Never thought a Nebbiolo outside of Italy would leave such an impression. Such a good wine.
WINE DETAILS:
- Grape: Nebbiolo
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- Wine: Nebbiolo
- Vintage: 2012
- Winery: Horton Vineyards
- Location: Virginia, United States
- Date: 12/28/20
- Local Distributor: N/A
Curious Synonyms: Spanna, Picoutener, Chiavennasca.
Nerd Alert: Ampelographers believe that Nebbiolo is indigenous to the Piedmont region, though there is some DNA evidence to suggest that it could have originated in the Valtellina area of northern Lombardy, just to the east. The first explicit mention of Nebbiolo dates to 1268, in which a wine known as “nibiol” was described as growing in Rivoli near Turin. Nebbiolo is one of Virginia’s best kept secrets. It is grown very selectively throughout the Commonwealth, and requires a long growing season to develop the high tannins and complex flavors which, combined with its high acidity, mean this wine is built to age.
Personal Note: I love curveballs. I do that a lot during blind tastings. Not out of being mean but because the exercise of messing with one’s assumptions creates an alert state upon tasting that keeps one on edge. Now I know this grape makes some of the most wonderful wines in Italy and I could have gone with any Barolo or Barbaresco from the large number of labels available in the island but…I threw myself a curveball. I’m a firm believer that the East Coast of the United States is due it’s recognition time. I just so happened to have this bottle stored in the back end of my cellar from a business trip my wife had a few years back in Virginia and I asked her to pick me some local wines. This wine is from Gordonsville, VA which if my geography lessons serve me right, falls under the Monticello AVA in Central Virginia. A place declared in the late 1800’s, the “Capitol of the Eastern Wine Belt.” Funny curious note. This town, other than the AVA, is located in a region of the state called Piedmont. How is that for full circle happenstance?
#roadto500grapes #wines #winelovers #singlevarietal #singlevarietalwines #nebbiolo #winetime #redwine #hortonvineyards #gordonsvillevirginia #monticelloava #centralvirginiawine #virginiawines #unitedstateswine #spanna #picoutener #chiavennasca
*Sources for the wine facts are from: Wine Searcher, Wikipedia, Vivino, wine.com, and the wineries websites.
