Lalù Langhe Nebbiolo 2022

Organic. This vibrant, perfumed Nebbiolo is an equal-parts blend of two sites Lalù planted. The first site, Roncaglie in La Morra, is a plot of land that Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala bought in 2015 and planted in 2017. Looking towards Verduno, this parcel faces east at an altitude of 400 metres. It’s a cool, windy, slow-ripening site where the water-retentive clay soils play a significant role in drier years. The second source is Bussia Bovi, a sub-Cru within Monforte’s superstar Bussia MGA. Lalù’s parcel is 320 metres above sea level, in the south of Bussia, between Bricco San Pietro and the area historically known as Bussia Arnulfo. The soils here are rich in sand, giving a perfumed wine with supple fruit and great delicacy—the yin to Roncaglie’s yang.

In the cellar, the fruit was mostly destemmed, retaining as many whole berries as possible—a process that allows for a portion of semi-carbonic maceration to lift the wine’s aromatic finesse. The Bussia portion fermented and matured in concrete; Roncaglie also fermented in concrete, but this portion was aged in large oak foudre.

That both vineyards could be classified as Barolo (and Roncaglie will be from 2023) says a great deal about the quality. The combination of translucent fruit, succulent texture, and vibrant freshness across the palate is a delight. Right now, the wine’s array of red fruits, anise and sarsaparilla flavours are tightly coiled, so a decant is recommended if you’re in a hurry. If not, open a few hours before serving and enjoy the wine’s clarity, neat weave of tannin and fleshly personality.