Wine Review: Nebbiolo beyond Barolo

I am a big fan of Barolo, but how does the Nebbiolo grape do outside of its home in Piedmont? 

Barolo was my first foray into the Nebbiolo grape. To me it’s like a tannic Pinot Noir with its lighter color but huge aromatic complexity and elegance despite its massive tannins. They’re also extremely age-worthy. It’s the epitome of Italian wine for many wine lovers. 

Barolo can be expensive given its relatively small production, but that’s mostly at their entry level range because the most expensive Barolo are still generally cheaper than the top Bordeaux, Napa or Burgundy. That means you’ll need at least $35-50 to buy a bottle of Barolo, but many of the top Barolo are less than $100-150. 

If Barolo is King, then Barbaresco is Queen in Piedmont. It’s generally more approachable at a younger age and less tannic. However, there are other cheaper and more accessible young Nebbiolo options in northern Italy that you can drink while you wait for your Barolos and Barbarescos to mature. I should mention that Barbera, Grignolino and Dolcetto from Piedmont are also options, but if I wanted an Italian Nebbiolo, there are also wines labeled Langhe Nebbiolo, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Gattinara, Roero, Carema, Fara and several others. All produce Nebbiolo that many would consider “baby” Barolos or Barbarescos. There’s also quality Nebbiolo being made in the Lombardy region.

Outside of Italy, I have never found a Nebbiolo that’s impressed me. Either they completely lacked the characteristics of Nebbiolo I’m used to from Italy or they lacked the power and complexity of Barolo or Barbaresco. It’s also rare to find outside of northern Italy. I’ve conversed with other wine lovers who concur with my experiences with Nebbiolo outside of Italy. 

Nonetheless, I always keep exploring and am open to being proven wrong. I found one Australian Nebbiolo that has received a lot of praise. It’s the most expensive of the four at $60 (the other three are under $50). The producer Stephen Pannell makes several other varietals that aren’t as common in Australia like Touriga and Barbera, but he’s most famous for his Nebbiolo, which he learned how to make from his time working with GD Vajra in Piedmont and recruiting help from his friends in Piedmont to consult for him in Australia. 

The other non-Italian Nebbiolo is from the late Jim Clendenen, who is more famous for his Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County. However, Jim also made a lot of other less common mono-varietal bottlings in California such as Petit Verdot, Friulano, Mondeuse and Nebbiolo in small production. Clendenen was a legend in American winemaking for his experimenting and his commitment to more Old World style wine making despite the Robert Parker influenced trends for big modern wines in California over the decades. 

To compare, I picked two non-Barolo Italian Nebbiolos. One is a Nebbiolo d’Alba from a well-regarded producer, Luciano Sandrone.  It’s from the lesser-known Valmaggiore in Roero. I also found a 10 year old Barbaresco from the co-op Vite Colte to compare the others with an aged Nebbiolo. I found all the wines at K&L Wine Merchants in California. 

 

Tasting Notes

2015 Clendenen Family Vineyards “The Pip” Bien Nacido Santa Maria Nebbiolo

Planted in 1994, this is an early barrel selection from their Bricco Buon Natale Nebbiolo, which is normally aged 4 years in 500L Hungarian Oak (⅓ new). 

Darker fruit, but still decent acidity. The most fruit forward of the 4 wines although there’s some spice. It wasn’t obviously Nebbiolo at first other than the color but over time the fruit started to veer towards red fruit and more savory notes came. Still not typical Piedmont Nebbiolo, but also not like a California Bordeaux or Rhone varietal cuvee nor a Pinot. It’s its own thing, but has more Old World appeal than most California wines. 90

2016 S.C. Pannell Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo

Biodynamic. Aged 14 months in old Hungarian oak and large vats. Some oak notes at first with some coffee and tobacco. It’s fuller and more tannic than the Sandrone or Clendenen, but stays elegant. Darker than the Sandrone, but like the Clendenen it became more red-fruited over time and gained lots of floral notes. Baking spices. It became more aromatic in general. It has the elegance and feeling of lightness with power and structure I like in Barolos, but it  still needs time. 92+

2016 Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore 

Aged in neutral oak. Native yeasts. 2016 was a strong vintage in the region. Lots of rose on the nose with some tobacco and spice. Cherry on the palate. Spices. Moderate tannins at first with medium body but it builds fuller. Elegant. This is the most classic and typical of what I think of Piedmont Nebbiolo except it was only medium acidic and lightly structured compared to more firmly built Barolos. 92

2010 Vite Colte Spezie Barbaresco Riserva 

Aged 2 years in small oak barrels and 1 year in bottle. 2010 was a great vintage in Piedmont. Most alcoholic, acidic and tannic of the 4. Some oak notes. Spice. Pepper. Red fruit. There’s some rose, but more in the background. This one also needs more time. 2010 was big vintage, but also this has more oak than the others. It’s less what I think of classic Nebbiolo from Piedmont. A little more modern with the small oak barrels.  This is the closest to Tuscan Sangiovese of the four, but there’s a lot of overlap in flavor profiles between Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. 92+

Conclusion

Overall, the Sandrone was the most classic Nebbiolo that I would have clearly picked in a blind tasting. The others started off in limbo but gained more Nebbiolo characteristics, especially the aromatics. They all had the color and overall light feel with a punch of flavor that good Nebbiolo has. I think both non-Italian wines were successful in making something with enough Nebbiolo aspects while being their own thing. They’ve proven growing Nebbiolo outside of Italy is not impossible. However, I still would take the most classic of the four, the Sandrone, if I had to choose at the moment. It’s a way to enjoy Piedmont Nebbiolo at a young age.