Excellent Value “Barolo”

I have often told people looking for value Barolo or Barbaresco to buy one now (and wait 10-20 years), or look elsewhere. Sorry but many believe this expression of Nebbiolo is built for aging and needs much time to soften.

However…if you like the Nebbiolo grape here are some lesser known (less expensive) varietal alternatives:

Roero DOCG- Minimum 95% Nebbiolo

Gattinara DOCG– Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (locally Spanna); maximum 10% Uva Rara; maximum 4% Vespolina

Ghemme DOCG– Minimum 85% Nebbiolo (locally Spanna); maximum 15% Uva Rara and/or Vespolina.

Some other Piedmont regions to look for on the label:

*Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC– 100% Nebbiolo (best pure Nebbiolo value)

Langhe DOC– Nebbiolo labeled- Minimum 85% Nebbiolo

Alba DOC– 70–85% Nebbiolo; 15–30% Barbera; maximum 5% other reds

Some others from Lombardy:

Valtellina Superiore DOCG– Minimum 90% Nebbiolo

Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG– Minimum 90% Nebbiolo

best value for drinking now- Valtellina Rosso/Rosso di Valtellina DOC- Minimum 90% Nebbiolo

Here is a beauty of the Langhe that I discovered at the Wine Cellar, visiting a friend in Red Bank, NJ- Villa die Ladri (House of Thieves)- 80% Nebbiolo and 20% Barbera.