New Nebbiolo releases that show this grape's light-hearted side

There is no doubt that Nebbiolo is responsible for some of Italy’s most extraordinary, complex and age-worthy wines.

In fact, Barolo and Barbaresco sit alongside the greats of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Yet unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo has only recently started emerging from the shadow of its loftiest denominations.

In true Nebbiolo form, it is doing so with grace and agility. This is a testament to producers who are emphasising its more lighthearted guises without denaturing its identity.

They align brilliantly with a growing demand for fresh, buoyant, immediately approachable reds.

Fresh batch

While not limited to Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba, these DOCs offer a wealth of examples.

The freshest batch hails from 2023 and 2024, two challenging years. The former was marked by hail, heat and drought, the latter by incessant rainfall – though not cool temperature.

Quite surprisingly, they yielded a spate of charming, lithesome wines – particularly 2024.

The brightest even convey a joyfulness that contradicts what winegrowers must have felt when dealing with the vengeances of Mother Nature.

Alas, in others, the struggles of the vintages are all too apparent.

Both years required a lot of work in the vineyard and a strict selection. As such, it is difficult to find true quality at the lowest prices.

Grower-led value

Nonetheless, trusted producers like Produttori del Barbaresco, Massolino and GD Vajra still offer affordable worthwhile specimens.

What stands out is the intentionality behind the wines. At the Marrone estate, Langhe Nebbiolo is not simply a declassified Barolo.

Instead, winemaker Valentina Marrone set out specifically to produce one that represents her generation. The unoaked, ‘Che Vale’ bottling is chillable and ready to drink.

‘Making a Nebbiolo that isn’t aged in wood requires managing the vineyard differently,’ says Valentina. She also plays around with vinification to tease out the variety's perfume and flavour, as well as finer tannins.

Room for experimentation

That sense of experimentation pervades these non-DOCG Nebbiolo. They also provide rich hunting ground for the region’s up-and-comers.

Check out San Barnaba, Borgogno e Carbone and Vaira Aurelj. While the latter’s fuori zona (FZ) label is neither a Langhe Nebbiolo nor a Nebbiolo d’Alba, it is a 100% Nebbiolo simply designated as Vino Rosso.

The 2023 is the best wine I have had from this promising new estate.

‘We were brought up in Barolo and respect the area but as this comes from outside the zone, we wanted to do something different,’ explains Francesco Vaira, who uses a combination of whole clusters, whole berries and low sulphur to really bring out a perfumed fruit expression.

None of these should take away from the region’s more traditional, even historic labels.

Both Bruno Giacosa and Sandrone’s bottlings from Roero’s renowned Valmaggiore vineyard rise above the challenges of the 2023 vintage.

Similarly, Cavallotto and Giovanni Rosso’s Ester Canale are compelling representations of young vines in Barolo’s best sites.

Nebbiolo is finally having a moment – one that will hopefully have the longevity of its greatest examples.

Juicy and light-hearted Nebbiolo

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