Our First Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is a noble grape variety used mostly in the creation of “The King of Wines,” Barolo. Barolos are required to be made of 100% Nebbiolo, which means that any wine, even if it is made up of 99% Nebbiolo and 1% Cabernet, cannot be a Barolo.

More often than not, these are simply called “Nebbiolo,” as is the case with the 2003 Ascheri Nebbiolo D’alba San Giacomo.

Nebbiolo grapes are very finicky and difficult to grow, so it follows that they remain difficult even once they are in the bottle. Barolos and Nebbiolos need a long time to mature (15-20 years in most cases) and even if you wait a long time, they still need to sit out for awhile once opened. Young Nebbiolo wines often taste far too tannic and have weak color.

Color

For only 6 years old, this wine is maturing quickly. Though not a Barolo, the color characteristics are unmistakeable. A fresh red, not too deep, but showing copper on the edges, a sure sign of a maturing Nebbiolo.

Nose

Explosive, but contained. The nose is full of brown sugar, some red currant, strawberry and dusty roses. Smells fantastic.

Taste

Very complex for an Italian Nebbiolo from Alba. The tart red fruit really comes through here, with the strawberries really standing out. Also, we have a flavor we haven’t seen yet since the site began: Marzipan. In case you don’t know, marzipan is a sugar and almond confection that is used to make little shapes that usually go on cakes. The wine brings marzipan on the finish, and it goes for quite awhile. There is not a single hollow point in this one. Delicious all around.

With Food

To put it bluntly, we suggest you enjoy this on its own. A wine this well-crafted should really be savored. If you absolutely HAVE to eat something with it, try a lamb, beef or ostrich dish made with a wine sauce.

On sale for $17.98 at WineLibrary.com!

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Not to be indelicate, but fellas, this is the wine to give to a date. We could be somewhat narrow-minded and say that because it’s both bubbly and sweet, any American girl will love it, but we tend to think that any woman will absolutely love this wine and look for it from the moment you hand them the glass. From the Piedmonte region of Italy, this is a wonderful dessert wine that comes with accessories included; those accessories being bubbles. The Muscat grape (“Moscato” in this case) is known for its sweetness and 9 times out of 10 comes in the form of dessert wine. The “D’Asti” part essentially means “bubbles.” However, be warned, this is nowhere near champagne, but rather an absolutely delicious dessert/party/newcomer wine that will liven up any gathering, including New Year’s.

Bad News First: The only thing we could really find that counts as “bad” about this brand of Moscato D’Asti is that if you are looking for straight-up Moscato dessert wine, this is not it. While very sweet, and made from the Muscat grape, this wine is subtle….with bubbles. It’s not going to be syrupy. More understated than anything else.

Now The Good: Uhh…based on what we said to begin with ( that it will impress the ladies) we really don’t have to say more. But, seeing as how this is a wine suggestion site, we will break it down a bit more. Sweet champagne minus the dryness and acid pretty much says it all. Apples, peaches, pears, apricots. It all depends on how cold you serve it and how long it has been open. Savoring it will be hard, but know that having too much will have the same effect on you as too much champagne. “Perfume going in, poison coming out” as Tom Cruise said in Cocktail.

With Food: This is not really a food wine, but since we have suggest something, we will say basically any cheese or fruit. This is not for consumption with dinner by any means, and to have it with a dessert might be pushing the sugar limits a bit. Like we said above: Pop a bottle open on New Year’s and you won’t be disappointed.

$8.95 at NapaCabs.com

NOTE: This can also usually be found at most BevMo’s, and at a decent price (less than $12) so stock up if you can; it goes fast.

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