Cascina Morassino Langhe Nebbiolo 2023

Cascina Morassino is a small family estate in Barbaresco, in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, north west Italy, working just 4.5 hectares of first class vineyards with old vines and minimal intervention. Mauro Bianco began bottling here in 1984 and his son Roberto now continues the same approach. This Langhe Nebbiolo draws on the estate's Barbaresco fruit under a broader appellation, offering the variety in a more approachable form. The Langhe's calcareous marl soils are central to Nebbiolo, lending the grape its perfume, fine structure and savoury minerality. The continental climate, with warm days and cool autumn nights, gives Nebbiolo the long, slow ripening it needs as a late ripening, thin skinned variety that is naturally high in both tannin and acidity. Ageing in large foudres rather than small barriques allows gentle oxygen exchange and softens the firm tannins while keeping the fruit and floral character to the fore, without adding overt oak. The wine is a pale, translucent garnet with aromas of red cherry, dried rose, herbs and a faint leather note. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with red fruit, fine grippy tannins, bright acidity and an earthy, liquorice tinged finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted. It suits roast duck, braised beef and mushroom dishes.