We remember a time when to describe a Nebbiolo from Piemonte as charming or graceful might have been considered the sign of a lesser vintage. Back then, fruit flavour was considered a pointless luxury, as Wendell Berry might have said. Fortunately, the quality of a grower’s Nebbiolo is no longer judged on how much tannin and acidity can be packed into the bottle. Albino Rocca is a producer at the top of its game. Its Barbaresco wines are always amongst the finest, most expressive wines of the vintage, and in recent years, the Rocca sisters and cellarmaster Carlo Castellano have found a new gear. This is to say, from the Estate’s delightful Dolcetto and Barbera to its top Barbaresco Crus, the entire Rocca portfolio is laced with quality. Somewhere between the Dolcetto and the Riservas sit Rocca’s two regional Nebbiolo wines; the equivalent of a Burgundy grower’s Bourgogne Rouge if you like. Rocca’s Langhe Nebbiolo is drawn from Roero’s sandy soils, giving a vivid and fruiter expression of the grape than one would normally find in Barolo or Barbaresco proper. This Langhe rosso is simply bursting with freshness, alluring fruit, and food-friendly charm; a delicious, affordable Piemonte red to buy by the six-pack. The Nebbiolo d’Alba, from vines lying just outside Barbaresco, is more structured and nuanced in style: a wine that honours the variety—long and full in the glass—but is also very approachable. Where the firmer 2022 vintage delivered more structure, Piemonte’s 2023 vintage has given both these wines the levity of lifted perfumes, lithe acidity and supple texture. Even the Nebbiolo d’Alba is ready to drink, yet equally robust enough to age for at least five years. Nebbiolo’s elusive beauty doesn’t tend to come cheap, but the lightning strikes twice here.