Le Piane Nebbiolo Colline Novaresi 2024
We have 12 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Colline Novaresi is in the northern reaches of Piedmont, near Novara and Lake Maggiore, far from Barolo and largely unknown by comparison. The soils here are not limestone and clay but ancient volcanic porphyry: coarse-grained, mineral, and unlike anything in the Langhe. The result is Nebbiolo in a register that Barolo producers would barely recognize: lighter in color, more lifted in aromatics, shaped by volcanic rock rather than limestone richness. The average vine age at Le Piane is 100 years. This is old-vine territory that was largely abandoned during 20th century wine industry consolidation, and its rediscovery is one of the more interesting developments in Italian wine.
The Wine
85% Nebbiolo blended with 15% Vespolina, the indigenous local variety that adds floral lift and fresh acidity. Practicing biodynamic farming. Ambient fermentation in tank, aged in barrel. The Vespolina's contribution is immediately apparent: the wine is lighter in body and more perfumed than you would expect from old-vine Nebbiolo, with dried rose, sour cherry, iron, and volcanic mineral running through a long clean finish. Genuinely different from anything produced south of the Alps. At Alto Piemonte prices, it is one of the most interesting bottles in the shop.
The People
Le Piane was created by Christoph Künzli, a Swiss-born winemaker who arrived in the Colline Novaresi in the late 1980s and purchased the cellar and vineyards of a local grower then in his eighties. He has since expanded to over eight hectares, farming old vines biodynamically on volcanic porphyry soils that were largely overlooked by the industry for decades. Künzli has been credited with helping revive Alto Piemonte as a serious wine region, and his Nebbiolo is the clearest expression of why it deserves the attention it is now beginning to receive.
Food Pairing
Risotto with porcini, roast chicken with sage butter, vitello tonnato, a plate of salumi with aged Toma, or grilled vegetables alongside a soft cheese. The lighter body and floral aromatics make it useful where Barolo would overwhelm. It is a genuinely versatile red for the table.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Piedmont, framed by the Alps in northwestern Italy, is a land of rolling hills and carefully cultivated vineyards. The continental climate, with its cold winters and warm summers, creates prime conditions for the Nebbiolo grape, which dominates much of the region's red wine production. The Langhe area is home to Barolo and Barbaresco, structured red wines known for their complex aromas, firm tannins, and aging potential. While Nebbiolo is the dominant grape of Piedmont, the region also makes interesting white wines like those from Arneis and Timorasso. Alto Piemonte is a separate region in the north with its own distinctive expressions of Nebbiolo, alongside other red grape varietals.
Italy - Piedmont
Nebbiolo, a prestigious grape from Italy's Piedmont region, is celebrated for its profound truffle and rose aromas, complex flavors, and ability to age gracefully thanks to strong acidity and tannins, producing the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
