2019 Fabio Zambolin Vallelonga Nebbiolo Coste della Sesia

Vallelonga is the flagship of this dingy-sized operation. It is indeed a small cantina but mighty, like its appellation. What is most striking about Nebbiolo grown in the soil of Lessona is its subtle and equally substantial aromas that are unlike any expression I’ve experienced with this varietal. It hits all the markers expected from Nebbiolo (rose, tar, anise and great structure) but here they transcend the weight and power of the Langhe with an angelic rise of elegance from the glass—especially whenever Northern Piedmont’s maestro enologist, Cristiano Garella, is involved. A very well-respected wine writer once mistakenly lumped Lessona into the mix of all of northern Piedmont Nebbiolo wines as “a rather less pure form than a great Barolo.” This oversight is easy to make if a Lessona is tasted next to its local brethren, or to a Barolo where it’s like putting a ballerina in the ring with a boxer.