Best Piedmont wines: Latest-release Barolo & Barbaresco
The top-scorers...
Nebbiolo is arguably Italy’s greatest red grape variety, responsible for the great reds of Barolo and Barbaresco.
The thick-skinned grape produces a range of fabulous violet and rose-like perfumes and flavours of truffle, fennel, liquorice and tar. It’s a tricky grape variety to grow but rewards growers with good acidity and plenty of tannins. Its elegance and ability to translate terroir has been likened to that of Pinot Noir in Burgundy.
Nebbiolo is named after the ‘nebbia’, or fog, which enshrouds the limestone hills of Monforte around Alba.
Small quantities are grown in California and Australia, although it has yet to show the pedigree of its Italian counterpart.
The top-scorers...
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An ideal vintage to drink in the next decade...
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Eight vintages tasted...
See Stephen Brook's tasting notes & scores from two verticals of Gaja's single vineyard wines...
Read Stephen's reports on the latest releases from Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, including over 170 tasting notes...
Exclusively for Premium members...
Stephen Brook takes a look at the latest vintage of Barolo Riserva to be released...
Read Stephen's report on the 2014 Barolo vintage and see his top picks...
Read Stephen's report on the latest Barbaresco releases...
Top Barolo wines from Decanter's recent masterclass...
Rare bottles from the personal collection of a legendary wine journalist...
Michaela Morris tastes nine vintages of this Barolo cru...
See tasting notes and ratings from this rare vertical...