By cork
One of the venerable names in Italian wine production, VIETTI has been around since the early 1900s and has established a reputation that has never waned as one of the finest wineries from the Piedmont region. Their specialty is with a grape called Nebbiolo, which is used in the prestigious wine made from the communes of Barolo and Barbaresco. The 2010 Nebbiolo Perbacco comes from vineyard parcels throughout Barolo and serves as a terrific introduction to the magic of the grape without paying the upscale prices for a bottle officially designated as a Barolo wine. When needing Italianate flair to an occasion, this is a go-to wine, with its beautifully rendered light ruby color and nose of violets and flavor steeped in notes of red cherry, pomegranate and white pepper, as well as a touch of bacon fat. As with almost all Italian red wines, you’ll want to let the bottle sit for while and wait at least four years after the vintage date before uncorking (short compared to the ten years typically needed for Barolo or Barbaresco to reach maturity). It’s a powerful and energetic wine while young, but time brings out its fruit and aromatic essence, and an even balance is achieved that’s striking in its richness, purity and articulation. The truth behind the cliche “wines are better with age” is actually quite subjective. The question that matters is, how long should one wait in order for the wine to provide a truly delightful experience? Thankfully, the Nebbiolo Perbacco doesn’t make you wait too long to experience the truth. –J.M.
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