Pizzini Nebbiolo 2012
No, it’s not from Piedmont.
That’s the Nebbiolo caveat. It’s the assumption that anything outside of the Langhe is ultimately inferior. I can only imagine how hard it is for winemaker’s making Nebbiolo anywhere else. A proper inferiority complex, not helped by wine writing pricks like me benchmarking against Barolo all the time. Asshole wine writers…
Anyway, this Pizzini is not shit. Not at all. In fact, you could close your eyes and imagine a warm vintage Barbaresco. Classic colour means you don’t even need to close your eyes either, with the orange edged red hue proper Neb.
One of the only criticisms lies on the nose – there is this caramel edge that suggests slightly cooked fruit, but I think it might also be oak sweetness. Anyway, it’s not a dealbreaker, as the red earth and cherry picks up behind it, before a lightly drying finish. They’re not life-altering tannins, but enough to keep you coming back for more. A suggestion of oak tannins echoes the nose too.
Strictly speaking, this is way too young to be a delightful drink, and the score reflects that. But that’s the point too – it’s Nebb-i-bloody-olo! Not some approachable Shiraz, dammit!
A great show of how far Nebbiolo has come in this country, even if you need to wait to drink it. Best drinking: 2020-2030+. 17.5/20, 91/100+. 13.5%, $55. Would I buy it? Can I have a bottle to open in a decade? I’d still buy basic Langhe for now, but in time this will reward.
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4 Comments
This is good to hear. Looking forward to tasting this.
My favourite experiences with Australian nebbiolo so far have generally come from wines intended to be less “serious”. It seems sometimes that the harder they try, the shorter they fall.
#saynotoreservewines
Agreed. Too much oak hobbles many reserve wines. Heck it’s the same with Barolo too.
I have not tasted much Nebbiolo previously but I really enjoyed a bottle I got from Lethbridge. I would certainly be interested in your take on this compared to the other Aussie wines that you reviewed, assuming that you have tasted it. I know that it was initially an experiment which will be continued.
I’ve had that Lethbridge Neb; the key difference is varietal intensity. Barbaresco has that part nailed, the Lethbridge is still a step behind. With more vine age it will get there though. Time is all it takes.