Nebbiolo 2018
Regular price
$120.00
Sale
"The Swiss couple make wonderful handmade reds and whites from an array of grapes, from Viognier to Nebbiolo. In fact, the barrel of Nebbiolo they make is like something from the best of Barolo. Unfortunately, they are tiny production." James Suckling, October 2022 (Suckling is internationally regarded as one of the world's most influential wine critics.)
The wine that dreams are made of must have been a Nebbiolo. 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 already delicious and accessible but will age like your best Barolo or Barbaresco.
Vintage 2018+
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 2018 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 40 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 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. This 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 great 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+
'Aromas of cherries, red plums, oranges and flowers follow through to a medium body, firm and fine tannins as well as a slightly creamy texture. Tangy. Better after 2026.' James Suckling
'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