Abbona Bricco Barone Nebbiolo 2013
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The vineyards of Marziano Abbona, a vintner and farmer of great sensitivity and dedication to environmental protection, are set in the Langhe area, in one of Italy’s regions best suited to winegrowing. The winery was founded by Celso, Marziano’s father, who had the foresight to recognize the area’s potential for the production of top-quality wines. About sixty years ago, he planted the Doriolo vineyard in an area whose soil composition, exposure to sunlight and surrounding environment made it the ideal choice for the production of Dogliani Dolcetto wine. Marziano took up his father’s challenge and passion and, with the greatest care, patience and insight, he was able to produce wines of the highest quality, in which aromas and colors blend to give nectars reflecting the spirit of one of the Langhe area’s most highly regarded vintners. The same can be said about the non-autochthonous grape-based wines, in particular Cinerino, made from Viogner grapes, which is an extremely enjoyable, charming and aromatic wine. The great red wines, from the above-mentioned Dolcetto to Barberas and Nebbiolo in all its versions, represent the perfect blend of quality, balance, charm and structure.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.