Nebbiolo is not only Piedmont’s, but also one of Italy’s most esteemed grape varietals, producing Tone & Backbone expressive, age-worthy wines. Nebbiolo is planted on south facing hillsides with the best wines planted on calcareous marl soil to the north and south of Alba in Barbaresco and Barolo. Nebbiolo tends to be pale in color, with brick notes with age that appear earlier than most other red wine varieties. In its youth, it has crisp acidity and high tannin, and with time displays ethereal perfumed aromas of including, cherries, tar, smoke, licorice, roses, and violets.
While maybe more under the radar than some of their brethren, Sottimano should be considered among the top producers of Barbaresco for its increased strides in quality.
The Sottimano estate is 13 hectares that highlight the distinct terroir of four crus: Cottà, Currà, Basarin, and Pajorè. The Sottimano family practices minimal intervention in both the vineyard and winery; the grapes are organically farmed, there are natural cover crops, and indigenous yeast fermentation occurs in large-oak barrels.
The crus of Sottimano show Barbaresco’s balance of power and elegance as well as the importance of terroir, even from one vineyard adjacent to another.