Piedmont (or Piemonte) wines are made in the northwestern corner of Italy. With the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Alps to the north and west, the Piedmont region enjoys a continental climate. This means cold winters and very warm, dry summers, with dense fog common in the fall. Most of the highly acclaimed Piedmont wines are from the south-central, Alba area, and also from the Asti and Alessandria, slightly farther east and north.
The region’s most lauded wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, come from the Nebbiolo grape, whose ancestral home is Piedmont. The best Barolo and Barbaresco wines are produced in small quantities on a number of mostly south-facing ridges sitting above the October fog (nebbia) in the Langhe hills around Alba (also the country’s white truffle capital). The considerably less expensive reds Dolcetto and Barbera have garnered wide acclaim in export markets in the last ten years--due in part to the elevated price tags of Barolo and Barbaresco.
The growing popularity of Piedmont gastronomy has also contributed to the interest in local wines. The innate acidity and taut structure of Piedmont wines make for an invigorating backdrop to the region’s hearty meat dishes. The wines’ complex earthy/ floral personality also works amicably with the other local star, the truffle. As the worlds of good wine and good food continue to merge, an area known for both is bound to prosper.
In terms of whites, Gavi is the most popular from Piedmont and it’s also the most widely available in the U.S. Gavi is produced almost entirely from the Cortese grape planted in the province of Alessandria, in the region’s extreme south. Gavi di Gavi wines are produced in vineyards bordering the town of Gavi. Most all of these whites are very dry, and feature a mid-level complexity and concentration. The best of them are crisp but they commonly come up short on verve and grip, and are best enjoyed early.
Decanter, 97 points: Decanter World Wine Awards 2020. Intense raspberry and rose petal nose. Supple attack, silky and poised, creamy without heaviness, and there are sufficient tannins to give structure and texture. Ethereal and complex...
Vinous, 95 points: Manzone's 2015 Barolo Castelletto is truly impressive. Bold, rich and pulsing with energy, the 2015 captures all the vibrancy that makes Barolos from Castelletto so distinctive, with an extra touch of mid-palate...
jamessuckling.com, 95 points: The fruit and depth of this wine is very pretty. With brightness and transparency. Plums, and cherries with dried flowers and spices. Medium to full body, bright fruit and acidity. A powerful finish. A fantastic 2014...
Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: Aromas of leather, forest floor, mature black-skinned berry, graphite and pipe tobacco form the nose on this classic expression of Barolo. On the structured, delicious palate, taut, polished tannins support juicy Marasca...
jamessuckling.com, 97 points: A soft, fruity red with strawberry and smoke undertones, as well as spices. Full-bodied. Chewy, round and racy at the end. Very structured and linear. Give it time to open. Better after 2022 and onwards.
Vinous, 94 points: The 2012 Lessona Riserva is ample, creamy and voluptuous, and yet it also avoids some of the excess heaviness and ripeness found in other wines of the year. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, dried flowers and anise...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Earthy and delicious, this opens with aromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, new leather, truffle and crushed botanical herb. The structured, expressive palate delivers crushed black cherry, mature raspberry, tobacco and the...
Vinous, 94 points: Nervi's 2016 Gattinara from Nervi is superb. Sweet red cherry, mint, juniper berry and wild flowers are some of the many notes that soar out of the glass. The 2016 is distinguished by its brilliant aromatic presence and...
Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: Violet, rose, ripe berry and minty aromas mingle with earthy whiffs of truffle, leather and game. The delicious, juicy palate doles out fleshy Marasca cherry, crushed black raspberry, licorice and tobacco framed in chewy...
Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: Focused and full bodied, this has aromas of underbrush, eucalyptus, crushed botanical herb and wild rose. The chiseled palate delivers tension, structure and finesse, featuring cranberry, pomegranate, licorice and tobacco...
jamessuckling.com, 95 points: Entrancingly deep, red and blue-rose aromas here with an ethereal, dried-leaf and herb edge and pristine red cherries. The palate has very impressive, fine and tight tannins and a fresh, pure core of red-cherry and plum...
Vinous, 95 points: The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is a brooding wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Iron, smoke, tobacco, cedar and dried flowers add a feral, earthy quality that is so appealing. Pora is often one of the more...
Vinous, 94 points: The 2013 Ghemme Riserva Costa del Salmino is terrific. Rich, deep and expressive, the 2013 has it all. Wild cherry, plum, spice, new leather and savory herbs explode from the glass in this potent, brooding Ghemme. Readers...
Wine Spectator, 94 points: A pretty red, leading with rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors allied to an elegant frame, this is firmly structured, if a bit lacier in texture than many 2015s, with accents of earth, tobacco and tar. Ends...
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