All the things I want from Nebbiolo. Pietro’s wines are such perfect homages to Italian wines, I forget these are from the Kelsey bench in Lake County. This wine has a nose of raspberries, cranberries, maderized cherries and cinnamon. Medium bodied with structure and finesses, this wine is made to age and would benefit from a few hours of decanting if drinking now.
This particular bottling is one barrel from 2017, five from 2018, and four from 2019, yielding freshness, fruit, and a bit of age. Aged in neutral French and Hungarian oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered (vegan).
200 cases produced
Prima Materia Nebbiolo
$40.00
From Pietro: “Oh Nebbiolo. That most fickle of grapes. A hundred times more difficult than Pinot Noir in the vineyard, and bizarre in the cellar. Frustrating and maddening in California. We can find a few fun and charming Nebbioli out of the 40 or so California bottlings from diverse, altitude-heavy locations such as Amador, west-side Paso, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, and a couple other places. But profound, Barolo-esque Nebbiolo in California can be counted on only one hand however, and consistency is really nonexistent. Such is the maddening and wonderous nature of Nebbiolo.
We planted 100 of these vines in 2010 and then 300 in 2011. 3 different clones on three different rootstocks were randomized for planting, the exact opposite of our Sangiovese approach. The trellis is extra-tall to manage Nebbiolo’s famous 15’-long canes and crazy growth which never provides enough shade it seems. Fruit thinning and handwork is non-stop. After church, go work your Nebbiolo vines. It is also the first vine to grow in the spring, meaning that it is extremely susceptible to frost. It is also very late ripening, meaning potential rains and the general risks of a thin-skinned grape surviving weather extremes when only thick-skinned and more durable grapes are still hanging on.”