An Olympian grape, at affordable prices

TASTING NOTES
We assembled a range of 20 nebbiolos from various regions, including several suggestions from Chambers Street’s Jamie Wolff. A few were standouts; several more were decent, solid wines. But others were faulty or lacked flavor. Nebbiolo can be an unforgiving wine, so shop wisely. My seven picks:

Bruno Giacosa 2003 nebbiolo d’Alba (Winebow, $32): A quintessential effort from one of the masters of Barolo. Perfectly concentrated, with a powerful punch of dried raspberry, roasted cherry, sweet herbs and mint, a leathery middle and a long, slightly tarry finish. Slow to open up, but then it’s graceful and strong.

Pasquero Bruno 2001 nebbiolo d’Alba “Vignadogna” (PGM Wines, $20): Rich and focused, with dark fruit and hints of chamomile and hazelnut skin. A bit tannic up front, and meant for food, but tapers to a smooth, tactile finish. Hard to find, but worth it.

Sandro Fay 2001 Valtellina Superiore “Ca Moréi” (Vitis Imports, $30): This patriarch winemaker, a former mayor of his native town of San Giacomo di Teglio, has ushered his son and daughter into the family business.  Heady and aromatic, with violets, dried herbs, sour strawberry and a slightly tart, tinny quality. It’s got a lovely richness in its core, though, with strong mineral undertones and a warm caramel note at the end.

Poderi Colla 2002 nebbiolo d’Alba (Empson, $18): An interesting effort from a relative newcomer to the region, that makes the best of the horrid 2002 vintage. Up front, it’s delicate and finely earthy, with lush cherry and tart strawberry, all leading to a slightly tannic, acrid finish. Another bottle revealed vegetal off notes on the nose, though.

Travaglini 2000 Gattinara (Palm Bay Imports, $22): Giancarlo Travaglini may be Gattinara’s biggest booster, with a keen eye for marketing — right down to his odd-shaped bottle, which vaguely resembles a molten trapezoid with a neck. This basic effort is balanced and smooth, with a firm backbone and a solid mineral finish. A good example of northern Piedmont nebbiolo.

Andrea Oberto 2003 nebbiolo Langhe (Domaine Select, $24): From a family-run winery with vineyard holdings in the towns of Barolo and nearby La Morra. This declassified effort is punchy and dense, with pleasing floral overtones and a rounded finish.

Vietti 2001 nebbiolo Langhe “Perbacco” (Remy Cointreau, $20): One of the region’s preeminent Barolo producers, the Vietti family’s winemaking splits the difference between modern and traditional. They produce this affordable second label nearly every year. This hot vintage brings ripe red fruit woven with hints of dry earth, and fine tannins on the finish.

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