2016 Paolo Scavino Nebbiolo

"Enrico Scavino is very happy with this wine and says its the best vintage he has ever made. I tend to agree. The 2016 Langhe Nebbiolo offers a very encouraging glimpse of the quality fruit to come (2016 Barolo should be fantastic). The grapes were harvested very late and this of course favors increased complexity and elegance. The bouquet is focused and bright with lots of wild berry fruit. Soft tannins appear on the close. This wine could have been sold as Barolo (it represents a selection of fruit from parcels in La Morra), but the family decided to declassify it and sell it at a lower price point instead. They have been farming these vineyards since the 1990s, but damage in the 2002 vintage forced them to reconsider the destination of this fruit, and the Langhe Nebbiolo was born. The vineyards are exposed to the east, and these cooler growing sites tend to make fresh and crisp fruit. The wine sees slightly shorter fermentations (two or three days less) and less time aging in oak. It goes into neutral barrique and tonneaux for ten months." - Monica Larner Review Date: June 2018