Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is a comparatively rare grape variety in global terms, but its importance comes from the fact that it produces some of Italy’s (and the world’s) very greatest reds. In northern Italy, most famously in Barolo and Barbaresco, it occupies the best vineyard sites, and it has to - it is a difficult grape to grow and needs the right soil and exposure to work well. When it does work well it expresses the character of individual vineyards in a way only rivalled by Pinot Noir and Riesling. The wines are high in tannin and acid and may need long bottle-ageing, but when they’re on-song, they are astonishingly expressive and fine.