When one thinks of nebbiolo, the mind almost instinctively wanders to the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, to the mists that lend their name to the grape, and to those age-worthy wines that have graced restaurant menus and captured the hearts of collectors. Yet, what few remember—and many are unaware of—is that nebbiolo did not originate in the gentle slopes of Langhe, but rather further north, at the foothills of the Alps, where the air is crisper and the soils hold even older tales.
The area we refer to is Alto Piemonte, a rugged and majestic region that was once a vinicultural powerhouse. However, by the late 19th century, industrialisation swept away that splendour. Vineyards were abandoned, families emigrated, and the hills became cloaked in forests... and forgotten. Today, scarcely five percent of the land once planted with nebbiolo remains.
But there are those who refuse to let this story end in silence.
One of them is Carlo Colombera, who in 1992 purchased a dilapidated farmhouse in Lessona along with two hectares of vineyard. What began as an act of intuition has, over the years, transformed into one of the most vibrant wineries in Alto Piemonte. Together with his son Giacomo and the young oenologist Cristiano Garella, they have taken the helm of the project with a clear mission: to restore alpine nebbiolo to its rightful place. And indeed, they are succeeding admirably.
One of their most captivating wines is Colombera & Garella Lessona Crose, crafted exclusively from nebbiolo grown in their own vineyards in the municipality of Lessona, at 350 metres above sea level, upon ancient marine sand soils. The viticulture is respectful and natural, employing compost and biodynamic preparations, with no herbicides or synthetic pesticides.
The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed, and undergo classic fermentation, without temperature control, with pump-overs and délestage, as was done in the past. The wine ages for two years in large 2,500-litre barrels, and then rests for a few more months in cement tanks, where it completes its refinement and integration.
The result is a nebbiolo of a different voice. Colombera & Garella Lessona Crose does not seek to compete with Barolo—nor does it need to. It speaks another dialect, more austere, more mineral, more direct. It is an elegant, subtle expression, deeply connected to the place from which it originates.