Langhe Nebbiolo - Diego & Damiano Barale

Diego and Damiano Barale's Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is the wine that Piedmont locals know as "everyday Nebbiolo" - the one that Barolo and Barbaresco producers bottle from the same vineyard or adjacent vineyards when the grapes do not meet the requirements for the top denominations, or when they decide to produce an immediately approachable wine that expresses the grape variety in its most direct and least austere form. It is not Barolo, it is not Barbaresco - but it is the same grape variety, the same territory, the same hands. And at €21, it is the most honest and accessible gateway to the great world of Langhe Nebbiolo.

Diego and Damiano Barale produce this Langhe Nebbiolo with the same artisanal philosophy that distinguishes their Barbera d'Alba Superiore - respect for the land, careful vineyard management, and aging in French oak tonneaux for 12 months, with no shortcuts and no commercial compromises. The 15000 bottles produced testify that this is the most widely available wine in the Barale range - the one that finds its way into the homes of those who want a serious Nebbiolo without facing the prices and waiting times of Barolo.

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is a designation that has gained increasing respect in recent years - thanks to producers who have stopped treating it as a second-tier wine and have begun making it with the same care reserved for the great denominations. It is made from Nebbiolo grapes grown in the Langhe on calcareous and clay soils, harvested at full ripeness and vinified using traditional fermentation. Aging for 12 months in 500-liter French oak tonneaux - the same vessels used for the Barbera Superiore - adds structure, spicy notes, and tannic roundness, making this Langhe more approachable and immediate than the great age-worthy wines while retaining all the distinctive character of the grape variety.

On the nose, it already delivers the unmistakable aromas of Nebbiolo - dried rose, cherry, raspberry, spices, light tobacco, and that precise calcareous minerality that is the signature of the Langhe. On the palate, it is lighter and more immediate than the same winery's Barbaresco Pajè - tannins that are present but already well polished, lively natural acidity, and a freshness that makes it exceptionally enjoyable to drink in the first few years after the harvest, with a clean, medium-long finish featuring notes of red fruit, spices, and minerality. Serve at 16-17°C. Perfect to open between 2 and 7 years after the harvest - or immediately after one hour of decanting.