2021 Spanna in the Works Nebbiolo
Like many Italian varieties, Nebbiolo has several synonyms. In Northern Piemonte around Novara and Vercelli, it is called spanna. With my original plans to make Sangiovese scuppered, I thought an appropriate name was Spanna in the Works, as I had to rapidly change what I was doing in the winery. Purely by coincidence, the style of the wine had more in common with an example from Alto Piemonte than a wine from the Langhe.
Dried floral notes of wild herbs and rhubarb are aromatic and inviting. The palate leads with fresh raspberries and red cherries, the tannins are focused yet supple, and there is depth for days.
In 2017 it was my great fortune to be put in touch with Robert John, proprietor of Malakoff Estate Vineyard, and I ended up with some Nebbiolo. As Italy’s most lauded but most demanding variety, I was apprehensive but excited to work with the grape.
This is the third vintage for this wine and I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do.
Fruit was hand-harvested on the 29th of April, and completely de-stemmed. The fruit was split between a tank and a small fermenter, and fermentation started almost immediately with daily plunging to keep the cap moist. Once alcoholic fermentation was complete, the fermenter was drained directly into barrel and its skins were transferred to the tank which was sealed. It was pressed after six weeks on skins and transferred to mature Hungarian oak barriques. After an initial rack in late August, the wine was returned to freshly seasoned new 750L Slavonian oak casks, where it stayed until racking and bottling in February of the following year.
| Wine Region | Pyrenees |
|---|---|
| Pack Size | 6 Pack |
| Occasion | Sip |
| Wine Tags | Hand Harvested |
| Year | 2021 |
| Body | Medium |
| Grape Variety Description | Nebbiolo |
| Size | 750ml |
| Enable Enquiry | Default |
