Nebbiolo
ON THE VINE: Nebbiolo is a mid-season ripener with medium size clusters. Berries are big and scarlet in colour.
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IN THE GLASS: the colour can range from dark ruby (as in the famous Italian examples) to one that is lighter than Cabernet or Shiraz, similar to Pinot Noir.
SMELL
A perfumed nose with plum, strawberry and fruit flavours. Also: tar, violets, gamey meat and a certain ‘grittiness’.
TASTE
Upfront blackberry and dark cherry flavours. Although the grapes have a strong tannin structure, there may be plenty of soft ripe tannins on the palate.
ORIGIN
A native of the north-western region of Piedmont, this variety produces some of the best quality wines in Italy. The name developed from the word “nebbia” (fog), which occurs frequently in Piedmont in October during harvest. The statutes of La Morra (1431) provide evidence that this grape was revered – farmers caught cutting down a Nebbiolo vine were punished by the loss of their right hand or even hanging.
IN SOUTH AFRICA
A variety which prefers cooler conditions, Nebbiolo has experienced some problems with sunburn in South African vineyards. Still largely at an experimental stage, though Steenberg has included a single varietal Nebbiolo in its portfolio since the late 1990s, and Bouchard Finlayson is a producer using Nebbiolo as a component in the Hannibal blend.
ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD
In Italy: Barolo and Barbaresco, Piedmont. Good quality Nebbiolo wines are also produced in the province of Novara and in the Vercelli hills, where it is called Spanna and can be blended with the softer Vespolina and Bonarda grapes. The vine, often called Picutener, is also successfully cultivated in Carema on the border of the Valle d'Aosta, in Donnaz in the Valle d'Aosta itself and in Lombardy in the Valtellina, where the variety assumes the name Chiavennasca. Also to be found in Washington State and California (USA), Australia's King Valley in Victoria and, to a limited extent, South America.
BEST EXAMPLES
Italian: Gaja, Marchesi di Barolo, Poderi Cantine Fratelli Odderro and Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy.
AGEING POTENTIAL
A wine with definite longevity potential, as demonstrated by some Italian examples.
MATCHING WITH FOOD
A full-flavoured, excellent food wine. Complements Piedmontese fare (like truffles and wild boar) as well as hearty stews, roasts and rich pastas. Can also be good with oily fish, such as tuna.
SERVING TEMPERATURE
Between 16° and 18° C.
