Nebbiolo 2016 75cl

Enrico Scavino is very happy with this wine and says its the best vintage he has ever made. I tend to agree. The 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo offers a very encouraging glimpse of the quality fruit to come (2016 Barolo should be fantastic). The grapes were harvested very late and this of course favors increased complexity and elegance. The bouquet is focused and bright with lots of wild berry fruit. Soft tannins appear on the close. This wine could have been sold as Barolo (it represents a selection of fruit from parcels in La Morra), but the family decided to declassify it and sell it at a lower price point instead. They have been farming these vineyards since the 1990s, but damage in the 2002 vintage forced them to reconsider the destination of this fruit, and the Langhe Nebbiolo was born. The vineyards are exposed to the east, and these cooler growing sites tend to make fresh and crisp fruit. The wine sees slightly shorter fermentations (two or three days less) and less time aging in oak. It goes into neutral barrique and tonneaux for ten months.<br/>During my visit with the Scavino family this year, I had the opportunity to see the new underground bottle cellar that was only just finished. Last year, huge cranes and a big hole in the ground marked the spot. This enormous construction project marks a growing trend in both Barolo and Barbaresco. Producers are making space for longer bottle aging. This meets the needs of importers and consumers who want access to older vintages or late releases of top wines. In other news, Enrico Scavino and his daughters Enrica and Elisa have made additional vineyard acquisitions. They bought one more hectare in Prapò that follows 0.8 hectare in Cerretta (both in Serralunga d'Alba). In 2015, they had purchased three hectares of Ravera (in Novello). Although I officially reviewed the 2011 Barolo Riserva Novantesimo last year (I gave it 97 points), the wine is hitting the market now. Only 5,000 bottles were produced and the wine represents a true labor of love. The next vintage of this special Riserva to be produced will be 2016. But if you can't wait, value hunters will be delighted with the excellent 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo hitting the market now.