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I came to the North Sierra Foothills 25 years ago for the express purpose of growing central and southern Italian wine grape varietals. The soils here are primarily composed of clay and decomposed (often times, not so decomposed) igneous rock, very much like what you’d find if you dug a hole in the ground just about anywhere in central and southern Italy. For this very reason I’ve had an, at best, ambivalent relationship with Nebbiolo. I started working with it about 15 years ago, at Julianne’s insistance. My second ever Nebbiolo won Best of Class at the California State Fair (another winemaker, well known for working with Nebbiolo, sent me a two word email…”Beginners Luck”). It has been a very popular wine here at Montoliva. My ambivalence stems from the fact that I don’t grow it myself, and likely never will. I just don’t think it will grow well here. And it has always been my goal to grow all of my own fruit, here in Chicago Park.

This release marks what is in all probability, my last ever Nebbiolo. The vineyard I had been getting the fruit from changed hands and the new owners are not producing the quality of fruit that my guy did. Who knows, maybe I’ll plant a few rows, see how it does, if it does well plant some more, have another Nebbiolo release in about ten to twelve years.

This vintage is somewhat lighter in color than most California Nebbiolos, almost bordering on being “rose-ish”. As often happens with Nebbiolo, its light color is deceiving, this wine has the body, mouthfeel and complex flavor profile of a high-end Pinot Noir. Bright cherry on the nose, moderately dry in the finish (just a hint of chalk and cedar), and noticeable bright cherry in the mid-palate. Silver Medal ~ 2025 Orange County Wine Competition

As with many things related to Italian wine varietals, no one really knows how the Piedmonte grape Nebbiolo got its name. One theory is that it is related to a dense fog that is prevalent during fall harvest season in the Langhe region where much of Nebbiolo is grown (fog in Italian is “nebbia”). I prefer the idea that it comes from the Italian for “Nobile”, meaning Noble. Nebbiolo is a notoriously hard grape to grow well. That there are only 155 acres of it grown in California is testament that not too many vineyardists even try.