Fletcher Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 2022

Product Information:

This 100% Nebbiolo comes from two noble sites of northern Italy - Barbaresco, Scaparoni and Monta in Roero. It a rich, yet fresh take on the region's 'entry-level' Nebbiolo, more than capable of running with the established names in the region. Packed with varietal character, it’s a real pleasure to drink, modern and lively in style, vibrant and straight up delicious. 

Stylistically, David Fletcher's Langhe Nebbiolo is changing, maturing even, as he incorporates more Barbaresco fruit into the blend. It used to be 100% Roero fruit and called Nebbiolo d’Alba because of zoning classifications. But in recent years, David's been incorporating/blending with fruit from his own Barbaresco vineyards that’s essentially changed the name to Langhe Nebbiolo because it you can’t call it Nebbiolo d’Alba if you’re getting fruit in the Barbaresco zone.

Roero is famous for Nebbiolo because of it’s sandier soil that make the wines are more approachable. But the intention is to move over to Barbaresco to reflect the Barbaresco Crus. The Barbaresco zone it’s produced from brings in more complexity, more structure, making this blend more serious than just the classical 100% Roero style. So you’ll see that evolution over the next few years as we develop a greater percentage of Barbaresco coming into the Langhe Nebbiolo. Making this wine a particularly smart buy.

This wine is 100% destemmed. Goes into open fermenter after cuvaison, it is pressed to barrel. Elevage in old oak, over 10 years old, 300ltr barrels. Barbaresco can only be released on the 3rd January following harvest, giving the wine approx. 27 months total aging. David ages his wines for 24 months in barrel (legally it only needs be 12 as a minimum) then 3 months in bottle.

Maker:

Many feel the wine road inevitably leads to Burgundy, and for many it does, but for some, the final stop is the Langhe hills of Piemonte. It is here that Nebbiolo is the torchbearer of quality delivering a transcendent experience as high as any to be found in food and wine.

David Fletcher's self professed obsession with the Nebbiolo, so much so he resides in Barbaresco where he is completely surrounded by it. David's an Australian by birth and that means he started as an outsider amongst the hills of the Langhe, but he's feeling a little more at home now. My addiction to Nebbiolo has taken him on a ride beyond his imagination. David started making wine from the day he left school, and even though he didn't inherit a winery or watch predecessors work the vines, it's been an uncontrollable passion for as early as he can remember. To cut a long story short, he was first introduced to Nebbiolo back in 2004.... 10 years later, he's living amongst the vines in Italy, making wine in the old train station of Barbaresco, and enjoying the positive feedback from my customers that keeps him striving to aim higher.

In recent years the production has somewhat diverted from only Nebbiolo, and what started with just Barolo and Barbaresco has now grown into 10 wines that are produced from 12 different vineyard sites. Staying in touch with his roots David still makes one wine in Australia too, which is a unique expression of Australian Nebbiolo. ​Overall, the production is compact, with no more than 25,000 bottles that are mostly allocated, making highly sought.

Philosophy:

David works with certified organic vineyards and sites that are under conversion. He is a big proponent for organic farming, always striving for better health and lower impact for the vines and their surroundings. Cognisant of the increasing mono-culture in the Langhe, David offsets the land used for grape production with ownership of the equivalent area in Forest, swamp and grasslands rich in biodiversity.  

With regards to winemaking, David considers himself lucky to be making wines in the Langhe and even luckier he has no legacy to follow. Giving him the freedom to play and deconstruct tradition, all in an attempt to start afresh without any boundaries. He's on a constant search for great vineyards, and always trying to make wines that give a sense of passion and place. Wines are derived from spontaneous ferments with a 'pied de cuve' method. Use old wood with a minimum age of 10 years and in the form of Barriques not Botte...preferring to work in small batches rather than bulking wines up early and each barrique has its own personality which adds to the complexity of the wines. No filtering or fining takes place. Not all the wines will be produced each year, as nature dictates most of what can be produced. So if you see one you like it's always a good idea to snap it up.

Nose - Bright Red Cherry Fruit, Cranberry, Fennel
Bright red cherry fruit, strong cranberry tang, rose hip tea, game meat, a little raspberry and red currant.

Palate - Redcurrant, Game, Spicy Notes
Elegant palate with lifted, aromatic red fruit, lively acidity and bags of crunchy tannin.

Finish - Puckering Tannin, Orange Peel, Clove
Tannins swish in a web of feathery pucker and talc-like grip, the coolness in the wine akin to orange juice, with clove, cinnamon and fennel amongst it all.

(2020) A firm and fine boned nebbiolo, refreshing too, bright red cherry fruit, strong cranberry tang, rose hip tea, game meat, a little raspberry and red currant. It’s red, alright. Tannins swish in a web of feathery pucker and talc-like grip, the coolness in the wine akin to orange juice, with clove, cinnamon and fennel amongst it all. It’s a real pleasure to drink, modern and lively in style, vibrant and straight up banging delicious. Super expression; really worthy drinking. - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front.

(2020) 100% Nebbiolo fermented in stainless steel and only plunging down was used for extraction. Aged in old barriques for 14 months. Unfined and unfiltered. Just mid ruby. Lifted red fruit with sweet, stalky, spicy notes on the nose. Elegant palate with lifted, aromatic red fruit, lively acidity and bags of crunchy tannins. Refreshing and with tannic bite on the finish. New-wave Nebbiolo. - Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com 

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal -  Nebbiolo
Country - Italy
Region - Langhe, Piedmont
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%