Nebbiolo
Monfort d’Alba, Langhe DOC, Piemonte, Italy
Estate vineyard in Monforte
Clay
Organic farming as much as possible. Some sulfur added and light copper spraying on vines.
Pied de cuve / natural yeast / spontaneous fermentation / short maceration on the skins in vertical steel tank for ~10 days. Temperature controlled system for oak maturation and maceration to extract color and nuances without losing the acidity (cooler temps preserve acidity and prevent oxidization). Malolatic fermentation occurs after the first fermentation in steel tank to soften the acidity. Aged in 3rd use French oak barrels for 6-8 months. No filtering or fining.
10-15 years
14%
Beautiful, dark garnet in color. This was tasted over 2 days, with my notes for both here. Day 1, on the nose: vanilla and red cherry on the nose, some pomegranate, slight hint of wet earth. On the palate: medium-high acidity, strawberries, red cherry, and vanilla (from oak aging). Blackberry on center register with slight walnut note on finish. Day 2: softer acidity, full cherry, slight amaretto, and a softer vanilla edge on the finish–for the nose and palate.
Most hard and soft cheeses that are not stinky. Truffle pasta or pizza, roasted boar, venison stew, Cassoulet, portabella burger.
Gianfranco Alessandria is a small family-owned winery in the hills of the esteemed Monforte d’Alba. Among the 7 hectares of land, the Alessandria family grows Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. The family is environmentally conscious, adhering to best practices in farming the land and respecting their employees, neighbors, and wine consumers. A natural, careful hand selection of grapes takes precedent after harvest to pick the ones with optimal flavor potential: they seek to produce wines with strong complexity, freshness, elegance, and longevity. Their slogan and creed at the heart of their beautiful wines: “utmost care and respect for the vineyard where we mainly carry out manual work, keeping every plant in healthy conditions. In the 1950s, the winery was built by Gianfranco’s parents, Giuseppe and Vittorina, where they cultivated hazelnuts and fruits on 4 hectares of land. Gianfranco took the helm in 1986 with his wife, Bruna, where he focused on organic methods of farming, introducing new technologies, and teaching his daughters about the wine farming and trade process. His daughters now lead the production and marketing processes, keeping the love of land and wine in the family. From the sisters: “We are sisters, but above all companions in this journey through land and wine, we have chosen to pursue and run, thanks to our parents’ support, a small dream, that every new vintage gives us a different but pleasant experience and great satisfaction.”
"Nebbiolo is Italy's greatest native grape and, by most expert accounts, one of the world's five or six great cultivars." (Ian d'Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy) Pliny the Elder once enjoyed this grape–perhaps it galvanized his wisdom–and referred to it as nubiola meaning "fog" in Latin. This is because Nebbiolo ripens in late fall when a deep fog hangs over the Piedmont region. Its chemical makeup is high in acidity and alcohol-potential (high sugars) due to late ripening and high altitude growth. This makes it a perfect grape for aging and storing for more years. (Barolo, for example, is produced using Nebbiolo.)
Piemonte is in the northwest corner of Italy, just at the foot of the Alps. The mesoclimate of Piemonte is a very hot growing season followed by a misty autumn and cold, foggy winter. White truffles grow among the vineyards and boar roam the land. Alessandria's Nebbiolo is from Monforte d'Alba in the Langhe DOC (designation of control). Langhe means “tongue” in Italian, referring to the tongue of valleys shaped by large, elongated hills. Limestone is the dominate soil type with many other interspersed types from the tectonic formation of the Alps and its foothills.
This wine is a great accompaniment to your holiday season whether to soften the family pre-gifting (tannic therapy), or drinking with friends to celebrate the year's end, or to impress a certain someone who makes the future look bright. Had Narcissus peered into a glass of Alessandria's Langhe Nebbiolo, I surmise he'd have sublimated into a humble iteration.
