“Grandi Langhe”, more denominations and tastings. Towards “Piemonte” on the label, the glass test

Grandi Langhe has opened the season of previews of Italian wine with edition No. 9, and some great innovations: the event organized on January 27 and 28 in Turin by Consorzio del Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe Dogliani, and by Consorzio del Roero, in collaboration with Piemonte Land of Wine, has, first of all, opened the door to other important denominations of the Region, in addition to the steady Barolo and Barbaresco, and Roero: therefore, here are 500 wineries from all Piedmont united at Officine Grandi Riparazioni (Ogr) in order to present the new vintages to media, to sector operators, and to hundreds of buyers coming from all over the world. This decision to share the spaces brought the Consortiums to share also the intentions launching project “Menzione Geografica Allargata” (“Enlarged Geographical Mention”), whose last aim is the mention of “Piemonte” (optional for producers) on the label of all Denominations: a concrete help for consumers from all over the world, also for the less expert ones, to recognize “on the map” one of the most important wine regions in the world. A moment, “Grandi Langhe e il Piemonte del vino” (“Grandi Langhe and wine Piedmont”), which is an opportunity that allows to sector operators to get an idea about the harvests in bottle also by the tasting of wines, in addition through their “live” confrontation with wine producers.
Barolo, Barbaresco e Roero, just to begin; but among others also Alta Langa, Canelli, Carema, Colli Tortonesi, and Dogliani; moreover, Erbaluce di Caluso, Gavi, Nizza, Verduno, Ghemme, and Gattinara; and, still Asti - Alba - (Castagnole) Monferrato, and Langhe, with their vineyards recognized by the procedural guideline such as Nebbiolo, la Barbera, la Freisa, il Grignolino, il Ruché, la Nascetta, l’Arneis, la Favorita, and il Moscato are under the same roof for two days. So, many are the present denominations of a Region which is regularly among the first three Italian Regions for export value with 1.18 billion euros in 2023, equal to 15.3% of the total value of Italy, and with data of the first 10 months 2024 in line with the last year, according to Istat. Thanks to an enormous wine heritage, seen that it is about 44,471 vineyard hectares, almost 7% of the Italian total, including wine landscapes of Langhe - Roero and Monferrato, recognized by Unesco, World Heritage Site of Humanity with a 2024 production estimated at over 2.25 million hectoliters, of which 2.1 (93%) are Pdo, with a production value (2023 data) of 1.2 billion euros, out of a total of 9 billion euros of the whole Italy.
A complex and rich reality of high quality recognized worldwide and evidently largely present at “Grandi Langhe” with almost 700 labels in tasting in press room, enough heterogeneous in terms of presented vintages both on tables and tasting rooms. The main ones, regarding Barbaresco, are 2022 harvest for the ongoing vintage, and 2020 for Riserva, while Barolo touches mainly 2021 for the ongoing vintage (with some 2020), and 2019 for Riserva.
The harvest analysis of 2022 by Consorzio del Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe Dogliani reports one of the most untimely and surprising vintages overall: it is untimely because at the beginnings of October, one could consider harvest operations concluded, and surprising because vine adapted well to an unusual climatic ongoing, characterized by few rainfalls and mild climate. From the very beginning, the lack of a water reserve in the ground was evident; moreover, spring continued under beautiful weather conditions without significant rainfalls. Therefore, we had a start of vegetation anticipated of one week, but filled by a budding in line with times. Very scarce rainfall also in April, May, and all June with average temperatures in line until May, all throughout June, they were high: that brought to a new acceleration of physiological ongoing, and to an anticipated blossoming. The month of July saw the trend of good weather going on, and high temperatures: vines have been autoregulated basing on the low water availability, and they presented with a lower vegetative development with grapes bunches of contained form. In exchange, problems due to fungal attacks have not been detected, and the agronomic conduction of the vineyard turned out to be rather simple.
The correct management of leaves and foliage was particular important in 2022 to cope with long summer sunny periods, and avoid, in this way, the damages following the burnings caused by the direct exposition to sun. Nebbiolo showed great adaptability with the technological maturity reached in mid-September, and the phenolic one, almost everywhere, around the twentieth day of the month initiating the harvest. The dimensions of the berry are more reduced compared to the average, and the ratio between pulp and peel seems to be in favor of this last. This fact should ensure a better extraction of tannic and aromatic substances which, during the phase of maceration, favors the process. Paying attention to preserve the acid framework during vinification, and given the other premises, one expects to get full-bodied wines with an optimal long-term potential of sharpening.
Regarding 2021, a mite winter, even if rich in rainfalls also of snow, ensured an optimal water supply which turned out to be essential for the continuation of the countryside, which showed, for the remaining part, the least rainy of the last years. The vegetative recovery was regular, and respected the traditional times, and this ensured to cope well with the last wave of coldness which occurred at the beginnings of spring, reducing the damages of freezing on just developed buds. Also Nebbiolo, a variety characterized by an untimely development, and therefore potentially more exposed, wasn’t affected by the temperature drop significantly, with light damages, and limited to vineyards located at lower altitudes: an estimated -10% compared to the previous year was recovered reducing less in the following weeks reaching the productions foreseen by procedural guidelines. With spring, a long period of good weather conditions began, which prolonged all over summer where temperatures in line with the averages of the period and without excess were registered, mainly in night hours. The strong hail storms registered in the month of July didn’t interest the vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. Summer then continued regularly with scarce rainfalls contributing to get in harvest an excellent framework from a phytosanitary and qualitative point of view.
The harvest of Nebbiolo began in the last days of September, and had its peak in the second week of October. The bunches presented as healthy, with an optimal phenological ripening, aided by the drop in temperatures, and thermal excursions which could be observed from the second half of September on. From the quantitative point of view, it is an optimal productive and well-balanced loading, with visually smaller grapes compared to the last year. These factors determined an important polyphenolic supply, essential to produce structured and balanced wines, destined to last in time. Despite the vintage characterized by an important climatic alternation with late frosts, storms, summer hail storms, but also drought, surprising results in terms of grapes quality were achieved, maybe also by reason of the quantity of production which wasn’t excessive.
2020, year of the Covid-19, began with a winter characterized by mite temperatures and few rainfalls, especially snow ones. The first part of spring was relatively dry and sunny ensuring a homogeneous vegetative recovery which began at the end of the month of February, and ended, for the most tardive varieties, around the second half of March. The months of March and April passed in the principle of good weather conditions, and mite temperatures with scarce rainfalls, making an untimely vintage be predicted as a first step. But, this forecast was denied during the month of May, when the unstable climate made a considerable number of rainy days register, a situation which prolonged until late June. This, on the one hand, brought to a slowing down in vegetative development – exhausting, in this way, the advantage collected at the beginnings of spring – and, on the other hand, it ensured an important water accumulation in the ground, which, linked to non-excessive temperatures of summer, it avoided phenomenons of water stress. Overall, the climate ongoing was ideal with some difficulties in agronomic management due to untimely fungal attacks for the rainfalls of May and June, luckily not matched with hail storms, or other relevant atmospheric events.
Nebbiolo presented at the harvest in optimal conditions: non-excessive night temperatures brought to a rapid accumulation of polyphenols which already attested on optimal values around the second half of September. The growth wasn’t so exponential to arrive to technological ripening (i.e. optimal sugar content) between the end of the month of September, and the beginning of the month of October. Thanks to pre-summer water supply, Nebbiolo didn’t have the drop in acidity typical of hot vintages characterized by an enough short cycle: the vintage turned out to be good with excellence peaks especially on wines with medium-long aging, which present ideal characteristics to reach important wine aims.
Lastly, 2019, a year which will be remembered for its decisively normal development. The agrarian countryside began slowly due to the prolonging of winter season until the month of February with a period of rainfalls, and low temperatures until mid-March. The abundant rainfalls prolonged also in April and May. Despite this, the vegetative recovery was regular: the abundant rainfalls of the month of April caused, on the one hand, a slow start, but, on the other hand, they brought to a remarkable water accumulation in the soil compensating also the scarce winter rainfalls. The unstable weather conditions with not high average temperatures continued for the whole month of May confirming a postponement of almost two weeks compared to the vegetative ongoing of the last years, but in line with a more traditional ongoing. The high temperatures of the month of June, linked to water availability in soil, accelerated the vegetative development creating many phytosanitary worries. The waves of heat occurred between June and July, and over July and August, and, then, they mitigated. The month of September began with the only hailstorm phenomenon registered in Langa: on 5th, the most intense storm hit on the area with hail included, but, it saved the most of the areas of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Dogliani.
Nebbiolo was harvested in the second part of the month of October, and, also its analytic parameters present as “classic”, i.e. good sugar content, and optimal polyphenolic framework, which is suitable to ensure structured wines with very high aging potentials. Particularly, it is possible to observe a high accumulation of anthocyanins which brought wines to have an optimal color, mainly considering their genetic characteristics. In conclusion, a vintage that could be defined as traditional with a quality production despite the slight drop in quantity compared to the previous year.

Below, then, are the WineNews editorial staff's best tastings of Barbaresco and Barolo (and in the coming days those of other Piedmontese appellations).

Bricco Ciarla, Barbaresco San Stunet 2022
Sweet plum nose, fleshy and floral, with hints of bay leaf and flint, textural and savory mouthfeel, full and fleshy, red fruit and floral flavors, peppery on the finish.

La Spinetta, Barbaresco Gallina 2022
Thorny and intense nose of citrus and gooseberry, dog rose and field mint; very grippy palate, echoing the olfactory sensations, with essence of violets and orange.

Olek Bondonio - La Berchialla, Barbaresco Olek Bondonio 2022
A rich bouquet of ripe fruit and red flowers, essentially sweet with a wild, woody undertone; the sip is fresh, grippy, then savory and pulpy.

Rizzi, Barbaresco Pajoré 2022
Reserved, then concedes aromas of talc, iris and balsamic hints; on the palate it is very fine, tight and fleshy: neither sweet nor bitter, but very serious, with gentleness.

Enrico Serafino, Bricco di Neive 2021
Goudron, cherry, a hint of woody spice on the nose, while in the mouth it has slightly bitter savory grip, closing sweet of flowers and candy red fruit.

Icardi, Barbaresco Starderi 2021
Talc, helichrysum, hematic, spicy and wasabi touches; the sip is fresh and flowing, floral with gentle balsams: a light and pleasant wine.

Barbaresco Producers, Barbaresco 2021
Dense and concentrated fruit and red flowers, sweet but not too sweet, balanced by good balsamicity: slightly almondy and citrusy on the palate, savory and spicy, clean in the end.

Piazzo Comm. Armando, Barbaresco Pajoré 2021
Aromas of camellia and underbrush, hints of blood and goudron; on the palate central adherence, then pulpy and savory, offering lots of fruit and red flowers on the finish, where it also returns to blood.

Abrigo Orlando, Barbaresco Montersino 2020
Vinous and perfumed with rose and red citrus, it has hints of underbrush and earth; the palate is sweet and vegetal, savory but light and elegant, with a peppery, meaty finish.

Marchesi di Barolo, Barbaresco Serragrilli 2020
The initial vegetal vein gives way to the sweetness of cherry and incense, finally also laurel and myrtle; the sip is fruity and fresh, finally warm and textural.

Castello di Neive, Barbaresco Albesani Santo Stefano Riserva 2020
Wilted flowers, ematic and balsamic notes of juniper do not yield to the alcohol intake; the grip is central and savory, with the sweetness of red fruit and the finesse of fresh red flowers.

Tenuta Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy, Barbaresco Gaiun Martinenga Riserva 2020
Fleshy, intense of dried flowers and black cherry, a hint of smoky and goudron in the background; the initially alcoholic mouthfeel is then pulpy, savory and peppery, closing with chinotto and dried flowers.

Boroli, Barolo Brunella 2021
Fleshy, scents of cherry, rose, nepitella and helichrysum, sweet spices: a nice overall freshness, also on the smooth sip, clinging just right and then savory and textural, fruity and iodine.

Mauro Molino, Barolo Conca 2021
Hematic and potpourri notes, a touch earthy and balsamic from underbrush, but remains clear; very grippy in the mouth, but then the freshness returns, flowing complex and layered in flavors.

Mauro Sebaste, Barolo Cerretta 2021
A serious wine, immediately balsamic, then fruity, with notes of dried leaves, almost autumnal, but not in color; the mouth is savory but without excess, still rich in those calm autumnal flavors.

Ettore Germano, Barolo Cerretta 2021
Cherry and vanilla and laurel; thick and intense and sharp; on the sip there is sweet, savory, fleshy flesh, tasting of pomegranate, camellia, cherry and rose, more laurel, myrtle and a faint hint of goudron.

Fratelli Monchiero, Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2021
Very clear wine: violet and rose, blood orange, a raw, earthy touch that gives three-dimensionality; the sip is sweet but tight, tasting of orange and peach, fresh flowers and violet candy.

Fratelli Alessandria, Barolo Monvigliero 2021
Dense, dark and multifaceted, a little spicy, rich cherry, goudron; the sip is tight but pulpy, violet with black cherry notes. Initially frontal, then diffuse.

Diego Morra, Barolo Monvigliero 2021
Spicy but sweet, citrusy and floral, it has sweet spice and intense balsamicity, with something ematic; the mouthfeel is savory, sweet with pomegranate, with a savory vegetal vein and fresh rosemary flowers.

Bruna Grimaldi, Barolo Badarina 2021
Very floral: rose, violet, lavender, but also blood orange; the initial tightness of the sip gives way to sweet and long juice, savory on the sides, citrusy and floral on the finish.

Ca' Viola, Barolo Sottocastello di Novello 2021
Nomen omen: violet above all then cherry, blood orange, pomegranate, sage; serious and sharp in the mouth as well, where vegetal and floral, elegant, savory and peppery impresses.

Domenico Clerico, Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin 2021
Dense but light-toned, it smells of rose, cherry and underbrush; on the palate it is sweet and fresh, with good grip and just as much pulpiness, both floral and fruity.

Giovanni Rosso, Barolo Serra 2021
Lots of fresh red flowers, raspberry, pomegranate, juniper and orange, which returns in the mouth, where the sip is decidedly savory, then peppery, fruity and floral, with a clean vegetal note finish.

Poderi Colla, Barolo Bussia 2021
Intense wine of camellia, raspberry, watermelon and sage; the palate has good savory grip, peppery warmth, but also lots of juiciness given by candy raspberry and fresh rose.

Vietti, Barolo 2021
On the nose cherry, vanilla, raw notes, gentle balsams and peach; in the mouth grippy, pulpy, distinct cherry, savory and fresh, despite the pronounced grip.

Casa E. di Mirafiore, Barolo Paiagallo 2021
Leather and tamarind first, then dried flowers and small berries: contrasted, with earthy and very sweet notes in the mouth, such as chocolate, vanilla, and black cherry. Firm in savoriness and warmth.

Pio Cesare, Barolo Ornato 2021
Smells distinctly of cherry and vanilla, is dense but clear, with hints of sage and a touch of goudron; firm grip on the sip, but then cherry and the balsamic freshness of dunes by the sea.

Réva, Barolo Cannubi 2021
Wasabi and orange, pomegranate and peach, iodized balsams and warmth; contrasting notes that subside at the sip, in the pleasant fruity and floral, slightly balsamic and spicy palate.

Damilano, Barolo Cannubi 2020
An intense but broad wine, smelling of strawberry, white flowers, sage, with slight hints of blood; it is minute but savory, rich with cherry and plum, camellia and rose, vanilla and black pepper.

Bersano, Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba Nirvasco 2020
Broad, ripe texture of jammy cherry and plum, wilted flowers, earthy notes and gentle balsams; has good grip on the sip, savory and peppery, sweet jammy fruit on the finish.

Ceretto, Barolo Brunate 2020
Rose and violet, blood orange and fresh plum, savory and nepitella: has lots of pulp in the mouth and flavor, good grip and a clean vegetal note, finally final floral hints.

Diego Conterno, Barolo Ginestra 2020
Ripe red fruit, juniper and myrtle, acacia flowers: the heat enhances the savory mouthfeel, a little shaggy but pulpy, with peppery grip, and a finish on red citrus, rose and violet.

Voerzio Alberto, Barolo Castagni 2020
A certain raw memory, enriched by cherry and vanilla, spearmint and peach; the sip is grippy but pulpy, where the cherry returns sharply, and where savoriness and acidity hold up well to the tannin.

Fortemasso, Barolo Castelletto 2020
Decidedly balsamic, then spicy, it lets fresh plum and earthy notes surface. a dark but sweet wine, firm in its savory structure, warm and tannic, as in the gustatory aromas.

Livia Fontana, Barolo Bussia Riserva 2019
Ripe jammy fruit within a broad texture that also welcomes wilted flowers, earth and plum candy; very savory in the mouth, with a sweet, pleasant and meaty grip.

Bricco Maiolica, Barolo del Comune di Diano d'Alba Riserva 2019
Hints of wilted flowers, roots, orange and jammy cherry; the sip - like the nose - is intense but not sweet, savory with gentleness, savory-textured and grippy, fresh to finish.