 The Whites
Two main styles of white are made in Piemonte; still, dry wines made with a range of grapes, and sparkling (or semi-sparkling), often medium to sweet wines made form the Moscato grape.
Poor quality, massed produced wines (and the current obsession for ultra dry wine) have given the sparkling wines from Asti a bad press in recent years. This is a great shame, as careful winemaking retains acidity in the wines which balances the sweet flavours, in collaboration with a pleasing frothiness, to make a refreshing, delicate and grapey drink, unlike any other sparkler. A lower alcohol content make them perfect lunchtime drinking.
Of the still whites, Gavi is the best known. Made with the local Cortese grape, these delicate wines are fresh and almost neutral when young, but develop intriguing stony, lemony fruit with a year or so in the bottle. Cortese’s closest competitor is Arneis, especially in the Roero zone, which is more boldly flavoured with peachy, perfumed aromas and nutty complexity in the best examples.
The Reds
Although the whites are delightful, Piemonte is really all about its reds. The superstar wines of Barolo and Barbaresco (more of these later) are just the tip of an iceberg in a region that produces a greater range of styles than some entire countries!
The light reds of Dolcetto, and the sparkling reds (yes you do read right) of Brachetto d’Acqui are less celebrated than their weightier neighbours, but can give just as much pleasure. Whilst the name means ‘little sweet one’, Dolcetto is charming rather than sugary – a vibrant light, dry fruity red with cherry and black berry flavours which is best drunk young, and is the staple lunchtime wine in Turin. Brachetto d’Acqui on the other hand, is truly unique. A frizzante (semi-sparkling) red, light in style (unlike the heavier sparkling Shirazes from down under) it is full of strawberry and raspberry flavours, with a touch of sweetness. Low production helps consistent quality and there are even a few single-vineyard examples around.
Barbera is the ‘second’ grape of the Piedmont and itself makes a range of styles. Light, young and lively in Barbera del Montferraro, medium bodied and a little more serious in Barbera d’Asti. It is in Alba, however that top Barolo and Barbaresco producers apply themselves to the grape, producing weighty, concentrated wines aged in oak and with smoky cherry and redcurrant flavours, hints of liquorice and mocha.
Finally, we get to the big gun of Piemonte – Nebbiolo. Notoriously tough, this thick-skinned grape variety only really thrives in this corner of Italy, but boy does it thrive! It makes full, highly tannic reds which traditionally require patient ageing to reveal the violet and dark fruit aromas. It can be smoky, earthy and full of prunes, and the best bottles develop a characteristic ‘tar’ note on the nose. It also mirrors that other Piemontese delicacy the white truffle to great effect, making it the ultimate autumn grape.
Barbaresco is seen in some quarters as the Barolo’s poor relation. Certainly the prices (with one or two notable exceptions) are lower and the style a touch lighter than Barolo, but the wines at their best are a match for their more illustrious neighbours.
Barolo is the undisputed king of the area, and whilst it can be and acquired taste, it is certainly worth the effort. They are always expensive (I would be very wary of a £12 Barolo) and normally made by small, boutique winemakers especially the top, single vineyard versions. Traditionally aged for a long time in large oak barrels which impart less sweet, spicy oak flavours than modern ‘barriques’ but allow the wine to develop and broaden. Forward thinking winemakers are using modern techniques and smaller barrels to produce fresher, better balanced wines which have greater fruit concentration and need far less time to mature. Although the frowned upon by the old school, these practises do produce spectacular wines more accessible to the modern palate (and wallet).
The area surrounding these two giants comes under the ‘Langhe’ DOC, which produces much Nebbiolo under its own name, and affords a little more freedom of technique than the big two. Look out for these as a great introduction to the style.
Remember, though that the great wines of Piemonte are best experienced alongside great food, so if you do one thing this month, nip down to your local butchers, pick up a venison loin and some wild mushrooms (or some white truffles if you can afford them), and then pop into Reserve for a bottle of Barolo for the real taste of autumn.
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