A Glimpse of Barolo's Spectacular 2021

Langhe Nebbiolo has quietly surged in quality over the past few decades, with top examples offering a glimpse into the coming releases of Barolo and Barbaresco. Much like Bourgogne Rouge is the intro to a domaine’s style in Burgundy, Langhe Nebbiolo has now become a calling card for Piemonte's top producers. 

Langhe Nebbiolo's transformation wasn't a 'given'. The DOC has few rules, giving producers the latitude to source from a wide expanse of vineyards of varying quality, with no requirement for aging at all. Not surprisingly, the wines were often less than spectacular, revealing the hard edges of the variety.

But Barolo and Barbaresco producers have translated their hard-won experience into quality leaps for their Langhe Nebbiolo, using short maceration and minimal aging to develop an intentionally fruit-driven, food-friendly style.  Some go a step further, using declassified fruit, in essence producing 'baby' Barolo or Barbaresco.

Azelia takes this approach with their Langhe Nebbiolo--it is all declassified Barolo, offering a preview of what to expect from their great Barolo vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto. Fruit from the youngest vines is selected (although, an average of 20 years is only 'young' when considering that 100+ year old Azelia never replants until the vine dies naturally). The wine is fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel to preserve the floral aromatics and bright red fruit of the Nebbiolo, allowing the pedigree of the sites and producer to come across fully. 

The result is a juicy, perfumed expression of Nebbiolo with all the charm and a little less power than Barolo. And the current release, 2021, is a fantastic vintage that offers a preview of what’s to come for Barolos two years from now. 

Because Azelia's vines ‘graduate’ to Barolo production when they turn 40 years old, their Langhe Nebbiolo is always limited. Savvy buyers jump on it quickly upon release. If you want be considered among that group, click reply to get some while it's available.