Nebbiolos of the world: Panel tasting results

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, Federico Moccia and Emma Robinson tasted 82 wines with two Outstanding and 52 Highly recommended.

Nebbiolos of the world: Panel tasting scores

82 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly recommended 52

Recommended 26

Commended 2

Fair 0

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Nebbiolo still red wines, single-varietal or blends with a minimum 75% Nebbiolo, from any country and any region other than Piedmont’s Barolo and Barbaresco

Nebbiolo has packed its bags. It’s been travelling around the world, revealing its different facets, and showing an exceptional degree of consistency. Nebbiolo’s success is tangible and can be expressed numerically, since two-thirds of the wines featured in this fascinating tasting achieved scores of 90 points and above.

There are many positives. For Federico Moccia, highlights included Nebbiolo’s ‘ability to keep varietal characteristics, while simultaneously expressing its terroir’. Emma Robinson was pleased to see ‘New World winemakers making lighter styles with moderate alcohol levels that were eminently drinkable, and offering consumers good value for money in all price categories’.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Nebbiolos of the world panel tasting

The objective was to evaluate Nebbiolo’s performance outside its stronghold of Barolo and Barbaresco, yet Italy still dominated the tasting with 22 wines achieving 90 points and above, closely followed by Australia with 18 wines, and the US coming in third place with eight wines deemed by the panel to be either Outstanding or Highly recommended.

For Moccia, the wines from the US stood out: ‘They displayed darker colour, good fruit concentration and the abundance of sunshine during the growing season, giving the wines individuality and sense of place,’ he said. ‘Although their use of oak was more noticeable compared to other countries, it was perfectly balanced within the wines’ overall structure.

‘By contrast,’ Moccia continued, ‘Australian wines were elegant, pure and clean with a beautiful aromatic intensity.’ Robinson agreed and suggested that there is ‘real value to be found in Australia, where consumers may find Nebbiolo styles that are more approachable given their juicy fruit-forward style, gentler tannins and classier use of oak’.

See all 82 wines from the Nebbiolos of the world panel tasting

In terms of quality, Italy and Australia shone. Of the top eight highest-scoring wines, Italy showcased three from Piedmont and one from Lombardy. The best Australian examples came from a wider geography, including King Valley and Beechworth in Victoria’s High Country, McLaren Vale and Eden Valley in South Australia. The fact that one of the top-scoring wines of the tasting came from the US (the Clendenen, see below) confirmed Nebbiolo’s ability to travel well, retain its varietal character, demonstrate a sense of place and age gracefully. Given the climatic conditions and proximity to the US, it was not surprising also to see wines from two Mexican producers – of which the 2017 vintage (right) was one of the most highly rated wines of this tasting. Readers looking for an element of surprise could also explore Nebbiolo from Canada, with Blasted Church Vineyards submitting a convincing example.

In general terms, the New World’s abundant sunshine ensures that most of the wines in this tasting are ready to be enjoyed earlier. The ability to maintain varietal typicity ensures that the wines possess the hallmarks to age for at least a decade. These wines will no doubt satisfy consumers who enjoy wines akin to Barolo and Barbaresco, and who would like to explore something equally sophisticated and characterful, but with distinct personalities.

Nebbiolos of the world panel tasting scores

The judges

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW is a wine writer, consultant and educator. Moving to the UK from Brazil in 1989, he was a director at some of the UK’s top distributors, becoming a Master of Wine in 2008, then co-authoring the awarded Portuguese-language book Conheça Vinhos (‘Understanding Wine’, Editora Senac).

Federico Moccia is head sommelier at London private member’s club 67 Pall Mall. Originally from Brescia in northern Italy, he is an advocate for Italian wine, as well as a DWWA judge and a contributor to decanter.com.

Emma Robinson is a wine buyer covering Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at London-based merchant Enotria&Coe. She previously held positions in sales and export at Crush Wines then Bibendum Wine, where she was also a WSET wine educator.

Related articles

• Cru bourgeois 2018: panel tasting results
• Rioja £20-£40: Red Rioja panel tasting results
• Albariño beyond Iberia: panel tasting results