Little in the wine world makes our hearts flutter like aged Nebbiolo. Little makes our hearts sink like the prices we normally have to pay to experience it. But today, Bruno Giacometti has the cure for our ills. His 2015 Canavese Nebbiolo is in its sweet spot at nearly a decade of age, singing with a pitch-perfect balance of lifted fruit, delicate floral tones, and rumbling, earthy savor. And at $45 a bottle, it costs less than most “affordable” current release Barolo. This is seriously next level Nebbiolo, it just happens to hail from outside the more famous Langhe region. Bruno Giacometti is one of those quiet heroes the Italian wine scene seems full of–a passionate organic farmer fighting for his special corner of the country the best way he knows how: by making beautiful wines through unending diligence, unimpeachable craftsmanship, and incredible patience. Every Italian wine lover should be going deep on this. That such a shining example of Piedemontese brilliance is so affordable is merely the cherry on top.
Bruno Giacometti is located in the Canavese subzone of Piedmont. This is something like the halfway point between the Langhe hills where Barolo and Barbaresco are located and “Alto Piemonte,” where you find Ghemme and Gattinara. Canavese bears a strong resemblance to these latter appellations, its more northerly climes and acidic soils producing a tense and elegant style of Nebbiolo. This is a sub-alpine mesoclimate, the soils in the Nebbiolo vineyards dominated by soils derived from Mont Blanc itself. And it’s reflected in the vineyards. Bruno’s Nebbiolo holdings consist not just of clones from the Langhe, but also of the highly sought after Picotendro clone that’s native to Vallée d’Aosta. Picotendro is prized for the supremely elegant wines it renders, often highlighting the more floral and herbaceous aspects of the variety.
Bruno is a fierce defender of his region. The Giacomettis have farmed this land for generations, though it wasn’t until just after World War I that they shifted their focus to grape growing. Bruno was born in 1961, but didn’t take over the family winery until he was fifty years old, only after learning from his father for decades. He’s made a career of defending the region’s uniqueness, and is actually best known for his Erbaluce bottlings. This white grape frankly isn’t shown much respect by most producers, but through the decades, Bruno has discovered ways of working with it that elevate the wines to unheard-of heights for the variety. He’s willing to be similarly idiosyncratic with his Nebbiolo. The fruit for the wine is manually harvested, macerated for up to two months, then ages a year in botti. All par for the course so far. But then Bruno moves the wine to tank for a full four years. He doesn’t want to release Nebbiolo in its brawny youth, but when it’s ready to drink. And boy is this ready to drink!
We strongly recommend using a Burgundy bowl to fully appreciate the aromatic range on display here. The 2015 Giacometti Canavese Nebbiolo pours a limpid ruby with very slight orange tones toward the rim. The nose is an explosion of Piedmontese herbs and fruit: fresh raspberry, dried cherry, plum skin, blood orange peel, sage, and rosemary. Leather, tobacco, and fallen leaf elements are just starting to creep in. On the palate it’s sinewy and juicy, the dried red fruit making a return, though the structure here is not the burly one you might expect from the variety. Instead, acid carries the day, and the overarching sense is not one of imposing tannin but incredible freshness. It’s in an absolutely beautiful spot right now, but we’ve got no doubt that this will go for decades more in your cellar. Rarely does such an opportunity to come along. Don’t pass it up!
