2022 Langhe Nebbiolo, Prinsiòt, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

2022 Langhe Nebbiolo, Prinsiòt, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

Product: 20221434556
Place a bid
Prices start from £27.50 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2022 Langhe Nebbiolo, Prinsiòt, Fratelli Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

Buying options

Available for delivery or collection. Pricing includes duty and VAT.
Bottle (75cl)
 x 1
£27.50
Limited availability
Free delivery on orders over £200. Find out more

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

About this WINE

Fratelli Alessandria

Fratelli Alessandria

A moment’s reflection is required before understanding the wines of Fratelli Alessandria: all the estate’s vines (except their cru Gramolere) are in the commune of Verduno. Not usually bracketed with familiar and renowned communes, the village sits on the north-eastern border of the region. It’s almost more of an extension of neighbouring Roero, with sandier soils and a moderating influence from the Tanaro river. All this adds up to a lighter, more delicate and perfumed style of Barolo – of which Fratelli Alessandria are brilliant exponents.

Today, Vittore Alessandria runs the traditional cellar, while his brother Ale tends 15 hectares of vineyards. Their first vintage was in 1978, and Fratelli Alessandria was the first producer to put Monvigliero on a label. 2001 saw the first Gramolere and 1997 was their first vintage of San Lorenzo, which is only produced in their best vintages – of course, there is a 2019!

Find out more
Langhe

Langhe

Langhe is an all-encompassing zone lying due south of Alba and the River Tanaro in the province of Cuneo. Barolo and Barbaresco both lie within its boundaries.

Langhe is also the name of a regional DOC zone, which is used to classify wines made outside of the traditional Piemontese varietal scheme (Nebbiollo, Barbera, Cortese etc). Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines from the region are, for example, classified as Langhe DOC.


Langhe Nebbiolo
Effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo and Barbarescos, the Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style.

Langhe Nebbiolo can be released onto the market as soon as practicably possible either as a fresh, fruity wine made solely in stainless-steel, or later on having been aged in oak. The Langhe Nebbiolo DOC was created in 1994 along with a plethora of other Langhe DOC wines (so diluting their significance).

Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15 percent other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto. Leading, quality producers of Barolo and Barbaresco are more inclined to use 100 percent Nebbiolo, recognising its role as a stepping stone, using the fruit from vines that are either too young or poorly situated.

Larger producers tend to use the Langhe Nebbiolo DOC as a valve, declassifying wines destined for Barolo or Barbaresco when the market is difficult. Confusingly Langhe Nebbiolo can also be the declassified wine of Nebbiolo d’Alba.

Recommended producers: Giovanni Rosso di Davide Rosso Mario Fontana Ferdinando Principiano

Find out more
Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.

A notoriously pernickety grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well-drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.

Langhe Nebbiolo is effectively the ‘second wine’ of Piedmont’s great Barolo & Barbarescos. This DOC is the only way Langhe producers can declassify their Barolo or Barbaresco fruit or wines to make an early-drinking style. Unlike Nebbiolo d’Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo can be cut with 15% other red indigenous varieties, such as Barbera or Dolcetto.

Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so a long hang time, producing high levels of sugar, acidity and tannins; the challenge being to harvest the fruit with these three elements ripe and in balance. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are perfumed with aromas of tar, rose, mint, chocolate, liquorice and truffles. They age brilliantly and the very best need ten years to show at their best.

Find out more

When is a wine ready to drink?

We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.

Not ready

These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.

Ready - youthful

These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.

Ready - at best

These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.

Ready - mature

These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.