Langhe: a precise DOC, not just hills
Nebbiolo, Arneis and Piedmont blends, from €21Almost all Barolo and Barbaresco labels mention Langhe: these are the hills that produce these two wines, south and north-east of Alba. But Langhe is also an appellation in its own right, a DOC that encompasses what the same winemakers produce outside of their two crus. The wines gathered here are Langhe DOC, not wines that simply evoke the region.
Langhe Nebbiolo often comes from plots adjacent to those of the estate's Barolo or Barbaresco, vinified for a shorter period and sold without the mandatory years of aging. It is the cheapest way to find out what a winemaker can do with this grape, before opening their cru. The appellation also covers white wines, such as Arneis, and blended reds that have nothing to do with Piedmont.
Vite Colte - Langhe Nebbiolo Rosso Corallo 2023
An organic Langhe Nebbiolo vinified in tank, with scents of red fruit and violet, supple and warm.
Ceretto - Langhe Arneis Blangè 2024
Ceretto's emblematic white, an Arneis from Roero that is fruity, mineral and wonderfully fresh.
Gianni Gagliardo - Dabatiè Langhe Nebbiolo 2022
A Nebbiolo from the gypsum-rich sands of Roero, aged in tank to keep all the brightness of its red fruit.
Gianni Gagliardo - Fallegro Langhe Favorita 2023
Favorita, the Piedmontese Vermentino, aged on the lees: a fresh, floral and saline white from Roero.
Giribaldi - Langhe Arneis 2019
A bomb of fruit from an old Italian white grape variety!
What the DOC allows, and what we got from it
A single appellation, several denominations depending on the grape variety claimed on the label. This is the most useful key to understanding here: two bottles marked Langhe may have nothing in common.
| The name | What the rule requires | Style in a glass | In our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Langhe Nebbiolo red | At least 85% Nebbiolo, with no lengthy aging period required. | Nebbiolo without the wait: cherry, rose, fine tannins already in place. | Morra Gabriele Foravia 2023, Francesco Clerico 2021, Sottimano 2023, Margherita Otto 2023 |
| Langhe Rosso red | A free blend of red grape varieties authorized in the area, whether Piedmontese or from elsewhere. | It all depends on the estate's recipe, from Nebbiolo alone to a Bordeaux trio complemented by Syrah. | 460 Casina Bric Ansi 2021, Ceretto Mosordo 2022 |
| Langhe Arneis white | At least 85% Arneis, an old Piedmontese white grape variety that almost disappeared in the 1970s and was replanted in the 1980s. | Pear, apple, almond, a full mouth held by freshness. To drink young. | 460 Casina Bric Ansi 2023, Giribaldi 2019 |
| Langhe Bianco and other white wines white | The DOC also accepts Chardonnay, Sauvignon and blended whites. | A broader register, often barrel-aged, far from mere local folklore. | Gaja Rossj-Bass 2022 |
Two of these cuvées are temporarily out of stock: the Giribaldi Langhe Arneis 2019, from an organic vineyard at 400 meters above sea level, and the Gaja Sito Moresco 2021, which blends Nebbiolo, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape variety itself is detailed in our nebbiolo section.
The Langhe, gateway to the great estates
Six winemakers on this page also produce a wine in one of the two neighboring appellations. Their Langhe costs a fraction of the price and can be drunk immediately, with the same manual harvest and often the same hillsides.
| The field | Its language, here with us | What else he signs | What connects the two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 460 Casina Bric | Ansi Langhe Rosso 2021, €26. Ansi Langhe Arneis 2023, €21. | Several Barolos, including a Bricco delle Viole. | The highest property in the village of Barolo, at an average of 460 meters. The two Ansi wines come from this very perch. |
| Morra Gabriele | Foravia Langhe Nebbiolo 2023, €28. | A Barbaresco. | Four and a half hectares farmed biodynamically, three of which are in Barbaresco, on the Montestefano and Ovello crus. |
| Francesco Clerico | Langhe Nebbiolo 2021, €29.80. | A Barolo from Bussia, in Monforte d'Alba. | A family winery that uses traditional winemaking methods. The Langhe shows its hand before the wood and years cover everything up. |
| Sottimano | Langhe Nebbiolo 2023, €107.40 for 3. | Five Barbaresco crus, plus one riserva. | The grapes come from plots located in the Barbaresco area, around Neive. Same manual harvest, same barrel aging, without filtration. |
| Margherita Otto | Langhe Nebbiolo 2023, €202.80 per 6 bottles. | A Barolo Chinato, the digestif from the Langhe. | Plots around Barolo and neighboring municipalities, on the calcareous marls that produce the crus. |
| Ceretto | Langhe Rosso Mosordo 2022, €96 for 3. | Crus from Barolo and Barbaresco. | Here the link isn't the grape variety: the Mosordo is organically grown on the Monsordo-Bernardina estate, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. |
The wines from these same winemakers can be found in the barolo section and the barbaresco section.
A bottle for every intention
The tables give the theory. Here are the bottles, and only those that can be shipped today.
A first nebbiolo from the Langhe
Biodynamic, old vines, the most direct expression of the grape variety. The best starting point on the page.
Morra Gabriele Foravia 2023 · €28Entering a Barolo estate
A Langhe Rosso born on the highest property in the village, aged twelve to eighteen months in concrete and wood.
460 Casina Bric Ansi 2021 · €26Discover Arneis
Piedmont white, six months on lees with bâtonnage. Quince, apple and lemon, with shellfish or white fish.
460 Casina Bric Ansi 2023 · €21Nebbiolo from a family winery
Traditional winemaking, with balanced tannins and acidity. An approachable wine that retains its length.
Francesco Clerico 2021 · €29.80Taste Sottimano before their Barbaresco
Plots from Neive, long maceration and ageing in French oak. Single bottles are out of stock, packs of three ship today.
Sottimano 2023 · €107.40 for 3Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah in the Langhe
Proof that the appellation is not limited to Nebbiolo. Sixteen months of aging, each grape variety vinified separately.
Ceretto Mosordo 2022 · €96 for 3A white wine aged in oak barrels
Chardonnay and a touch of Sauvignon, under a Langhe DOC label. White flowers, peach, pear and vanilla.
Gaja Rossj-Bass 2022 · €110Six bottles for the cellar
Crispy red berries, rose and violet, a slightly salty finish. Sold by the case as long as the single unit format is out of stock.
Margherita Otto 2023 · €202.80 per 6Switch to grand cru wines
The same winemakers, the same slopes, thirty-eight more months of aging, and a completely different aging potential.
Our Barolo
A Langhe Nebbiolo is not a failed Barolo
The temptation is to read it as a byproduct: what's left over when the winemaker has filled his barrels with cru wine. This is true on paper, as young vines and plots outside the designated area often end up here. It's not true in the glass, because this wine doesn't pursue the same goal.
Without the three years of aging imposed elsewhere, the Nebbiolo arrives naked: red fruit, rose, acidity, and fine tannin, without the veneer of wood. You can hear the winemaker's work more clearly than on his cru, and you drink it within four years rather than fifteen. These are two different wines, not two levels of quality.
How do you choose
We first focus on Langhe from estates that also produce Barolo or Barbaresco. The discipline learned on the cru is reflected in the neighboring cuvée, and the price is no longer comparable.
Next, we set aside over-oaked cuvées. In a wine opened young, oak exactly masks what we are looking for.
The Baroudeur du Vin team
What we're being asked about the Langhe
Is Langhe a region or an appellation?
Both, and this is the source of almost all confusion. The Langhe are the hills of southern Piedmont, around Alba: Barolo, Barbaresco and Dolcetto all grow there. Langhe is also the name of a very real DOC, with its own specifications. A Barolo fact sheet that mentions the Langhe refers to the landscape. A label that displays Langhe Nebbiolo claims the appellation. This page only brings together the second category.
Is Langhe Nebbiolo from the same vines as Barolo?
Often from the same hillsides, rarely from the same rows. A winery may use its young vines, its plots located outside the cru's perimeter, or a portion of its harvest that it chooses not to age for three years. Sottimano produces its Langhe from plots in the Barbaresco area, Margherita Otto from communes surrounding Barolo. The harvest and labor are the same; the aging period and price are not.
What grape varieties go into a Langhe Rosso?
Those that the winemaker decides, among the red grapes authorized in the area. This is the appellation's freest designation: our 460 Casina Bric Ansi is based on Nebbiolo, while the Ceretto Mosordo blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Read the product sheet before buying; the name alone tells you nothing about the content.
What is Arneis?
The historic white grape of Piedmont, almost abandoned in the early 1970s and replanted from the 1980s. It produces a full-bodied wine with notes of apple, pear, and almond, with enough freshness to last through a meal. Under the appellation, it is declared as Langhe Arneis and represents the white half of this region.
Should Langhe Nebbiolo be decanted?
Half an hour is enough, sometimes less. The tannins are already integrated and the aging is short, so the wine doesn't have the "closed" character of a grand cru: a two-hour decant would cause it to lose its fruit. Serve around 16 to 17 °C.
How long does a bottle of Langhe keep?
Three to five years for a Langhe Nebbiolo, a little longer for more structured cuvées. Whites, Arneis in particular, should be drunk within two years. These are wines designed to be opened, not to be aged: long aging is the business of Barolo and Barbaresco.
What to serve with these wines?
For the reds, anything fatty and flavourful without being overpowering: lamb, braised beef, light game, risotto, Piedmontese charcuterie, aged cheeses. For the Arneis, shellfish, white fish, grilled vegetables and soft cheeses. The blended Langhe Rosso, being rounder, goes well with grilled red meat.
Why are some vintages only sold in sets?
Because the bottle format is temporarily out of stock for these references. Sottimano sells for €107.40 for three, Ceretto Mosordo for €96 for three, Margherita Otto for €202.80 per case of six. Per bottle, this is €35.80 for Sottimano, €33.80 for Margherita Otto, and €32 for Ceretto, which is five euros less than its price per bottle. Our shipping conditions are detailed on the delivery page.