Nascetta

A few years back I ran into this energetic, wild-haired wine producer who introduced me to Nascetta, one of the most intriguing things from Piedmont to find its way into the wine market in the past few years. This talkative producer was Enrico Rivetto from Serralunga d'Alba (in the Barolo wine region), one of the greatest proponents of Nascetta, the forgotten white gem of the Langhe region.

Although Nascetta wines seem to be a recent thing in today's wine market, Nascetta itself isn't. It's a variety that has been long cultivated in the Barolo region – verified by documents that prove its history with the Langhe region at least until mid 1850's. In the past it was used in sweet quality wines, blended with local Favorita (aka. Vermentino) and Moscato (aka. Muscat à Petit Grains) varieties, but little by little its popularity waned. As a variety difficult to cultivate with unpredictable yields, its plantings were reduced drastically after the phylloxera hit the region and the variety was virtually extinct in Langhe after the WWII, surviving in only a few rows of vines grown sporadically here and there.

However, in 1990's things started to change as the variety was rediscovered in 1991 by Elvio Cogno, a wine producer from Novello (also in the Barolo wine region), when he tasted a freak Nascetta bottling from 1986. He started to experiment with this curious, forgotten variety and, little by little, it started to gather some following. In 2010 the efforts by the strong-willed Nascetta-growers were paid off as the variety was finally accepted as an official variety of DOC Langhe so that the wines needn't be labeled as vino da tavola with no designation of vintage or origin.

Nascetta might be a variety difficult to cultivate with unpredictable yields, but since its discovery over a century ago the variety has been noted from the high-quality wines it produces. Although not a particularly expressive variety, it is categorized as a semi-aromatic variety due to the high content of terpenes, especially linalool – the compound responsible for the floral aromas also found in Muscat grapes. The variety is known for its good structure, rather high acidity and great balance between the fruitier notes and the bitterness that seems to be a defining characteristic of the variety. Though many producers age their Nascetta wines in stainless steel, the grape seems to adapt well to both longer skin contact maceration and aging in oak barrels. What the variety lacks is a good marketing force behind it: last time I met with Enrico Rivetto he said that many producers believe in the high quality of Nascetta and also believe that it might be the next big thing to come out of Langhe region, but unfortunately there is very little co-operation among the producers of Nascetta. If the producers would co-operate, they could have their voices heard better, instead of being just lone singular voices lost in the noise. Seeing both how vehemently Rivetto believes in his Nascetta wines and how great his wines really are, I can do nothing but agree. Nascetta really seems to be that white variety that could bring in some welcome difference in the Nebbiolo-Barbera-Dolcetto-driven red landscape of Langhe hills.

I have tasted a handful of Nascetta wines over the past few years. Here are my notes on them:

Rivetto Langhe Nascetta 2013

DOC Langhe

• Rivetto
• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont, Langhe
• Grape(s): Nascetta (100%)
• Price: 20€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: October 16th, 2014

source: winestyle

3 days of maceration with skins. Vinified with natural yeasts over 9 months in steel tanks.

In the glass the wine shows intense lemon color with pale green highlights.

The wine feels open and quite aromatic with aromas of red apple, hay, almond and honeydew melon. Underneath there are nuances of green herbs, some yellow plums and a slightest lifted touch of nail polish.

On the palate the wine feels quite full-bodied and supple, yet also dry and nicely structured. There are flavors of ripe red apple, yellow plums, some herbs, a little honeydew melon, a touch of honey and some rather intense, chalky minerality that turns a bit to salinity towards the finish. Overall the mouthfeel of the wine is soft and easily approachable, yet also really fresh and far from flabby or tired.

The wine finishes with a mid-length to lengthy, dry aftertaste with flavors of herbs, wet stones, sea salinity, some quinine bitterness and fruity hints of apple, yellow stone fruits and lemony citrus fruits.

91/100

Although my description might make it sound that this is a rich and fruity white, this is not. Rivetto Nascetta is more of a dry, bitter and mineral white only with notably large presence. The flavor profile is surprisingly stony and dry, with less emphasis on the fruit side, making the wine feel unexpectedly complex, balanced and intriguing. Not a big and showy grape variety, Nascetta is in turned here into a lovely, interesting and gastronomic wine that can be not only easily paired with a different variety of foods, but cellared for mid-term as well. Sophisticated and balanced effort, showing good value at 20€.

***

San Silvestro Ghercina Nas-Cëtta 2013

DOC Langhe

• Cantine San Silvestro
• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont, Langhe
• Grape(s): Nascetta (100%)
• Price: 14€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: April 20th, 2015

source: sansilvestro

A wine made from the grapes sourced from the comune of Novello, the birthplace of Nascetta at the heart of the Barolo wine region.

The wine has a yellow-green lemon color.

In the glass the wine has a youthful and a bit reticent nose with fruity aromas of yellow plums, sweet apples, some floral acacia notes and a hint of peach.

On the palate the wine feels full-bodied, but with good acidity that gives the wine a lot of structure and even some tart crispness. Flavor-wise there are dry, pure flavors of apple, stony minerality and some apple peel bitterness.

The finish is medium-long, slightly warm and even more bitter than the midpalate with flavors of aromatic herbs, fresh yellow apples, some apple peel notes and faint floral hints.

85/100

Summary: Overall this "Nas-Cëtta" is a nice little wine that works perfectly as an aperitif sipper and a food wine with light antipasti. Despite showing the semiaromatic and slightly bitter characteristics typical of the variety, this seems to be at the end of the day a quite simple and one-dimensional effort compared to the better Nascettas. Though I must admit, the wine was very moderately priced at only 14€ in a restaurant in Castiglione Falletto.

***

Ettore Germano Langhe Nascetta 2013

DOC Langhe

• Ettore Germano
• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont, Langhe
• Grape(s): Nascetta (100%)
• Price: 14€ / 0,75
• Tasted on: April 23rd, 2015

source: ettore germano

The grapes are sourced from a 0,4 ha (1 acre) plot in Alta Langa, planted in 2004. The wine is macerated for an impressive period 5 days with the skins to extract more depth, complexity and structure from this semi-aromatic, yet often rather austere variety. Aged for 6 months in stainless steel and further 5 months in bottles. No malolactic fermentation. Annual production of only 2,000 bottles.

The wine has a deep green-yellow color of a barely ripe lemon.

Slightly reticent, cool nose with lots of understated complecity; aromas of honey, yellow stone fruits, some wet stones, a little ripe lemons and a hint of herbal greenness.

On the palate the wine feels full-bodied and rich with high, structured acidity, yet also with almost oily mouthfeel. Dry, quite intense and complex flavors of minerality, sweet stone fruits, succulent White Transparent apple, mirabelle plums, some spicy complexity, light ripe pear notes and a hint of smoke. Also a slightest touch of tannic grip can be felt, contributing to the structure of the wine.

The wine finishes with a crisp, tightly wound and rather mineral-driven aftertaste with dry flavors of tart green apple and lemon-driven citrus fruits, some greengage, a little astringent bitterness and a touch of wax.

93/100

Summary: This is easily the most impressive Langhe Nascetta I've tasted with remarkable depth, complexity and structure. Apparently the prolonged skin contact seems to suit this variety well. Germano's Nascetta is truly delicious stuff with a lot of cellaring potential. At only 14€ this is a real find. Highly recommended.

***

Diego Conterno Langhe Nascetta 2013

DOC Langhe

• Diego Conterno
• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont, Langhe
• Grape(s): Nascetta (100%)
• Tasted on: April 25th, 2015

source: diego conterno

This wine is made from grapes sourced from plots located at the altitude of 400 meters a.s.l.; the wine is aged for 6 months in stainless steel tanks.

The color is pale watery green.

The nose exhibits bright, fragrant aromas of sweet yellow apple, grass, hay, some stony minerality and hints of gooseberry.

On the palate the wine is quite full-bodied yet nicely refreshing and high in acidity. The flavors are rich, yet not particularly ripe, with notes of wet stones, crisp lemony citrus fruits, sweeter red apple notes with less emphasized nuances of tart green apple, some steely minerality, a little vegetal greenness and a hint of bitterness. There is also a hint of sweeter stone fruit at the tip of the tongue.

The finish is dry and quite austere, but pretty lengthy as well with understated complexity. There are flavors of herbs, stony minerality, almost quinine bitterness, grassy greenness, some grapefuit pith and a little granite minerality.

91/100

Summary: In a nutshell, this is a really attractive little white with very dry, rather bitter and somewhat austere flavors, yet with nice weight and sense of complexity. A wine like this that seems to be lacking in fruit might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really did enjoy the refreshing qualities, good structure and layered nuances this wine offered. It is a good food wine, but its austere flavors with at times rather pronounced bitterness may take toll on its versatility – it might not be easy to pair a wine like this so that it wouldn't either clash with the food or overwhelm it. Still, a nice little drop that might even age nicely for short-to-medium term. Recommended.

***

Overall Nascetta has taken me by quite a surprise: just two years ago it was a variety I had never even heard before, but only within a year I had managed to find a handful of very different, yet overall positive examples of the variety, reinforcing my positive impression of it. I've yet to taste a barrel-aged version, as they seem rather hard to come by – many producers feel that Nascetta fares best when aged in neutral vessels which don't come into the way of the aromatics of the variety. As this is a notion I can agree with, I'm actually not that keen on searching specifically for a barrel-aged Nascetta; however, should I ever come across a barrel-aged example of the variety, I would gladly taste it – in the name of science, wine journalism and curiosity!

I couldn't help but notice how some producers seem to favor skin maceration times that are rather long in traditional white wine vinification – most likely due to the fact that even though Nascetta is a semi-aromatic variety, a great part of its aromatic compounds are in its skins, not in the juice. This has made me wonder whether Nascetta could be a suitable variety in making orange wine as well? Something not unlike how Ribolla Gialla – occasionally considered a rather undistinguished white variety – turned into something profoundly complex and unique with extended skin maceration in the hands of such people like Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon. Maybe amber Nascetta wines could be the next "outside the box" wine of Piedmont?

Vertical of the month: Burgaud Côte du Py 2006-2012

Beaujolais made great work in gaining worldwide recognition in 1970s to 1990s by creating the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomenon. However, at the same time they effectively managed to ruin their reputation of a respected region capable of producing tremendous, serious wine. When people started to associate the name Beaujolais only with that simple, inexpensive, fruit-forward swill redolent of banana and bubblegum aromas, no-one in their right minds touched a bottle of Beaujolais anymore.

And that is a great shame, because many of the best Beaujolais wines – especially many of those coming from the 10 specific Crus located in the northern part of Beaujolais – can easily match (and even surpass) the power, depth, poise and elegance of the esteemed Côte de Nuits reds from the neighboring region of Burgundy – and often at only a small fraction of their prices! Fortunately the serious Beaujolais reds are now regaining their recognition, but it has taken the quality-oriented producers several decades and a lot of effort to remedy the bad publicity rounded up by the Nouveau wines.

Beaujolais is also a region known not only of the Nouveau wines, but as one of the birthplaces of the so-called natural wine movement. Many natural wine producers follow the non-interventionist philosophies that originated some 50 years ago from a handful of Beaujolais producers and winemakers, spearheaded by a winemaker-scientist Jules Chauvet, and since developed further by prolific names like Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Brun, Joseph Chamonard, Jean Foillard, Marcel Lapierre, and Jean-Paul Thévenet. These are producers many new natural winemakers look up to and also names often associated with the best Beaujolais wines.

One of the members belonging to the top echelon of Beaujolais's natural winemakers is Jean-Marc Burgaud, the head of his eponymous winery, Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud, founded in 1989. A great majority of his holdings spanning 17,5 ha are located in the Beaujolais Cru region of Morgon, known to be the sub-region capable of producing the most concentrated and cellarworthy examples of Beaujolais wines – along with the equally impressive Cru of Moulin-à-Vent. Furthermore, a big part (approx. 8 ha) of these Morgon vineyards of Burgaud are located in sub-sub-region of Côte du Py, generally regarded as the best location within Morgon.

Burgaud's approach to vinegrowing and winemaking is quite simplistic one: his extremely densely cultivated vineyards see no synthetic fertilizers or repellents and they are tended by hand, whereas the wines are vinified naturally with strict hands-off policy and they receive only a small dose of sulfites upon bottling. The wines are vinified in a "Burgundian" fashion: instead of using the traditional carbonic maceration-fermentation process so commonplace in Beaujolais, Burgaud vinifies his wines with traditional method of crushing the grapes and letting the skins, seeds and pips macerate in the fermenting juice. The wines are vinified and aged either in concrete vats or old, neutral 228-liter pièce barrels. Due to these methods, Burgaud's wines are obviously tougher, more brooding and concentrated than the Beaujolais wines are in general. As Burgaud's winemaking is quite reductive, his wines can be a bit muted or reductive upon opening a bottle – especially a young one – but they are also remarkably long-lived, capable of aging effortlessly for several decades.

Now here is a comparative vertical of Burgaud's Côte du Py wine spanning 7 consecutive vintages, shedding some light on how these wines age.

Burgaud Côte du Py

AOC Morgon

• Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud
• Region: Bourgogne, Beaujolais, Morgon, Côte du Py
• Grape(s): Gamay (100%)

source: haywines

The mid-tier wine in the range of Burgaud: this is definitely more concentrated and serious than a great majority of his production, but still a notch or two under the few, more serious "reserve" bottlings. The grapes come from very old vineyards (approx. 50 yo) located in the famous Côte du Py subregion within the famed Morgon Cru. The grapes are macerated with the fermenting must for 12–14 days and the aging takes place exclusively in concrete vats, keeping such elements as oxygen and oak from muddling the purity of the fruit. The wine is always bottled after some 6 months of aging, in spring following the harvest, normally around April. One of the Burgaud's longer-lived wines.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2012

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A difficult vintage, plagued by continuous rains. As the grapes struggled to ripen, the yields were on average the lowest in 40 years, resulting in very structured and concentrated reds.

Translucent black-red color. Quite sturdy nose with complex and a bit wild aromas of bitter orange peel (think of Campari), brooding dark fruit, sweet kirsch and hints of fresh blueberries. Full-bodied, rich and structured on the palate with moderate tannins and high acidity that seems to grow in the mouth. Very youthful and intense flavors of ripe red fruits, some cherry and a little bitterness that might partially be just tannic astringency. The long and persistent finish is full of focused, complex flavors like barely ripe blueberries, pronounced stony minerality, some sharp cranberry skin notes and a little tannic bitterness.

91/100

Summary: A very serious, stern and, most of all, very youthful Morgon wine that shows tremendous cellaring potential, but is still so very tightly-knit that it doesn't really show much yet. Even with long air time the wine seems very forbidding, and although not austere per se, still something along those lines. Probably will be really beautiful as the wine unfolds and starts to resolve after some years in the cellar. The score is a bit on the conservative side now and will probably go up as the wine ages. Highly recommended.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2011

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

Generally regarded as a good, warm vintage resulting in quite big but balanced wines showing great ripeness. Especially the wines from Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent were very succesful.

Translucent black-red color. Very youthful, ripe and almost sweet nose with very red-fruit driven aromas of cranberry, lingonberry, some brambly notes and a little wild Campari notes with a darker-toned earthy undertone. Quite full-bodied, stern and even tough on the palate with very muscular and grippy tannins and high acidity. Darker-toned flavors of dark cherry, sour cherry, concentrated ripe dark berries, some savory crowberry notes and a little cranberry tartness. Very dense, chewy and robust finish with flavors of concentrated dark cherry, brambly blackberries, earthy spice and some stemmy notes with pronounced tannic bitterness and astringency.

92/100

Summary: A lot bigger, heavier and more muscular effort than the 2012 vintage showing very much cellaring potential, but also being almost inapproachable now. Super-concentrated and tough on the palate with the grippy tannins and high acidity keeping the fruit in a stranglehold. A very impressive effort, but in dire need of extended cellaring – probably will show beautifully after 10 years or so.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2010

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A difficult vintage resulting in really impressive wines: the flowering started out poorly, reducing yield noticeably, and the whole summer in Beaujolais was very cool and the grapes struggled to ripen. However, the weather during the harvest warmed up considerably, ripening the grapes later than normally. Thus many of the wines show great balance and concentrated with remarkable depth of flavors as a result from the long growing cycle and late ripening.

Translucent black-red color. Very aromatic, perfumed and slightly wild, fragrant nose with aromas of crushed red berries, cherries, some plums and hints of dark-skinned berries. Medium-bodied and surprisingly dense and concentrated on the palate with very ripe, juicy and even slightly sweet fruit flavors of ripe cherries, crunchy dark berries, some meatiness and light aromatic hints of dried herbs. Moderately high in acidity with firm, structured tannins. Quite long, stern and very mineral finish with flavors of wet rocks, sour cherries, tart cranberries and some rough tannic astringency.

93/100

Summary: Not as forbidding and austere as the vintages 2011 and 2012, but nowhere as mellow and easy as the 2009 either. This wine is quite serious and structured, but shows some approachability as well: although the wine will easily hold for a decade or even more, it is also starting to drink nicely right now. It shows great balance between the ripe, crunchy fruit and firm structure. A textbook example of wonderful Morgon, very highly recommended.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2009

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A very warm vintage throughout Europe. The producers in Beaujolais had no problem seeing their grapes attained full maturity and harvest was relatively early as many producers felt it was necessary to pick the grapes before they became overripe, losing their vital acidity.

Very deep, concentrated dark cherry color showing only very little translucency. Obviously very sweet and ripe nose showing highly aromatic, fragrant aromas of juicy red fruits, red cherries, some plum liqueur, a little raisin and a slight volatile hint of balsamico lift. On the palate the wine is very full-bodied for a Gamay with dense, spicy and almost chewy texture. Despite the sweet nose, the wine feels quite dry with flavors of ripe dark cherry, floral complexity and some juicy damson. Contrasting to the normal Burgaud's style, the structure here is rather mellow with moderate acidity and ripe, rather modest tannins. The finish is only medium in length with quite ripe, fruit-forward notes of dark plums, earth and a hint of stony minerality.

89/100

Summary: Overall this vintage is surprisingly easy and mellow in style – and not just for a Burgaud, but for a Morgon. The very warm vintage is very evident not just in the modest acidity and mellow tannins, but also in the sweet, almost raisined aromas. Although on the palate the wine is not as soft and sweet as the nose suggests, it is still feels a rather low point in this vertical. This is a thoroughly good high-quality Beaujolais, but still very far removed from the best vintages of Burgaud. It will probably age nicely and probably become more enjoyable with more age, but this is not a vintage I would age extensively.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2008

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A really difficult vintage plagued by rain, hailstorms and diseases. Due to the cool conditions, the grapes ripened very late and often not in a good condition. Wines made in this vintage demanded a lot of work in the vineyard and lots of grape sorting in order to do any high-quality wine. Good wines from this vintage are few.

Quite deep and dark color of cherry marmalade, showing rather little translucency. The fragrant nose feels quite cool, yet suggesting a lot of sweet notes with ripe red cherry on the fore, supported by sharper notes of tart red berries and some green herbs. Noticeably light and ethereal on the palate; I'd even call it delicate and elegant, were it not for the robust tannins and angular flavors of sour and also slightly sweet cherry, some tart cranberry notes and a hint of iron. The tannins are not as ample as they can be, but they feel unpolished with quite noticeable grip. The acidity is quite modest not only for Burgaud style but overall for a Morgon wine. The finish is rather reticent and medium in length with flavors of ripe red fruit, fragrant floral nuances and a little pepper-driven spiciness.

88/100

Summary: A very restrained example of Burgaud, yet showing some unpolished roughness despite its lithe body and understated expression. Perfectly enjoyable, but definitely not a good example of Burgaud's style: probably won't develop that nicely in the cellar, but will instead just fade away with years. Although the wine is not as tightly-knit as most Burgaud's Morgons are, the structure feels a bit unbalanced in relation to the fruit. A wine better enjoyed during the next few years.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2007

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A difficult vintage in Beaujolais with very cool conditions throughout the summer, reducing the yields under the average. However, the northern Cru regions fared a lot better with the warm and dry autumnal weather letting the grapes ripen fully, although very late.

Luminous dark ruby red color with moderate translucency. A fragrant and slightly developed, but also somewhat understated nose with aromas of dusty cherry, purple and dark berries, some sweeter cherry marmalade notes, a little meatiness and a hint of sappy green notes suggesting stemminess. Dry, quite full-bodied and rather acid-driven on the palate with focused and quite ripe flavors of ripe dark cherry, juicy red fruit, some herbal green notes, a little peppery spice and a hint of supple plummy fruit. Moderately pronounced, firm tannins. The finish is dry and rather taut with pronounced tannic grip, giving the aftertaste a bitter and slightly astringent feel, supported with acid-driven, tart flavors of lingonberries and cranberries with a slightly stemmy note of green wood.

91/100

Summary: Well, the difficult vintage shows here a little bit. Although there is good sense of ripeness to the fruit, the wine seems to suffer a bit from lack of focus and not altogether pleasant green notes peek through both in the nose and on the palate. Overall this is a very good and enjoyable Cru Beaujolais, but even with some bottle age it does not show that rough-hewn finesse of the best Burgaud reds. Probably will age nicely and develop further with age.

***

Burgaud Côte du Py 2006

• Tasted on: 15th of December, 2014

A very uneven vintage of extreme weathers. On average not a vintage considered to be that ageworthy, although many producers have produced tremendous wines that still are in their youth.

Translucent dark cherry color. Sweet, aromatic and fragrant nose that is the first of these vintages that actually is starting to show faint signs of age: aromas of ripe dark cherry, blue- and dark skinned berries, some stony dust, light and ever-so-slightly sweet hints of red fruit marmalade and prunes concentrated by the age, and a faint nuance of wild, slightly lifted aromatics. Medium-bodied on the palate and obviously very concentrated for a Beaujolais; the complex flavors are dominated by a rather pronounced bitter, mineral and somewhat spicy tone with layered fruit flavors of ripe cherry and lighter hints of dark fruit. The structure is quite firm with balanced, high acidity and ample tannins. Although the tannins feel rather mellow and resolved at first, they gain power on the palate, becoming very grippy and powerful. Overall the wine shows nice, chewy texture. The finish is quite long and almost mouth-puckering with its firm, grippy tannins and high-ish acidity that emphasizes the flavors of bitter spices and sour cherries and the underlying stony mineral hints.

94/100

Summary: A superb example of Burgaud's style that shows his wines apparently start hitting their stride only at the age of approximately 8 years. The wine is obviously still on its way up with a lot of further improvement, but the wine isn't as stern and forbidding as the young Burgaud's so easily are. The fruit, that is showing very balanced and not excessive ripeness, isn't choked down by the structure, but instead is in wonderful balance as the structure has resolved a bit. With also some slightly developed nuances showing as well this is one of the greatest Burgaud's Côte de Py wines I've had. Highly recommended, a great testament to the benefit of cellaring these Cru Bojos.

The wines, from 2006 to 2012.

I'm so very happy that the Beaujolais wines are regaining the recognition they deserve. For such a long time a great wine-drinking majority thought that Beaujolais was nothing but simple, juice-like swill that smells of banana candies; as this vertical here shows, the best wines of Beaujolais are anything but! Especially the best Cru Bojo wines (Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent are names you might want to remember, if you enjoy stern and structured reds) from the best producers – like Burgaud here – can be really impressive and cellar-worthy, easily comparable to the great Burgundy reds, although, with a completely different, local character altogether. So, if you previously had misconceptions about the region, the next time you see a Beaujolais wine on the shelves of a wine store, don't just think of it as a simple, easy-and-early-drinking little red. It might be one of those stern and structured beauties you should be filling your cellar with.