral-driven offerings from Alto Piemonte, a region higher up in the Alpine foothills than the “Big Bs.” Vibrant and loaded with finesse, the best are drop-dead gorgeous, as these varietal Nebbiolos 1 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... and blends possess ageworthy structures and impeccable balance. While warmer temperatures and drier summers push alcohol levels to extremes in other areas, that’s not often a problem in Alto Piemonte. Vineyard altitudes, cooler temperatures and acidic soils make it rare to find wines that exceed 14% abv. The most exciting offerings come from the five small growing areas that lend their names to the wines: Lessona, Gattinara, Ghemme, Boca and Bramaterra. In the late 1800s, Alto Piemonte boasted more than 110,000 acres of vineyards, most of them now long gone. Nebbiolo (locally called “Spanna”) was often blended with other indigenous grapes, such as Vespolina and Uva Rara. In the latter half of the 19th century, decades before Americans had heard of Barolo or Barbaresco, these wines were already available in the U.S. In the early 1900s, devastating vine diseases and a catastrophic hailstorm destroyed entire vineyards. Embattled growers abandoned agriculture to work in the booming textile mills of nearby Biella. In many of the Alto Piemonte denominations, only a few wineries persevered. Thanks to those brave producers, the tiny subregions that make up Alto Piemonte are poised for a full-blown Renaissance. The Beauty of Barbaresco Lessona DOC As our truck bumps along a narrow dirt road through dense, overgrown woods, I can’t help but wonder if Giacomo Colombera, co-owner of Colombera & Garella, has gotten lost. Then, like a mirage, a large, perfectly maintained vineyard comes into view, surrounded by trees. “Up until the early 1900s, there were about 200 hectares of vineyards in Lessona,” says fellow passenger Cristiano Gallera, a local consulting enologist and the other half of Colombera & Garella, one of the youngest and most dynamic firms in Alto Piemonte. “Now there are just 20 under vine. The rest [is] overgrown with woods.” 2 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... “I was completely surprised by the wine’s finesse and the savory, almost salty finish.” —Paolo de Marchi, Isole e Olena Winemaking in Lessona has recently been revived, a common thread among the other denominations. Only Tenuta Sella, originally a textile firm that started acquiring vineyards in the late 1600s, has continuously made wine. Until about 15 years ago, however, those wines were reserved largely for family members and employees of the firm’s several businesses. The remainder was sold locally around Biella, a historic textile center. That all changed in 1999, when Paolo de Marchi of the Chianti Classico estate Isole e Olena and his son, Luca, relaunched Proprietà Sperino, the family’s historic estate in Lessona. Producers across Alto Piemonte credit de Marchi’s arrival as the rebirth of winemaking in the area. Paolo grew up in Turin and summered at the family’s Lessona estate. He long dreamed of reviving the area’s winemaking tradition. Proprietà Sperino’s first release was from the 2004 vintage. “I was completely surprised by the wine’s finesse and the savory, almost salty finish,” says Paolo. Lessona wines abound with elegance, thanks to mineral-rich yellow sand and vineyard altitudes that range between 722 and 1,181 feet above sea level. They offer bouquets of roses and red woodland berries that follow over to the palate, along with a pronounced mineral vein. Lessona wines have an almost ethereal character, but noble tannins and vibrant acidity impart serious aging potential. Producers can make Lessona exclusively with Nebbiolo, or they can add up to 15 percent of Vespolina, an “offspring” of Nebbiolo, and/or Uva Rara, a common blending grape. 3 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... Photo By Meg Baggott La Prevostura 2012 Lessona; $45, 91 points. Enticingly fragrant, this offers alluring scents of rose, perfumed berry, chopped mint, menthol and cake spice. The elegant palate delivers tart red cherry, aromatic herb and star anise alongside fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. A mineral note signals the close. Give this time to fully develop. Drink 2019–2032. Oliver McCrum Wines. Proprietà Sperino 2011 Lessona; $72, 96 points. Tilled earth, underbrush, rose petal, perfumed berry, aromatic herb and a balsamic note are some of the many alluring scents you’ll find in this gorgeous red. The juicy palate is both earthy and loaded with finesse, doling out ripe dark cherry, raspberry, pipe tobacco, licorice and energizing mineral. Firm, polished tannins provide structure. It’s already almost accessible but will continue to evolve and age beautifully. Drink 4 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... 2019–2029. Petit Pois. Cellar Selection. Colombera & Garella 2013 Lessona; $35, 96 points. This stunning red is all about finesse and light. It opens with lovely scents of violet, rose, perfumed berry and balsamic aromas while the radiant, almost ethereal palate delivers crunchy red cherry, strawberry, white pepper and mineral intensity. It’s impeccably balanced, with bright acidity and firm but elegant tannins. While it’s so tempting now, hold for even more complexity. Drink 2018–2033. Porto Vino Italiano. Editors’ Choice. Gattinara DOCG The best known of all the Alto Piemonte wines, those from Gattinara are part of a tradition that reaches back to the ancient Romans. In the late 1800s, the denomination boasted a significant 1,482 acres of vineyards. Gattinara is practically synonymous with Travaglini and the firm’s distinctly shaped, curved bottle. Established in the 1920s by Clemente Travaglini, the family-run winery owns 146 of the 247 acres registered to Gattinara production. It makes bright, structured reds exclusively from Nebbiolo. Temperature swings generate complexity, intense aromatics and racy acidity, while cooling winds keep grapes rot-free. “The soil in Gattinara is composed of Monte Rosa’s sedimentary rocks, granite and iron-rich porphyry of volcanic origin,” says Cinzia Travaglini, the great-granddaughter of Clemente, who manages the winery operations. “Unlike the Barolo and Barbaresco zones, there’s no limestone here, and no clay.” Gattinara lies in the heart of an area that was strongly influenced by an ancient super-volcano that collapsed 280 million years ago. The denomination’s reddish, rocky soils are high in acidity, which lend firm but silky tannins. Those soils also impart marked mineral sensations that evoke iron and sometimes even an intriguing hint reminiscent of rust. Vineyard altitudes 1,050–1,575 feet above sea level see significant day-night temperature changes during the growing season. These temperature swings generate complexity, intense aromatics and racy acidity, while cooling winds keep grapes rot-free. Production regulations stipulate that Gattinara wines include at least 90 percent Nebbiolo. Though producers can blend in small amounts of Vespolina and Uva Rara, most use only Nebbiolo. A classic Gattinara boasts red berry and violet aromas, fresh acidity, energizing mineral and taut, polished tannins. Gattinara tends to be more approachable upon release than Barolo, but still boasts cellarworthy structure and ages well for decades. 5 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... Photo by Meg Baggott Travaglini 2010 Riserva (Gattinara); $60, 95 points. Elegant and structured, this opens with exquisite scents of cedar, chopped herb, pressed rose, menthol and perfumed berry. The luminous palate is loaded with finesse, delivering bright red cherry, chopped red raspberry, licorice, clove and mineral. Firm, refined tannins and vibrant acidity provide impeccable balance and support. Hold for even more complexity. Drink 2018–2030. Palm Bay International. Cellar Selection. Nervi 2009 Valferana (Gattinara); $80, 93 points. Ample aromas of dark berry, pipe tobacco, pressed violet and a balsamic note come together on this single-vineyard selection. On the structured palate, an energizing mineral vein wraps around mature black cherry, licorice, cinnamon and dried herb while a hint of game adds depth. This has years ahead of it. Drink 6 von 13 31.05.17, 10:35 Learn About Italy’s Secret Nebbiolos | Wine Enthusiast Magazine http://www.winemag.com/2017/05/08/learn-about-italys-secret-... 2018–2027. Massanois Imports. Cellar Selection. Anzivino 2010 Gattinara; $35, 93 points. Enticing scents of perfumed berry, violet, dried herb and cake spice take center stage along with a balsamic note. The palate is firmly structured but elegant, and offers tart red cherry, crushed raspberry, cinnamon and licorice. It’s well balanced and young, with taut, polished tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2018–2030. Villa Italia. Cellar Selection. Ghemme DOCG Across from Gattinara on the other side of the Sesia River is Ghemme, where winemaking pre-dates the ancient Romans.