Collection: Alto Piemonte: Colombera & Garella

We would like to introduce to you Colombera & Garella, one of the best producers in the Alto Piemonte region who make fine Nebbiolo that gives the grape another expression beyond Barolo and Barbaresco!

"Alto Piemonte" literally translates to "High Piedmont". In fact, this region (2 hours by car to the North East of Alba) is close to the base of the Italian Alps and is higher in altitude and cooler than Alba and Langhe.

Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte used to have a bigger reputation than Barolo and Barbaresco, but after phylloxera and the Second World War, this region was virtually abandoned from 40,000 hectares of vines to 600 hectares of wines.

Revitalization of the region happened around two decades ago, Paolo De Marchi of Isole & Olena brought Proprieta Sperino in Lessona (1999), and Roberto Conterno of Giacomo Conterno brought Nervi in Gattinara (2018). Beside "outside" investments, a new and local generation of winegrowers started to make their own wines and Colombera & Garella is one of them.

Cristiano Garella was the winemaker at Tenute Sella in Lessona for 5 years before he started Colombera & Garella with Giacomo Colombera in 2010. Giacomo comes from a family of grape growers with vineyard holdings in Bramaterra and Lessona. Quite rare for the region, the Colombera family still have 40-50 years old vines in their Bramaterra vineyards.

Out of the 7 wine regions in Alto Piemonte, the most established one is Gattinara, but the most acidic soils are located in Lessona and Bramaterra. With no limestone nor clay, the sandy soil of Lessona and red volcanic soil of Bramaterra are among the most acidic soils in the world for wine production (pH 4.3 and 4.4 respectively). Mineral uptakes from the rootstock are much higher in acidic medium and the resulting wines are more about minerals, acids, tension, silky tannins, and less about structure, grandness, firm tannins.

If you love Nebbiolo, don't hestitate to try these wines as they offer great early drinkability and food pairing versatility.