2018 Le Pianelle Bramaterra [V96]

Producer: Le Pianelle 
Region: Piedmont, Italy 
Blend: 80% Nebbiolo, 10% Croatina and 10% Vespolina 
Year: 2018   

Vinous, 96 Points 

"The 2018 Bramaterra is captivating from the very first taste. Sweet, perfumed and almost intoxicatingly beautiful, the 2018 possesses striking inner sweetness and huge depth, marrying power and elegance to a degree I have not seen in previous vintages. As alluring as the 2018 is today, it is most certainly a wine to put away for at least a handful of years. I especially admire its explosive energy. This is the first vintage made with stems, about 35%. Drink 2025-2036." 

Winemaker Notes: 

"This Bramaterra shows some of the wiry structure typical of the appellation, but also a broad range of generous flavors (tobacco-leaf, sandalwood, red fruits); it is ripe but also very fresh in acidity, a hallmark of this region, age-worthy but drinkable when young too. If you love Nebbiolo you should try it. This Bramaterra is a bottling of only the best barrels from their vineyard." 

About the Producer: 

"Cristiano Garella is a leading winemaker in this area with a number of vintages under his belt. His style is clean but transparent, his goal being to maximize the native character and flavors from this very distinctive Nebbiolo terroir.  If you love Nebbiolo you should try it. Lovers of Barolo/Barbaresco will have noticed that Bramaterra is typically blended with Vespolina and Croatina, whereas B/B are always 100% Nebbiolo. Croatina gives deeply colored, fairly tannic wines with tea-leaf and red berry notes; Vespolina is medium to dark red in color, and shows very distinctive bright berry and herbal notes. Ian d’Agata describes Vespolina as ‘one of Italy’s best grape varieties,’ high praise from this expert. Vespolina has great promise as a varietal wine in its own right. Cristiano says that he does blending trials of these wines with and without the Vespolina and Croatina, and always prefers the traditional blend. This Bramaterra is a bottling of only the best barrels from their vineyard."  

Alcohol: 13.5% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ than pictured.