Grapes · Red grape
Nebbiolo
The grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco. Deceptively pale in the glass but powerful on the palate, with towering tannins and acidity. Famous for the aroma of ‘tar and roses’.
Also known as: Spanna, Chiavennasca (Lombardy)
On the nose
Young wines (primary aromas)
- rose
- violet
- red cherry
- raspberry
- dried herbs
Oak & winemaking (secondary)
- vanilla
- sweet spice
With bottle age (tertiary)
- tar
- leather
- truffle
- liquorice
- dried rose
- tobacco
On the palate
Dry, high acidity and very high tannins, medium to full body. Red fruit and floral notes over a firm, drying structure that softens with years in bottle.
Tasting tip
Pale, brick-rimmed colour but the tannins grip like a red twice its colour: that contrast says Nebbiolo.
Often confused with
Pinot Noir (similar pale colour, but far softer tannins), Sangiovese (less tannin, more sour cherry).
Where it grows
- Italy — Piedmont: Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Langhe; Valtellina (Lombardy)