Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo 2022

Sensuous, seductive, and exquisitely beautiful, the 2022 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo reveals its charm from the moment it is poured. The wine’s rich garnet robe provides a feast for the eyes while amplifying aromatics grace the nose. A beautiful perfume of deep red cherries and plums along with the beguiling scents of roses and sandalwood had us even before the first sip. Elegant and hauntingly beautiful in the mouth, the 2022 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo flows on ripe and juicy tannins that complement the wine’s fruit and floral tones. Boldly flavored, yet elegantly structured, Viberti’s 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo finishes long and lovely with a hint of aromatic wood smoke. The wine pays tribute to Piedmont’s most celebrated grape variety and the practice of limiting barrel age to 12 months, allowing the noble Nebbiolo variety to truly shine. Although quite delicious now, it will also reward extensive aging. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving the 2022 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo cool (58°-62° F) after at least 30 minutes of aeration. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2029. Enjoy!

Viberti’s 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo epitomizes the food friendly style of Nebbiolo which flows from Barolo and the Langhe hills. Viberti’s seductive, full-flavored style of Nebbiolo provides the ideal match for many of Northern Italy’s signature dishes. Tender morsels of pounded veal sautéed with mushrooms in butter, wine and savory herbs offer splendid companionship to the 2022 Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo, especially when accompanied by a traditional Parmesan cheese risotto made with Italy’s own Arborio rice. Roast loin of pork, stuffed with a seasoned bread, onion, and herb farce provides another savory dish with which to enjoy this Piedmontese specialty. Rotisserie roasted chickens and marinated steaks offer tasty, uncomplicated accompaniments, too. And, as the finest Nebbbiolo wines are often the last wines to be served at a special meal, Viberti’s Nebbiolo provides one of the finest accompaniments to soft and hard Italian cheeses, especially Parmesan and Provolone, which nearly always follow the main course in Italy. Buon Appetito!

Founded in 1923 by innkeeper and restaurateur Antonio Viberti exclusively to serve his patrons at his legendary restaurant Buon Padre, Viberti’s exquisite Piedmontese wines have traveled far and wide, capturing the hearts and palates of discerning wine lovers the world over. Located in Barolo in the heart of Piedmont’s Langhe Hills, Viberti is now superbly owned and run by Antonio’s son Giovanni and grandsons Gianluca and Claudio who have expanded Antonio’s holdings and taken the estate vineyards and winery to new heights.

Viberti produces world-class Barolo from single vineyard sites or crus. They also fashion an elegant, sensuous, yet full-flavored Langhe Nebbiolo from Barolo (this month’s feature), which tops many a Barolo from nearby La Morra, adding testimony to the adage that less is often more, especially when it comes to barrel ageing. Viberti’s Langhe Nebbiolo spends a year in barrel and is released 18 months after harvest as opposed to Nebbiolo that is destined to be Barolo: To garner Barolo DOCG designation, Barolo must spend a minimum of 18 months in barrel and can’t be released prior to 38 months after harvest. In the case of Viberti’s 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo, less is indeed more as Nebbiolo’s subtle complexity and the region’s unique terroir come front and center.

In addition to producing great Baroli and Langhe Nebbiolo, Viberti fashions a full line of Piedmontese classics, including delicious Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto, Moscato d’Asti, Nebbiolo Rosé, and beautiful Piedmontese Chardonnay.

In the north of Italy, nestled just between the great Alpine wall as it tumbles out of Switzerland and the gleaming Mediterranean Sea, lies the Piedmont. It is a region of myriad beauty. It is also the region of Italy closest to France in proximity as well as in the sheer quality and variety of exceptional wines it produces. For centuries, Italy’s Piedmont remained a prize to be won, no doubt in part on account of the province’s world famous cuisine that still draws happily on the abundance and quality of local truffles. Yet today, it is the superbly made wines of Italy’s Piedmont that garner the most international recognition: complex, hedonistic red wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Langhe Nebbiolo, still delicate whites from the autochthonous Cortese and Arneis varietals, and sweet bubbling Muscats. With such exquisite fare, should anyone question why the hearty robust delights of the Piedmontese table remain the region’s most famous ambassadors to a hungry and thirsty world?