Piedmont Flashcards
Grape Varieties
Barbera: 30% Moscato Bianco: 21% Dolcetto: 14% Nebbiolo: 10% Cortese: 6% Brachetto: 3%
Climate
Moderate continental climate with cold winters and hot summers
Protected from cold northern winds and excessive rainfall by the Alps to the north and from weather systems off the Mediterranean by the Apennines.
Can be subject to thunderstorms, hail, and fog. Late frost can also be a threat.
Low rainfall in June to September allows grapes to ripen and reduces threat of fungal disease.
Rainfall increases in late September and October posing a threat to late harvested varieties like Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo
Early budding (spring frost), vigorous, late ripening
Mainly grown in the Cuneo province, especially the Langhe, but also in the northern provinces of the Piemonte.
Pale ruby, turning to pale garnet in 3 - 5 years with pronounced violet, rose, red cherry, red plum), full body, high acid, tannin, alcohol.
Produces finest, most perfumed on calcareous marls. Usually given the best south / southwest facing sites to ripen fully.
Need to be trained high as the first few buds are infertile. Needs to be pruned with more buds so those further up the shoot will bear fruit. Single Guyot is most common as it facilitates mechanical trimming of the canopy.
Excessive exposure to the sun can be a problem. Vigorous and need canopy management to avoid shading and unripe fruit. Cluster thinning for the best.
Clonal research has been for producing deeper color, but some think this has come at the expense of aromatic intensity. Many including Gaja prefer mass seleciton to propagate new vines. Looking for low vigor, open bunches (reduce disease) and small berries (color)
Barolo DOCG
Named after the village of Barolo and includes a number of villages to the south west of Alba.
Dry tannic wines of 100% Nebbiolo. Vineyards on south / southwest facing slopes at 200m - 400m. Good sunlight and cooling influences. Allows grapes to ripen fully over a long time period. For pronounced intensity and high acidity.
max 56hl/ha. 2,000ha; doubling from 1980 - 2013.
Must be aged 3 years and 2 mo including 18mo in oak. Riserva must be 5 years and 2 mo incl 18 mo in oak.
Very good to outstanding and prem to super prem.
Soils are complex, but two main distinctions:
Blue-gray marl in the north and west (i.e. La Morra) for lighter more aromatic wines drinkable after a few years in bottle
Yellow-gray compacted sand and clay in the south and east (i.e. Serralunga d’Alba) that are less fertile and produce wines close and tannic in youth and need aging for 10 - 15 y.
Historically, wines blended from a range of parcels for complexity (Bartolo Mascarello) but now some moving towards single vineyards such as Cannubi, Vigna Rionda from Gaja and Bruno Giacosa
Most single vineyards have the status Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MGA or MeGA) which are geographical indications. These can appear on the label.
Barbaresco DOCG
100% Nebbiolo, takes name from the village and incorporates villages to the east of Alba.
1/3 the size of Barolo. Share similar characteristics but most vineyards at slightly lower altitudes and slightly warmer. Harvest typ 1 week earlier. Max 56hl/ha
Subtly riper with shorter aging requirements. Two years for Barbaresco and four years for Riserva.
Many single vineyards have the status Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MGA or MeGA)
Good to outstanding and prem to super
Nebbiolo Winemaking
Traditionally involved a long maceration on the skins (3 - 4 mo), followed by 5 - 8 years of aging in large old wood to soften tannin.
Late 70s early 80s a group (incl Elio Altare in Barolo and Angeloa Gaja in Barbaresco) sought wines with deeper color, softer tannins, less need for aging and new oak.
Current practices are more moderate. Most only pick grapes with ripe skins and seeds (to elminate aggressive tannin), macerate on skins for 3-4 weeks, and age in large format oak (French or Slavonian) or a combo of large and small (barriques to 500L) with a small proportion of new.
Most agree that overt vanilla and spice mask the delicate aroma of Nebbiolo.
Other Nebbiolo Denominations
Roero DOCG: North of Tanaro River
Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG: Continental with greater diurnal than Barolo for higher acidity. South facing sites at 300m given light body but intense perfume. Sometimes blended with local varieties.
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC and Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC. Early drinking, younger vines, or less favored sites. Maceration of 7 - 10 days and maturation up to a year in neutral containers. Some top producers use Langhe for Barolo or Barbaresco’s that don’t quite meet their standards. Cheaper to make and mid to prem.
Barbera
Most grown variety in Piemonte (3x Nebbiolo). Concentrated around towns of Alba and Asti and Monferrato. Best are from Asti and sub zones, including Nizza. In Alba best sites are for Nebbiolo.
Relatively early budding (spring frost). Very vigorous and disease resistant, but susceptible to fan leaf virus. Grows on a wide range of sites and aspects. Can produce high yields (early drinking) or be pruned hard (more concentrated wines). Ripens relatively late but before Nebbiolo.
High in acid and low in tannin. Made in a range of styles (incl traditional lightly sparkling). Most still for early drinking. Med to deep ruby, med red plum and cherry, with some black pepper, no new French oak, high acid, med tannin and alcohol.
Top quality made from low yields, often older vines and often matured in small oak barrels.
Most good to very good and inexpensive to mid. Some outstanding and prem
Some highly concentrated, French barriques made following success of Giacomo Bologna. Added oak tannin gives body and aging ability.
Barbera Denominations
Barbera d’Asti: max 63hl/ha; aged 3 - 4 mo
Nizza DOCG: 49hl/ha; aged 18 mo; 6 in oak
Piemonte DOC: 84hl/ha
Dolcetto
Ripens early and can be grown in cool sites.
Susceptible to fungal diseases, is fragile (buds easily broken), low vigor, ripening can be blocked by prolonged cold spells. These have led to a reduction in planted area. Also due to higher prices for Nebbiolo.
Reductive in the winery, need frequent pump over or rack and return to intro oxygen and avoid off flavors. Mid range temps, short time on skins (7 - 15 days) and soft extraction (to avoid the naturally high tannin). Aged in stainless or cement to preserve primary.
Good to very good and inexpensive to mid. Some very good and outstanding and prem.
Dolcetto Denominations
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC: 63hl/ha
Dolcetto di Ovada DOC: 56hl/ha
Dogliani DOCG: 56hl/ha
Piemonte DOC: 77 hl/ha
Deep ruby, med plus red cherry, med minus acid, med plus tannin.
Marcarini, Marziono Abbona.
Cortese
High yielding white with light apple, pear, white flowers; high acid, med alcohol, light body.
Thin skinned, susceptible to gray rot in rainy conditions.
Fermented at mid range temps. Some top wines undergo a few hours of pre fermentation maceration. Aged in stainless. Most early drinking, some for aging. Typ good to very good and inexpensive to mid but some pem.
Gavi or Cortese di Gavi DOCG are 100% Coretese with max 67hl/ha.
Gavi di Gavi DOCG are from grapes grown within the municipality of Gavi.
Riserva max 45hl/ha and aged one year.
Castellari Bergaglio and La Scolca
Arneis
Mostly grown in the Roera area
Light intensity but complex white flowers, chamomile, white peach, lemon. Medium minus acid. Good to very good, inexpensive mid with some prem.
Roero Arneis DOCG. Min 95% Arneis; max 70hl/ha.
Vietti and Bruno Giacosa
Wine Business
More small and local businesses with less consolidation than elsewhere. Particularly given the increase in prices for Nebbiolo wines; people make their own.
85% of Barolo and 75% of Barbaresco are exported. US, Germany, UK, Scandanavia
Nebbiolo has gained in popularity especially as top Bordeaux and Burgundy become unaffordable. The new focus on named vineyards is becoming as meaningful as Cru in Burgundy. And as B&B prices rise, consumers are looking to other areas like Langhe.
