Giacomo Fenocchio Nebbiolo Langhe 2022

This Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is born in the hills of Monforte d’Alba, in the heart of the Langhe, in Piedmont. The 2-hectare, east-facing vineyard, at around 300 metres above sea level, lies on Helvetian soils combining clays, blue marls and tuff.

The grapes are harvested in mid-October and vinified traditionally: fermentation, without added yeasts, lasts about 10 days in stainless-steel tanks on the skins. Ageing continues for 6 months in stainless-steel tanks, then 6 months in large Slavonian oak botti, before further maturation in bottle.

This wine reveals notes of plum, cherry, red fruits, rose, violet, liquorice, tar and graphite. The palate is dry, with good body and clean freshness, supported by balanced tannins with a slightly dusty texture. The whole remains harmonious, with a firm, savoury finish showing spicy and mineral accents.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful hedonistic country, home of the Dolce Vita, but how difficult it is to understand how its wine world is organised! The key to understanding the Italian appellation system is to see it as several small countries rather than one homogeneous country, because each region has its own appellation system. Yet Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavours and styles, as well as bottles full of surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a great quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most useful and commercially best-known names: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco and many others... But let's talk a little history: winegrowing in Italy dates back to the earliest antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and changed the grape varieties planted, later calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and some regions were already standing out for the excellence of their produce. The Romans also planted many vineyards across Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquests. Today Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The mountains of the north have a fairly harsh mountain climate. The plain in the "middle of the boot" has a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. The "southern part of the boot" has a Mediterranean climate with very hot, very dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces an enormous variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of them native to its soil. It is a country just as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!