Renato Ratti’s Ochetti nebbiolo from the Langhe district of Piedmont is an early contender for value red wine of the year. While not as powerful as nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco, that may be a good thing. The 2014 is a wine that shows ample fruit, with bright cherry notes with hints of leather and sage, and softer tannins than you would encounter from a Barolo or Barbaresco from the same vintage. This beauty is just the sort of wine Barolo and Barbaresco lovers should drink while they wait for those wines to reach maturity.
Renato Ratti, Langhe (Piedmont, Italy) Nebbiolo 2014
By Robert Whitley