Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
he says, “and in my view, one with untapped
potential. Most examples of this wine are meant
to be drunk young, but with the marly-clay and
sandy soil of Serralunga and cryomaceration, I
think Nascetta could give complex, ageworthy
wines.” Danieli is happy that others are fi nally
making the wine too, but points out that there
are huge differences between wines labeled
simply “Langhe Nascetta” and those carrying
the words “Langhe Nascetta del Comune di
Novello.” This is because the latter wines have
to be 100 percent Nascetta, with lower yields
(ninety quintals per hectoliter), while the
former wines can be made with a minimum of
85 percent Nascetta and are allowed yields up to
one hundred hectoliters per hectare. Last but
not least, Nascetta del Comune di Novello has
to be made with grapes grown in the variety's
original home, not just grown anywhere.
Elvio Cogno, his daughter Nadia, and son-
in-law Walter Fissore of the Elvio Cogno estate
are deeply attached to Nascetta and believe in
its qualities. The wine they make reminds me
of one made with Vermentino or Sauvignon
Blanc (a little more fruity than the former and
a little more minty-balsamic than the latter),
and in fact, I think Nascetta looks like Vermen-
tino too (or at least, those vines of Nascetta I
have seen in vineyards of Novello). Perhaps the
best analogy is to say that Nascetta wines are
an ideal mix of Sauvignon Blanc and Vermen-
tino, but with a touch of Riesling. If young
Nascetta wines have a fruity and herbal pun-
gency reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc, with
age they pick up honeyed notes more reminis-
cent of the latter, and they always exude a bal-
samic mintiness that brings Vermentino to
mind. I fi nd this balsamic minty note is really
the main feature of any nascetta, and with a
little practice, makes the wine instantly recog-
nizable, even in blind tastings. Another char-
acteristic is that nascettas are always extremely
saline, a salinity that gives the wine a strong
savory quality and leaves the taster with a huge
impression of acidity, though total acidity lev-
els really aren't that high (rarely more than
fi ve-and-a-half grams per liter). Studies show
Nascetta to have above average concentrations
of terpenes and norisoprenoids and this
explains its mildly aromatic personality. The
wine is delicious, straw yellow-golden, with
aromas of aromatic herbs, orange, ginger, and
star fruit, complicated by sage, rosemary, and
balsamic mint. Honey and vanilla emerge as
the wine ages, which it does well; I have tasted
many nascettas that were fi ve years old and
were still vibrantly fresh. It is quite unlike any
other white wine of Piedmont, and therein lies
part of its charm.
wines to try:
For Nascetta del Comune di
Novello, try: Cogno*** (Nas-cëtta, 30 percent
oak-aged) and Le Strette*** (less famous than
the former but the most faithful representative
of the variety because it's not oak-aged). For
Langhe Nascetta, try Rivetto** and Ettore
Germano**.
Nasco
where it's found:
Sardinia.
national regis-
try code number:
159.
color:
white.
Locally called Nuscu, Nascu, and Resu, this
variety's name may derive from the Latin
mus-
cus,
and the Sardinian
nuscu,
both meaning
“musky,” a recognizable aromatic characteristic
of the wine. Nasco was highly thought of in the
nineteenth century, when it was considered one
of the best varieties grown around Cagliari; it
was also believed to be Sardinia's most ancient
cultivar. Nasco has always been highly prized
and its qualities as a wine grape recognized: of
the two hundred producers showing wines at
the 1861 Florence Exhibition, Pietro Marini was
one of the few to win a medal, with his Nasco
wine. Given its high quality as a wine grape,
Cettolini and Mameli (1933) regretted it wasn't
more diffuse. Though dark-berried varieties
called Nasco Nero have been described, ampelo -
graphic and SSR profi ling at six loci confi rmed
its identity to Aregu Giallo or Barberone
(Lovicu, Farci, Sedda, Labra, De Mattia, Grassi,
Bacchetta, and Orrù 2010). Clearly, Nasco Nero
is unrelated to true Nasco, which is a white
