2021 Giulia Nergi, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, Pian delle Mole, Piemonte, Italy.
I was a thrill to meet and taste with rising Barolo superstar Giulia Negri, who importer Lynch Lynch says is the latest in a 150-year line of grape growers in the Langhe commune of La Morra, where Nebbiolo is the one passion. I found her wines to be all gorgeous examples of terroir, intensity and still exquisitely elegant, even her basic and or entry level Langhe Nebbiolo, a wine that I instantly fell in love with for its aromatics, excellent purity, subtle earthy/savory elements and surprising substance. The Pian delle Mole Langhe Nebbiolo comes from younger vines set on very sandy soils with an underpinning of mainly clay, and marl that allows for a more generous layering of fruit and makes it perfect for early drinking as this wine shows with exceptional precision, pretty florals and structural grace with a medium bodied taut palate of racy red berries, brandied cherries, tangy plum and bright currant fruits leading the way with hints of mineral spice, rose oil, minty herbs, orange peel and anise. There a sense of coolness and a serious undercurrent here, this wine has much to admire for the depth of flavors, with vines that see a Northern exposure and, as the winery notes, up at 500 meters (1,640 feet) above sea level, which gets some extra hang time adding to the full Nebbiolo expression and complexity. The fermentation, as Giulia notes, is done in stainless steel tank and lasts for 15 days with gentle extraction techniques used, after which the Langhe Nebbiolo is allowed to mature for close to 14 months in a combination of stainless steel vat and large 500L oak tonneaux.
I sampled the latest lineup of Giulia Negri’s Nebbiolo offerings at Kermit Lynch’s 50th Anniversary Portfolio Tasting in San Francisco and reviewed one of her signature bottlings, the Serradenari cru Barolo, which absolutely seduced me, but this Pian delle Mole Langhe Nebbiolo is much more in my budget and sincerely it is not far off the quality of Giulia’s Barolo efforts, even though I certainly wish I had the money to put some off her Barolo in my cellar! After going through the wines, I can see why Kermit Lynch jumped at the chance to bring these wines to the States, they are remarkable and inline with the quality you’d expect from Kermit’s incredible selection of Burgundy, Rhône and Loire producers! Kermit says of Giulia, or Barologirl, as she has become known, that she may still be the new kid on the block in La Morra, but tasting her wines, he gushes, reveals a fine touch and devout respect for tradition, that already places her wines among the region’s classics. I was a little star struck myself, I really have to agree that these wines are something special, they remind me of when I first tried Giuseppe Vaira’s G.D. Vajra 2008 Barolo, you just knew that there was that spark of greatness and that there was much more to come, so I am excited to follow Giulia’s efforts and see what the future brings. Negri also does a limited batch of both Chardonnay and Pinot Nero (Noir), which I’ve not tried, though I hope to in the coming year, but I without question highly recommend searching out the Nebbiolo offerings, with the top Marassio, Barolo, that comes from a single block of Giulia’s Serradenari cru, the mentioned Serradenari Barolo and the Barolo ”La Tartufaia“ being first choices, as well as this fabulous Langhe Nebbiolo “Pian delle Mole” that very savvy buy for Nebbiolo junkies like me.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive