Alto Piemonte - Villa Guelpa and others
Alto Piemonte - Villa Guelpa and others
We love Alto Piemonte here at Chambers Street because of its really interesting geology, history, and wine production. It’s heyday stretched from the 17th century until the early 20th century, ceasing after two world wars, phylloxera, and industrialization around the Sesia River. There are about 700 hectares under vine, down from 40,000 in the region’s prime- all the more reason to continue drinking the wines and talking about the area!
The explosion of a super volcano hundred of millions of years ago left this area with its volcanic soils. Then at the end of the last Ice Age, melting and shifting glaciers carved out slopes exposing iron rich soils with high pH. The acidic soils, high altitude, and swing between warm days and cool nights all create perfect growing conditions for Spanna, the local name for Nebbiolo.
After World War II, the textile industry exploded. Understandably, lots of folks abandoned their vines to engage in the newer opportunities of the area. The soils are so poor and acidic that vines grow slowly, roots have to dig deeper to find nutrients, and fruit yields are low. While these characteristics may have felt like impossible constraints while the world was rapidly industrializing, we understand now that these are desirable conditions which lead to tension and complexity in wine. Now we are seeing a revival, farmers working on the interesting and varied soils with a respect for the history and tradition of the region.
Today we are featuring six wines, spanning the sub-regions of Gattinara, Boca, Lessona, Sizzano, and Coste delle Sesia.
-Marisa Licandro
Sperino 2021 Uvaggio Coste Della Sesia Rosso
The De Marchi family operates their Lessona based estate focusing on sustainable farming and traditional winemaking techniques. Their Coste della Sesia is a blend of parcels from Bramaterra and Lessona, striking a beautiful balance in the wine. The profile leans...
$36.99
Bianchi 2016 Gattinara DOCG Vigneto Valferana
Vigneto Valferana is a single vineyard in Gattinara. Dried cherry, leafy, woodsy, a touch of smoke and potpourri. Definitely drinking well now, but still enough tannins to suggest further aging is possible.
$38.99
Villa Guelpa 2020 Lessona
100% Nebbiolo from 20 year-old vines on sandy gravel, with some clay in the soil. What separates this wine from fine Barolo is the suave elegance of the tannins - they are more subtle and refined than just about anything...
$44.99
Villa Guelpa 2020 Boca
Boca is one of the new vineyard sites for Daniele Dinoia, proprietor of Villa Guelpa. Quite subtle and restrained tannins with pretty and open aromatics. Cherry, raspberry, blood orange, rose petal, and pepper.
$44.99
Villa Guelpa 2020 Sizzano
70% Nebbiolo, and 30% Vespolina from Sizzano's sandy glacial rock soils. 24 months of barrel aging and subsequent aging in bottle. Cherry, rose, anise, cocoa, sandalwood, spice and tar.
An incredible value for a wine with true sense of place!
$29.99
