Chionetti 'La Chiusa' Langhe Nebbiolo 2023

This traditional red wine originates from Piedmont, Italy, within the Langhe DOC. It is crafted by Chionetti, a legendary, historic estate founded in 1912 in the San Luigi zone of Dogliani. While the Chionetti family spent over a century building a reputation as the absolute masters of the Dolcetto grape, their modern era—now led by Nicola Chionetti—includes highly acclaimed expansions into Nebbiolo, including prized vineyards in Barolo.

The "La Chiusa" cuvée is an artisanal, small-production hidden gem (typically producing just 1,500 bottles a year). It positions itself as a serious, traditionalist "Barolo Light"—trading the juicy, simple fruit of entry-level Langhe wines for deep, structural complexity.

Wine Description

The Chionetti "La Chiusa" Langhe Nebbiolo is a savory, beautifully structured, and unmanipulated red wine defined by its old-school Piedmontese gravitas and rustic elegance.

• Appearance: A classic, pale translucent ruby red with an orange-brick tint at the rim. Because it is bottled completely unfiltered, it may show a natural, slight opalescence and sediment in the bottle.

• Nose: Strikingly complex and perfume-driven. It leaps from the glass with textbook Nebbiolo aromas of tar and dried red roses, seamlessly interwoven with tart red cherries, blackberries, leather, pipe tobacco, and minty, balsamic undertones.

• Palate: Elegant, broad, and fiercely traditional. The palate features a savory core of sour cherry and wild raspberry flesh, quickly framed by a powerful frame of chewy, fine-grained tannins and a vital, refreshing acidity. It completely avoids any sweet or jammy fruit, culminating in a long, dry finish rich with iron, dried herbs, and earth.

• Technical Details: 100% Nebbiolo. The majority of the fruit is grown on 20-year-old vines in the San Luigi zone of Dogliani, with the remaining portion sourced from the family's estate plots in Monforte d’Alba (one of Barolo's top communes). The grapes are hand-harvested in October and undergo an extended 21-day skin-contact fermentation in stainless steel using native yeasts. To protect the pure varietal aromatics from harsh oak flavors, the wine is aged for 12 months in large, untoasted French oak casks (botti grandi) and refined for 6 months in the bottle before release. It sits at a robust 13.5% to 14.0% ABV and is bone-dry.

Accolades

Due to its highly limited production, it flies under the radar of mass media, but remains a darling for old-world wine purists.

Food Pairing

Because of its assertive tannin structure and stellar acidity, this wine requires food to truly sing. It is a textbook match for fatty, savory meats and earthy dishes. Pair it alongside roasted duck breast, braised veal chops, or a rich beef stew (osso buco). It is an absolute standout with truffle-infused pastas, wild mushroom risottos, or a rustic charcuterie board featuring sharp, salty cheeses like Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serving Tip

Because this wine is bottled unfiltered, it can throw a significant amount of fine sediment as it sits. Stand the bottle upright for 24 hours before serving, and decant carefully for 1 to 2 hours to allow the tightly wound structure and savory leather aromatics to beautifully open up.