Alto Piemonte latest releases: 12 top picks

Most of the Alto Piemonte wines were tasted in December 2019 during a visit to the top estates of the region.

The growing interest in this more northerly region of Piedmont has persuaded me to include some of its wines in this report. Historically this was an important area, but both the ravages of phylloxera and industrial growth, especially textiles, caused many vineyards to be abandoned, while the local population found it more rewarding to work in factories than on the land. The region is, moreover, only 90 kilometres west of Milan.

Scroll down for Stephen’s top 12 Alto Piemonte latest releases

By the late 19th century there were over 15,000 hectares under vine, and the wines enjoyed strong demand. A hundred years later the region was heading for extinction, but with rising prices for Barolo and other Nebbiolos, a renewed interest in Alto Piemonte led to a doubling of the vineyard surface between 2013 and 2019. The greatest validation came in 2018 when Barolo producer Roberto Conterno bought the century-old Nervi estate in Gattinara, although the wines he and his sons have made since have yet to be released. In addition, local textile tycoons have opted to revitalise certain estates. Paolo de Marchi, renowned for his Chiantis from Isole e Olena, has dispatched his son Luca to revive Sperino, the family’s ancestral but run-down property in Lessona. And Travaglini in Gattinara has maintained its steady, quality-oriented course for decades.

Alto Piemonte is composed of a handful of small communes: Ghemme, Gattinara, Sizzano, Lessona, Fara, Boca, and Bramaterra, as well as more generic appellations with more flexible rules (Colline Novaresi and Coste della Sesia). The differences between them in terms of soil and microclimate are too numerous to be summarised here. Local rules and regulations vary considerably, which makes it harder to claim a specific identify for the region. Indeed, Nebbiolo is not the only variety, and some appellations permit blends that include Vespolina, Croatina and Uva Rara (Bonarda). Although some excellent wines are made from Vespolina in particular, the recommendations that follow focus on Nebbiolo-dominant wines or pure Nebbiolos.

Alto Piemonte’s climate differs from that of the Langhe. Summers tend to be mild, and winters are often snow-free, as the region is sheltered by the Alps to the north. It’s difficult to characterise the wines, as there are inevitable stylistic variations, but in general Nebbiolos from here have less tannin and alcohol, and higher acidity, than Barolo or Barbaresco.

They also differ from the latter wines in that minimum ageing regimes vary from appellation to appellation; moreover producers are free to adopt individual ageing policies. Most Barolos and Barbarescos are released within a six-month window. For many Alto Piemonte producers the current release is 2015 or 2016, but others prefer to give their wines long ageing, either in barrel or in bottle, and for some of these, current releases could be 2013 or even earlier vintages. Sella, an historic estate in Lessona, makes a top bottling called ‘Omaggio’ that spends over four years in casks, and the current release is 2009.

Although Alto Piemonte is not a consistent region, and there are indeed rustic or simple wines from here, the quality and longevity of the best wines makes it an essential addition to this report.

Stephen’s top Alto Piemonte wines:

More from Stephen’s Nebbiolo report:

Barolo 2016 & Riserva 2014: Report and 100 wines tasted

Barbaresco 2017 & Barbaresco Riserva 2015: Full report