Chapter 16

Italy: North-West

Italy: North-West

Piedmont

Piedmont (‘at the foot of the mountains’) is enclosed to the north and west by the Alps and to the south by the Apennines, which seal it off from Liguria and the Mediterranean coast. Much of the terrain is unsuited to viticulture, consisting either of mountains or the flat valley of the River Po, which opens out onto Lombardy in the east. As might be inferred from the geography, winters in Piedmont are harsh, but autumns are long and fairly dry. The principal wine areas are in the Alpine foothills to the east and south-east of the regional capital of Turin, around the centres of Alba and Asti.

Although Piedmont is renowned for Barolo and Barbaresco, production is dominated by Asti and Moscato d’Asti and, to a lesser extent, Barbera d’Asti. The principal black varieties are Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto, and the principal white varieties Moscato, Cortese, and Arneis. Nebbiolo and Barbera tend to be planted on warmer sites, Dolcetto and Moscato on cooler sites. Several other local and international varieties are also cultivated. Unusually, there is no regional IGP. Instead, the region is covered by the generic DOC appellations of Piemonte, Langhe, and Monferrato.

Barolo

Although Barbera is the most planted variety, Nebbiolo is the most noble, not only in Piedmont but all Italy. It is very late to ripen, with harvests typically taking place in mid-to-late October, after the autumn fogs (nebbie) have risen. Nebbiolo underpins several DOCs and DOCGs, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, and Gattinara.

Back in 1980, Barolo obtained one of the first three Italian DOCGs together with Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Chapter 17). The Barolo delimited area lies in the Langhe hills south of Alba and the River Tanaro. The bulk of it sits on five communes: Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falleto, Monforte d’Alba, and Serralunga d’Alba. Though small, the area offers a multitude of mesoclimates, soil types, altitudes, and aspects. Broadly speaking, it consists of two valleys: the Central Valley encompassing the communes of Barolo and La Morra, and, to the east, the Serralunga Valley encompassing the communes of Castiglione Falleto, Monteforte d’Alba, and Serralunga d’Alba. The soils are primarily calcareous clay, but those of the Central Valley are richer in calcareous marl and yield more delicate and perfumed wines, while those of the Serralunga Valley are richer in sandstone and yield more full-bodied and tannic wines. Average holding size is very small and emphasis on quality is strong, inviting comparisons with Burgundy. Although there is no official cru system as in Burgundy (most Barolos are blends), some vineyards are considered superior and their wines priced accordingly. These include Brunate, Cerequio, Rocche di Castiglione, Monprivato, Rocche dell’Annunziata, Vigna Rionda, Monfortino, Francia, Villero, Cannubi, Falletto, Brea, Gabutti-Parafada, Bussia, Ginestra, Lazzarito, and Ornato. DOCG rules for Barolo call for 38 months ageing (62 months for the Riserva), of which at least 18 in oak—traditionally large casks (botti) to avoid contributing even more tannins to the wine.

Although full-bodied, Barolo is light in colour, typically with a brick- or rust-red tinge that can make it seem older, sometimes much older, than it actually is. The nose is potentially very complex and often shorthanded as ‘tar and roses’. Other notes include damson, mulberry, dried fruit, violets, herbs, dark chocolate, liquorice, and, with increasing age, leather, camphor, tobacco, sous-bois, mushroom, and truffle. The palate is defined by medium to high alcohol, high acidity, and, above all, very high tannins, which, in the best of cases, are experienced as a silky or velvety texture. There is also a modern, earlier drinking style that is fruitier and less austere, often with obvious new French oak. Some traditional producers argue that the modern style is unfaithful to the spirit of Barolo, and seem to be gaining the upper hand in the ‘Barolo Wars’ against the modernists. However, even the staunchest traditionalists employ some modern techniques, and, at least in that much, their Barolo is a compromise between the traditional and modern. Top producers include Elio Altare, GB Burlotto, Giovanni Canonica, Capellano, Pio Cesare, Domenico Clerico, Giacomo Conterno, Giacomo Fenocchio, Bruno Giacosa, Elio Grasso, Marchesi di Barolo, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Mascarello, Luigi Pira, Renato Ratti, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Paolo Scavino, and Roberto Voerzio.

Barbaresco

Barbaresco lies to the east of Alba, fewer than 10 miles from Barolo with which it is often compared and contrasted. The delimited area is about three times smaller than that of Barolo and can be divided into three broad areas: Barbaresco, Treiso, and Neive. The soils of calcareous marl are similar to those of Barolo, but lighter and more uniform. The climate is warmer and drier, enabling the grapes to ripen a full fortnight earlier. Stylistically, there is some overlap with Barolo, but Barbaresco tends to be more feminine, that is, more aromatic, elegant, and refined, with softer fruit and suppler, riper tannins. Although tight and tannic in its youth, it requires less cellaring time and is less long-lived. According to DOCG regulations, it must be aged for one year fewer than Barolo. The region’s star producers are Gaja and Bruno Giacosa, and the co-operative Produttori del Barbaresco is the finest in Italy. Other top producers include Cascina delle Rose, Fiorenzo Nada, Castello di Neive, Marchesi di Grésy, Rizzi, Roagna, Albino Rocca, and Bruno Rocca. Stronger vintages for Barolo and Barbaresco include 1978, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015.

Other notable Piedmont Nebbiolos

Roero is a small, recently promoted, DOCG that lies across the Tanaro from Barbaresco. The soils are sandier than in the Langhe, resulting in a wine that is lighter, more delicate, and quicker to mature. DOCG regulations stipulate that Roero must contain 95-98% Nebbiolo and 2-5% Arneis, and be aged for 20 months (32 for the Riserva) of which six in cask.

Further north, north of Novara, are the small, neighbouring areas of Gattinara and Ghemme. The climate here is cooler than in the Langhe, and, despite the steep south-facing slopes, the wines are even more tannic, acidic, and long-lived than Barolo. Gattinara DOCG consists of 90% Nebbiolo (Spanna) along with Bonarda (Uva Rara) and Vespolina to ‘soften’ the wine. Ghemme DOCG consists of the same blend, but with 75% Nebbiolo. Both Gattinara and Ghemme must be aged for at least three years before release.

The best Nebbiolo from outside Piedmont is Valtellina Superiore DOCG from Lombardy (see later).

Barbera

Barbera accounts for half of Piedmontese plantings. Although it plays second fiddle to Nebbiolo, it can produce wines of great distinction, especially within the delimited areas of Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC (which overlaps with Barolo and Barbaresco), and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG. Compared to Nebbiolo, it is higher yielding and earlier ripening, and much more adaptable. In the mid-1980s, a number of Piedmontese producers added methanol to their Barberas, killing over thirty people and blinding many more. Barbera’s reputation is still recovering from this scandal. Barbera ranges in style from light and delicate to heavy and powerful, depending on terroir, yield, maceration, and oak treatment. It is typically deep ruby in colour with an intense and mouth-filling fruitiness. Notes of black and red cherries are complemented by cocoa, earth, leather, and soft spice. On the palate, it is very high in acidity with medium alcohol, low or medium ­tannins, and a dry finish. Some modern examples are aged in oak.

Dolcetto

Being adaptable and early to ripen, Dolcetto is often planted on cooler, less favoured sites, enabling it to preserve precious acidity. It is generally made as a simple and undemanding ‘early to market’ wine, generating income for the producer while his or her Nebbiolos and Barberas mature. Dolcetto skins are rich in anthocyanins, resulting in a dark colour that ranges from deep ruby to purple. At the same time, a short and gentle fermentation seeks to limit the extraction of aggressive tannins. Oak is sometimes used, but never to great effect. In the glass, Dolcetto is deep ruby to purple in colour. It is soft, fruity, and approachable, with notes of black cherry, soft spice, and liquorice; low acidity; high alcohol; and a characteristic dry, bitter almond finish. It is often thought of as Italy’s best answer to Beaujolais, but is mostly darker, drier, and more tannic than Beaujolais, with a more ‘Italian’ aroma profile of cherries and bitter almonds. Piedmont has a number of DOCGs and DOCs for Dolcetto, most notably Dogliani DOCG and Dolcetto d’Alba DOC.

Other black varieties in Piedmont include Grignolino, Freisa, and Brachetto, the latter being made into a medium-sweet, semi-sparkling wine.

Cortese

The spiritual home of Cortese is in the steep chalk-clay hills around Gavi in the far south-east corner of Piedmont. Its most distinguished incarnation is Cortese di Gavi DOCG, the first Italian white wine to garner international acclaim. Cortese di Gavi from Gavi itself is labelled ‘Gavi di Gavi’. Cortese wines are characterized by their zesty acidity, which can be searing in cooler vintages. Cortese di Gavi is light and dry, fruity and floral, with notes of lime, peach, and white flowers, hints of grass or herbs, and a citrusy finish. The wine can improve with a bit of cellaring.

Arneis

The historical function of Arneis (Piemontese, ‘little rascal’) was to soften and perfume Nebbiolo. Despite being difficult to grow, naturally lacking in acidity, and prone to oxidation, Arneis can yield delicate and characterful wines. It is most at home in the Roero Hills, and, in the main, bottled as either Roero Arneis DOCG or Langhe DOC. It is rather full-bodied, with dominant notes of ripe pears, apricots, white flowers, and hops, and a dry finish with an endnote of almonds. It can be oaked or, more usually, unoaked.

The principal white grape variety in Piedmont is neither Cortese nor Arneis but Moscato, which underpins sparkling Asti and semi-sparkling Moscato d’Asti (Chapter 11).

Lombardy

Of Lombardy’s 13 wine producing areas, three are of special significance: Franciacorta (Chapter 11), Valtellina, and Oltrepò Pavese, which alone accounts for over half of regional quality wine production.

Valtellina is in the Alpine north of Lombardy, close to the border with Switzerland. The high altitude vineyards are perched on steep south-facing slopes along the valley of the Adda. Nearby peaks shelter the valley from cold winds and vineyard stones soak up the sun, enabling Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) to ripen. The best wines are labeled Valtellina Superiore DOCG, and are noticeably less acidic and tannic than their Piedmontese counterparts. The area is also responsible for Sforzato DOCG, an amarone-style wine.

Oltrepò Pavese (‘in Pavia across the Po’), in the foothills of the Apennines close to Milan, benefits from favourable soils and a relatively dry climate. It is responsible for a range of traditional and modern wines: Pinot Noir-dominated sparkling wines, increasingly made by the traditional method; white wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico), Riesling, Malvasia, Moscato, Cortese, or Pinot Grigio; and red wines from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Croatina (Bonarda), or Uva Rara. The latter three are sometimes blended to produce Oltrepò Rosso.