80% Nebbiolo, 10% Vespolina, 10% Croatina

Le Pianelle:

This small northern Piedmont estate is a partnership between owners Dieter Heuskel and Peter Dipoli, talented local winemaker Cristiano Garella (pictured above), and viticulturist Andrea Zanetta. Beginning in 2004, Heuskel and Dipoli assembled more than fifty small parcels in Bramaterra, reviving historic vineyard land that had largely fallen into disuse. By 2007–08, they were able to realize their vision and plant the vineyards, primarily to Nebbiolo.

The vineyards sit on a hillside once renowned for its wines, with distinctive acidic soils of marine and volcanic sands that differ dramatically from those of Barolo and Barbaresco. These unique conditions give Nebbiolo a different expression: less tannic and lower in alcohol, yet vibrant with acidity and often approachable when young. The wines retain Nebbiolo’s unmistakable character while offering a fresh and compelling expression of northern Piedmont.

Region: Piedmont, Italy

Appellation: Coste della Sesia DOC

Farming: Practicing organic

Age of vines: 50% Planted in 2008, 50% planted in 1955

Typical Harvest Time: Last week of September

Maceration & Fermentation: The Nebbiolo is macerated for 25 days, the Croatina and Vespolina are macerated for 22. Fermented in open top wood fermenters with indigenous yeasts.

Aging: 18 months in 20+ hL wood barrels, 12 months in bottle

Finishing: No fining, filtering or cold stabilization

Production: 4,000 bottles annually