Nebbiolo grape variety

You have to earn that nickname. They call the Montestefano the "Barolo of Barbaresco" – and anyone who's tasted a good vintage will understand why. The vineyard is situated just a few metres from Montefico; it shares its southern exposure and calcareous subsoil, but is significantly steeper. Excellent drainage, harvest late harvest, and a warmer microclimate thanks to protection from north winds: these are the conditions under which the Nebbiolo reaches maximum ripeness here – an almost smoky depth, full of power. The Produttori del Barbaresco have been vinifying Montestefano as a single-vineyard wine since 1974; the winemaking process has remained unchanged for decades: 28 days' maceration at 30 degrees, followed by at least thirty months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

It goes without saying, but this is "only" the Altare family's entry-level Barolo from four different vineyards, enhanced this year by the best grapes from Cerretta Vigna Bricco, which was not produced in 2020. Racy and supple, with terrificpurity and fine balance, the 2020 is downright galactic. Red berries, flowers, mint, liquorice and rose petals on the nose. A highly linear personality on the palate with flavours of sour cherry, aniseed, crushed rock and blue flowers. A captivating Barolo as it is written in the book and for us one of the greatest of the vintage! SUPERIORE.DE

As always, the grapes come from our own vineyards in Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Each parcel is harvested separately by hand, fermented in stainless steel and left on the skins for around four weeks; gentle remontages ensure a fine extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place without haste. For ageing, the Boffa family primarily chooses large Slavonian barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak – used as a textural tool, not as a flavour enhancer. 2021 was a top year in Piedmont. It was characterised by a long, cool ripening process with clear day-night amplitudes, the harvest was late and selective with excellent results.

A Barolo from a great vintage: the 2021 wine year brought a long growing season with clear day-night amplitudes and precise harvest: fully ripe phenolics, bright acidity, impeccable health. The grapes come from family-owned plots in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte and Mosconi. Each vineyard is fermented separately in stainless steel; prolonged maceration with gentle extraction, followed by unhurried malolactic fermentation. For the ageing process, the winery primarily uses large Slavonian oak barrels (botti), discreetly supplemented by French oak.

Four planting years on a hillside: 1969, 1986, 2007 and 2012. Anyone walking through the Vigna Pressenda vineyard is walking through more than four decades of viticultural history. It is situated in the Castelletto vineyard near Monforte d'Alba, facing south-east, at an altitude of between 340 and 360 metres, on the Lequio Formation with light-coloured, sandy-silty, highly calcareous soil above it. The wine has only been produced since 2013, with around 6,000 bottles made each year, and it comes from certified organic cultivation. The estate describes its mission as follows: the wine should have something to say every year that is worth listening to. Here, it has four voices in the chorus to convey this.

This Nebbiolo comes from one of the best vineyards in the Roero and is vinified by Luciano Sandrone with the same care as a Barolo. Brilliant ruby-garnet colour. Wonderful aroma of light red fruit, mainly raspberry and cherry. Earthy on the palate with a lovely strawberry touch and an incredible amount of elegance. The fine-grained tannin is wonderfully integrated and, together with a subtle minerality, gives this Nebbiolo a race, depth and finesse that is unrivalled. SUPERIORE.DE

Novello, situated on the plateau above the valley, produces the most austere and mineral-driven expression of the entire G.D. Vajra range. Unlike the local vineyards in Vergne, Ravera lies at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, with highly calcareous, clay-rich marl from the same Sant'Agata Formation, which lends the Nebbiolo here more structure than aroma. The south-west-facing aspect ensures a long, even ripening process on this exposed plateau. Giuseppe Vaira himself likes to describe the wine as powerful yet weightless, almost electric in its directness. This single-varietal Nebbiolo is aged for around 42 months after fermentation in large Slavonian oak botti, deliberately matured with restraint so as not to mask the powerful, multi-layered character of the vineyard.

Cerretta is one of the most prestigious crus of Serralunga d'Alba – a site that Giovanni Rosso has always cultivated with particular dedication. Here, at an altitude of around 350 metres, barren, chalky marl soils meet south and south-east exposure. The result is Barolo with impressive depth, carried by a striking minerality that is recognisable even at a young age. The 2020 vintage brought harmonious ripeness and perfect phenolic development. After being harvested by hand, the grapes were gently pressed and fermented in concrete tanks for around 25 days. The wine was then matured for a good two years in large oak barrels, which emphasise the character of the vineyard without over-moulding it.

The soil is light, silty, sandy and highly calcareous, and beneath it lies the Lequio Formation. This is where the Vigna del Gris vineyard is situated, in Ginestra, facing south-east, on a 30% slope at an altitude of between 300 and 350 metres. A south-easterly aspect means the sun rises early, and on the hill overlooking the Langhe, winds blow in from the Ligurian Sea. Planting began in 1983, with the wine's first vintage following in 1985. The winery guides the wine every step of the way, with hand-picking, natural yeasts and a measured use of oak. The Barolo is produced from certified organic vines. There are 4,500 to 5,000 vines per hectare, trained using the Guyot method; they yield 5.5 to 6 tonnes, with harvesting taking place in October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, whilst acid reduction and ageing occur in French oak barrels of various sizes.

The Sottimano winery has five vineyard sites, with the Pajorè site near Treiso having the poorest soils of all. These wines are therefore more elegant and ripe. The current 2018 vintage is a super-classic, explosive wine, with tremendous depth and character. Although it has a lot of breadth and texture, it remains light on its feet. Lavender, mint, liquorice and purple berry fruit are beguiling and wonderfully vibrant in the glass. Pajorè is a spicy, elegant and sweet Nebbiolo that is fine yet covers the mouth well - and we are always impressed by its lovely salty mouthfeel. SUPERIORE.DE

When Elio Altare returned from Burgundy in the 1970s, he brought with him a conviction that nobody in Piedmont shared at the time: that Nebbiolo need not achieve greatness through age and ‘tannic mass’, but rather through elegance and precision. He shortened the maceration periods, introduced used barriques and pursued the ideal of a Barolo that is accessible without losing its soul. His dispute with his father over this has become legendary. That conviction has endured. Altareentry-level Barolo is the most complete expression of this conviction: no single cru, no selection from a single vineyard, but a blend from the appellation’s four major municipalities. La Morra brings aromatics and silkiness. Castiglione Falletto brings body. Serralunga d’Alba brings mineral rigour. The municipality of Barolo itself brings balance. 10,000 bottles from vines aged between 20 and 30 years, predominantly facing south to south-east.

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising commitment to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their finest grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the cooperative. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected municipal vineyards, some of which border the crus, on limestone and clay-rich soils. Vinification was carried out using traditional methods: extended maceration, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further period of rest in the bottle.

"From the most important grape variety in the Langhe comes a wine that is an introduction to the king of wines." This is how Chiara Boschis describes her Langhe Nebbiolo – and this modesty is programmatic. The winery is located in Castiglione Falletto, one of the seven Barolo communes, overlooking vineyards such as Via Nuova and Mosconi. The Langhe Nebbiolo comes from its own vineyard and the so-called "fasce di rispetto" – those rows that border on conventionally cultivated neighbouring vineyards and are treated with particular care in terms of organic farming. 100% Nebbiolo, soils of calcareous clay in characteristic pale grey and pink-coloured rock – the same geological basis as the Barolo vineyards.

Serralunga d'Alba is not a place for compromises. The soil here – calcareous marl soils, millions of years old, compacted and rich in minerals – forms Barolos with a structure and depth that simply cannot be found elsewhere. The MGA Cerretta is located on the south-eastern slope of the municipal area, at an altitude of 350 to 365 metres, in the zone that winegrowers and critics have appreciated for generations for its extraordinary combination of power and finesse. The Rosso family has been cultivating these vineyards since the 1890s – first Giovanni, then his son Davide, who took over responsibility in 2001 at the age of 27 and since then has made a single sentence the guiding principle of his work: Wine should be a perfect reflection of its terroir.

Michele Chiarlo's Barbaresco Faset offers a high degree of intensity and balance. Its bouquet shows wild berries and cassis with sophisticated background notes of tar, smoke and dark spices. It is a silky expression of the grape variety with a long and very convincing finish. Be patient and give it another 3-5 years to give it the time it needs to integrate and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

G.D. Vajra's Ravera (whose vineyard extends over the municipalities of Novello and Barolo) is always the most angular, powerful and vertical of their collection. It comes from soils with clay and sandstone at 320 to 340 metres above sea level. This is the ideal place for wines that show both power and elegance. The tannins are sweet, but every fibre of the backbone is dense and firm. Red and purple fruits with liquorice, tar and white truffle are neatly packaged here and only reveal themselves gradually, but then with beautiful precision and straightforwardness. The final has a wonderfully long aftertaste, superb! SUPERIORE.DE

From the beginning, Pio Cesare produced limited quantities of Barolo Chinato and Vermouth, precisely according to a family recipe handed down by his grandfather. In the early 1950s, however, production was discontinued as tastes and preferences changed.

The grapes for this elegant Nebbiolo come from the Ravera di Monforte vineyard, a small plot with limestone and clay soils on the south-eastern slope above the village of Monforte d'Alba. It shares its name with the famous Novello cru, but is distinct in its own right, characterised by stony soils that lend the roots depth and minerality. A brilliant garnet red with a ruby-coloured core. The bouquet opens with clear, youthful fruit: sour cherry, redcurrant and a hint of raspberry, underpinned by violets, dried herbs and a subtle hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine is taut and fresh, with precise acidity, ripe tannins and an invigorating, slightly salty finish. An authentic Nebbiolo from the Langhe, which clearly conveys its origin and distinctive character in the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

High above the district of Perno in Monforte d'Alba lies the cru parcel Vigna Pressenda – part of the traditional MGA Castelletto, which is one of the easternmost top vineyards in Barolo. Early Piedmontese wine chroniclers already mentioned these steep slopes, which lean towards the morning sun and are characterised by a complex soil mosaic of calcareous marl, sandy inclusions and ferrous veins. The elevated position of around 370 metres and the constant breeze from the Tanaro Valley give the grapes a remarkable freshness and aromatic precision, even in warm years. The 2021 vintage, widely celebrated as an exceptional vintage in Barolo, brought ideal ripening conditions: A balanced vegetation cycle with warm, sunny days and cool nights allowed the Nebbiolo berries to ripen slowly and completely. The grapes were harvested by hand in mid-October, with strict selection to ensure that only perfectly ripe harvestwere brought to the cellar. Ageing in French oak for around 24 months brings depth and aromatic complexity without masking the clear fruit centre.

Luigi and Fiorina Baudana ran their small winery in Serralunga d'Alba for three decades, with no heirs to take over the business. Rather than accepting offers from major wine houses for their 'golden mile', in 2008 they set out to find a successor themselves who would preserve their legacy, and to this end visited G.D. Vajra incognito. Aldo Vaira took over the management of the estate, whilst Luigi and Fiorina remained on board; production continues to this day in the same cellar.