Innovation and novelty in wine are usually more associated with lesser-known regions. It is therefore with added excitement that one tastes something new hailing from appellations firmly inscribed in the wine canon.
That will be the case for most wine drinkers when being introduced to Nas-cëtta, a white Piedmontese variety that remains mostly unknown beyond the hills of Novello and is modestly represented in export markets.
A recent tasting that celebrated the 11th anniversary of its eponymous appellation proved that it deserves to carve a wider space in the red wine country that is its home. Not easy but – as the wines showed – a worthwhile quest.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 12 Nas-cëtta del Comune di Novello wines
Langhe Nas-cëtta del Comune di Novello DOC at a glance:
Number of producers: 12
Vineyard area: 15 hectares (total vineyard area planted to Nas-cëtta in Piedmont: 40 hectares*)
Annual production: 88,000 bottles
Altitude: 200 to 500m (minimum 250m required for new plantings)
Soils: 6.3- to 8-million-year-old Marne of Sant’Agata, made up of laminated fossils
Rules: All wines must be 100% Nas-cëtta grown in Novello (Langhe Nas-cëtta DOC can be blended with up to 15% of other authorised varieties)
(*) Official Piedmont vineyard registry in 2019.
Rediscovering Nas-cëtta
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"}
Tasting Nas-cëtta del Comune di Novello wines:
{}
{"wineId":"52835","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52836","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52837","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52838","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52839","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52840","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52841","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52842","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52843","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52844","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52845","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52846","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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