We are loving the wines of the
Alto Piemonte: This is the more northerly part of Italy’s Piedmont region, not far from the Monte Rosa Massif, where the Nebbiolo grape exhibits a slightly gentler personality compared to its Barolo and Barbaresco cousins. Clustered around the Sesia River north of the city of Novara, the assorted wine appellations of the Alto Piemonte are prime hunting ground for value, and Ghemme has proved especially fertile.
Like all northern Piedmont wine zones, Ghemme is tiny (there are fewer than 100 hectares of vineyards in the entire appellation) and yet it boasts an unusually high concentration of noteworthy producers. To that list, I excitedly add Tiziano Mazzoni, whose minuscule-production wines have only recently found their way to American shores. We introduced Mazzoni to our subscribers by offering their entry-level Nebbiolo a while back, but today it’s their Ghemme DOCG flagship—and it should not be missed. Its combination of finesse, class, and value is simply astounding, and it bears repeating that this is not about “Barolo performance at a lower price.” This is a distinct expression of Nebbiolo that stands on its own merits—the incredible value is a bonus—and it’s a must-have for anyone who loves this grape and place.
Tiziano Mazzoni is a modern-day “back-to-the-lander” who acquired a small assortment of Ghemme vineyards in 1999. His wines are evidence of the ongoing revival underway in Ghemme, Gattinara, Lessona, and other historic appellations of Northern Piedmont. This area was once the commercial capital of Piedmontese wine—much more significant than Barolo and Barbaresco—but in the modern era, the alto Piemonte is a shadow of its former self. The Ghemme appellation, for example, only has about 20 commercial producers making wine from just 80 or so hectares of registered vineyards. After the second World War, Northern Piedmont rapidly industrialized, prompting many farmers—including Tiziano’s father, who went to work at a plumbing-fixtures factory—to mostly abandon their vineyards.
Mazzoni’s small winery is in the hamlet of Cavaglio d’Agogna, in the hills east of Ghemme, where his family has roots dating to the 14th century. He decided, at the age of 40, to go into winemaking, and has since acquired 4.5 hectares of vineyards in and around his home village, from which he produces about 1,200 cases of wine a year. He is farming organically (non-certified) and crafting his wines in the same manner as his favorite ‘traditional’ Barolos, which inspired him to get into wine in the first place: He favors 100% Nebbiolo wines (even though the Ghemme appellation discipline allows for blending) aged in larger-sized, used oak barrels.
Ghemme—the town and the broader appellation it lends its name to—sits on the eastern bank of the Sesia, which runs from the glaciers of Monte Rosa down past the towns of Novara and Vercelli to connect with the Pò further south. The soils are comprised mostly of volcanic material, red clay, and some alluvial gravel/sand. The Ghemme DOCG zone is a gentle plateau above the Sesia with a higher clay percentage than many of its neighbors—including the more-volcanic Gattinara directly across the river—and there’s a gentleness to even the longer-aged DOCG Ghemme wines that is uniquely appealing.
Mazzoni’s “dei Mazzoni” is a single-vineyard bottling, sourced from the first parcel Tiziano acquired in the zone. Grapes for this 2014 were completely destemmed and fermented on indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks; the wine was aged for 22 months in two- and three-year-old French oak casks of 15-hectoliter capacity. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered, after which it spent nine months aging it bottle before it was released.
In the glass, it’s a deep garnet-red with pink and orange reflections, with heady aromas of red cherry, plum, rose petals, blood orange, pink peppercorns, tobacco, black tea, and wild herbs. Medium-bodied and tautly structured, it nevertheless has less alcohol and a more finely grained tannic component than the typical Barolo. Its red fruit character and somewhat softer edges (by Nebbiolo standards, anyway) lend it a kinship to Burgundian Pinot Noir, and in the same way that seemingly delicate Burgundies can age for decades, this Ghemme will certainly reward cellaring. It should continue to drink nicely through 2025 (and beyond), which is not to say you shouldn’t enjoy some now: Decant it 30-45 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems and serve it with a truffle-stuffed roast chicken. I’ve made the attached recipe and can confirm: It is amazing. Enjoy!
