Nebbiolo in Its Many Guises: Alto Piemonte & Valtellina

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | APRIL 24, 2020

There is no question that Nebbiolo is one of the world’s greatest and most noble red grapes. An ability to convey the essence of site and vintage through the lens of producer style places Nebbiolo in rarified company. Once consumers experience the magic of Nebbiolo – most often through the wines of the Langhe – it is only natural to ask: What else is out there? The answer is Alto Piemonte and Valtellina, two separate and distinct regions, both of which offer so much to explore. Since my last feature, two years ago, I have tasted more wines from Alto Piemonte and Valtellina than ever before, many of them from new producers. The pace of change is fast, and quite often, thrilling. Best of all, these artisan, hand-made wines remain known to only a handful of cognoscenti and offer tremendous value in today’s world.

The view over Gattinara from Nervi.

Alto Piemonte – Past, Present & Future

Alto Piemonte is going through a Renaissance that is really exciting to watch unfold. A number of older estates are benefiting from an infusion of new energy, while a generation of young, ambitious producers are showing the world what these once-forgotten vineyards are capable of. At the same time, the vestiges of the decayed past remain visible, and that provides a window through which to look back into the region’s history.

Alto Piemonte wines experienced their first glory days in the 19th century, when Gattinara, not Barolo or Barbaresco, was the most famous red in Piedmont. In the late 1800s, Alto Piemonte entered a period of profound economic crisis. Phylloxera and the severe frost of 1905 devastated vineyards. Later, the growth of industry and the promise of a steady income at nearby factories began luring property owners away from far less lucrative and unpredictable work in the fields. Even today, decades later, abandoned vineyards are visible, buried beneath shrub and forest growth that speak to what was a massive shift from agrarian to factory work.

Cristiano Garella, Dieter Heuskel, Andrea Zanetta and Fabio Zambolin at Le Pianelle, Bramaterra.