Everyday Piedmont - Dolcetto,
Barbera and Langhe Nebbiolo

Barolo
and Barbaresco get the lion’s share of the attention in Piedmont, but the best
Dolcettos, Barberas and Nebbiolos reflect the same values that make Piedmont’s
top wines so compelling. Specifically, top estates lavish just as much care on
their entry-level bottlings as they do on their flagship wines. In many cases,
margins are tighter on less expensive offerings, which means the best wines in this
article punch well above their weight when it comes to value.

Recent Vintages

The
current vintage for Dolcetto is 2013, a cool, late-ripening year that yielded
vibrant, perfumed wines built on energy. Unfortunately 2014 turned out to be
very challenging for Dolcetto, which ripens first among Piedmont top three red
grapes, so Dolcetto fans will want to stock away at least a few bottles of the
2013s. The pickings are likely to be very slim next year.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1417183808986-Dolcetto+-+vinous+cover2.jpg">

Dolcetto, Conterno-Fantino,
Monforte d’Alba

Most
Barberas and Langhe Nebbiolos in the market are from&nbsp;2012, an intriguing year in which the
wines have mid-weight structures typically associated with a cooler growing
season, but a level of ripeness and sweetness that is more typical of a warmer
vintage. I tasted a number of gorgeous 2012 Barberas that strike a compelling
middle ground, as the wines are open, but not as intense or as voluptuous as the
2011s, 2009s or 2007s. My first forays into Nebbiolo, first with Langhe
Nebbiolo and then with Barolo and Barbaresco tasted from cask, suggest this is
an above average vintage of very pretty, pliant wines to drink over the
medium-term.

Given
the price escalation we are seeing for the best Barolos and Barbarescos it is
easy to feel priced out of the market. The best wines in this article offer both&nbsp;high quality and fair pricing, which&nbsp;means readers can open a bottle or two&nbsp;with no guilt.&nbsp;That is especially true of the new
generation of Langhe Nebbiolos, many of which are made from young vine
Barolo/Barbaresco-designated parcels and given short fermentations that render
the wines accessible and delicious young. Piedmont’s bounty is wide-ranging, as
I hope the wines in this article will amply&nbsp;illustrate.

--
Antonio Galloni

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