WINE OF THE WEEK - 2018 Renato Ratti Langhe Nebbiolo Ochetti

In my life, at this present moment, there are kids running around and screaming at each other and needing to get to this appointment and that sports session (and of course, school) all day long - and every day - it seems. So, I must be brief. There is a hockey tryout to get to after all…..and dinner must be served first….oh, and the puppy needs to go out too!….

Ok, but enough about my life. Surely, you don’t care and I don’t blame you. You’re here to read about wine after all! Believe me, it’s definitely a far more enjoyable topic than my hectic life ;-)

So - for this week’s Wine Wednesday pick, I bought a bottle because it had a soldier on it. No, I’m not kidding. But I am not telling the whole entire truth either. The solider is cute, yes….stately almost….but the wine is supposed to be really good too, based on what I’ve read. So, I thought I’d review it myself and see if I too would give it a stamp of approval.

And with that, let’s get into this week’s pick!

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2018 Renato Ratti Langhe Nebbiolo Ochetti

This week’s wine comes from Piedmont, Italy and more specifically, from an area very close to the Barolo DOCG region therein. While the Barolo DOCG is world renowned for high quality, deeply intriguing and incredibly age-worthy wines, the Langhe, where this wine comes from, is a source of more accessible wines that are actually enjoyable when they are young. This week’s wine is a fine example of a young drinking Nebbiolo.

What does this wine cost?

$27/bottle.

Where does this wine come from?

This wine comes from the Langhe region, which is to the northwest of the Barolo production area. The vineyards from which this wine is sourced are located around one of the central towns of the Langhe region, named La Morra. La Morra is surrounded by hills that arose through the rising of the sea bed and the soils here are clay and sand and rich in limestone which makes for lively and elegant wines.

La Morra borders another perhaps more well known area for Langhe Nebbiolo, namely Alba….often seen on labels as Langhe D’Alba. Interesting, La Morra is also part of the Barolo DOCG! Confusing stuff, for sure! If you want to know more, read this fascinating article about La Morra.

Why is this wine unique?

I love Langhe Nebbiolo because it is an affordable option for getting into Nebbiolo when you don’t have the funds (or frankly, the patience) or care to spend the big bucks on more famous expressions of Nebbiolo such as Barolo and Barbaresco. But don’t be fooled - you can get some age-worthy examples still….and that too, at a song.

I find these wines to be light, structured, sophisticated and seriously underrated. I suspect more and more people will get into Langhe Nebbiolo in the years to come, because these wines are just that good.

On top of this, the producer of this wine is a benchmark producer in the region. Though they are most famous for their Barolos, I think their pedigree rubs off on whatever they do. More about this in the section below.

Who makes this wine?

Renato Ratti is undoubtedly a huge name in the broader Barolo region, known for producing excellent wines in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The original founder of the winery, Renato himself, is largely credited with being part of the founding and detailed outlining of the Barolo DOCG and was a real mover and shaker in terms of establishing Piedmont on the world stage.

Today, the estate is run by his son and is spread over 35 acres of land, some of it considered to be the best that the Barolo area has to offer. Click here to learn more about Renato Ratti.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Variety - 100% Nebbiolo

Soil Type - sand and limestone

Vinification - destemmed and crushed; thermo-controlled vinification at 30 degrees; maceration time = 7-10 days; aged for one year prior to release

ABV - 14%

Residual Sugar - 4 g/L

This wine is a part of the “Little Soldier” series of this winery.

My tasting notes:

With the first vintage of this wine made in 1969, and the fame of the producer that is behind it, this wine reflects character and finesse that is commensurate with pedigree. It is smooth and cool, with good fruit notes but also a lean-back, laid-back vibe that says it is not trying too hard. A very light, almost brick-brown colour in the glass, the wine gives off typical aromas (for Nebbiolo) of raspberries, strawberries, pomogranate, forest floor and light florals on the nose. On the palate, it is vibrant and has a very clean and long finish and a lightness that could be compared to the footfall of a ballerina. It’s not the most groundbreaking or jaw-dropping Langhe Nebbiolo that I’ve ever tasted but it is a very solid choice nonetheless.

Aging potential:

3-5 years

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Pair this wine with pasta or poultry. The winery recommends pairing it with red meat off the grill but I’m less sure that it has the weight to hold its own against heavier pieces of meat.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 90 points

A very enjoyable mid-week sipper that is elegant and refined but still shows nice complexity. If you’re a fan of Italian wines, or wines with good acidity, you can’t go wrong with this one.

If you’re located in Ontario, you can find this wine at the LCBO under Product #475913.

FINAL VERDICT:

Langhe Nebbiolo is where it’s at, folks, and this is a really nice example that I think most people will enjoy. If you do get it, be sure to buy more than just one bottle!

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)

Cheers!

XOXO

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