Grape · Piedmont, Italy
Nebbiolo
neh-BYOH-lo
Tar, roses, and time
The grape of Barolo and Barbaresco. Pale in the glass, fierce in the mouth — high acid, high tannin, and a perfume that belies its structure.
- rose
- tar
- cherry
- anise
- leather
Profile
Nebbiolo is named for the fog (nebbia) that settles on the Langhe hills at harvest. It ripens late, color is unstable, and young Barolo can feel like chewing a rose bush. Give it years — or a long decant and serious food.
Barolo is typically more austere and longer-lived; Barbaresco a shade earlier and silkier. Langhe Nebbiolo is the younger sibling you can open tonight. Valtellina and Alto Piemonte offer a cooler, more linear reading.
Serve in a Burgundy bowl so the perfume has room. Pair with braised beef, truffle pasta, and aged Toma. Do not pair with delicate fish.
At the table
Service
61–64 °F (16–18 °C) in a wide glass. Decant young Barolo 2+ hours; old bottles, stand up, open, and pour with sediment left behind.
