The nebbiolo grape has declined in this D.O.C. Langhe to exalt the peculiarities of the hills and bring some tradition on to tables. A young wine, but at the same time important, where the tannins with delicate softness and spicy aromas inebriate the nose, also recalling vanilla and caramelized notes. A wine that make every day a bit more special. Cascina Ghercina Langhe Nebbiolo 2016 vintage is a light ruby red colour. Deceiving to a wine rich in potential. The nose has aromas of spice, hints of hay, and tobacco. Tannins leave a pleasant feeling. Pair this wine with roasts, meats, and soft cheeses.

A blend of elevated sites across Barolo, this wine is built as a balanced, complete wine that will mature very well in the cellar.

Back in 2009, Justin Bubb had spent almost a decade in Italy leading the transformation of the winemaking at famed winery, Castello Di Gabbiano. He had been sent there to help improve the winemaking and also be a conduit for the Australian owners at the time. Originally only planning to stay for a short period, Justin was instrumental in growing the winery. He also was able to spend time working vintage in some of the most famed wine regions of Italy including Piedmonte, Veneto and Sicilia. His time in Europe had also helped him see there was an opportunity to bring great quality Italian wines back to Australia. Having decided to return to Australia with Anna Pooley his new wife, he sketched out very briefly wanted to do. He wanted to produce great value Italian wines, to shake any stuffy stereotypes of Italian wines, by offering contemporary styles that suited the wine savvy palates of Australians. He also wanted to continue working with the amazing growers and connections he had with his adopted country of Italy. Taking an Italian nickname for a tool that measures ‘baume’ in fruit, Babo was born. The vineyards it Piedmonte where this fruit is sourced are layered clay and limestone soils near the famed town of Castiglione Falletto. The fruit was selected from vineyards 300-400 m above sea level - mostly Southwest facing, with fantastic quality fruit. 100% Nebbiolo, handpicked fruit was destemmed with 6-8 day maceration at a controlled temperature, pumped over twice a day. Short aging in large concrete tanks completes this wine making journey. Bright purple and garnet highlights. On the nose delightful floral bouquet. Medium body, classic bright red berries, a little tar, roses and spice. Lovely weighted tannin gives a the perfect persistent finish. Delicious.

Beautiful glowing ruby. Fine earthy nose. Succulent palate with a powerful tannic structure. Really long and a little vibrant. Firm, long red-fruit finish Hearty stew, wild game, roasted red meats and cheeses. The grapes are selected from small vineyards spread in the Barolo region. The vines are between 8 and 41 years old, planted in a clay-limestone soil. Plants are trained with guyot method, with an average density of roughly 4500 units per hectare. All the different crus are vinified and aged separately with slightly different processes to underline the singular characteristics of each parcel and terroir. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel with daily cap submersion for extraction of flavor and color. The history of the Vietti winery traces its roots back to the 19th Century. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, however, did the Vietti name become a winery offering its own wines in bottle. From 1919 Patriarch Mario Vietti began making the first Vietti wines, selling most of the production in Italy. His most significant achievement was to transform the family farm, engaged in many fields, into a grape-growing and wine-producing business. Then, in 1952, Alfredo Currado (Luciana Viettis husband) continued to produce high quality wines from their own vineyards and purchased grapes. The Vietti winery grew to become one of the top-level producers in Piemonte and was one of the first wineries to export its products to the USA market. Alfredo was one of the first to select and vinify grapes from single vineyards (such as Brunate, Rocche and Villero). This was a radical concept at the time, but today virtually every vintner making Barolo and Barbaresco wines offers single vineyard or cru-designated wines. Alfredo is also called the father of Arneis as in 1967 he invested a lot of time to rediscover and understand this nearly-lost variety. Today Arneis is the most famous white wine from Roero area, north of Barolo. Setting such a fine example with Arneis, even fellow vintners as far away those on the west coast of the United States now are cultivating and producing Arneis!

The focus here for this wine by Fletcher is on what Nebbiolo as a variety can do in Australian terroir. The philosophy behind these wines is to de-construct tradition and start afresh. Driven with obsession and going against the grain, Ann from Fletcher had the foresight to plant small acreage to mixed clones of Nebbiolo in 1998, which officially makes this some of the oldest Nebbiolo in Australia. Meticulously manicured, this vineyard, after the green harvest, is lucky if it produces 2 tonnes to the acre, and the fruit it produces is floral, rich and backed by Nebbiolo's superior tannins.

Vietti is a winery with a rich history spanning almost 150 years. Founded by Carlo Vietti in the late 1800s in the heart of the Langhe, on the highest point of the medieval village of Castiglione Falletto, the winery was transformed into a high-quality wine producer by Carlo's son, Mario Vietti, upon his return from living in the United States in 1917. In the 1950s, Alfredo Currado, oenologist and art lover, brought new intuitions to the winery, intertwining wine knowledge with art and culture. Vietti produced one of the first Barolo Crus in 1961 and the first vinification of Arneis in 1967. The wines were accompanied by Art Labels starting in 1974, making the Vietti brand an icon and standard-bearer of important revolutions. The winery's commitment, vision, culture and passion have contributed to its growth and recognition as one of the best Italian wine labels. The Krause Family purchased Vietti in 2016 and decided to extend the winemaking properties with new, renowned crus in the denomination of Barolo and Barbaresco. In 2023, the Heritage was taken over by the Krause Family, already owner of the Cellar since 2016 and standard-bearer of the new future of the Vietti brand. Vietti maintains its founding values and looks towards the future with even more promising and stimulating prospects, with each wine being the result of artisanal work and the profound understanding and interpretation of each individual terroir. Since 1974, Vietti wines have been adorned with specially-designed original works inspired by the wine of that particular vintage. These works include lithographs, xylographies, etchings, silkscreens and linocuts. The print run is the same as the number of bottles produced and the first hundred labels are signed by the artist. Each work is only used once, just for the wine of that vintage. Since the presentation of the 1982 Barolo Villero in 1988, the artist’s labels have been dedicated exclusively to the wines grown on this great vineyard. The idea for these unique labels was conceived by Alfredo Currado and a group of artist friends over a bottle of Barolo Rocche. They believed that wines like these deserved to be graced with labels unlike any other and the idea began to take shape the following day. These art labels have become an iconic part of the Vietti brand, adding a touch of art and culture to their already exceptional wines. Barolo is a renowned red wine produced in the Piedmont region of Italy. The wine is made from Nebbiolo, a small, thin-skinned red grape varietal known for its high acidity and tannins. Harvesting of Nebbiolo grapes generally takes place in late October, as it is one of the first varietals to undergo budbreak and last to be picked. Barolo wines are required to be solely composed of Nebbiolo, with no exceptions. The Barolo DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is the highest classification for Italian wines and guarantees specific production methods and quality. Wines from the Barolo DOCG must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged for at least 38 months, with 18 of those months in wood barrels. This results in a wine with a unique flavor profile and exceptional quality. Vietti's Barolo Cerequio is a premium wine made from grapes grown in the historic “Cerequio” vineyard, one of the most significant MGAs in the entire Barolo winegrowing region. The vineyard is located in the municipality of Barolo, with a southern exposure and a density of around 4600 plants per hectare over an area spanning almost one hectare. The average age of the vines is around 36 years and the soil is rich in limestone and clay, with Marls of Saint Agatha present. The 2018 vintage was the first iteration of this momentous Vietti cru. This wine is a testament to the quality of the grapes and the dedication of the winemakers. The Vietti Barolo Cerequio La Morra 2019 is a stunning example of a Barolo D.O.C.G. wine made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. The grapes were harvested by hand on 12 October 2019 and underwent gentle pressing before fermenting for around three weeks in a steel tank, in contact with the skins. The wine was aged for around 32 months in total, in barriques and large wood barrels, before being bottled without being filtered. This wine has an intense ruby-red color and an intense nose, with notes of ripe red berries and fine spices. On the palate, it is full-bodied with fruity (strawberry, plum, cherry) and citrusy notes. The tannins are simultaneously fine and imposing, supporting the wine's enveloping and persistent structure.The finish reveals balsamic notes that further enliven this wine, whose elegance and balance are rare indeed. This wine pairs perfectly with red meat, lobster, game, pot roast and mature cheeses. The Vietti Barolo Cerequio La Morra 2019 is an exceptional wine that showcases the best of the Nebbiolo grape variety and the unique terroir of the Cerequio vineyard.

Unico Zelo is the project of winemaking couple Brendan and Laura Carter. In their words, their aim is to create “Italian-inspired, textural and site-expressive wines” and “Australian examples of Mediterranean varieties in an approachable and jovial fashion.” There is a bit of a shift this year for Pastafarian, with the inclusion of Sangiovese! The ultimate pasta variety, it must be said. Ask Brendan, Unico Zelo has long been critical of Sangiovese’s future in Australia, but after some recent encounters with other producers' expressions of the variety, they’ve jumped on the bandwagon. Lucky for the winery, it wasn’t far from home, as the fruit is from the lovely Polish Hill River Vineyard. Still, this wine is Nebbiolo through and through, and it’s the perfect marriage with Slovenian Oak for a perfumed, blue fruited and savoury structured Langhe-style Nebb. A touch of Merlot and Nero to add somebody (and a nice little spice too!). Top shelf here, finding an identity all of its own. Great wine.