Top 20 Barolo alternatives

Albino Rocca’s wine are characterised by beautifully pristine aromas and a seductive texture. In this example, I was arrested by a vibrant top note of intense redcurrant and violets and very juicy acidity: I love its brightness and intensity. It needs time but has fantastic potential.

Antoniolo’s famous Gattinara from the San Francesco vineyard (first planted in the 1960s) has produced in this vintage an elegant, rounded, maturing wine with notes of sweet tobacco, sandalwood and exotic spices. Warm and spicy sun-dried cherry fruit palate, bright acidity, a velvety texture, fine silky tannins and a long, poised finish.

From Antoniotti’s tiny 5ha Bramaterra property, with its porphory and limestone soil, comes a wine full of life and energy. Its robust, forceful style is bursting with bright black cherry and dark brambly fruit. It emphasises the bold, firmly structured side of Nebbiolo. Less of the ethereal perfume and more of the gutsy, pleasurable food wine here. Mouthwatering acidity plus grippy, silty tannins.

Another stunning Barbaresco from Roberto Bianco at Cascina Morassino from the fantastic 2016 vintage. These wines have wonderful precision, purity and focus, wrapped in a very firm but refined tannic structure. Sweet red fruits, gentle spice and lots of juicy, fresh acidity. Concentrated, firm, bright and linear. Very young; needs time.

Fabio Alessandria makes such exquisitely pleasurable wines, here from the younger vines of the Monvigliero vineyard. Persistent nose of bright raspberry and rose, plus a unique iron-like mineral note. Very pure, with no make-up, it glides effortlessly across the palate and keeps you coming back for more. Better than many pricier Barolos.

Rizzi’s Barbaresco, from the cooler sub-zone of Treiso, is beautifully taut and fresh, if a little austere now. It's clear, pure focus and forceful style are so appealing, with some sweet, ripe, black cherry fruit hinting at what’s to come. At the moment the structure is closing down the fruit and it needs time to come around, but it has great potential.

From the stunning mountainous Valtellina region comes this elegant and pure Chiavennasca. Subtle nose of soft raspberries and red flowers with delicate cream, spice and a flinty, smoky note. Beautifully harmonious palate with a bright red-fruit start, some depth in the middle and a lingering savoury finish. A cut above many Valtellinas with its creamy, long elegance. Cool mountain-style Nebbiolo at its best.

Oberto’s stylish and modern take on Langhe Nebbiolo starts with sweet vanilla cream and spice top notes, followed by wild strawberry and a fresh earth and herbal woodland character. Taut structure and creamy texture with just the right amount of pure red fruits and spice. Assertive and youthful, yet manages to be very charming at the same time.

A producer who performs consistently well in blind tastings. Rich cherry nose. Sweet dark fruit and balsamic notes. Some invigorating, sappy, wild red berry and cranberry combining with vivid acidity and firm tannins to give an exciting, nervy quality. It needs time to show its best.

Impressively robust and gutsy. Youthful colour, sweet cherry, smoke and flinty aromas. Chunky, round and satisfying, with a full mid-palate offering flavours similar to the nose. Savoury, tangy and robust style, but with plenty of fruit to support. Soft and smooth mouthfeel; very enjoyable.

This is Enrico Serafino’s exciting rediscovery of an old, almost lost sub-variety of Nebbiolo called Picotener. And what an exciting find! Deeply coloured with firm tannins and a real spicy quality. Aromas of spice, black cherry and blue flowers, with very good concentration of flavours: contrasting notes of ripe black cherry, bitter cherry and dark chocolate. Seductive texture with firm but fine tannins.

Vajra’s wines are lively and friendly, with just the right amount of ripe fruit and violet aromas held in check by a refined structure. Long and appealingly silky. This producer offers unbelievably good value and quality.

Giulia Negri is a rising star of the Langhe, producing beautifully elegant and pure Nebbiolo. Alongside the more famous Barolo, she makes this fine and silky version of Langhe Nebbiolo which is ready for drinking earlier. Delicate raspberry and wild cherry combine with a fresh acidity and very fine textured tannins. Deliciously drinkable. She also makes an exciting Burgundian influenced Chardonnay.

Very seductive strawberries and cream and sweet cherry nose, expressing the warmth of the vintage. Full of flavour without being heavy. Winemaker Giovanni Angeli is doing a great job with Massolino’s signature style. Beautiful texture with refined tannins: glides effortlessly.

Quality at this family estate has been steadily improving, and this single-vineyard Riserva is made in a classic style from a wide range of Nebbiolo clones. The nose is still subdued, but cranberry and raspberry aromas are evident. The attack is fresh and concentrated, with ripe tannins and welcome acidity, though it does lack a little persistence. An elegant rather than powerful stye.

Correggia's consistently fine Riserva comes from a site with sand and silt soils. It's charmingly perfumed with seductive raspberry aromas, yet it's quite assertive. The attack shows freshness but the refined tannins soon become apparent. This is concentrated and tight, with a distinct oakiness that should diminish with further ageing. Polished and long.

Daniele Dinoia has put his heart and soul into helping to promote Alto Piemonte and Lessona. This cuvée is his early drinking wine. Fragrantly crushed rose petals, raspberry and spice aromas and flavours are surrounded by juicy, bright acidity and lightly grippy tannins. Dinoia also makes a lovely Lessona and a delicious white wine from the Erbaluce grape.

A light nose of fresh earth, semi-ripe strawberries and red and green fruit. A juicy, gluggable, easy-drinking style. Lacks the intensity and aromatic purity of the best Nebbiolo, but at this price, it’s still quite an achievement.

Lifted, heady aromas of new leather, spice, mushrooms and dried fruits. Smooth, creamy and leathery flavours with fresh acidity. A more traditional wine for those who like mature styles.