www.tenutesella.it
Sella is a new addition and one which I have no doubt will quickly find favour with those looking for an Alpine expression of Nebbiolo. The roots of the Sella family in northern Piemonte date back to 600 AD but it was more than a millennia later before Comino Sella purchased a small vineyard in what is now Lessona DOC. Further acquisitions took the family’s holdings to 22 ha from which they produce 90,000 bottles. The peculiarity of this part of Italy is the soil. The Alpine moraines that trickle down to the fertile plains of the Po have a remarkably low pH: 4.3 in Lessona. This confers an elegant minerality that was prized long before Barolo and Barbaresco became the standard-bearers for Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo from here sports delicate red fruit and a peerless balance of acidity and tannin that encourages lengthy development in bottle.
As much as I admire the poise of the Lessona I am more often seduced by the overtly fruity charms of what is perhaps the ultimate Nebbiolo Rosato: Majoli. 50% of the must is bled from the Grand Vin; the other half is direct pressed from Nebbiolo that has macerated on the skins for 48 hours at 4 degrees. For a grape that is usually so slow to surrender its colour this has a wonderful mid-salmon hue and delicious notes of strawberry, currant, cranberry and pomegranate. Casteltorto is a swaggering ‘uvaggio’ crafted from 65% Nebbiolo with 35% Croatina for colour and 5% Vespolina for aroma. Although it sees a year in large Slavonian botte it’s designed for early consumption.
The other two reds are much more serious. The Bramaterra is sourced from a hill rich in porphyr, the tough old volcanic stone found high in the Alto Adige and long used as a flooring material. This decomposed red sand lends a rich and workmanlike character to the Bramaterra (70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina, 10% Vespolina) that a year in 1000 L barrels just starts to soften. Rich, aromatic and with beautiful phenolic maturity it is the mid-point between the muscularity of the Langhe and the elegance of the Colline Novarese. The last word in finesse, however, must go to the Lessona sourced from a vineyard planted at 300 m on the yellow marine sands that dominate this small moraine. Standing in the heart of this vineyard that has been in continuous production since 1671 it’s easy to see why the grapes are capable of such brilliance. Sun-drenched with a perfect southern exposure the gnarled vines of Nebbiolo and Vespolina (20%) are more than half a century old. The harvest is entirely by hand in the first half of October and the wine stays for 22 days on the skins before ageing for 24 months in 25 hl botte. Subtle, elegant yet structured with layers of flavour this vies with Monprivato as the most compelling example of Nebbiolo on our list.
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