Sometimes Langhe nebbiolo wines are looked down upon as an entry level to Barolo. However, this wine can stand up to any Barolo, and you aren't spending over $250 a bottle. This wine comes from Bussia which is the first ever Barolo cru to be vinified as a single district wine and is arguably one of the greatest growing sites in all of Barolo. Sometimes due to government rules and regulations you have to label wines a certain way. All you need to know is that this wine was produced on the same exact land as some of the most prestigious nebbiolos in the world. This wine is a young vintage, 2021, so I would suggest either aging it or letting it decant so that the beautiful aromas and flavors open up!
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo
WINEMAKING: Hand harvest, destemmed using vines 80+ years old
AGING: Spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel, macerated 35 days, and aged in large Austrian oak tanks for 9 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered
PRODUCER: Fogliati
WINE MAKER: Guido & Annalisa Fogliati
REGION: Piedmont, Italy
SMELL: Cherry, rose, leather
TASTE: Delicate & refined with intense tannins
BODY: Light
ACIDITY: High
Third Generation winemakers : Guido & Annalisa Fogliati
Poderi Foglati started this family winery in the 50s based on tradition and passion. Current winemakers Guido and Annalisa are now third generation and are just as invested in maintaining the integrity of the land. The vines growing at Fogliati are truly something special, with nebbiolo vines nearly 100 years old. This is unique in the region because the tradition has always been to replace the vines producing estate wine every 20 years with the goal of quantity over quality. However, because no estate wine was being produced at this vineyard for so long, the vines were not required to be replaced and as a result we have these amazing old vines producing extremely high-quality fruit. The Fogliati family are truly passionate about making wine the right way and are dedicated to respecting the land as much as the tradition that has come with it. They practice organic and biodynamic farming with very little intervention during vinification.
SAVOR'S PAIRING:
Butternut Ravioli
Nebbiolo is the absolute perfect fall wine because of how beautifully it pairs with fall meals. As the weather gets colder we gravitate towards comfort foods and this wine brings out so much flavor and character in our favorite meals. Seek out creamy, cheesy dishes with a high fat content to counteract the wine's natural intense tannin. Dishes like truffle risotto or this butternut ravioli are a revelation!
*Decant this wine for at least 20 minutes before drinking*
The most fragrant red varietal, nebbiolo is elegant and structured. The high tannins can sometimes make the wine come across as astringent in its youth. This is why it is important to decant and let the wine open up before enjoying. It's believed that nebbiolo got its name from nebbia, the Italian word for "fog," which frequently rolls through the Alps-facing region in the fall, thereby allowing the grapes to mature slowly and late.