North West Italy Wine Notes — 01/01/2007

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History

Vineyards have undoubtedly been in existence here since Etruscan times, somewhere around 800BC. Real interest begins in the 19th century coinciding with the reunification of Italy (under Piedmontese leadership of course).

Significantly wine remained a cottage industry based on small-holdings and supplying local and domestic markets. Whilst the great regions of France were developing a formal industry, with export markets and hierarchy of prices, Italian wine remained deeply agrarian.

The plagues that blighted the European wine regions, oidium and phylloxera hit hard here. The lack of overseas markets, the low prices, fragmented structure of the industry and the compounding factors of World Wars and economic depression, meant that rather than taking twenty years to recover, it took nearer sixty.

It was in the 1960’s that fine Italian wine got its act together. The wine laws were revised and the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) demarcating vines and viticulture was introduced. The French idea of the cru was adopted, with Beppe Colla’s single vineyard Barolo.

The 60’s saw the sweeping away of ‘mezzadria’ or share-cropping, whereby peasants rented small parcels of land on which they had vines, animals and crops and half the produce would go to the landowner. This system restricted the development of vineyards. The end of mezzadria allowed land owners to develop formal vineyards, concentrate on quality not quantity and fall in line with the DOC.

The 70’s heralded the age of the producer, with men such as Gaja appearing on the scene. They travelled the worlds vineyards, bringing back ideas on training methods, oak, refrigeration and vinification – in short they challenged the idea of pure tradition being the key to quality.

The past years have seen a proliferation of crus, in Barolo and Barbaresco with prices of certain wines rocketing, perhaps justifiably, as the idea of great terroir is as valid in Piedmont as it is in say Burgundy.

The Region

The Alps and the Appennines dominate the region. Many tributaries of the Po rise here and wend their way down through the vineyards. The climate is one of cold winters, hot summers and rainfall that is spasmodic, falling, viticulturally speaking, at just the wrong time. There are also autumnal fogs which hang in the valleys.

This adds up to a region where the vintage is uncertain. The sheerness of the landscape and the vagaries of the weather mean that the microclimate of an individual sub-zone can give it a different out-come to the region as a whole.

The finest vineyards are to be found around Alba, Asti and Gavi. These slopes offer a very complex pattern of exposures and aspects, which in turn offers pros and cons to different vines. – So Pinot Noir may be planted facing north to retard ripening, whilst late ripening Nebbiolo is planted on the southern aspect. A further consideration is the variety of soils found here: clay, marl, gravel and alluvial deposits.

Communes, villages and vineyards

Sub-dividing the region are a number of smaller areas – though this being Italy the most famous and significant one, Alba, doesn’t officially exist! Alba contains within its non-existent boundaries Barolo, Barbaresco,the Langhe and Roero. Asti is a southern Piedmontese lying region, best known for it’s Dolcettos, Barberas and Moscatos.

Names such as Barolo and Barbaresco have been taken for the generic wine DOCG. At their basic level, theses wines may be a blend from several villages; so a wine based on Serralunga may be softened with wine from La Morra.

At a finer quality level, the name ‘Barolo’ may be augmented by the name of a sub-zone – the ‘sottozona’. For Barolo alone there are over 100. These can be broken down into further sub-zones of individual vineyards, or even section within a vineyard, for example you have: Barolo – Monforte – Bussia Sottana (Village) (Sub-zone) (Vineyard)

The Vines

Nebbiolo: Similar perhaps to Pinot Noir, difficult to grow, prone to mutation and in the right place, sublime. It loves limestone and clay soils and as such gives us Barolo and Barbaresco. Often attributed a nose of tar and roses, its flavours range from these to muted black cherry, and plum to vivid redcurrant and game.

Barbera: High fruit, low tannin, fine colour and attractive high acids. This popular grape gives seriously good wines such as Barbera d’Alba.

Dolcetto: An easy to grow variety that produces soft, fruity wines in the main that can be enjoyable, but are rarely terribly serious.

Freisa: An oddity that is being revived. It gives wines with a strawberry scent.

Brachetto: Crafted into every style, red berry tones pervade from nose to palate.

Moscato: This is the second most planted vine. Typically fragrant, it can give superb wines, with peachy, honeyed tones in dry and sweet styles.

Cortese: A fine acidic grape, that gives fresh, zesty wines which can be likened to Chablis.

Arneis: Increasingly prized, as due to improved vinification it offers aromatics and modest acidity.

The Wines

Barolo: The most famous wine of the region, it is a wine that can astound when on form, but takes time to understand and enjoy. The wines can take on a myriad of guises depending on where they vines were grown, whether the Nebbiolo has been softened with another variety and the treatment the winemaker has employed. Classically it has fine colour, high acidity and massive structure. Wines must be aged for 3 years for normale or 56 months for riserva, with cask ageing for at least a year for both.

Barbaresco: Whereas Barolo with its impressive power is viewed the King of Piedmont wines, Barbaresco is Piedmonte’s Queen. As aristocratic as its Alba neighbour, though less famous and unfairly thought as second best. These wines are 100% Nebbiolo, with a touch more delicacy.

Roero: A Nebbiolo dominated wine that through increased vigilance and care by producers is creating wines that can rival good Barolo.

Barbera d’Asti & d’Alba: Often excellent, with masses of sweet, spicy cherry and red berry fruits, a dash of acidity and drinkable young.

Docetto d’Alba: Enjoyable, not particularly distinguished, easy ‘restaurant’ drinking.

Gavi: Fresh, clean tasting white, that is best from around the town of Gavi on the western side of Piedmont. Gives wines known as Gavi di Gavi.

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