Cascina Val de Prete
Nebbiolo d'Alba
2023
Roero
Madonna della Grazie MGA
Nebbiolo 100%
12 Months
25 hl oak barrels
100%
Cranberry, Star Anise, Wild Strawberry, tobacco.
About
Cascina Val de Prete 2023 Nebbiolo d’Alba
Many foundational Nebbiolo are thin, pointy, and clearly an afterthought to the winery as they wait for vines to age into more depth. Here you see the same breadth of the Riserva, just in smaller portions. Bright but full red fruit, the tannins seem to sneak in the backdoor to rest after you think the finish has ended.
The differences from Roero to Piedmont are apparent here while more brooding than a Langhe Nebbiolo, there is an elegant lift that keeps this wine extremely approachable and easy to enjoy. Elevated with food, as all nebbiolo is, enjoy on a Tuesday when there are mushrooms on the menu.
Full fruit but medium on the palate, comfortably share this medium with friends to show them how enjoybale this classic varietal can be without breaking the bank.
Pairings
In a Pinch
Whole roast chicken and potatoes.
Deeper Dive
While having the body to stand up to classic Piemontese cuisine, the elegance and gentle tannin don’t need to have a menu built around them. Tannins are present but not dominant and plenty of acidity allows you to be playful. Most any food you would pair with a pinot you can try here, knowing there is going be a little more but not too much assertiveness coming out of the glass. Roast poultry, winter charcuterie spread, have some fun with this one.
Pairing Scale
This is a general guide to give you an idea where this wine falls in a spectrum of dish complexities.
Steer Clear
Light and simple dishes such as fish will be lost here. Anything spicy will run head on into the tannin, leaving an unpleasant bitterness to both the wine and the dish.
Cheeses
Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese
Country: Any
Animal: Cow
Type: Strong, funky
Texture: Creamy
Rind: Edible
Style: Full-bodied, tangy
Gruyere
Gruyere
Country: Switzerland
Animal: Cow
Type: Hard
Texture: Dense
Rind: Edible
Style: Salty, sweet, earthy
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Soft
Texture: Crumbly
Rind: Edible
Style: Sharp, nutty
Recipe Ideas
Service
Which glasses?
Go with large Burgundy glasses if you have them, otherwise all-purpose works just fine.
Should I decant this?
Why "Yes"?
Tannic and acidic red wines benefit from oxygen exposure to bring out the secondary and tertiary flavors. While delicious out of the bottle this wine has layers to be discovered, especially if opened within five years of productions.
How long?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Serving Temp
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
Aging
When should I open this?
If a wine has been released by the producer and is available for sale, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2025 – 2034
Producer
ABOUT US
About Val del Prete
Cascina Val Del Prete is a leading grower in Roero, recognized for a commitment to natural farming and for traditional work in the cellar, utilizing techniques such as long maceration.
This type of farming and cellar work requires incredible commitment, but the resulting wines achieve another level of detail and age-worthiness that is quite simply lost or minimized with more modern techniques that tend to rush processes along. 20 to 30 years ago the family was chastised by their neighbors for their painstaking approach – today, some of the most respected names in Piedmont and of the “terroir driven,” wine scene speak highly of their work.
