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, 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...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The 2015 Barolo Ginestra shows real complexity and depth. It exudes a profound nature in general. Mineral tones lead the clean, fresh entry, followed by more savory notes. This is from Paolo Conterno's home vineyard cru...
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...
Vinous, 95 points: The 2015 Bramaterra is rich and explosive in the glass. Blood orange, chalk, mint, white pepper and macerated cherry are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop in the glass. There is something incredibly wild...
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...
Vinous, 96 points: The 2016 Barbaresco Vigneto Starderi is outrageously beautiful. Dense, powerful and rich, the 2016 races out of the glass with huge fruit to match its classically mid-weight profile. Super-ripe red/purplish berry fruit...
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...
Vinous, 95 points: The 2015 Lessona is all finesse. Dried flowers, mint, herbs, sweet dried cherry and mineral overtones all grace this sublime, ethereal red. The Lessona is much lighter than the Bramaterra, but its depth and energy are...
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, 95 points: (95+ points) The 2016 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is the most refined wine I have tasted from this site in Treiso. The tannins, always forbidding in Valeirano, are wonderfully polished, and yet convey the essential...
jamessuckling.com, 96 points: A really creamy, polished Barolo with ripe tannins and a fruity yet complex palate, highlighted by tar, chocolate and cedar. It’s full-bodied and rich at the finish. Try after 2023.
Wine Enthusiast, 97 points: Enticing scents of rose, iris, perfumed berry and an earthy whiff of truffle shape the fragrant nose on this dazzling wine. The delicious, full-bodied palate boasts structure and a weightless elegance, delivering juicy...
Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Dried rose, blue flower, aromatic herb, wild berry and a whiff of pipe tobacco are just some of the aromas you'll find on this stunning red. It's elegant and structured, delivering raspberry compote, crushed strawberry...
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...
Showing 15 of 74 wines
Dear Customer We are having problems processing your request. Please contact our sales office between 9 AM and 5 PM (PST) for further assistance at 1.888.859.4637.
I've enjoyed every buying experience with JJ Buckley. Having someone email me great offers, as well as going to the site directly to check out wine, allows me to buy what I want at great prices. It's been a great wine buying experience so far.
-Scott M., August 2018