The Nebbiolo Grape

(Synonyms: Chiavennasca, Picotendro, Picoutener, Picotèner, Prunent, Prünent, Spanna)

Background

Nebbiolo is a red-wine grape originating in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is the informing grape of such renowned wine types as Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, and Ghemme. Indeed, it is now widely considered one of the dozen and a half or so “Noble wine grapes” of the world.

Wines from the Nebbiolo grape are typically of a relatively light color, with aromas described as “tar” and rose. Nebbiolos famously take—and arguably require to reach decent drinkability, owing to their very high tannin content in youth—considerable aging, during which they improve immensely to make some of the finest reds in the world. As they age, the wine color shifts to a tint often described as brick-red, and a host of complex flavors develop; flavor sensations often mentioned include violets, tar, wild herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and prunes; and the texture shifts from tannic to “velvety”.

In its native environs, Nebbiolo (as with, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux) was not commonly issued as a monovarietal bottling, but was blended with modest amounts of other regional grapes to make regionally named wines. Those were usually oaked, as they still are; but the modern trend is to lesser exposure times using smaller barrels than traditional, with those smaller barrels of new oak (to more quickly soften the tannins and acids). Plus new oak adds some vanilla overtones to the already complex mix of Nebbiolo sensations.

Times have, however, changed. Today, wines labelled as Barolo or Barbaresco must by Italian wine law be 100% monovarietal Nebbiolo. (There is some conjecture that many winemakers are sneaking small amounts of other grapes into their supposedly 100% Nebbiolo wines to make them more accessible when young, but that is, of course, unconfirmed.) Other regional wines based on Nebbiolo do allow small admixtures of other grapes, though not all makers bottle blends.

Even though the above-named wine types are all from the same grape grown in the same general region, there are perceptible difference in the wines and their stylings. Barolos, for instance, are generally held to be big and “brawny” wines, while Barbarescos are held to be more “elegant” (and approachable when still young). And even within those denominations, many claim to perceive sub-regional distinctions.

Nebbiolo wines tend to be very expensive, not only owing to their perceived high quality, but also owing to the fact that the grapes are difficult to grow well. One respected New World grower of the type famously says that “Nebbiolo is a grape for winemakers who have mastered pinot noir, and are looking for a greater challenge” (Pinot Noir is famous—or infamous— for being a profoundly tricky grape to reliably grow well; Jancis Robinson has written that “If Pinot Noir is the world’s most tantalising grape, Nebbiolo runs it a close second - for very similar reasons.”). Nebbiolo grapes are very late-ripening, though early-flowering (spring frosts are the kiss of death to it) and need lots of sun (among the many things they need, such as just the right soils to grow in.) Further, the vines are naturally vigorous growers, and need careful and strict pruning to produce the wanted flavors in the grapes themselves.

Nebbiolo wines being so expensive, it behooves the everyday wine drinker to seek out less-costly sources. By avoiding the prime regions, one can often get much more reasonably priced wines from grapes of nearly comparable quality. Wines likely to yield such bargains are Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, and Roero Nebbiolo.

Factoid: Nebbiolo has the big reputation, but it is only a tiny fraction of Piedmont grape growth: Barbera, for example, produces 15 times as much regional wine (and is reputed to be what the locals mostly drink).

Some Descriptions of Nebbiolo Wines

Wikipedia
“Wines made from Nebbiolo are characterized by their ample amounts of acidity and tannin. Most examples are wines built for aging and some of the highest quality vintages need significant age (at least a decade or more) before they are palatable to many wine drinkers and can continue to improve in the bottle for upward of 30 years. As Nebbiolo ages, the bouquet becomes more complex and appealing with aromas of tar and roses being the two most common notes. Other aromas associated with Nebbiolo include dried fruit, damsons, leather, licorice, mulberries, spice as well dried and fresh herbs. While Barolo & Barbaresco tend to be the heaviest and most in need of aging, wines made in the modernist style are becoming more approachable at a young age. Lighter styles from Carema, Langhe and Gattinara tend to be ready drink within a few years of vintage. Nebbiolo from California and Australia will vary from producer and quality of vineyard.”
Jancis Robinson
“So what does Nebbiolo at its best taste like? It’s one of the few grapes you can sometimes identify simply by its colour alone, for it tends to take on a brick-orange tinge at the rim of its blackish ruby relatively early in its often-long life. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about Nebbiolo is its perfume. The wine is typically intensely aromatic, developing the most extraordinarily haunting bouquet in which, variously, roses, autumn undergrowth, woodsmoke, violets and tar can often be found - together with a greater variety of other ingredients than most other grapes. On the palate, the wine is typically high in acidity and, until after many years in bottle, tannins. In fact, top-quality Barolo made in the most traditional way is one of the slowest-maturing wines in the world, easily withstanding four decades in bottle. Small French oak barriques have been rapidly replacing large Slovenian oak casks, or botti, resulting in smoother, faster-maturing, if slightly less distinctive wines. Although in the 1980s botti versus barriques took on the dimensions of a holy war, most producers today use a mixture of these two sorts of container for aging, depending on the particular vintage and individual vineyard (often called a cru or sori here).”
Professional Friends of Wine
“Nebbiolo is considered one of the great wine varieties, bigger, more acidic and tannic, sometimes even bitter, than most types, but consequently long-lived and prized by collectors.…Wines made from nebbiolo are typically tart, tannic and alcoholic. The classic romanticized description of Barolo is ‘tar and roses’; the best may also smell of cherries, violets and black licorice or truffles and have rich, chewy, deep and long-lasting flavors. Good Nebbiolo can harmonize with the richest, strongest-flavored meats and stews, as well as dry, aged cheeses that may be too strong or distinctive for other wines.”
Food & Wine
“Certainly Nebbiolo is formidable, with fierce tannins and acidity, but it is also gloriously scented—‘tar and roses’ is the classic description—and has a supple, evocative flavor that lingers on the tongue. Those flavors are more substantial and emphatic in Barolos and more delicate and filigreed in Barbarescos, the two primary wines from Piedmont.”
TotalWine
“Nebbiolo (nay-bee-OH-loh), produced at its best, is capable of producing the biggest, most full-bodied wines in the world with intense concentration and firm tannins. The flavor and aroma profiles include dark fruit, primarily blackberry with loads of complex flavors including smoke, tar, licorice and rustic notes. The prominent wines of northern Italy, Barolo and Barbaresco are produced from this renowned red-wine grape. Nebbiolo also contains wonderful acidity.”
Snooth
“Characteristics of the grape: dark berries, dark cherries, black plums, anise, tobacco, cedar, smoke, tar, violets, truffles, black licorice, moss, earth, leather, dried fruits, rosemary, thyme…The Piedmontese versions are predominately dry, elegant red wines that benefit from long bottle aging. To be consumed young, there are more accessible varietal releases, such as Nebbiolo d’Alba, that don’t require as much aging. Warmer, New World climates produce more fruity versions.”
About.com
“The Nebbiolo grape is typically characterized by the flavors of sweet fruits like blackberry, currant, plum and cherry, with high acidity levels and tough tannins.”
"Food", The Washington Post
“As a Barolo ages, the color turns brick orange, and its silky tannins, complex aromas of dried rose and violet, of leather and truffle and tar, deep cherry and plum flavors emerge. The finish lasts forever. It’s a wine to meditate, brood and ponder over.”

Some Nebbiolos to Try

For a Splurge

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