Nebbiolo from Roero, bursting with liquorice, coffee and dark chocolate, with powerful grippy tannins

Another fantastic wine from Paolo Demarie, a third-generation winemaker from Piedmont. This wine is much less expensive than its big brothers, Barolo asnd Barbaresco, which are made from the same grape. I found this Nebbiolo wine to be really complex, with powerful aromas of liquorice, dried blackberry, dried rose petals, dark chocolate and leather. To be honest, I’d expect such complexity from a more expensive wine. No wonder it received pretty decent reviews and awards (listed below). I’d say this wine is made in an “open style” – showing the full force of Nebbiolo with its grippy tannins, while also offering fresh fruity flavours. In addition, it shows development and some tertiary notes, such as dried flowers, dried fruits and leather.

Paolo’s vineyard is in Vezza d’Alba in Roero, just fifteen minutes north of Alba. The Demarie Giovanni family has been working this land for three generations, respecting the local nature and harvesting grapes by hand. The wine’s made in a new cellar, which was built in 2013. It’s designed to be eco-sustainable: modern materials help to prevent heat loss, leading to an A+ energy rating. Electricity is produced by solar panels on the roof, and a biomass boiler. All water used in the winemaking, is recycled – it passes through three levels of filtration, and afterwards is used to water plants around the building.

Tasting notes

In the glass, this Nebbiolo has a medium garnet colour. It has pronounced aromas of liquorice, juniper and strawberry, underpinned by notes of dark chocolate, espresso, dried blackberry, dried rose petals and leather. In the mouth, this wine is dry, with a high level of alcohol and a full body – and very powerful, grippy tannins (it’s still quite young for Nebbiolo). It’s bursting with the taste of fresh strawberries, coffee, chocolate, and dried flowers, with an excellent long finish.

Wine Geek’s Verdict

This wine has a lot to offer for its price point. While it offers a pronounced intensity of aroma and taste, it also shows the tipicity of Nebbiolo and the terroir of Roero. To me, it’s teetering between “very good” and “outstanding”. So please decide for yourself, but I’m keeping a few bottles for my private consumption…

Ageing potential

Five years

Awards

The WineHunter – Rosso (2015 vintage) | I Vini Di Veronelli – 2 stars | Luca Maroni – 93 points (2017 vintage)