2017 Attilio Ghisolfi Nebbiolo Langhe Piedmont 750 ml

Attilio Ghisolfi’s last appearance on the Wine Access stage was a bold and unforgettable one: a regal 2013 Barolo which earned a perfect five-star rating from our members. Following in the footsteps of their $55 Barolo is its stunning younger sibling, a fresh, ethereal Langhe Nebbiolo bargain that is sure to keep this streak alive.

Nebbiolo is Piedmont’s answer to Burgundy’s Pinot Noir. Its greatest incarnations have a pronounced purity of fruit, a sense of place, and are just flat-out delicious. And while Barolo may be Nebbiolo’s greatest expression, Langhe Nebbiolo doesn’t take years to come around and strut its best stuff. It’s a Nebbiolo priced and designed for everyday enjoyment, and Ghisolfi’s drinks way above its price point with wild strawberry, macerated cherry, and exotic spice.  

On the day we first tasted Ghisolfi’s Langhe Nebbiolo we were covered in dust, and grape juice stained our hands. It was harvest season in Langhe, and we were winding down a 12-hour day sorting fruit with some of our winemaker friends.

We were hot, thirsty, and famished, so we didn’t hesitate to accept an appertivo invitation with the harvest crew. In a whirlwind of activity, happy hour became dinner and a steaming pot of pasta with meat sauce suddenly appeared, and the noise of popping corks filled the kitchen. 

Bottles of Ghisolf’s 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo landed on both ends of the table, and we’ve been strategizing to get this bottle to our members ever since: We were stunned by its quality, value, and the absolute harmony between its spicy aromatics, just-picked cherry flavors, and firm, long-lasting tannins. 

We imagined the Ghisolfi family having many an evening like ours, especially in the company of their neighbors Elio Grasso and Giacomo Conterno, arguably the two greatest Nebbiolo masterminds in Piedmont whose wines can sell for hundreds of dollars per bottle. With such pedigree in their backyard, it makes the value proposition of the Ghisolfi’s Langhe Nebbiolo even more pronounced.

Despite their place among the Piedmont elite, the Ghisolfi family remains farmers at heart, and that mentality is translated with perfect clarity into this expressive, irresistible Nebbiolo—which makes it an absolute steal at this price.