2015 Proprietà Sperino, Lessona DOC, Alta Langhe, Piedmonte, Italy.
Coming from one of the wine world’s hot spots, the Proprietà Sperino Lessona DOC is a gorgeous Nebbiolo based wine from the Alta Langhe, this northern Piedmonte region that is getting a lot of attention as it is rediscovered as a top growing zone in Italy in the shadow of the Alps on ancient glacial soils which gives this incredible terroir its soul, class and distinction, with this Sperino Lessona rivaling its cousins in Barolo and Barbaresco! This remote higher elevation region has a collection of Cru Villages that includes Lessona, Boca, Ghemme, Bramterra and the more famous Gattinara to name a few of top sites, these should be on the radar of Nebbiolo lovers and enthusiasts! Luca de Marchi’s, the winemaker and owner at Proprietà Sperino, signature wine is this Rosso Lessona DOC, which is a powerhouse and is made exclusively with 100% Nebbiolo that saw 32 months in wood with at least 18 months being aged on the fine lees, it is an ultra serious effort that thrills to palate. The Proprietà Sperino Lessona, from the warm and concentrated vintage of 2015, is a beauty with a pretty floral bouquet and an inviting ruby/crimson hue in the glass that almost seems too light to have so much depth on the palate with a classic Nebbiolo array of flavors including black cherry, damson plum, briar spiced raspberry and earthy mulberry fruits, along with minty herb, anise, cedary wood and a touch of dried rose petals, mineral and Moro orange rind, all wonderfully presented in this medium bodied wine. There is enough stuffing and tannic structure to provide rewarding age worthy potential for this Nebbiolo, it should go for another decade easily, while still delivering an impressive performance now, especially with robust cuisine.

The Proprietà Sperino winery is located in the Lessona DOC appellation, in the Alta Langhe part of the greater Piedmonte region, and is one of the oldest and most historic wine-growing areas in Italy with wine producing records showing, as early as the 14th century, this was a thriving wine community and now it is one of Italy’s hot spots, along with Mount Etna on Sicily, with wines like this one, made from mostly Nebbiolo, being a fine example why these wines are getting such attention. Luca de Marchi, who’s family has some Piedmonte roots has a well known father, Paolo, who owns the famous and critically acclaimed Tuscan estate Isole e Olena in Chianti Classico, runs this Lessona property with a passion for Nebbiolo. Luca de Marchi, who is a mission to bring more quality to Lessona, and has laboriously restored the family vineyards, that he inherited in 1999, and has done a masterful job and this 2015 shows it. The Proprietà Sperino is located, as they note, right at the foot of Monte Rosa, where the soil consists of marine sand and Alpine granite that are perfect for the Nebbiolo vines to thrive and produce exceptional long lived wines. The Nebbiolo grape, which is locally called Spanna here, is very aromatic and complex, and is lifted by the small amounts of Vespolina and Croatina, native varietals to the area that usually are found inter-planted with the vines here. While this wine is 100% Nebbiolo, their Uvaggio Coste della Sesia DOC, which I reviewed recently, is made from sustainable farmed grapes including Vespolina and Croatina, which are all de-stemmed and fermented in tank and used wood and then it is raised 22 months in mostly small tonneau/barriques then bottled unfined and unfiltered. As I noted in my prior review, the Proprietà Sperino winery is an exciting project and a label to follow, especially this well made and generous top bottling from Luca de Marchi.
($83 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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