Nebbiolo
Also known as Spanna, Chiavennasca
Piedmont, Italy
The noble grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco, pale in color but ferociously tannic and high in acid, capable of long aging and remarkable aromatic complexity.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Moderate climate
Ripening
Late season
Wine styles
Still
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Italy
Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco)
The grape's undisputed home, producing Italy's most age-worthy, tannic reds.
Roero (Piedmont)
Grown on sandy soils across the Tanaro from Barolo, giving lighter, more floral and earlier-drinking wines.
Italy
Lombardy (Valtellina)
Known locally as Chiavennasca, grown on steep Alpine terraces.
Background
Origin & History
Nebbiolo is one of Italy's oldest documented grape varieties, with written references in Piedmont dating back to the 13th century. Its name is generally thought to derive from "nebbia," Italian for fog — either the autumn mist that blankets the Langhe hills during the grape's notoriously late harvest, or the light waxy bloom that covers the ripening berries.
Despite its pale, almost Pinot Noir-like color, Nebbiolo produces some of the most intensely tannic, high-acid, long-lived wines in the world. For centuries it was tied to the Langhe hills around Alba, and to the aristocratic and monastic estates that farmed them. That long association, and the 19th-century refinement of its winemaking, helped make Barolo and Barbaresco two of Italy's most prestigious wines. DNA work has found close relatives among other Piedmont grapes, including Freisa, which has a parent-offspring link with Nebbiolo.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Nebbiolo is an old variety of unknown origin.
No crossings involving Nebbiolo are documented in the collection yet.