Nebbiolo the Burgundy of Italy!

WORDS: Peter Panousis - Peter Pan Wines @peterpanwine PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

My wine journey took me on the path of light and easy-drinking wines…

Thinking back to my youth I was usually into sweet, cheap and cheerful wines.  But as I aged my wine journey took me on the path of light and easy-drinking wines like Sauvignon Blanc, old-school clumsy Chardonnay, thick and bold Shiraz to eventually the path of Pinot Noir and Cabernet.  As I continued to age and gain more experience in wine with knowledge gained through education and wine appreciation courses I moved on to more sophisticated imported elegant and complex wines.  So, whilst my love for both Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon continued I began to appreciate Grenache, Merlot, Sangiovese and other European wine styles and varieties.  But in the last 10 years, I’ve become addicted to Nebbiolo.  As Jancis Robinson the esteemed wine writer states… “If Pinot Noir is the world’s most tantalising grape, Nebbiolo runs a close second and for very similar reasons”. Enter Nebbiolo.

What is Nebbiolo?

Nebbiolo pronounced neeby-oh-low is a small-medium, ellipsoidal shape, with a consistent blue-black thick skinned grape whilst bunches are medium-large, pyramidal winged, elongated, and medium tightness.  The variety is early-budding and late-ripening; it needs long periods of sunshine to ripen fully and this clearly determines where it grows. The history of the variety dates back to around the 13th century and Ampelographers that is those who study botany and specifically grapes believe that Nebbiolo is indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy. However, there is some DNA evidence to suggest that it could have originated in the nearby Valtellina area of northern Lombardy of Italy. Oz Clarke from his Grape Encyclopaedia book wrote the first explicit mention of Nebbiolo dates back to 1268, in which a wine known as “nibiol” was described as growing in Rivoli near Turin. This was followed by a 1303 account of a producer in the Roero district of Italy describing as having a barrel of “Nebbiolo”.  Further to these historic accounts, through age and DNA testing conclusions were made that its parents are thought to be extinct now, though it is impossible to determine whether it was originally from Piedmont or Valtellina. 

The grape’s name is thought to be derived from the Italian word “nebbia,” meaning fog, alluding to the misty conditions often present during the grape’s harvest season. Nebbiolo has long been associated with prestige, symbolizing the aristocracy of Piedmontese wines, and is one of Italy’s most prized grape varieties. As a variety, it is held in the highest regard by winemakers and wine drinkers across the world. Furthermore, it would only be rivalled by Pinot Noir in its ability to express the most subtle nuances of various terroirs and consequently, it is often referred to as the Burgundy of Italy.

 Nebbiolo is quite finicky and does not grow well in all soils or climates.  With regards to its profile, Nebbiolo makes wines with high levels of acidity and tannins, making them a little tight and austere in their youth, but providing enough backbone to make them particularly age-worthy. The wines show cherry, plum and strawberry fruit, backed by floral notes like rose and violet, tar as well as leather, liquorice and herbs. With age, Nebbiolo’s tannins soften, its colour turns to a brick hue, and its flavour profile develops notes of dried fruit, game meats and mushroom, sometimes truffle but usually with pronounced earthy notes.

Jancis Robinson goes a little further describing the most wonderful thing about Nebbiolo is its perfume. The wine is typically intensely aromatic, developing the most extraordinarily haunting bouquet in which, variously, roses, autumn undergrowth, wood smoke, violets and tar can often be found – together with a greater variety of other ingredients than most other grapes. On the palate, the wine is typically high in acidity and grippy tannins, until after many years in the bottle.  Nebbiolo is tricky because it looks deceiving light in colour but it actually is quite full-bodied. The reason is Nebbiolo’s anthocyanins (water-soluble pigments) contain few stable colourants and are more easily oxidized, resulting in a rapidly decolorizing wine over a short period of time.

In Italy, Nebbiolo may be referred to as just Nebbiolo from the wine region of Langhe in Piedmont, or it may be referred to specifically as Barolo or Barbaresco and here one will find the best examples of Nebbiolo from Italy.  Barolo and Barbaresco are also classified as DOCG an acronym for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita meaning “Denomination of origin has been inspected and guaranteed” and representing the highest quality.  Specifically, Barolo is regarded as the King as it’s quite masculine as a result of growing in less fertile soil, making the wine higher in tannins, slightly more powerful, and age-worthy.  Barbaresco on the other hand is more feminine and is known as the Queen because the grapes grow in more fertile soil, resulting in softer tannins, slightly less powerful, and can be consumed younger.  But, if you are looking for a slightly younger and less powerful cheaper and slightly more elegant wine try a Nebbiolo from the Langhe. These are known as baby Barolos and are much cheaper yet still delicious!

Where is Nebbiolo grown?

Clearly, the grape varieties place of origin in Piedmont, Italy with its ideal climate, topography and soils are perfect for this variety.  However, despite its challenging cultivation requirements, Nebbiolo has gained widespread appeal and established itself as a distinctive grape variety in various “New World” wine regions. Only a handful of wineries in countries such as Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand cultivate Nebbiolo and in limited quantities. In California, particularly in regions like Napa and Sonoma, winemakers have embraced Nebbiolo’s potential. They are producing wines that reflect the grape’s traditional character and the distinct terroir of the region.

In Australia, small plantings of the Nebbiolo grape were made in the Hunter Valley in the early 1980s, but it wasn’t until the Pizzini family started planting it in the King Valley during the late 1980s that the variety started to make itself known. The first single varietal Nebbiolo produced by the Pizzini family was the 1991 vintage. While Nebbiolo is difficult to grow, Australian winemakers are crafting some stellar, award-winning examples.  Now there are over 200 hectares planted in Australia with well over 200 producers making this variety into wine.  Specifically, Nebbiolo grows well across the country however King Valley, Alpine Valleys, Yarra Valley, Heathcote, Beechworth, Gippsland, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Stanthorpe, are just some of the key growing regions.

So Why Nebbiolo?

If you like Pinot Noir then you will love Nebbiolo, but it’s a wine with more power and grip. Nebbiolo’s are for the truly discerning wine palate with multi-layers and complexity.  Price points are varied and can be as cheap as a good bottle of local Australian Shiraz and Langhe Nebbiolo right through to hundreds of dollars for a decent Barolo.  Likewise, the variety can be made in several styles from simple juicy easy-drinking to elegant, complex, powerful, thick and age-worthy.

This is a wine for all seasons and can be consumed a little chilled in summer, but more importantly, a wine to be enjoyed with food.  So now as we enter the winter months, knowing temperatures will drop and meals will be heavier and perhaps richer than our summertime meals I see meat dishes for our non-vegan friends and eggplant and mushroom-based dishes for our vegan friends featuring a fair bit more for dinner.  Dishes like slow-cooked beef brisket, roast beef, and perhaps beef cheek ragout are just some of the dishes that come to mind to partner with this grape variety. I maintain the weight of the food has to match the weight of the wine, and vice-versa.  Consequently, bigger wines for bigger flavoured foods and or meat dishes and alternatively lighter wines for lighter flavoured and delicate foods.  Therefore, Nebbiolo will do the trick with its varied styles.

What to consider……

From South Australia try the Il Cattivo Nebbiolo.    Tony Love the wine writer describes Il Cattivo as a new winery venture by property developer Anthony Catinari, whose 2017-planted estate vineyard overlooks Fisherman’s Bay at the seaside tourist township of Port Elliot, on the south coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula.”  Anthony is both the viticulturist and winemaker for Il Cattivo with Italian roots and heritage.  “The winery is rated 4 stars by James Halliday and is only a 1-hectare vineyard under vine with Fiano and Montepulciano as the main varieties.  The winery is relatively small, producing around 1500 dozen. I like their Nebbiolo a perfumed wine with grapes sourced from a small private vineyard based in the Fleurieu.  The wine is brooding and oozes intense aroma and complexity. There are notes of cranberry, rose petals and tar while the palate is complex and weighty rich with good grip to the finish. The wine is aged in large-format French oak adding to its complexity and elegance. Such a great wine to pair with Lamb Shanks, Lamb stew, Beef ragout with pasta, and oh so delicious.

Another recommendation from Australia is Spider Bills Nebbiolo from Adelaide Hills. Spider Bill Wines is a boutique wine producer located in Adelaide Hills focusing on making small-batch wines from premium parcels of fruit.  Spider Bill’s first vintage was in 2014.  The wines are made by Tarrant Hansen a local experienced yet young winemaker that sourced fruit from the Longview vineyard in Macclesfield. Tarrant’s first love is Nebbiolo but loves working with other Italian varieties along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He makes his Nebbiolo using traditional methods and with a large old oak format. The fruit for his Nebbiolo is handpicked with 20% of its whole bunch pressed and the rest is destemmed, fermented and kept on skins for 4 months adding to the colour and weight of the wine. The wine is pretty showing red fruits, red cherry, and raspberry with hints of earth.  The texture is surreal with pronounced tannins but silky.  A wine is to be enjoyed with mushroom pasta or risotto.

Next, try the Palladino Barolo Serralunga DOCG from the motherland.  Palladino was started in 1974 and is family-run and operated. The property is roughly 11 hectares in size and has multiple vineyards including a 2-hectare site in the prized Serralunga commune in the heart of the Langhe region. Barolo from Serralunga is usually elegant and the soils mainly consist of clay and limestone with good exposure to sunlight from both east and west-facing slopes contributing to the darling qualities of this commune. The wine is aged in old Botti barrels which are large capacity and made from Slovenian oak and the wine is matured for around 24 months but may see some initial fermentation in concrete. The wine receives a further 6 months of aging in the bottle before release. The wine has notes of rose, violets with spice, liquorice and nutmeg.  The colour is garnet red while the palate is soft yet well-structured with good acidity and tannins. A serious wine to be enjoyed with serious food like rich red meat. The wine will work well with Rib Eye Osso Bucco, Cottage Pie or Greek-style Moussaka.  Barolo will also work well with cheese, in particular hard salty cheeses like Pecorino or Parmigiana.  The wine has received many awards and 92 Points from James Suckling.

Enjoy and happy but safe drinking.  You can catch Peter on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram as @peterpanwine.