Arneis is currently one of Piemonte's most important white varieties; but that was not always the case. Tom Hyland, writing in Forbes, tells the tale of this variety -- called Nebbia Bianca at the time -- being planted between Nebbiolo rows in Barolo to serve as a (diversionary) food source for the birds, protecting the more valuable fruit from the marauders.
Hyland also tells of the variety being acquired from Roero farmers by Luca Currado's (Vietti) father for the purpose of crafting a sweet wine and him accidentally fermenting it to dryness. That turned out to be a fortuitous mistake, based on the more than 7 million bottles of Roero Arneis that is produced today.
Hyland also tells of the variety being acquired from Roero farmers by Luca Currado's (Vietti) father for the purpose of crafting a sweet wine and him accidentally fermenting it to dryness. That turned out to be a fortuitous mistake, based on the more than 7 million bottles of Roero Arneis that is produced today.
But while Arneis has come to be closely associated with Roero, it is not the only Piemonte region producing wines from the grape. As the below chart shows, in addition to Roero, a DOCG-level Arneis is authorized in Terre Alfieri and a DOC-level wine in the Langhe.
Roero Arneis DOCG
Roero is a small DOCG (DOC 1985, DOCG 2004) located on the north bank of the Tanaro River and running along said bank for approximately 24.1 km (15 miles) between Bra and Govone. The zone is approximately 878 ha (2169 acres) in size with 2014 production of approximately 436,000 cases. The relative positioning of Roero DOCG is illustrated in the map below.
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| Source: vinotravelsitaly.com |
The climate of Roero is described as cold temperate and manifests as harsh, cold winters; hot, humid summers; and unpredictable springs and autumns. Climatic effects are moderated by (i) the warm Mediterranean winds meeting and mitigating the cold winds flowing down from the north and (ii) the Apennines providing a barrier to the winds from the sea.
The soil is primarily sand, a result of the area being an ancient seabed, with clay and/or limestone intermixed in specific areas. Unlike the Langhe, formed 15 million years ago during the Miocene, the soils of the Roero are only 5 million years old, laid down, as they were, during the Pliocene period of the Tertiary era. The proliferation of sea fossils in the sand is a testament to its sub-sea past. According to Antonio Galloni (Exploring Roero, Vinous, May 2015), the soil characteristics give the Roero wine much of its mid-weight, perfumed personalities. In the places where the sand is intermixed with silty soils rich in clay and marine deposits, the grapes grown thereon confer a greater depth and structure to the resulting wines (Galloni).
The soil is primarily sand, a result of the area being an ancient seabed, with clay and/or limestone intermixed in specific areas. Unlike the Langhe, formed 15 million years ago during the Miocene, the soils of the Roero are only 5 million years old, laid down, as they were, during the Pliocene period of the Tertiary era. The proliferation of sea fossils in the sand is a testament to its sub-sea past. According to Antonio Galloni (Exploring Roero, Vinous, May 2015), the soil characteristics give the Roero wine much of its mid-weight, perfumed personalities. In the places where the sand is intermixed with silty soils rich in clay and marine deposits, the grapes grown thereon confer a greater depth and structure to the resulting wines (Galloni).
The grapes for the Vietti Roero Arneis 2015 were sourced from vineyards planted in 1967 in Santo Stefano Roero on calcareous clay soils. The training system is guyot and the planting density is between 4500 and 5000 vines/ha. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and remained on the lees for 25 days.
Walnut and creamy richness. Lime and lime rind. Minerality. Attention-grabbing acidity. Elena thought that this wine should be put aside for maybe 1 year.
The 2014 Giacosa Arneis had a golden yellow color and was perfumed, with notes of green herbs, pepper and straw. Tropical notes on the palate with juicy, ripe fruit sweetness. Lemon-lime and spicy. Lengthy finish with a metallic/cupric aftertaste.
Walnut and creamy richness. Lime and lime rind. Minerality. Attention-grabbing acidity. Elena thought that this wine should be put aside for maybe 1 year.
The 2014 Giacosa Arneis had a golden yellow color and was perfumed, with notes of green herbs, pepper and straw. Tropical notes on the palate with juicy, ripe fruit sweetness. Lemon-lime and spicy. Lengthy finish with a metallic/cupric aftertaste.
Monchiero Carbone has a history in Roero that stretches back over a century. Its ReCit ("little King" in the Piedmontese dialect) Roero Arneis is an assemblage from a number of different Roero vineyards, fermented in stainless steel tanks. The 2017 version of the wine was aromatic with notes of hay and unripe melon. Weighty on the palate and perfumed fruit. Almost sweet. Not as refreshing as the Giacosa. Slightly overbearing. Tangerine finish.
The 2018 Rocca Felice Roero Arneis was floral on the nose with notes of peaches and pears. Balanced minerality and spice with a clean finish. This wine is a good representation of what I would call a classic Roero Arneis.
The 2018 Rocca Felice Roero Arneis was floral on the nose with notes of peaches and pears. Balanced minerality and spice with a clean finish. This wine is a good representation of what I would call a classic Roero Arneis.
Terre Alfieri DOCG
This region was accorded DOCG earlier in 2020 after having been initially awarded a DOC in 2009. The DOCG covers white wines made from Arneis and red wines made from Nebbiolo. The communes comprising the production zone are shown in the map below, with the southernmost four being in Cuneo Province and the remaining seven in Asti.
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| Terre Alfieri DOCG (Yellow color) Source: http://www.winediffusion.it/images/ Terre-alfieri_macro.gif |
There is a paucity of written information on this region. Its soils are described as being Asti sands, a legacy of the Pliocene era. A total of 48 growers meet the needs of 37 winemakers. A total of 250,000 bottles are produced annually.
Under the new disciplinaire, the minimum of four months aging for the Arneis wine has been discarded but a new designation of Superiore has been added. A wine must be aged for a minimum of 6 months in order to gain the Superiore designation (In the case of red wines, Superiore requires 12 months aging with a minimum of 6 months in wooden barrels. A further designation of Riserva is allowed if the wine has been aged for a ninimum of 24 months of which 12 months must be in wooden barrels.).
Therse wines are not widely available in the US but the literature describes a nose of peach melon blossom and a palate that includes melon, pear, mint, acidity, and a long finish.
Langhe Arneis DOC
This designation can be applied to Arneis wine produced anywhere in the Langhe region. The chart below shows the distribution of grape origins for a selected number of Langhe Arneis producers.
I tasted a bottle of Ceretto Langhe Arneis as a part of this exercise and the chart below shows the vineyards from which the grapes for this wine are sourced.
Ceretto, one of the most respected families in the Langhe region, began making this wine in 1985. Like all of its other wines, the source vineyards are farmed organically. This wine is 100% Arneis and is made from grapes grown on the south side of the Tanaro River. Being classified as Langhe Arneis (rather than Roero) could be a factor of where the grapes are vinified (in Alba proper), or whether the vineyards fall outside of the DOCG area, or both.
The 2018 Ceretto Blanghe Langhe Arneis DOC was star bright. Very aromatic with sweet white fruit, sweet white flower, and citrus on the nose. Bright acidity, citrus, and medium acidity on the palate. Perfumed. A resinous note along with drying on the palate. Blackpepper. Skin contact evident. Lengthy finish.
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