Region · Piemonte, Italy
Piedmont
pyeh-MON-teh
Fog, nebbiolo, and the table
Northwestern Italy's Langhe hills: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, and whites like Cortese and Arneis. A cuisine as much as a wine region.
- rose
- cherry
- tar
- hazelnut
- truffle
Barolo and Barbaresco are Nebbiolo from specific villages, with aging laws that force patience. Cru names (Cannubi, Brunate, Rabajà) now sit on labels the way Burgundy vineyards do. Barbera is the high-acid weeknight red; Dolcetto the softer, darker one.
White wines are easy to skip and a mistake: Gavi, Timorasso, and Erbaluce belong at the start of the meal. Moscato d'Asti is lightly sparkling, low alcohol, and a proper dessert — not a joke.
Eat: tajarin, agnolotti, brasato, hazelnuts, Castelmagno. Drink Nebbiolo with the meal, not as a cocktail. Young Barolo needs air and protein.
Vintage
Barolo is released in the fourth year; 2022 is the current new vintage in 2026. Langhe Nebbiolo drinks earlier. Barbera almost always drink.
| Year | Call | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hold | Not Barolo yet. Watch; too early to buy by the year. |
| 2024 | Hold | Cooler, wetter. Langhe Nebbiolo is the play; Barolo not out. |
| 2023 | Careful | Humidity and mildew. Uneven. Wait for releases and pick names. |
| 2022 | Hold | Drought year, dark fruit, surprisingly fresh if the grower kept their head. |
| 2021 | Hold | Modern benchmark: tannin, acid, time. Do not rush. |
| 2020 | Drink | Perfume and rounder tannin. The restaurant vintage. |
| 2019 | Hold | Classic and still shut. Decant if you must open. |
| 2018 | Drink | Lighter, fragrant, ready. A weeknight Barolo year. |
| 2017 | Drink | Hot and smaller. Open them. |
| 2016 | Hold | Legendary bones. Keep. |
| 2015 | Drink | Ripe and giving. Drinking well. |
| 2014 | Careful | Rain and hail. Drink what’s left of the good growers. |
| 2013 | Hold | Late and classical. Still taut at the top. |
| 2012 | Drink | Solid, savory, ready. |
| 2011 | Drink | Warm and open. Don’t wait. |
At the table
Service
Nebbiolo 61–64 °F (16–18 °C); Barbera 57–61 °F (14–16 °C); Moscato well chilled.
