Alto Piemonte revival plus 12 wines to try

The Alto Piemonte region is located just below the Italian Alps, with Monte Rosa clearly visible on the brightest of days. Imagine it as a wrist and hand, with protruding ‘fingers’ being the valleys of Boca, Gattinara, Lessona and Bramaterra.

Extreme weather phenomena here are relatively common, which describes very well the marginality of the climate – the province of Novara is 1°C cooler on average (12.02°C) and 300mm wetter (1,000mm) than Castiglione Falletto in Langhe.

Though without a doubt an enormous threat, this marginality is a terrific advantage for the grapes. Nebbiolo, the main variety in the blend of Alto Piemonte wines, alongside Vespolina, Croatina and Uva Rara, acquires a stunning elegance and complexity in the best vintages.

The area can be clearly defined as ‘heroic viticulture’, producing wines from steep, often terraced vineyards at altitude, giving almost unsurpassed layers of complexity and elegance. The wines of Boca are even known for their signature pink grapefruit character.

This article contains:

• The key appellations of Alto Piemonte
• What is the climate like in Alto Piemonte?
• The Alto Piemonte renaissance
• How well do the wines of Alto Piemonte age?

The key appellations of Alto Piemonte

Wines from Gattinara DOCG most of the time have the ability to match power with elegance.

Boca DOC is produced using Nebbiolo with the addition of Vespolina which brings a distinct spiciness to it.

Croatina – which is not allowed in Boca – is often a partner in Bramaterra DOC, with its pronounced fruit concentration, while Uva Rara is always good for softening wines.

While Ghemme DOCG, Fara DOC and Sizzano DOC are based on mostly sandy soils, Gattinara, Boca and part of Bramaterra are often referred to as ‘vini delle rocce’, or ‘wines from stone’, because of the minerality derived from the underlying volcanic or porfidic soils.

The ‘vini delle rocce’ are located in the ‘caldera’, the chamber of the Valsesia super-volcano which collapsed 280 million years ago. This geopark has been protected by Unesco since September 5 2013.

There is a lot of iron available for the vines, yet not many other elements such as potassium because of the acidic nature of the soil. The vines struggle, leading to low vigour, but the advantage is a fairly low pH which is a fierce contributor to the extremely fresh fruit quality and overall savouriness of the wines, both which lend to their ageability.

‘Our biggest threat is the low level of potassium available to the vines,’ said Matteo Garrone from Cantine Garrone, ‘even if we have the right amounts of organic matter’. Garrone grows Prünent, a specific clone of Nebbiolo in the Ossola valley at the northern tip of Alto Piemonte, bordering Switzerland. The valley is planted on both sides because it runs north-south. DOC wine production is not allowed on the valley floor, another result of the marginality of the viticulture here.

What is the climate like in Alto Piemonte?

The climate is challenging, not only for its marginality but because of the threat of hailstorms – several producers in Alto Piemonte are now using nets to protect the vineyards.

A heavy hailstorm on June 30 destroyed some of the best Gattinara vineyards. ‘I don’t think there is anything to say,’ remarks Lorella Zoppis Antoniolo from the Antoniolo winery. ‘The hail in some vineyards didn’t even spare the grass’.

High temperatures during the growing season and insolation are two additional threats which partly explain why the pergola training system is still in use in this area. In Boca, the Maggiorina system is still in place, planting four vines in a square and pruning from the corners to the centre. Mostly used for Croatina, this technique preserves colour, offers good protection against strong winds and resists hail, since these storms almost always come from a single side.

The Alto Piemonte renaissance

At the beginning of 1900 there were 759 hectares of vineyards in the Ossola Valley, compared to 50ha today.

Boca’s transformation has been even more drastic, going from 1,400 to just 30ha.

Gattinara’s vineyard area has also fallen, from 650 to 120ha. ‘They have gold in their pockets, and they throw it away,’ said famous writer Gino Veronelli in the 1960s when discussing Prünent.

Today, however, vineyards are starting to appear once more, increasing at around 10% per year in Gattinara.

Ghemme has grown by 25ha over the past two years according to Lorella Zoppis, former president of the Alto Piemonte Association. ‘Sizzano and Fara were stable over the past few years with the risk of being absorbed by Ghemme, but now even those minor territories are rising.’ Even so, don’t look for organic viticulture here, as there are almost no certified wineries.

How well do the wines of Alto Piemonte age?

With the exception of Gattinara, which has proven its ability to age, one could debate the ageing potential of these appellations – sometimes the wines lack the tannic structure needed to last more than 20 years.

Vintages such as 2016 and 2017, which were notably dry, greatly increased the concentration in the finished wines. ‘In the fresher 2018 vintage, Gattinara defeated Barolo 3-0,’ said Roberto Conterno, referring to the potential of the vintage.

Alto Piemonte wines often have both the value and the finesse to be more approachable than their counterpart Nebbiolos, but they require a savvy wine drinker in order to be fully appreciated for their finer details.

Alto Piemonte wines: 12 top picks

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