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Nascetta is a fairly rare white-wine grape originating in the Langhe area of Piemonte in north-west Italy. It was formerly grown more extensively, owing to its reputation for high-quality wines, but fell into decline—indeed, was almost wholly lost—during that sad period in Italy’s wine history when quantity became more important than quality. Today, it is enjoying a mild rebirth, as its quality is again being recognized: another of those now-frequent stories in which one winemaker (here, Elvio Cogno) with devotion and advocacy saved a fine variety.
Nascetta wines are said (here, by Jancis Robinson) to combine floral and herbal aromas and flavors; those she mentions are acacia, exotic fruits, honey, sage, rosemary, and citrus. The wines are crisp, and take well to aging in barrels.
Factoid: In 2010, Nascetta obtained its own appellation, “Langhe Nas-cetta of the Township of Novello”; production is authorized only within the township of Novello, and bottlings must be 100% Nascetta.
“Quality has always been Nascetta's strength, however, producing wines that are assertively perfumed with Muscat-like floral qualities alongside riper, tropical fruit aromas. It also has a fresh palate with crisp, apple flavors and citrus and honey notes. Overall, Nascetta wines have an expressiveness that is hard to ignore.”
“You will taste the wine of a brilliant semi-aromatic grape variety in the glass: on the nose notes of citrus and exotic fruits, then of aromatic herbs; over time, propolis, honey, beeswax will emerge… And let your palate be titillated by a savory, vibrant sip, which often ends with a trail of sage and rosemary. You can drink it young, to enjoy its insolent and refined freshness; but, in the best years, let a few bottles age: over time you will experience the emotion that a great white born in a land of immense red wines can give.”
“The Nascetta grape has excellent oenological characteristics: recent analysis classified it as a semi-aromatic variety with a high content of aromatics. The nose of its wines is mainly formed during fermentation, as is the case of Sauvignon.…The Nascetta grape produces pale yellow wines with greenish reflections. The nose is intense with floral aromas and hints of iris and acacia flowers, fruit (apple, grapefruit, and tropical fruits) and honey. In the mouth the wine is fresh with citrus notes. Thanks to its good structure, Nascetta wines are also suitable for wood ageing revealing spicy aromas and vanilla taste.”
“Nascetta is the offspring of a unique and extraordinary terroir, characterized by the precious calcareous-clayey marls of the Langhe, which give the wines structure, acidity, complexity, and minerality. Terpene analyses have highlighted the semi-aromatic character of the grape variety. With its bright straw yellow color, Nascetta expresses a very personal character. Its bouquet often features hints of white flowers and citrus and fruity aromas. It is a wine of good structure and remarkable freshness, enveloping, savory, with a slightly bitter finish. A good acidity and a consistent structure give the wine good longevity, allowing for long bottle aging and interesting developments. Its undisputed personality and varietal recognizability make it suitable for vinification in steel as well as in wood, without losing its distinctive aromatic character.”
[Google-translated from Italian] “From its grapes, vinified in purity, you get a white wine of good structure and moderate acidity, which lends itself well to fill the lack of great white wines in the Langhe.”
[Google-translated from Italian] “Rovasenda cites it in his ‘Essay on a Universal Ampelography’ of 1877 and describes it as ‘a very delicate grape and exquisite wine…’ The Nascetta wine has a straw yellow color, bright and brilliant. The nose is dominated by hints of white flowers and citrus and fruity aromas. On the palate it is a wine with good structure and notable freshness, enveloping, savoury , with a slightly bitterish finish. The good acidity and structure give the wine good longevity, which make it suitable for both steel and wood vinification.”
[Google-translated from German] “The Nascetta wines have a fresh character with notes of acacia blossom, sage, rosemary and lemon. With their strong fruit aromas, the ‘Nascetta’ wines are reminiscent of Muscat or Gewürztraminer. They have a good acid structure with high aging potential.”
“The important structure and the acidity levels provide the wine with a great aging capability assuring a long lasting and dynamic aromatic evolution both for taste and body. The colour is a full straw yellow with lime green hues which are a forerunner for hints of citrus fruits, grapefruit and white peach which evolve into white flowers, acacia honey and thyme. In the mouth, the freshness floods the palate and remains thanks to the savoury carpet which, together with nuts, creates a pleasant, juicy and silky sensation.”
“At the beginning of last century in France, there was already talk about the excellent quality of Nascetta. Its prices were actually level with Barolo at the time… A high alcohol content registered over five years is one of the elements that defines Nascetta as a long-lived wine with the capacity to age well. Its malic and tartaric acid are very stable, both further proofs of the wine’s capacity to conserve for a long period of time… Novello’s land conformation gives the grape a complex structure and richness of salts. The calcareous-clayey soil, on the other hand, gives a savory and persistent taste with a zing of acidity that is never overpowering… A final point in favor of this native white variety is its adaptability to diverse styles of vinification. In steel or in wood, Nascetta maintains its unique characteristics… Nas-cetta is most definitely a wine to appreciate, both in its aromatic, robust profile.”
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Some Descriptions of Nascetta Wines
“Quality has always been Nascetta's strength, however, producing wines that are assertively perfumed with Muscat-like floral qualities alongside riper, tropical fruit aromas. It also has a fresh palate with crisp, apple flavors and citrus and honey notes. Overall, Nascetta wines have an expressiveness that is hard to ignore.”
“You will taste the wine of a brilliant semi-aromatic grape variety in the glass: on the nose notes of citrus and exotic fruits, then of aromatic herbs; over time, propolis, honey, beeswax will emerge… And let your palate be titillated by a savory, vibrant sip, which often ends with a trail of sage and rosemary. You can drink it young, to enjoy its insolent and refined freshness; but, in the best years, let a few bottles age: over time you will experience the emotion that a great white born in a land of immense red wines can give.”
“The Nascetta grape has excellent oenological characteristics: recent analysis classified it as a semi-aromatic variety with a high content of aromatics. The nose of its wines is mainly formed during fermentation, as is the case of Sauvignon.…The Nascetta grape produces pale yellow wines with greenish reflections. The nose is intense with floral aromas and hints of iris and acacia flowers, fruit (apple, grapefruit, and tropical fruits) and honey. In the mouth the wine is fresh with citrus notes. Thanks to its good structure, Nascetta wines are also suitable for wood ageing revealing spicy aromas and vanilla taste.”
“Nascetta is the offspring of a unique and extraordinary terroir, characterized by the precious calcareous-clayey marls of the Langhe, which give the wines structure, acidity, complexity, and minerality. Terpene analyses have highlighted the semi-aromatic character of the grape variety. With its bright straw yellow color, Nascetta expresses a very personal character. Its bouquet often features hints of white flowers and citrus and fruity aromas. It is a wine of good structure and remarkable freshness, enveloping, savory, with a slightly bitter finish. A good acidity and a consistent structure give the wine good longevity, allowing for long bottle aging and interesting developments. Its undisputed personality and varietal recognizability make it suitable for vinification in steel as well as in wood, without losing its distinctive aromatic character.”
[Google-translated from Italian] “From its grapes, vinified in purity, you get a white wine of good structure and moderate acidity, which lends itself well to fill the lack of great white wines in the Langhe.”
[Google-translated from Italian] “Rovasenda cites it in his ‘Essay on a Universal Ampelography’ of 1877 and describes it as ‘a very delicate grape and exquisite wine…’ The Nascetta wine has a straw yellow color, bright and brilliant. The nose is dominated by hints of white flowers and citrus and fruity aromas. On the palate it is a wine with good structure and notable freshness, enveloping, savoury , with a slightly bitterish finish. The good acidity and structure give the wine good longevity, which make it suitable for both steel and wood vinification.”
[Google-translated from German] “The Nascetta wines have a fresh character with notes of acacia blossom, sage, rosemary and lemon. With their strong fruit aromas, the ‘Nascetta’ wines are reminiscent of Muscat or Gewürztraminer. They have a good acid structure with high aging potential.”
“The important structure and the acidity levels provide the wine with a great aging capability assuring a long lasting and dynamic aromatic evolution both for taste and body. The colour is a full straw yellow with lime green hues which are a forerunner for hints of citrus fruits, grapefruit and white peach which evolve into white flowers, acacia honey and thyme. In the mouth, the freshness floods the palate and remains thanks to the savoury carpet which, together with nuts, creates a pleasant, juicy and silky sensation.”
“Nascetta is actually a noble white grape variety that can produce long-lived, structured wines.… ”
“At the beginning of last century in France, there was already talk about the excellent quality of Nascetta. Its prices were actually level with Barolo at the time… A high alcohol content registered over five years is one of the elements that defines Nascetta as a long-lived wine with the capacity to age well. Its malic and tartaric acid are very stable, both further proofs of the wine’s capacity to conserve for a long period of time… Novello’s land conformation gives the grape a complex structure and richness of salts. The calcareous-clayey soil, on the other hand, gives a savory and persistent taste with a zing of acidity that is never overpowering… A final point in favor of this native white variety is its adaptability to diverse styles of vinification. In steel or in wood, Nascetta maintains its unique characteristics… Nas-cetta is most definitely a wine to appreciate, both in its aromatic, robust profile.”