High Altitude Nebbiolo Tasting

The Dirupi 2019 Valtellina Superiore is generous and balanced, with a 360-degree approach to the palate underlined by dark fruit, plum jam, bluebells and other mountain wildflowers. You smell alpine slopes, cool weather and glacier-like aromas. The palate shows some dried herb and lightly powdery tannins. Fruit comes from a two-hectare site that is divided into nine parcels with mostly sandy soils. Production is 9,915 bottles. MONICA LARNER, The Wine Advocate

The 2019 Valtellina Superiore is super-expressive right out of the gate. Spice, cedar, leather and tobacco meld into a core of bright red Nebbiolo fruit, with dusty tannins that wrap it all together. I suppose there could be a bit more finesse here (especially in the tannins) but all things considered, this is nicely done. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2020 Gattinara is elegant and lifted. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon and orange peel grace this ethereal, nuanced Gattinara. Bright saline notes and sweet red-toned fruit build into the long, persistent finish. Understated and silky, the 2020 is exquisite. All this needs is a few years to soften. ANTONIO GALLONI

This young, savory red is an absolute joy to drink. The nose starts off with aromas of forest floor, violet and wild berry while the easygoing palate offers juicy Morello cherry, fleshy black raspberry and spicy notes of white and black pepper alongside lithe tannins. Drink soon. KERIN O'KEEFE

Youthful mid ruby. A pretty, perfumed red-fruit nose with Nebbiolo’s red beetroot and raspberry notes. Lots of ripeness but not heavy. Sappy, ripe red fruit, just medium-bodied and with long, powdery tannins. Appetising. I would serve this slightly cool at 15 °C. WALTER SPELLER

Manual harvested, fermented with indigenous yeast, aged in stainless steel, unfiltred and unfined. Minimal additional sulphites. Organic.

 

100% Nebbiolo from Contrada Balzarro, on the Rhaetian side of the alps. Organic in nature (but not certified);  low yielding, manual harvest (of course), 14 days of maceration on the skins, spontaneous fermentation, more frequent pumping over at the beginning of fermentation (3 times per day), then less frequently (once per day), aged about a year in barrel and 6 months in bottle.
Ruby, full-bodied and frank, vinous nose, agreeable and fresh, with chalky and mineral notes. BOFFALORA