Hans Herzog Estate - Marlborough Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo 2014 - Library Wine

Regular price $142.00 Sale

Awarded 97 points! James Suckling, Nov. 2022 (Internationally regarded as one of the world's most influential wine critics!)

Be quick! This is the fabric of dreams! A gorgeous wine balanced and poised with heady aromas of floral and light red fruit. On the smooth, juicy palate, polished tannins support succulent cherries, prunes, wild herbs and truffle. It’s delicious and will continue to mature like your best Barolo.

Vintage 2014+

Nebbiolo, the noble heritage grape from the famous Piedmont region (Barolo, Barbaresco) in Northern Italy is exceptionally finicky about where it will thrive and ripen best. Extremely fussy with irregular fruiting it is always the first variety to bud and the last to ripen. Since 1997 we select buds from the healthiest and strongest Nebbiolo vines with good fruit maturity to graft them to other healthy vines (sacrificing vines from another grape variety) to the perfect plot in our vineyard. From the warm, sandy, gravely soils mixed with fine particles of silt and clay grows a wine that stands up to the great Barbaresco or Barolo. The 2013 is another vintage with no cost spared to produce this stately wine from handpicked grapes at a miniscule yield of 500g per vines.

Hans' Winemaking Comments+

'After a long cold soak to extract the beneficial compounds from skin and seeds I let the grapes go through a natural fermentation for a few weeks. A maceration period after fermentation extracted the now soft and sweet tannins for additional flavours. The wine matured for 48 month in older French Barriques to soften and round up tannin and acidity but avoiding too much additional wood tannin extraction. With more than 3 years of additional bottle ageing at perfect temperature in our barrel hall this would more than equal to a ‘Riserva’ quality (total of 5 years of ageing). No fining. No filtration. Purely natural.'

Tasting Notes+

Tasting Nebbiolo is quite an arresting experience because the floral and light red fruit aromas suggest a wine much lighter than it is. Tasting blind it is easy mistaken for a great Grand Cru Burgundy with its firm grip of the pronounced acidity and ethereal structure. The 2014 Nebbiolo is without rival, we felt transported to Piemonte, reminiscing of wild herbs, cherries, truffles and prunes. The silky, soft texture and delicious sweetness of the extracts, upheld by a sufficient acidity enough to make the mouthfeel velvety and seductive. A truly regal wine - pure, elegant and perfectly balanced that will last forever if you have the heart to keep it aside.

Technical Data +

Variety

100% Nebbiolo

Rootstock

Riparia Gloire

Vine Planted

1997

Soil

Shallow (<45cm) well drained, developed from stony alluvium. sand and gravel.

Planting Density

5,500 vine/ha

Yield

<3t/ha

Alcohol

14% vol

Residual Sugar

<1g/L

Ageing Potential

15+ years 

Bottles Produced

588

Food Matching Suggestions+

A perfect match with rich pasta dishes, beef or game.

Industry Reviews+

James Suckling - 97 points

'This is a serious nebbiolo with blackberry, strawberry, chocolate and spice. Full-bodied with creamy and round tannins that last for minutes. Softness and length. Yet, it’s linear and fine. Integrated tannins. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.' James Suckling

The Real Review - 96 points

'A rich, fleshy nebbiolo with a mix of classic tar-and-roses character together with savoury 'forest floor' flavours and spicy oak. A delicious wine with power and further potential.' Bob Campbell