Piedmont: Top Values and Everyday Gems

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | FEBRUARY 16, 2017   

Drinking top-notch, artisan Piedmont wines doesn’t have to cost a fortune. While prices for Barolos and Barbarescos continue to escalate, the best Dolcettos, Barberas and Langhe Nebbiolos deliver tons of Piedmont character and pedigree at far more accessible prices. That is especially true of entry-level wines at the region’s best addresses. These are some of the finest Piedmont values I tasted this year. Most of the wines in this article retail for $25 a bottle or less.

2015 Dolcetto d’Alba – Don’t Miss It

Dolcetto, Piedmont’s everyday staple, is a grape that thrives in warm vintages. Two thousand fifteen provided optimal conditions for the fruit to ripen evenly, resulting in aromatic, succulent Dolcettos that capture all the radiance of the vintage while maintaining a good bit of aromatic freshness as well. Don’t miss the 2015s; they are gorgeous wines. The 2015s are especially well suited to by the glass pours in restaurants, house wines and other informal occasions that require supple, fruity wines that can be enjoyed with minimal fuss.

The bell tower at the Chiesa Della SS. Annunziata, Guarene