Screwcap. Traditionally cropped from an ideally positioned 3.2 hectares within the Serralunga postcode, recent vintages also include fruit from Massolino’s Cascina I Maschi vineyard in Monforte d’Alba. The Dolcetto is raised entirely in stainless steel tanks. First produced all the way back in 1896, Massolino only uses its finest Dolcetto for this bottling; the remainder is sold in bulk. It’s another superb example of this variety: succulent, perfumed and packed with crunchy black cherry fruit and floral notes with a lovely, vibrant, mouthwatering close. Pass the salumi, please.

Screwcap. This wine just gets better and better. Early vintages of the Nebbiolo were sourced exclusively from Massolino’s younger vines in Serralunga—a declassified Barolo, if you like. Today there are two more parcels in play: Monforte’s Cascina I Maschi (Massolino credits this cool, chalky site with giving the wine lifted perfume and freshness); then there’s a parcel in Alba on lighter, sandy-clay soils, which brings depth of fruit. The blend is roughly one-third from each terroir, and there’s little doubt the sum of these three sites has bought even more finesse and early-drinking appeal to what was already an outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo. The 2021 is a gorgeous wine. Ripe yet pure-fruited (mulberry, red cherry, anise) with fine, chalky tannins and a terrific, perfumed finish. Following very gentle extraction, it was aged in large Slavonian oak casks (like all Massolino Nebbiolo) for 15 months, as opposed to 24-plus months for the Barolo wines. To call this a bargain is to undersell what’s on offer!

This wine just gets better and better. Early vintages of the Nebbiolo were sourced exclusively from Massolino’s younger vines in Serralunga—a declassified Barolo, if you like. Today there are two more parcels in play: Monforte’s Cascina I Maschi (Massolino credits this cool, chalky site with giving the wine lifted perfume and freshness); then there’s a parcel in Alba on lighter, sandy-clay soils, which brings depth of fruit. The blend is roughly one-third from each terroir, and there’s little doubt the sum of these three sites has bought even more finesse and early-drinking appeal to what was already an outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo. The 2021 is a gorgeous wine. Ripe yet pure-fruited (mulberry, red cherry, anise) with fine, chalky tannins and a terrific, perfumed finish. Following very gentle extraction, it was aged in large Slavonian oak casks (like all Massolino Nebbiolo) for 15 months, as opposed to 24-plus months for the Barolo wines. To call this a bargain is to undersell what’s on offer!

This wine just gets better and better. Early vintages of the Nebbiolo were sourced exclusively from Massolino’s younger vines in Serralunga—a declassified Barolo, if you like. Today there are two more parcels in play: Monforte’s Cascina I Maschi (Massolino credits this cool, chalky site with giving the wine lifted perfume and freshness); then there’s a parcel in Alba on lighter, sandy-clay soils, which brings depth of fruit. The blend is roughly one-third from each terroir, and there’s little doubt the sum of these three sites has bought even more finesse and early-drinking appeal to what was already an outstanding Langhe Nebbiolo. The 2021 is a gorgeous wine. Ripe yet pure-fruited (mulberry, red cherry, anise) with fine, chalky tannins and a terrific, perfumed finish. Following very gentle extraction, it was aged in large Slavonian oak casks (like all Massolino Nebbiolo) for 15 months, as opposed to 24-plus months for the Barolo wines. To call this a bargain is to undersell what’s on offer!

Albino Rocca’s Dolcetto d’Alba is drawn from a single vineyard in Barbaresco, a first-rate location with an east to south-east exposure for the most part. The vines were planted in 1960 and 1978. Thanks to the maturity and sensible yields they provide, this wine displays more intensity and texture than many a garden-variety Dolcetto d’Alba. The 2021 was raised in stainless steel for six months.

What a cracking Dolcetto. It's a riot of zest and energy, opening with a lovely interplay of summer berries, violets and spice before intensifying on the palate with a plush texture, deftly partnered with perfumed, juicy tannins and mouth-watering freshness. “Lights out”, indeed.

Albino Rocca’s Barbera d’Alba is a small-volume cuvée from a parcel of vines planted in 2004 on the clay and limestone soils of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio—just outside the Alba township on the edge of the Barbaresco area. This Barbera was raised entirely in tank and bottled early to keep everything vibrant and fresh.

Rosso di Rocca is 97% Nebbiolo with a smattering of Cabernet Franc. The Nebbiolo hails from a vineyard at Magliano Alfieri in the first hills of the Roero region. The vines were planted in 1967 and 2002, and the parcel was purchased by the family in 2016. The Cabernet Franc comes from 20-year-old estate vines in Barbaresco.

Roero’s sandy soils gift a lighter, brighter, earlier-drinking wine than the Rocca Nebbiolo d’Alba—a Nebbiolo party in a glass. The wine’s upbringing (solely in tank) and early bottling helps keep to this theme, and 2022 is another cracking rendition.

It’s super-bright, perfumed and crackling with energy, with a swish of blood orange in front of blue fruits, steely minerality and savoury spices. Succulent and structured, it’s an approachable and harmonious Nebbiolo with fresh acidity, powdery tannins and impressive fruit concentration. A fabulous introduction to the beautiful world of Piemonte Nebbiolo, and superb value to boot.

Organic. This vibrant, perfumed Nebbiolo equally blends two sites that were both planted by Lalù. The first site, Roncaglie in La Morra, is a plot of land that Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala bought in 2015 and planted in 2017. Looking towards Verduno, this parcel faces east at an altitude of 400 metres. It’s a cool, windy, slow-ripening site. The second source is Bussia Bovi, a sub-Cru within Monforte’s superstar Bussia MGA. Lalù’s parcel is located at 320 metres above sea level, in the south of Bussia, between Bricco San Pietro and the area historically known as Bussia Arnulfo. The soils here are rich in sand, gifting a perfumed wine with supple fruit and great delicacy—the yin to Roncaglie’s yang. The fruit from here fermented as whole bunches and was raised in concrete to retain as much fragrance as possible. Both vineyards could be classified as Barolo (when the vines are of age), which says a great deal about the quality on offer here.

This Langhe Nebbiolo delivers more than most. The 2021 is a juicy, pretty Nebbiolo brimming with vibrant red and dark cherry fruit, anise, florals and some wood spice. In the mouth, the typical austerity of young Langhe is traded for svelte, integrated tannins and supple texture, all supported by mouth-watering energy. 

Sandrone’s Dolcetto is, without doubt, one of the very finest examples of the region. The consistent quality of this wine—its purity, silky texture, fine tannins and balance—can only come with perfectly ripe fruit from top sites. In this case, the sites are also high-altitude, which brings added freshness to the layers of fruit. From estate vineyards in Monforte d’Alba, Sandrone draws from Castelletto and Cascina Pe Mol. The latter sits at the top of the ridge leading from Monforte d’Alba to the hamlet of Perno and is among the highest vineyards of the region. In Novello, there are the Rocche di San Nicola vineyards and the whitish marls of Ravera—where the easterly exposure contributes perfume and aromatic complexity. Joining these sites now is fruit from Rivassi and Crosia in the commune of Barolo. There are typically 10 different parcels contributing to the blend, with any fruit not making the grade sold off in bulk. Each parcel is vinified separately before blending and the wines are aged in tank only.

The amount of care that goes into the growing of this wine is quite remarkable and it shows in the glass. There is some history here: when Luciano Sandrone was starting off, he was driven to produce greatness, yet he could only access a limited quantity of Barolo vines. He, therefore, channelled a great deal of his drive and energy into his Dolcetto (and Barbera). This helps explain the quality on offer. 

Sandrone’s layered and polished Barbera is drawn from four sites: Cascina Pe Mol, (mentioned above); Ravera and Rocche di San Nicola (in Novello); and Albarella (in Barolo). At between 350 and 450 metres, these are some of the highest, most exposed vineyards in the region, bringing superb freshness and vibrancy to this wine. To balance the structure and acidity for which this wine is noted, Sandrone matured the wine in 500 litre tonneaux (40% of which are new). The estate has special, untoasted barrels made in Burgundy for this cuvée to ensure the wood impact is as discreet as possible. Of course, when the wine is young, some wood shows through on the nose, but it is seriously classy oak and is hardly noticeable. With aging, the integration is seamless. 

The domaine crafts two Barbara wines, both sitting at what we could call ‘the serious end’ of the Barbera spectrum. In a Bibendum setting, this means closer in style to the structured, ageworthy style of Cavallotto, rather than, say, the approachable and seductive character of Sandrone or Massolino. This wine is the more fruit-forward of the two and is drawn from the Majano vineyard in Neive, sitting at 190 metres on sandy clay. The oldest vines here have reached 50 years of age, bringing uncommon depth and vinosity. The wine was matured in stainless steel for 12 months before bottling.

This is superb; bloody and ferrous yet with lovely florals and a pure, dark cherry core. It immediately speaks as to why we love this producer. There’s depth yet great finesse and it’s loaded with character.

The Langhe Nebbiolo is crafted from a selection of 10- to 15-year-old vines in the Neive crus of Balluri, Albesani and Gallina. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged in oak botti for 12 months before being bottled unfiltered.

This is just a gorgeous, old-school rendition of Nebbiolo. Pale coloured, medium-bodied, and loaded with red and blue fruits, hints of rosewater, red meat and leather, as well as plenty of powdery tannins. A Nebbiolo to open when you’re in the mood for a Pinot-weighted wine. Gorgeous.