2022 Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco Langhe, Piedmont

Some fruit from Roncaglie goes into this wine, along with tidbits from other scattered Barolo vineyards. Aged for two years in large oak barrel, the Vietti 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco is not too far off from tasting and smelling like a full-fledged Barbaresco, or even a Barolo for that matter, since it does technically have the DNA of both. The fruit is delivered with fresh, vertical intensity, and the wine's texture is firm and tensile. I like this vintage more than I thought I would.

93 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco Langhe is one of the most compelling expressions of Nebbiolo made outside the Barolo DOCG, but the secret lies in where it comes from. The majority of the fruit is sourced from vineyards that are either declassified Barolo sites or planted just outside the official Barolo boundaries in the Langhe hills. Many of these plots lie in top-tier crus such as Bricco Boschis, Fossati, Ravera and Bussia, giving Perbacco a pedigree far beyond its humble Langhe designation.

The wine is made by Vietti’s winemaker and proprietor Luca Currado, who spent decades refining this label into what many call the “baby Barolo.” His approach is hands-on and traditional with a modern sensibility—grapes are carefully handpicked, fermented in stainless steel, and then matured in both large Slavonian oak casks and a selection of French barriques for around 24 months, mirroring the process used for the estate’s Barolo bottlings. Each year, Luca selects the barrels that are not quite destined for Barolo and bottles them under the Perbacco label, creating a wine that is complex, finely structured and unmistakably Nebbiolo.

In the glass, it is a pale garnet hue typical of Nebbiolo. The nose is aromatic and layered: rose petals, violet, cherry, raspberry, aniseed and tar, all mingling with savoury tones of tobacco and cedar. On the palate, it shows tension and finesse—vivid red fruits and orange peel underpinned by fresh acidity and firm, dusty tannins. The finish is long, elegant and earthy, hinting at truffle, leather and dried herbs as it evolves.

Perbacco is more than just an entry point to Nebbiolo; it’s a serious wine in its own right. It offers the aromatic nuance and structure of Barolo, but with a softer, more accessible touch in its youth. Perfect with braised lamb, porcini risotto, grilled duck or truffle pecorino, it also has the stuffing to age gracefully over 8 to 10 years.