It’s not enough to call today’s Pinot Noir a value: This is a heist! Deltetto’s “777” is a genuinely serious example of Pinot Noir masquerading as “cheap and cheerful,” and it’s only priced this way because Italy’s Piedmont has not (yet) been recognized as a legitimate terroir for the variety.
If we hold up the wines of Burgundy as the ultimate expressions of the Pinot Noir grape, none of the other widely recognized Pinot Noir growing regions of the world comes as close to Burgundy as Piedmont. But of course, Piedmont already has its own ‘noble’ grape variety—Nebbiolo—so, up to now, most Piedmontese producers have only dabbled in Pinot production. The Deltetto estate, based in Roero, has dabbled more than most, and there’s no arguing with the results: If you love Burgundian expressions of Pinot Noir above all others, you’ll find a lot to love in this very modestly priced example.
In any discussion of great Pinot Noir, the subject of clones will likely come up. Some Pinot Noir clones are prized for their alluring dark fruit, some for their pretty red fruit, and others for their quality of tannin and structure. Clone 777 is a Burgundian Dijon clone, prized for its thick skins, small berries, and compact clusters. It produces wines that are intensely aromatic, generous with darker fruits, and well structured. And throughout the Langhe region of southeast Piedmont—home not just to Barolo and Barbaresco but their lesser-known neighbor, Roero—both Pinot Noir and its Burgundian sibling, Chardonnay, have found hospitable territory, especially on either side of the Tanaro River. Barolo and Barbaresco sit south of the river, and Roero sits north. It’s odd to imagine, but the landscape of Roero was once a lake. Today the region is swimming with fossils of seashells (hence the subtle conical shell on the Deltetto label) under an umbrella of sandy loams, mixed with pockets of clay. By law, wines from Roero, if they are red, must be Nebbiolo-dominant to be called “Roero,” so today’s wine must take the broader, catchall “Langhe” appellation. First established as a DOC in 1994, the Langhe designation allows for ‘varietal’ labeling, which is why you see Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero in Italian) written across the front of the bottle.
The Deltetto family established their winery in the early 1950s, a monumental decade which built the backbone of many of today’s finest estates—as young farmers settled into the peace of their land after the demise of fascism. Antonio Deltetto’s father, Carlo, was a farmer; peaches and pears were his specialty, prized just like the cherries and apricots of the Northern Rhône. Per capita consumption in Italy grew by more than 50 percent from 1950 into the 1960s, and a new European Economic Community fueled exports. Aware of the world around him, Carlo Deltetto put his faith in Roero, a promising torch which he passed onto his son, Antonio. Most modern wine drinkers got to know Roero (if they know it at all) through white wines from the Arneis grape, as crafted by two of the historic titans of Barolo, Vietti and Giacosa. But it’s important not to forget the locals: Deltetto’s first commercial vintage was 1976, making this estate one of the true stalwarts of an under-appreciated appellation.
The heart of Roero forms an obtuse triangle, pinned by the villages of Canale, Castellinaldo and Santo Stefano Roero. Canale is arguably Roero’s wine capital, with its flagship vineyards of DOCG Nebbiolo and Arneis, yet to the east, in less-crowded Castellinaldo, the next generation of Deltetto is betting on Pinot Noir. The hillsides stretch out with soils of burnt reds and yellows, loams with sand and crunches of petrified seashells. The Pinot Noir vines face an unusual northwest, a cooler aspect to maximize the mellow warmth of indirect sun. The 15-year-old “777” vines are a passion project of Antonio’s son, Carlo II, who’s taking full advantage of Roero’s reasonably priced land and less backlash towards experimentation and freedom (if Carlo II had converted his family’s “Parussi” vineyard in Barolo from Nebbiolo to Pinot Noir, we’d be writing a less happy story of father and son).
Carlo prefers ‘whole-cluster’ fermentation for this Pinot Noir, a practice which dilutes color but also delivers a more sweet/soothing tannic profile. But don’t be fooled: This Pinot Noir is still identifiably Piedmontese, with a firm, dry finish comforted by fine lines of terracotta earth and dark, forest-floor spice. Aging takes place in large French ovals for 10 months, followed by an additional resting of eight months in the bottle. In the glass, it’s a medium ruby moving to light garnet red at the rim, with an expressive nose of dried black cherry, wild strawberry, raspberry, sandalwood, and a hint of Nebbiolo-esque tar and roses (we’re often comparing Nebbiolo to Pinot, why not the other way around?). It’s a click below medium-bodied but deeply flavorful and long-lasting on the finish nonetheless—a testament to the ‘power without weight’ a great terroir can deliver. While it should only improve over the next two to five years, there’s no reason not to enjoy multiple bottles right away: decant it about 30-45 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Take advantage of the last days of summer, brush off the grill, and don’t be afraid of something simple with a little char, as in the attached recipe. Is this Pinot Noir’s next frontier? If so, I’m on board. Cheers!
