Diego Conterno - Nacsetta, Langhe, Italy (2023)

TASTING NOTES

Aromas of citrus and pineapple and distinct herbal notes of sage and rosemary. Medium-bodied, a wine that is at once both rich and yet fresh, and lively.

A selection from two estate vineyards in Monforte d’Alba: Ferrione (on a hillside facing west/southwest) and Ginestra (facing east). Altitude ranges from 440m to 460m, on a mix of clay and limestone marl. Nascetta is rare, however it is believed to be the Langhe’s true indigenous white grape.

The juice spends two days on the skins and is then fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tank. Malolactic conversion is blocked, before ageing for six months in tank.

Nascetta is a once-obscure white grape variety from Novello, a tiny hill-top village in Barolo. Once nearly extinct, winemaker Elvio Cogno is largely heralded as re-discovering patches of its vines and recultivating it. Today, about 40 hectares of Nascetta are being worked by a handful of Langhe producers, including bossanova favourite, Diego Conterno.

Working out of their winery on the outskirts of the town of Monforte d'Alba, which overlooks a number of their vineyards, Diego and Stefano employ superb farming techniques and traditional methods for their wines. In the vineyards, they work organically and entirely by hand, tending each parcel carefully and methodically.