Renzo Castella, Langhe Nebbiolo “Madonnina” Cheap

Renzo Castella, Langhe Nebbiolo “Madonnina”

This is as good a time as any to reveal one way you can game our system to your advantage: When you see a “Langhe Nebbiolo” offered on SommSelect, grab it. It’s the same strategy I’d apply to the “Bourgogne Rouge” wines you see here: There are a lot of them out there, but we’re constantly sifting through the mass in search of category-busters like today’s wine from Renzo Castella. These are the stealth bombers in the SommSelect arsenal, wines that hide behind generic-seeming labels and modest price tags but blow you away once the cork is pulled.

And with Langhe Nebbiolo especially, the tendency to over-achieve is built in: Most of the time, we’re talking about grapes grown in the same vineyards that produce Barolo and Barbaresco, and even a “little brother” to a Barolo or Barbaresco is going to be more wine than nine out of 10 reds it goes up against—especially at this price point! Renzo Castella’s nuanced 2018 is just such a wine: a “baby” Barolo that is, in fact, all grown up. It’s got all the aromatic complexity we expect from the Nebbiolo grape, wrapped in a brighter, less tannic package—meaning we can enjoy it now, and often, rather than waiting for those tannins to soften. In short, this is all the pleasure of Barolo with none of the pain. If there’s a better red wine scenario than that, I’ve yet to see it!

In Renzo Castella’s case, we’re talking about an artisan producer of Barolo and other Piedmontese specialties whose vineyard parcel for this wine sits right on the edge of Serralunga d’Alba, the village that contains some of the most prized Barolo real estate of all. The Castella winery is headquartered in Diano d’Alba, a portion of which falls within the Barolo DOCG boundaries, and in addition to Nebbiolo, Castella is well-known for wines from the (criminally underrated) Dolcetto grape. Renzo Castella’s grandfather, Severino, first established the family arm in Diano in the early 1900s. There, the Castella clan grew grapes and assorted fruit and bred livestock. As global demand for Piedmontese wine increased in the latter 20th century, Severino’s son, Simone, wisely navigated the family farm toward wine grapes, carefully purchasing new vineyards and slowly developing new parcels. Simone ultimately assembled a modest estate of around 10 hectares, with six devoted to Dolcetto, two to Barbera, and the remainder to Nebbiolo—all of which was sold off to neighboring producers. But, in the early 2000s, Simone’s son, Renzo, an educated and deeply skilled winemaker, took the reins and pivoted production from fruit sales to estate-bottled wines. 

In the two decades since, Renzo has earned a reputation as one of Diano’s most gifted and consistent—if understated—talents. While his wines sell out every vintage, riding a high tide of accolades in the Italian press, the man himself cuts a far quieter figure. Renzo has no flashy website, no tasting room…only a small stone cellar that shares a driveway with the home of his parents. This is a true farm-to-table wine and exactly what a Langhe Nebbiolo should be—it is the perfect size, without the heavy tannin-and-oak imprint of a young Barolo but instead a pure, unadorned look at the Nebbiolo variety in all its aromatic glory. There’s a palpable connection to the earth in this wine—a clear message that this wine was “grown,” not “made.” However much of a cliché that may be, it doesn’t make it less true!  

This ’18, having had some time to knit together and mellow, has a classic core of dark cherry fruit that ties everything together, along with textbook rose, violet, and white pepper aromas. Then there are subtle sage, menthol, and nutmeg notes that reveal themselves with time. It’s not an explosive, muscular wine, because it isn’t designed to be—and, as is the case with all the best Langhe Nebbiolo bottlings, you don’t miss the extra weight. Producers and drinkers of Nebbiolo alike have come to realize that bigger isn’t necessarily better, especially as rising global temperatures push alcohol levels ever higher in wines that don’t need it. The elegant balance of fruit/earth/acid/tannin is what will preserve this wine over time if you choose to cellar some, but the impatient among us will be rewarded handsomely as well: Decant this 30-60 minutes before enjoying at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems, ideally in between bites of lamb chops scottadito. But, especially at such a modest price, the smartest move a Nebbiolo lover can make is to purchase a case. This is your Nebbiolo insurance policy, ready for action at a moment’s notice. Enjoy!